Walk To Old Warrington Road.

After some shopping in town we went for a wander round the woods down the Old Warrington Road behind the council tip. Lots of sweaty bedraggled runners were returning from a circuit via Carey Park. Also lots of dog walkers. We spotted some slugs and some blue flowers. Pointed at some berries and leaves falling. Autumnal nip in the air.

Community Orchard and Swans

Nice afternoon with Tony and Pene who came over for lunch and then a walk to the fishing ponds and community orchard. Got some apples and tasted some raspberries. Bumped into a girl feeding the family od swans nearby. She said they had been rescued and she was feeding them twice a day with floating pellets. Apparently they were being bullied by other swans at the flashes nearby. They transported them one at a time in dog crates. Seemed like quite a job. They seemed happy enough in their new abode. We noticed them the other day but they hid in the reeds so didnt get too close. We thought it unusual for swans to be there with signets. Then back home for pudding.

Griffiths Park

Pleasant cooler walk to Griffiths Park this morning. Bumped into Richard and Sparky from over the road. Then to Co-op to get a few bits including reduced tea bags. Feeling a slightly more humid now. Phew!

September Comes Around Again!

Very warm and muggy today. Traffic chaos due to sinkhole on the bypass - a colapsed drain. All the big lorries going via Lostock which makes life difficult if you are travelling thet way. And we did today. Went to town first to drop off some stuff at the charity shop - old records and DVD's. Hazel went off to do some shopping and I went round the charity shops to collect more CD's and toys to fill up the spaces left - not that there is much space! Still, it's for charity. They win either way. Then to Lostock to help Audrey with some flowerpopts that needed a claen and have a chat to Granma who is very deaf so looked baffled at me waffling on most of the time. Phew it's hot!

Walk To The Orchard

Sunny walk this morning to the community orchard so Hazel could pick some apples for crumbles and sauce etc. She might give some to Audrey who enjoyed the apple sauce with pork the other day. Sat on bench to watch a goods train rumble passed on the embankment nearby. It's a very quite line - just for transporting salt and other minerals to the factory in Crewe or maybe Middlewich. Then a cicuit round the fishing pond that is quickly filling with invasive weeds which is a shame. Not much fishing going on if that keeps up! Spotted a flappy moth on the path. Rescued it and put in nearby tree so it doesn't get trodden on. The cornfield is doing well - up to an elephants eye or maybe its tail. Hazel hid herself in it for a photo. She's bonkers - probably why we get on so well after all these years.

Boot Sale - Moss Farm

A few bargains from the boot sale over at Moss farm today. The weather wasa bit cloudy but no rain. Hazel got all these. I found nothing. Bob did the painting "Peeking Duck". He gave it to Hazel but she insisted on buying it - ok 50p he said. She also bought some old tins and a mysterious compact with "paddy" on the front. It has an unusual mechanism inside that pushed powder out in small ammounts through slits in a revolving doodad. She also got a solar light bulb, a lamp and several other object darts.

New Summer Outfit

Had to laugh at this photo of Hazel ducking behind the flowery thing that butterflies love so much. The name escapes me for the moment. This is a walk we did yesterday around Lostock after delivering groceries and other stuffs to Hazel's Mom and Sister.

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.