Sorting Through Stuff

 It's always difficult to find space for new aquisitions and today Hazel was sorting through a box of detritus trying to make room for a rubber brain that lights up a student of hers made a few years back. It wasa useful prop for her Creative Thinking lectures. She found all manner of wonders incluidng old Kinder Egg toys, PEZ dispensers, plastic gew-gaws and old sketch books.

Whitegate Way

 Nice walk at Whitegate Way that we'd not been to for a while. Sadly the station cafe was closed on a Friday so didn't get the tea and cake we were looking forward to.

Daily Doodle Time

 

Chimney Noises

 We have been hearing weird rumblings and scrabbling noises in the chimney just lately.  Hazel thought it was me in the bedroom moving the furniture but I was downstairs in the back room . I didn't hear a thing.  But I did later as we watched some rubbish on the telly. It sounded like a squirrel making a nest or an owl maybe?   Hazel was quite alarmed and phoned up the chimney sweep even though it was quite late in the evening. He was a nice man and promised to come the next day to look up the chimney with his torch.  Which he did.  In the meantime he suggested we block the chimney with a board incase the suspected nest came down and all the soot with it. Anyway, he found tell tale twig  in the cavity above the gratey thing - the cowl that you can lift off.  Sure sign of a nest he said and he couldnt shift it until September (RSPB rules ) as their maybe eggs or chicks. But it's probably an old nest falling apart slowly.  .....................Later we went for a nice walk to be outside for a bit - in the sunshine.  The canal looked very quiet and peaceful compared to our chimney.  There was even a boat chugging along - the first we'd seen for a long time..... When we got home we looked at the outside of the house and the chimney - no sign of any birds.  Sometimes we hear pigeons cooing but not today. Pigeons are surely too fat to fit down the chimney pot we pondered?  It's a mystery. We shall be looking up at our roof more often now to catch the culprit. More anon.

Sunday Morning Ramble

 Multitudes of dandelion clocks over Griffiths Park. 16th May 2021  Also abit later after breakfast and the "Chicken Run"  (without the chicken!)  we had a nice wander over the fishing ponds near the River Dane.  Saw a heron fly off and startle a swan who flew to the other side of the pond where it's mate was sitting on some eggs ( maybe?)  - it was on the nest anyway, We thought it had been abandoned but seems not.  Sunny with a hint of clouds.

Walk to Marbury Woods

 More bluebells before they all fade away.  They looked even more delightful with the sun streaming through the foliage the other day - quite early in the morning - really seems to the best time to escape the crowds !   A bit muddy after the previous nights rain and thunderyness.  We sat and watched the cows for a while as they dozed off in the field next to the main path to the lake.  Once and a while a cow stood up hoping for applause or some sort of recognition but realising none was forthcoming he sat down again.  We weren't quite sure if the cows were female or male?  Heifers maybe? 

Doodle Dooby Do

 More pages from my daily sketchbook doodlings.

More Bluebellness

 Sunny walk down Marbury way yesterday ( or was it the day before?)  . Bluebells at their peak of blueness! 

Walk To Fishing Ponds

 This mornings wander round the fishing ponds and orchard near the River Dane.  Quite a commotion as we neared the largest pond - seems a couple of geese were circling above being taunted by some noisy gulls.  They landed in the pond only to be chased hither and zither around the pond by a lone male goose who wanted the pond for himself.  Eventually after much kerfuffle they flew off to find peace elsewhere. the lone goose seemed pleased and swam about with a smile on his beak.  The recent swans were nowhere to be seen.  A heron made a brief appearence and flew off.  Quite nippy and it looks like rain.  Such a change from the good weather of recent days.

Doodle A Day

 

Boot Sale

 Sadly the first boot sale of the year at Blakemere was very disappointing due to decision of most people ( mostly stall holders ) not to wear a mask - so getting near the stuff for sale was quite tricky - especially boxes of DVD's and CD's etc. that I usually make a bee line to.  Hearing sneezing and coughing made me realise how many germs were being spread.  So mostly looked and didnt buy.  Hazel found 4 stalls with masked vendors so bought from them exclusively - a bag of old wooden clothes pegs and a gingham quilt .  Needless to say we didnt stay long. 

Misty Fishing Ponds

 Very frosty but sunny morning.  We were down the fishing ponds and River Dane at 7am and saw a heron in the distance.  He was a bit shy though so couldn't get too close.  Some swans flew over making a weird whooping noise with their wings.  Met only one dog walker.  Had the whole place to ourselves.  Amazing mist over the larget pond - a few ducks and moorhens . The swan we saw building  a nest wasn't their sadly.  Hopefully it will return but it seemed odd place to build a nest so close to the path.

Carey Park

 Another early morning walk to town and then Carey Park and the River Weaver.  Surprisingly quiet with just a few walkers and joggers. Most people seem to exercise by walking round Tescos or Asda!

Marsden

 Nice couple of days in sunny South Yorkshire visiting our old poorly chum Dave.  Tried to help by clearing piles of newspapers and magazines.  Dave is a bit of a hoarder.  he wasn't keen to see his "archive" being disturbed. We found time for a little wander and picnic on a bench by the old canal that goes to Huddersfield.  Found some sculptures and stone walls etc.  Very hill around there - we managed to climb a small hill but the bigger one's were too intimidating.  Stopped off at Glossop on the way for provisions and M&S  toilets.  Stretched our legs but didn't fancy the shops although some were open now.  Same on the way home.  The new route around the hills was a lot less scary than the old route over the moors but not quite so picturesque.

Walk To Orchard and Fishing Ponds

 Nice walk down to the fishing ponds and the secret orchard which isn't much of a secret anymore since they landscaped it and pruned all the trees right back.  Amazed at how the new growth is coming despite the bamboo arch just buried sticks!  Saw a heron from a distance. It was very shy so flew off the minute we moved closer towards it.  This camera is handy for snaps but has no lens to speak of!  Very cold for this time of year. There was frost on the car windows at 6 this morning.

More Doodling Fun!