Half term

I think I will be able to say that I used my time fruitfully! Some holidays I look back and think what ever did I do. Well it warmed up last week eventually and then on Monday turned cold again for the day. However it was sunny and beautifully clear for our Ilkley walk

Biddle and Gardiner bunny spotted an elephant on the trunk of a tree can you?



Our walk took us through Middleton Woods

And we made a detour to see this

It was most intriguing


While we were were walking a spaniel kept dashing around and around obviously lost. In the distance we could hear someone calling. Another dog walker said she would try and catch him and put him on her lead. Eventually we saw two older teenage girls who had lost him. They seemed reluctant to actually leave the place where they were standing to go and find him. We decided that they had arrived by car, walked just into the woods let him off and away he went. I hope they found him!

After our walk and a cup of coffee and a teacake we looked around the shops Ilkley still has a fair number of independent shops which made a change. I bought a very bright winter jacket to keep me snug at the bus stop.

I have spent time sewing, knitting and generally catching up on things in the house. No photos though everything is secret. On Friday I shall go for a much needed hair cut and trip to the library.

The bean plants succumbed to Sunday night's frost so that is it for the year but we did have this over the weekend.

Our first cabbage! Very tasty it was too. I am looking forward to more over the next few weeks. John has planted broad-beans and has dug a trench ready for next year's runners. We have decided we can fit a compost bin in the back yard so we will be able to recycle most of our plant waste and vegetable peelings. Nothing much goes in the general wheelie bin now.


Thank you for coming

bbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

it has been cold this week. Icy blasts and frosts with the temperature the other morning down to 0.8 degrees. It ha swarmed up marginally but the wind is still cold and there is more on the way. So it looks like these were our finally portion of beans


We have been so pleased with our first crop. John has been busy digging the second patch


He found plenty of these


As he digs he is entertained by this


the new digital radio. Can you see the little yellow dot? It shows that it is running on solar power.

We have decided to buy a compost bin for our back yard. It is surprising how much waste our pots produce over the year. If we add to that peelings and the outer cabbage leaves then there will be a substantial amount. Anything that cannot go in the wormery in fact. So our household bin will contain even less each week. As he left this morning John had his eye on the leaves gathering by the front gate!

Grace and her friends had a jolly time on Sunday it was her birthday


Next week is half term a whole week at home to get on with things hopefully. I am busy with Christmas and the ornament swap so not much to show. I did finish my hat and very warm and snug it has proved this week.



Thanks for popping by

Autumn

has definitely arrived now. There is a distinct chill to the air and the leaves are turning

These are the trees opposite the allotment plots. Last week there was no hint of orange.
The greenhouse now has a full set of windows in the renovated side


and from a distance looks very smart.

I think we will pick the last of the beans this weekend. All is not lost we have cabbage to look forward too.




I seem to spend more time blogging about the allotment lately than anything creative. true is I do not seem to be able to get my act together. I have almost finished a inter hat. i have all the magazines out to look for a Christmas Ornament pattern however the 2008 and 2009 copies of JCS Christmas ornament magazines seemed to have been filched by the goblins and of course THE pattern is one of them. I have spent so much time looking I could have stitched something else by now!

One more week at school then it is half term it will be great to be home for a longer period of the day although I have to fit in Doctor and hair appointments and a possible walking day with John.

Grace Bear has a birthday on Sunday so I will have to look something out for her. Tia is in my good books she caught a mouse. Hopefully not Mousie from the garden.
Biddle has to find something else to do now the Commonwealth Games is finished.

Blogaversary is in 40 days (less if you are reading later than today)lookout for that there maybe presents involved

thanks for coming

October has not

started well! This time last week we had 26mm of rain and a total of 57mm in three days. However just as we were about to go out in the evening and about ten minutes before sunset this happened.

It has improved considerable since Sunday and something of an Indian summer has been forecast this weekend. Although today we have fog.
In the garden we have some autumn colour can you see the bench peeping out from the nasturtiums?


there is no sign of last weeks caterpillars!

I have finished my gloves and had a little yarn left at the end.
They feel really soft and I must remember that they should not go in the washing machine.


I bought several balls of yarn last week so have plenty of knitting still to do. I have had no inspiration regarding doll hair so there she sits with a somewhat chilly pate. I am sure something turn up maybe she needs a hat.

I have had no offers for the PIF and appreciate that everyone has other commitments so I will hold fire for a while and ask again at a later date.

I am back on the original blogger to post after the problems last week. I shall practise on the new one when I have a bit of time to spare.

Tia has been in bother this week climbing on the fridge freezer for no apparent reason
she has a facebook page and I think that all this interaction with the outside world is affecting her!

This Sunday is Apple day at the allotments we have been the last two years and it usually involves scrummy food for lunch.

I am looking forward to taking part in a Christmas ornament swap with my cross stitch group so this will be my focus for half term n a couple of weeks time.

thanks for popping by and especially if you leave a comment.

what a lovely surprise

...arrived with the postman yesterday. A cylindrical parcel wrapped in brown paper and secured with at least half a roll an awful lot of tape. I carefully unpeeled it to discover inside the most beautiful pink box

covered in butterflies and a bow on the lid. As I admired such a lovely gift I heard a tiny voice from inside. I pulled off the lid and a furry creature emerged stretching and flapping her large ears. She was the most cute elephant

made of the softest fur.

Biddle has been charged with looking after her.
Where did she come from you might ask? She had travelled all the way from Devon and Soggibottom
I am taking part in Michele's pass it forward (PIF). Thank you so much for such a beautiful elephant. She told Biddle and Grace last night that her name is Amelia Phant.
Now I need three lovely people who will help me pass this on. If you would like to take part leave a message in the comments for me. I have not a clue what I will make for you.

I have finally got to grips with my doll and she is almost finished. Although she looks rather bald at present because I have not decided on hair.

I am pleased with how she has turned out.


yesterday was a beautiful day warm, sunny and found this little visitor. There were several munching on nasturtiums.

Today it is pouring hard so I can imagine they have all been washed away


I have finally finished a fingerless glove. Amazing what you can do when the cat is asleep upstairs. I must not grumble at her too much she did catch a mouse this week.

This has taken ages to do had to resort to the old format in the end

Please leave a comment especially if you want to help me out with the PIF