frayed at the edge

The sun was shining ..........

.......... so we abandoned our chores and went out for a walk after lunch.  I had read somewhere recently that there is a bumper crop of sloes this year, and that they have ripened early, so we thought we would go on a sloe hunt.  We only got as far as the bottom of the road before I had to stop to take photos!

 

I think the countryside looks best in autumn

these two riders had been enjoying  gallop - if you look closely at the photo above you can just make out the line of white railings which mark the gallop

 

I do like a piece of higgledy-piggledy fence

 

every time we go on this walk I have to take photos of this beautiful old gate

 

it was good to see that this farmer has had new wooden gates made, instead of using the ugly utilitarian metal ones which are common now

 

of course I had to take photos of sheepies (yes Anna, they are for you!)

 

I guess someone couldn't be bothered to carry this fork home, and left it hanging on the fence for next time

 

there are no pavements on country roads, so it is a bit scary when big beasties like this timber lorry go thundering past

 

there is still some colour in the verges

 

this has been a very poor year for brambles, because the spring was too hot/cold/wet/dry (I can't remember which one was the cause!).  All we could find were these exceedingly poor things

 

so, did we find the abundant and ripe sloes? NO!  We did eventually find some sloes, but they were far from ripe - it is hard to pick them out, in the middle of the photo, but one of them is just turning purple

A little bit of bling!

Some weeks ago, I saw a little feature on a beautiful ring in a magazine.  I tore it out, eventually got round to looking at the website and even printed out the guide to ring sizes.  Then I forgot about it until last week, when I got myself organised, measured one of my rings on the guide, and ordered the ring.  On opening the envelope yesterday, I found this delightful tiny drawer

 

which pulled open to reveal this little thing of great beauty

 

a moonstone, a pearl, a peridot and a ruby, set in silver ....... I am so in love with my new ring!  If you too would like one, then click here.  Not only is the jewellery beautiful, it is very reasonably priced, and the service was excellent (and of course I should say here that no-one is paying me to say this!)

 

we popped over to Pirn House for lunch today.  Over the months we have seen this house on the way being built.  Malcolm was able to stop this morning so that I could take a photo ..... it looks fabulous, and will be stunning when it is finished

 

Malcolm had a very tasty ham and cheese toastie

 

when I look at the menu, all I can see is "French toast, bacon and maple syrup", so that is what I had (yet again!!)

 

on the way home, Malcolm spotted these fat woolly bundles ....... and good soul that he is, he turned and went back so that I could jump out to take photos.  I think these Jacob's sheep are in dire need of shearing!!

 

I was busy sewing this afternoon, but I'll tell you about that tomorrow.  On my way back across the garden at the end of the afternoon, I stopped to take some photos.  These clematis flowers have survived the heavy rain showers of the last few days

 

we have lots of teeny tiny olives

 

and some teeny tiny grapes

 

the poppies may have finished flowering, but the seedheads still add interest to the border

 

to finish - the bees were so busy buzzing round the lamb's ears, that this was the closest that I got to a photo of one!!

Not so much shabby chic .......

........ but rather shabby sheep!  I encountered these beauties when I went out for a walk at lunchtime

 

it was breezy, and it seemed that every time that I got a flower in focus, the breeze whirled round and the flower vanished from the viewfinder

 

I took quite a few photos of this bee before I got one that I was happy with

 

I passed several gates on my walk, some of which are never opened

 

this is my favourite gate, and I think that it is such a shame that instead of being repaired, it has simply been fenced off

 

it has elegant posts

 

and beautifully crafted hinges

 

inspired by some photos in a recent post by Amy, I reset the camera to take B&W photos of the church

as I was changing back to my standard setting, I noticed one called "nostalgia"

 

I think there is a slight difference between the colours in that one, and this one taken on my normal setting

 

to finish ....... there were no donkeys about when I set out on my walk, and when I came back they were in the far-away paddock, but I did manage to take a photo of the little cute one

 

ps - I spent the afternoon in the kitchen - pop in tomorrow to see what I was cooking!

 

 

Heads and tails

I had a potter along the road yesterday to see if the donkeys were out in the field, having been thwarted in my quest for photos on the last two occasions.  Yes, they were there, but uncooperative beasties that they are, they were in the top corner of the field, making it awkward to take photos

 

this little one had obviously found something very tasty to eat, and was munching away

 

this rather hairy tiny one was standing some distance away, all on its own.  I thought about climbing the fence and stealing it, but there are warning signs saying the fence is electrified, and I decided maybe that wasn't wise!

 

the sheep that share the donkeys' field have been shorn since the last time they appeared here.  They kindly presented their rear ends to the camera, showing off their white-tipped tails and white feet

they were then joined by the third sheep, which is white with black legs, providing a nice contrast

 

then the two horses decided to join in posing for the camera

 

I was impressed by the blond topknot of the horse on the left

 

but then I saw this horse in a little pen beside the field.  I have never seen a mane like this one!

