frayed at the edge

A long walk on the beach

The sun was shining on Friday afternoon, so we decided to go for a walk on the beach.  We wondered how it would look after the "Beast from the East".  The first thing we encountered was this enormous tree root ....... if only we could have brought it home for the garden!  

 

then a few yards on I found two pieces of sea glass

 

I wonder where this ladder came from - it's amazing what you find on the beach after a big storm!

 

I would have shown you the groynes ........ but they were completely covered! This means that over the last few years, the level of the sand at this end of the beach has risen by at least 6 feet.  So instead I'll show you the lighthouse

 

there were dozens of crab shells

 

and quite a few lobsters as well, victims of the Beast

 

this fish looked as if it had escaped from an Alien film - I almost expected Sigourney Weaver to appear 

 

and of course there were tyres! 

 

while Malcolm  picked up driftwood, I picked up rubbish.  It didn't take long to fill two small bags which I had in my backpack - next time I will have to take a proper bin bag with me 

 

I came across this sea urchin shell sitting on a brick

 

so I added a crab, a lobster and a mussel 

 

we left the beach and walked along the promenade.  As I took this shadow shot, I said to Malcolm to wave, and he promptly obliged!

 

further along the promenade, we went back down on to the beach.  This shows how the sand level at this end of the beach has dropped.  The rail was painted last summer, and you can see how high the sand was then, where the bright blue paint ends

 

I thought these newly exposed rocks looked like the skeleton of a dinosaur

 

Malcolm spotted these stones stuck in the layers of rock

 

a cloud of gulls rose in to the air as I walked towards them

 

this is a piece of old bone, with a frond of seaweed on it

 

including my hand in the photo shows how tiny the frond is

 

at first glance I thought this was an exotic plant which had taken root in the pebbles, but it is a piece of rope which has frayed

 

I still have lots of photos, so I'll share them with you on Wednesday.  To end, yesterday was Mothers' Day, so as usual Stuart found a cheeky card to send me (perhaps I should send him my hairdressing bills!!)

 

inside the pretty package was this tin of exceedingly delicious sweets - I am being very generous and sharing them with Malcolm

 

and this weekend was the first anniversary of moving here ........ which of course meant a glass or two of fizz to mark the occasion!

A strange shadow shot

Yesterday morning, when we were sitting in the lounge having our post breakfast cuppa, we both noticed this strange shadow shot on the wall.  Well, I can hear you ask, what's strange about the sun shining in the window and casting a shadow on the wall?  The strange thing is that the sun wasn't shining in the window ...... the shadow was cast by a reflection of the sun, shining on the windows of the house across the road from us!

 

but through on the other side of the house, these shadows were caused by the sun

 

this is a temple bell, which Malcolm bought many years ago on a business trip to Manila 

 

and this is me, taking the photos

 

later in the morning, we set off for Kelso, as I had an appointment with my lovely hairdresser, to restore my blonde gorgeousness.  Of course we stopped for a cuppa on the way, and enjoyed an excellent cheese scone

 

after my hair was rendered beautiful again, we came on over to Berwick, where the sun was shining in the windows this morning.  This is my little mannequin, which looks after my jewellery

 

I had taken this knitting project with me, as it has been lying neglected for some time.  The plan is to turn it into a rug - you can see where I have stuffed the first section with some wadding

 

I bought the balls of wool some years ago at Woolfest.  It is rug wool, very rough and tough

 

this morning we had a walk over to town, and surprise, surprise, we popped in to Café Crema

 

for a cuppa and the best (and biggest) cheese scone that we have shared for some time!

 

we had to pop out in the car after lunch to run some errands, then to avoid going back to the flat to do some housework, we took a little run up the coast and over the Border to St Abbs

 

as always there were lots of lobster pots lying about round the harbour - do you think anyone would notice if I pinched one to use as a planter in the garden?

 

there were lots of gulls sitting on the rocks in the distance

 

but this one posed nicely on a wall beside the harbour

 

after an exceedingly chilly walk round the harbour, we popped in for a warming cuppa

 

and enjoyed a little sweet treat - a small piece of tablet

 

and to finish - here is The Aunts' Quilt looking good on the guest bed in the flat

 

I don't think Pooh and Jemima would be pleased if they knew that Bruce the Puffalump was sitting on the quilt.  I have had Bruce since the 80s, when I named him after Bruce Willis - that's when he was a handsome young man with lots of hair!

 

I've just checked the weather for the weekend - although it is going to be cold, it should be dry, so we may get out and about for a walk.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

A windy day out!

Yesterday morning we headed down the coast to pick up Lucie to go out for lunch.  She had chosen this place by the beach in Blyth

 

this photo doesn't show just how busy it was, as it has been a school holiday this week

 

the three of us chose the same - haddock and chips.  It was all freshly cooked, the batter was light and crispy and the chips were plump and non-greasy. (thank you very much Lucie, for such a delicious treat!)

