Guernsey

Nice week in Guernsey staying with old friends Stella and Brian. Two weddings and a birthday to celebrate. Spoiled rotten. Ate too much - drank too much. Weather wasn't that great to sart with but soon warmed up. Lovely days out at the beach for fish and chips - watching the sunset over Cobo Bay. A guided tour round Victor Hugo's massive house full of quirky decorations. The folk museum and the cobbled streets of St. Peter Port. So many nice memories.

Marbury Picnic

Pleasant wander around Marbury with old chums Tone and Pene. Had a picnic next to an old wonky piano in the sheltered picnic area. Maybe we should have moved because children started to whack the keys in a most unmusical manner! Imagine John Cage crossed with that Northern comedian with the rubber face? Anyway, we stayed and consumed our sandwiches and crisps. Later popped back to our back garden for tea and biscuits ( the birthday cake now all gone!) .

Marsden and Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Nice few days in West Yorkshire. More sorting of Dave's stuff. Tooka day off to wander round the YSP to to be amused by the Erwin Wurm exhibition which was terrific and not somebody I'd known really. He has a nice sense of the absurd - dancing sausages, dancing suits, wonky cars, bendy lorries, hot water bottles with feet etc. It cheered us up despite the rain. Also very nice installation in the chapel by a New York artist - piles of broken wood made into an impressive structure. We had a snack in the cafe and then more wanderings around the smaller galleries to see some lost wax workshops and prints in another gallery. 50 acres to explore but the rain put us off and we headed back to Marsden via Holmfirth - where Last Of The Summer Wine was filmed. Had a scone, cream, jam and tea in the infamous Sids Cafe. Thought it would be full of tourists but very quiet. Popped into a few shops to dodge the rain.

Walk To Local Park

Very humid - so short walk to park and up the hill to the bench to look at the clouds. Wasps, bees, butterflies on the thistles.

Walk To Local Park

This mornings wanderings to the local Co-op and the park. Bit grey clouds looming overhead but thankfully the rain held off.

Blakemere Boot Sale

This mornings finds at the Blakemere boot sale. Only half the usual punters but still a lot to rummage through. I got a set of alphabet stamps for 20p. Hazel found a few things including some magic tricks, a brooch, a plant, a smelly candle and some old cigarette cards. Still very humid and nice to get back to our nice cool house.

North Wales

Nice couple of days in North Wales to celebrate my birthday. Went to Ruthin, stopped off to have a coffee and walk round the charity shops. Then on to Dolgellau and Barmouth. Rain showers blew away and the sun came out - hoorah! Fish and chips in the park. Went for a nap in the dunes. Drove back to our B&B in Dolguelleu. Weve stayed there before. Close to the Torrent Walk - a bubbly stream that cascades over rocks. Usually more water but the rain has been few and far between this year despite the recent thunderstorms. Next day we went to our friends Linda and Ivor's who live the "good life" in a cottage nearby with 5 cats , 6 chickens, hives of bees etc. Went for a walk to the lake via the Precipice Walk. Delicious lunch of home grown salad, cheese we took along, fresh boiled eggs, home made sour dough bread etc. Yum! Looked through all there recent "finds" and an amazing pelikan pen engraving machine. Stopped for a curry at tea time amd then off back to the B&B. Next day home via Llandudno and a sandwich on the pier.

Gardening In Lostock

A day of gardening and birthday cake over at Granma and Audrey's. A bit cooler thankfully. Archie is home for a couple of days. He enjoys a bit of gardening - lopping the very tall shrubs that have taken over at the side of the house.

Walk To River Dane And Community Garden

An early morning walk before it got too hot. Sat in the community garden admiring the bench doodles and detritus. Lots of green growth after all the rain the other day. No baby coots sadly - just one lonely coot struggling against the pond weed. Then to cornfield to see how high it was. Not yet up to my knee. A bit late this year. Nice to get home again and cool drink. Did some doodling and catching up with social media etc.

Do It Yourself

We aren't very good at DIY but decided it's been a while since we did any painting and the doors were looking a little worse for wear. Hazel has painted the outside loo door and the back door with some green paint we found in the shed. It was the paint we used for the front door about 5 years ago! Still two thirds full and servicable. Seems silly to buy new paint when the old is good as new. I tried going up the ladder but got in a right tangle. Laurel and Hardy came to mind! Hazel went up the ladder and I stayed at the bottom and held the paint can. Teamwork! It's all a bit rough and ready but we are going for that tatty look that is all the rage these days! That's our excuse anyway. Shabby sheik!

A Walk To River Weaver Locks

Sunny Sunday walk to locks from the Hartford bridge - along the River Weaver and back on the other bank. Lots of dog walkers and joggers. Some rowers on the river being taught by a man on a bicycle shouting instructions as he rode along the footpath. We were laughing a sausage dog as it ran passed us and the jogging owner fell over onto the gravel path. Ouch!

Walk To Woods - Old Warrington Road

Sunny walk to Old Warrington Road end of the Carey Park and Flashes etc. Listening to the buzzing bees and the chirpings of birds - even a cuckoo clearly in the distance. Sat on a bench to have a rest and soak up some sun. Lots of dog walkers about with various shaped dogs. Hazel prefers the smaller ones that are not so boistrous.