 

we are having a special event at patch'n'chat tomorrow, which involves wearing hats ....... do come back and see what we are doing!

The leftovers!

Some days I am scratching about trying to find enough photos for a post, other days I have so many it is hard to decide what to include.  Then I get to the end of the week and think, oh I meant to include this photo, or that photo.  So here are a few of the ones that didn't make it in earlier in  the week

Melrose Abbey in the sun

 

a rickety bridge and rhododendron

 

we had lunch here on Wednesday

 

a neighbour's fat sheep - the white bit is the end of its tail!

 

another fat sheep with similar tail

 

a handsome horse in the same field

 

a silken seed head of the early flowering clematis

 

Malcolm's chair and beehive, scrubbed clean ready for a fresh coat of paint

 

 

as I took this photo, the driver of the tractor appeared, and said surely there were more interesting things to take photos of than his tractor.  I replied that I love tractors, and that I had been about to steal it, as he had left the door open.  He said I was welcome to steal it, as then he could have the afternoon off work!!

 

we are over in Berwick, so no Friday cake to share with you!  I hope you all have a great weekend ...... you might see us on the beach looking for more driftwood!!  Love Anne

Don't worry, there will be sewing ........

........ but I have some other photos that have been patiently waiting for inclusion.  First ..... sheepies!

 

and a horse, all of them in the field across the road

 

we had a beautiful sunset on Friday night

 

remember I bought the inexpensive bird bath as a temporary replacement?  Well, it's just as well it was inexpensive, as the birds wouldn't go near it!  And when we had heavy rain last week, we realised that the resulting increased water level was too deep.  So it has been demoted to looking pretty in the back garden, and I have bought a proper replacement.  The sparrows have already checked it out and approved!

 

so, now for the sewing.  I took the "Twas the night before Christmas" stitchery on holiday, and managed to get quite a lot of it done

 

and when we were over at the flat last week I finished another little stitchery (that's 12 of 32!)

 

but best of all, at patch'n'chat on Friday, I persuaded Margaret to let me take photos of some of her latest blocks.  Her work is beautiful ...... I am looking forward to seeing how this quilt progresses (click on the photos to enlarge them to see the detailed stitching)

 

I wouldn't want you worrying that we were deprived af tasty treats now that we are back home"  Yesterday we went to The Waterwheel Cafe on the outskirts of Selkirk, where we enjoyed one of our delicious two scone lunches

 

 

April showers

When RonnietheFishman was here this morning with his usual selection of delicious fish (Malcolm chose trout fillets today), he told Malcolm that were lambs in the field next to BillytheFarmers house.  We went out for lunch (more of that later) and then did the food shopping on the way home.  As we came up the hill to the house,  we had another April shower, which looked as if it was going to continue for a while.  On our return I threw the shopping into the fridge, freezer and cupboards, wrapped up against the wind and rain, grabbed the camera and headed out.  Fortunately the rain had gone off, so I just had to put up with the cold wind.  Get ready to oooh and aaaah .......

ewe and lamb #11

 

strolling off down the field together

 

but the other lamb#11 has been left behind

 

despite his bleats, his Mum ignores him!

 

this ewe seems to have her own two lambs tucked up beside her, and another two behind her

 

I walked on down to the field where I saw the lambs the other day.  The only ones in range of the camera were these two, who have already learned the first lesson of sheepdom ....... when you see someone with a camera, show them your rear!

 

back up the hill,  I watched as the dopey ewe finally managed to get herself organised to look after both of her lambs (you can just see the other one behind her)

 

I had to give this blackbird a telling-off ...... we have provided him with a posh bird bath with fresh water, and he prefers a muddy puddle!!

 

now, to return to today's lunch.  When I read Amy's blog yesterday evening, she had lovely tales of maple sugaring and maple syrup.  I left her a comment saying that it made me want pancakes, bacon and maple syrup for breakfast, but that I would be having toast and jam.  Then today we went for luch to Pirn House, where the best thing on the menu is French toast, bacon and maple syrup, so that is what I had!

 

while I was out in the cold snapping the lambs, Malcolm lit the stove in the studio for me, so it was cosy when I got back.  He also had put this coal box next to the stove ....... it had been in the summer house.  I will have to clean it!

 

I did some more prep for  Mrs B, then did some stitching on the Aunts' applique block.  You will have to wait until the 15th to see the Aunts' block, but you can see the progress on Mrs B

 

 I also pressed the baby cardi and sewed a button on it.  Now I just have to get organised to send it and the booties to the excited expectant Granny

 

to finish, a little orchid problem.  I notided that the flower stem on this one, on the window sill in the "fitness room" *, had grown sideways between two leaves

 

Malcolm suggested holding the top leaf out of the way, so I fetched a clothes peg to hold the leaf up, and turned the pot round, in the hope the stem will grow up to the light

 

* the fitness room is the posh name for the smallest bedroom, which houses our cross (elliptical) trainer and rowing machine!