 

this starling was one of many keeping an eye on the people eating outside, in case they dropped a morsel

 

after lunch, we strolled over to the beach, stopping to admire the iconic beach huts (have a look back at the first photo, and you will see them on the chip shop sign)

 

looking out towards the lighthouse, the sea didn't look too rough

 

but the wind was whipping the tops off the waves

 

but despite the bitterly cold winds, there were some brave souls surfing!

 

but we hadn't gone just to have lunch and a chilly walk ...... Lucie had quilted The Aunts' Quilt for me.  This is just a sneak peek until I have stitched on the binding

 

back home, I got out all the leftover fabric to make the binding

 

and I also found the remains of a jelly roll which I can add in if there aren't enough scraps

 

so yesterday I cut all the shorter lengths

 

then this afternoon I cut the longer strips.  I hope to get the binding made and stitched on over the weekend

 

on Monday, when we were in Berwick, we popped into Mielle Patisserie ......

 

........ to share one of their delicious Provence scones

 

we  have also had a sweet treat - Sue's son-in-law, Adam, had these biscuits made for her, with an edible paper on top of the icing, with the shop's logo.  Adam has also designed a website for the shop - you can see it here

 

and to finish, I took this photo of the sunrise on Tuesday in Berwick.  The sky looked as if it was on fire, and just as I snapped the photo, a bird flew in to the shot to add some interest

 

it's a reasonable forecast for the weekend, so hopefully we will get out for a walk.  It should be milder, so Malcolm is hoping that he can get more work done fitting out his shed with a large workbench (and I will have to remind him to take photos!).  Enjoy your weekend, love Anne

An early treat ......

 ........ for Valentine's Day!  Yesterday morning, we popped over to The Running Fox in Longframlington, as I had offered to treat Malcolm to breakfast

 

although it had snowed during the night, it was bright and sunny

 

I was temporarily diverted from the breakfast menu by the sight of these scones!

 

as I like a reasonable amount of milk in my tea, I get annoyed in establishments that give you a tiny little jug of milk, as if it was rationed (although Malcom always gets a big jug of hot milk to have with his coffee).  So I was delighted yesterday that not only did I get plenty of milk, but it was served in a cute little bottle

 

Malcolm ordered the full breakfast .......

 

....... and I ordered the eggy bread with sausages - but I didn't expect to get such a plateful!  The food was delicious, with most of it sourced locally, and the bread is baked on the premises

 

after breakfast, we worked off a few of the calories with a walk round the church

 

the sun was shining through the trees, casting interesting shadows

 

although the wooden and glass doors are beautifully made, I think they are out of keeping with the age of the church

 

the bell tower is unusual, with a double opening

 

there were lots of snowdrops in flower

 

and lots of daffodils peeping through the grass

 

I do wish that the old gravestones could be cleaned and protected, are they are little bits of local history.  The wording on this one is unusual "Underneath this stone are deposited the remains", and also mentioned is the "afflicted widow"

 

this one is an unusual shape

 

this one faces away from the prevailing weather, so isn't as worn as many of the others

 

a last photo before we headed back to the car

 

now, I could lie and say that on the way home I got Malcolm to drop me off, and I walked the rest of the way taking photos

 

or I could tell the truth that the photos were taken through the windscreen from the comfort and warmth of the car!

 

there was still evidence of the overnight snow

 

with it even clinging to the tree trunks

 

the slightly scary downhill run into the village

 

we came up to Berwick this morning, as we had an appointment at our Solicitors to sign our updated wills.  Having moved to England, we were advised that it would be a good idea to have them re-written under English law (Scotland has a separate legal system).  We were delighted to find a new shop - The Little Vintage Shop.  Although it makes us feel old that what they sell as vintage is what we grew up with!

 

then a few doors along we saw this notice in an empty shop window.  I have done some paper making in the past, so I might sign up for one of the classes

 

I had a bit of fun taking photos of the railway bridge through the "new" road bridge (we were crossing the river on the old bridge)

 

I wonder if the local council would move the lamp post on the road bridge, as it doesn't quite line up with the centre of the span?

 

in this photo, you can just see a train crossing the railway bridge

 

this afternoon, there was a flurry of activity on the dock

 

but I was momentarily distracted

 

by the antics of these gulls

 

who looked as if they were having an argument

 

and I almost missed the moment when they removed something from the boat

 

it was the engine that was belching out smoke that I showed you in a recent post - they must have heard me say that they needed to do some serious maintenance on it!

 

I'll be back on Wednesday with a quick and easy tutorial.

Two very different days

 Before I tell you about the weekend, I thought I would share this piece of absurdity with you.  This enormous plastic envelope arrived for Malcolm on Thursday - it is actually folded in half.  That's a mini bag of M&Ms (I just used it to hide the address) - the pencil gives you the scale

 

in the envelope was a folded piece of A4 paper, and a little plastic bag containing a tiny brass nozzle.  I don't know why it couldn't have been put in a normal sized envelope - so much for cutting down on plastic waste

 

so, on to the weekend.  It rained all day on Saturday in Berwick - not showers, just constant rain.  However, you don't have to go out to take photos - I took these through the window!  Out on the river beyond the dock, dozens of seagulls were diving into the water

 

they flew round and round for quite some time - then simply flew off!

 

this little fishing boat sailed out of the dock, trailing a cloud of smoke behind it.  I think they are needing to do some serious work on the engines!

 

this swan was having a good peck at its feathers

 

stretching its neck over its back to sort them out

 

finally it straightened up, every feather back in place

 

as we weren't able to get out for a walk on Saturday, we had a detour on our way home yesterday, as it was a bright sunny morning.  We decided to go to Bamburgh, as we prefer to go there in the winter, when it isn't crowded with tourists!

 

there were lots of daffodils .......

 

...... and snowdrops growing under the trees

 

I shall have to remember to plant daffodils round our trees in the autumn

 

this camellia was smothered in buds

 

unfortunately this shop was shut, so we couldn't sample their wares

 

this is the local cricket ground 

 

I wonder if it is the only one in the country situated in front of a castle?

 

the tennis court is being refurbished - Malcolm wouldn't let me play with the machines!

 

guess which way the wind mostly blows!

 

I wonder if the cricket club would let me borrow their heavy roller, as some of our grass is a bit lumpy and bumpy, and would benefit from being rolled

 

another view of the castle

 

it was a day for looking up at chimneys ........

 

..... set against the blue sky

 

the birds looked as if they were deep in conversation

 

as we walked round the cricket ground ......

 

this little robin followed us

 

sitting prettily for his close-up

 

we popped in here for a cuppa

 

but we didn't have chops and ale

 

instead we shared a delicious piece of carrot cake

 

I have now remembered to take a photo of my Charming Bag - I'll share it with you on Wednesday!

 

Over the Border

 It was bright, if a little bit chilly, on Saturday morning, so we headed up the coast and over the Border to Eyemouth

 

there was the usual assortment of small fishing boats in the harbour

 

and although boats are traditionally referred to as "she" ........

 

....... these two have boys' names

 

if boats can feel the cold, then this one must have been happy to be out of the freezing water and in the boatshed 

 

I wouldn't want to be given the job of untangling these ropes!

 

a nice jumble of old lobster pots and rusty bits

 

 I have no idea what this is for

 

there were lots of gulls about

 

after I took this photo

 

the gull turned round to face the other way, as if to say "this is my better side"!

 

there was a heron at the edge of the water

 

and lots of ducks

 

I remembered my own advice to look up, and spotted this weather vane

 

and a gull in a more familiar pose, with its tail facing me!

 

we just missed this boat being launched

 

I thought they were absolutely mad to be heading out to sea when it was so cold - I assume they must have had survival suits on under their jackets

 

we were a bit chilled by the end of our walk, so headed to this coffee shop

 

as we knew there would be a blazing fire to warm us

 

while we enjoyed our cuppa and a delicious cheese scone

 

back at the flat, there was a great squabble of pigeons fighting over some grain, which was probably spilled from a lorry which loaded the ship on Friday

 

while this swan swam serenely past

 

the light was just starting to fade as this heron landed on the edge of the dock

 

it stood there on one leg for a while

 

before striding over ........

 

....... to peck at the free food

 

yesterday afternoon, I knew it was snowing while I was busy in my Attic

 

but I wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted me when I came downstairs and opened the door!

More of the white stuff!

I know a lot of you in this country are fed up with snow, but these photos are for Meredithe, Ma and the Squealers, who are wilting in the heat in and around Melbourne.  This was the birdbath yesterday morning

 

with a collar of snow round the icy water

 

I think the footprints are probably from a cat, which had carefully walked along the edging between the path and the grass

 

our neighbours' monkey puzzle tree looked good with its dusting of snow

 

while we had rather a lot on the hedge

 

this is yesterday's sunrise

 

with more spectacular colours - the little dots are birds flying past in the distance

 

then this morning we had a very pink sunrise

 

with lots of fluffy clouds

 

we came up to Berwick this morning, stopping in Belford at Sunnyhills

 

where we shared an excellent cheese scone

 

when we got to the flat, there was a ship in the dock, which was sitting very low in the water.  Was it waiting to be unloaded, or had it been loaded and was waiting for high tide to leave?  We would find out later in the afternoon

 

we had a (rather chilly) walk over to town.  When I stopped to take a photo of the Victorian pillar box, I had to include the matching Porsche!