Painted sheep and little lambs

After we had fun playing with the paint sticks and stencils at Abbey Quilters, Maureen asked if I would like to borrow a stencil of a sheep.  Of course I would!!  So yesterday I got organised ......

 

I used a polythene bag as a pallette

 

and soon had three colourful sheep

 

I don't know what I'll do with them - for the moment they are on the design wall

 

when we were coming home this morning, Malcolm spotted these lambs in the field at the bottom of the road.  So, as soon as we reached the house, I grabbed the camera and trotted back down the hill.  As usually happens, the lambs had moved and were at the limits of my zoomage capacity (I just made that expression up!).  The first two are very young

 

but these two are a little bit older

 

I had to consult my bird book about this bird, which visited the garden this morning.  My first thought was that it is a female blackbird, but then when I got a better look I thought that it might be a thrush, because of its speckled breast.  My book says it is indeed a female blackbird, and not to confuse it with a thrush, because of ....... the speckled breast!

 

this afternoon I got out my next three blocks for the Aunts' Quilt

 

it didn't take long to do the two pieced blocks, then I started the prep for the applique block ...... but you will have to wait until next month to see the finished blocks!

What can ewe do .........

....... when waiting for the patter of tiny hoofs?  Just keep eating for two (or three!)

 

but there is always time to pose prettily for the camera!

 

I had hoped to get some closer shots of the Jacob's lambs, but they were in a different field, so this was the best I could do

 

as I turned for home, I almost took a photo of a finch!!

 

we have had sunshine and heavy snow showers today ........ fortunately the snow stayed off while I was out for my walk, and the blue sky provided a bright backdrop for the electrical gubbins

 

the snow was lingering on Ruberslaw

 

I have no idea why this field was so much whiter!

 

these horses looked a bit miserable as they kept their rear ends to the wind

 

I liked the snowdrops against the stone walls

 

back home, the birds were busy eating between snow showers

 

waiting politely for their turn on the feeder

 

 

then hiding away when the snow came on again

 

did you think I had forgotten my favourite bit of landscape?!

 

just to the left of it, there is an all-weather exercise track for the nearby racing stables.  You can see the white railing that borders it

 

 

there doesn't seem to have been much sconnage in recent posts, so here is a very good fruit one that we shared yesterday morning

 

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of sewing, includng a Mrs Billings update.

Back to childhood!

I had good fun last night at Abbey Quilters, playing with my paintsticks

 

I used a set of stencils which I had bought years ago in Singapore, to stencil on to paper using coloured chalks.  They worked just as well with the oil paint sticks

 

doing this practice piece made me realise that I would have to be much more careful not to leave smudges or go over the edges of the stencils

 

I borrowed this stencil for my last effort - much better!

 

after the paint has "cured" for about 48 hour, it then gets ironed with a hot iron to set it, and can then be washed.  I really enjoyed the evening - it took me back to playing with paints as a child.  As always I gave Maureen a lift, and yet again she had a present for me to say thank you ........ the most delightful glass coaster ..........

 

with an oh so cute handpainted owl

 

I have been working on one of the quilts that I started recently for Linus.  I added a smal flower to the centre square

 

the wadding, supplied by Sandra our lovely Linus lady, is polyester, and I find it unsuitable for free motion quilting, so I put the walking foot on and zigzagged round the flowers

 

next I marked a network of straight lines to quilt

 

and finally added the binding - all I have to do now is hand stitch the binding on the back, and sew in all the ends

 

I finished the fourth applique block for the Aunts' Quilt ....... or so I thought.  When I referred to the picture on the pattern when I was putting the finished blocks on the design wall, I noticed that block four has a flower in the middle

 

but this wasn't on the pattern sheet!  I might just leave the centre blank, then embroider some information in it about the quilt when I finish it

 

Malcolm has been working on his wine box bookcase.  When he showed it to our (shoe shop owning) neighbour this afternoon, he promptly took photos of it with his phone, to show his wife!!

 

we popped over to Pirn House for lunch - delicious brocolli and stilton soup with excellent bread

 

we came home via the back road, to have a look in Marion's field to see if the Jacob's lambs had arrived yet, as they are always born much earlier than the other lambs.  I only had my little point and shoot camera, so I have had to crop the photos, making them slightly blurred ....... but who cares, as we have the first lambs of the season!!!

 

I'll be back tomorrow with a bit of knitting ....... and a review of an excellent new knitting book!