 

these little birds are well camouflaged when they are poking about at the water's edge

 

until you spot their red legs

 

it was very clear, and we could see Bamburgh Castle in the distance

 

I would love to know why this house has two wind-speed meters on its chimney stack

 

do you remember this house, which I christened the "money pit"?  I tried to persuade Malcolm to buy it, so I could turn it into a quilting retreat, but sadly someone else bought it, and has been slowly refurbishing it

 

then there was the "very big money pit", where work has finally started to turn it into apartments

 

and now there is this old building for sale - but the drawback to this one is that there is hardly a straight line or a right angle, as it has subsided over the years!  So I don't think Malcolm will buy this one for me either, which is a disappointment, as it would be wonderful to have you all come to visit (although perhaps not all at the same time!)

 

back at the flat, there was suddenly a flurry of activity in the dock

 

with the swans escaping out into the river

 

before the pilot boat shepherded the ship out of the dock

 

we are just watching the weather forecast on tv, and it is to be dry and bright tomorrow, so we hope to get out and about. If you have weather like ours, wrap and well and stay warm, and if you are melting in the heat in Melbourne, stay cool and drink lots!!  Love, Anne

A tale of three scones

 If you are being good and eating healthily, you might want to scroll down past the next four photos, and not torment yourself with so much delicious sconnage!  I got to eat all of this first scone, as I was on my own shopping in Alnwick on Monday, and popped in for a cuppa

 

then we shared this one yesterday, on our way up to Kelso (I was going to the hairdresser to have my gorgeous blondeness restored!)  I do like places that give us two plates when we are sharing

 

and isn't the vintage china lovely

 

after my hairdressing appointment, we went to Berwick, where we shared this really tasty cheese and red onion scone - and it was still warm from the oven!

 

this is my hairdresser Melissa's dog Jake

 

she was a bit worried about him, as he hasn't been eating well ....... he was looking very sorry for himself

 

this lorry was parked on the dockside this morning

 

you can see from the map (found on the internet) that it is a long way from home - 318 miles to be exact

 

 

unlike our last visit, when it was very windy, the sea was calm, as you can see from the reflection of the pilot boat

 

when we got home this afternoon, I nipped out to The Attic for a quick play on the Super Quilter.  My leaves might be random shapes, but my control of the speed and movement of the machine is getting better ......

 

........ although the leaf on the right started out on its top edge as a holly leaf, then went a bit awry on the bottom edge!

 

a little sneak peak of my new project for this month's 6&6 challenge

 

the forecast for Sunday isn't too bad, so hopefully we will get out for a walk.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

A split weekend!

Because of the snow, we stayed at home on Saturday, then went to Berwick on Sunday ........ so to paraphrase football commentators, it was a weekend of two halves!  We went up to Alnwick on Saturday morning, to find there was a bigger than usual Market

 

including a stall selling all things alpaca, made with the fleece

 

of these delightful creatures

 

who posed quite happily for the camera - ok, they were bribed - Malcolm was feeding them slices of carrot!

 

maybe if I ask Santa nicely he might bring me a champion alpaca!

 

on Saturday afternoon, I was busy in the attic ....... but you will have to wait until Wednesday to see what I was doing!  At the end of the afternoon, I was treated to this wonderful sunset

 

Sunday was bright and sunny - a delight after the horrid snow!  We went for a walk round the Walls ...... I hadn't intended to take any photos, so I only had the point and shoot camera with me (I don't have a smart phone, so I always have the little camera in my handbag).  It has a limited zoom, so the lighthouse looks a long way away!

 

I do like old chimneys

 

the bare trees ........

 

....... stand out against the blue sky

 

I like the way the bramble has grown round the bottom of this weed, which is on top of a wall

 

if I had taken the big camera with me, I could have zoomed in on the shadow shot of the gate on the stone wall

 

there was a "super moon" last night ...... but this was the best the little camera could manage!

 

all sorts of Christmas things are happening here, so do come back on Wednesday - if only you could smell the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen as I type this!!

 

Feathers

 On Friday morning, we got up to a rather dramatic sky .........

 

....... so I left Malcolm to make breakfast .........

 

......... while I took photos!

 

on our way back to the flat after our morning in town, I paused on the quayside to take this photo of the three bridges

 

in the afternoon we went for a walk on the beach - but I kept stopping to take photos of feathers!

 

Malcolm always manages to find an interesting stump - and always declares it would look good in the garden!

 

while Malcolm was collecting some interesting bits of driftwood, I picked up all sorts of litter.  I collected bits of fishing line and nets, bits of ropes, nasty bits of metal

 

and a long piece of rope which had all sorts of other rubbish caught in it.

 

a bit of fun to finish ....... the large container ship hadn't really been washed up on top of the breakwater!!