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

Friday again!!

The days just seem to be whizzing past at the moment ....... but I don't mind, as it bring me closer to meeting a very special bloggy friend - but I'm not going to tell you yet who it is!!  After all the sewing photos that we have had through the week, today I shall share with you the other photos that didn't yet make it into the blog!   First we have a pale sunset

 

then a much more colourful sunset

 

out in the garden, the bottle brush has flowered

 

the clematis which was the first to flower in the spring has decided to flower again

 

Malcolm repainted the planter that he made some years ago, and I bought some new plants for it

 

if you don't like snails, scroll quickly past the next photo!

 

the other morning, there were so many starlings on the phone wires that I couldn't fit them all in one photo!

 

as I was taking photos of the starlings, a flock of swallows flew past in the distance

 

we had our favourite Friday cake, the delicious apple and sultana one

 

to finish, I have a very special treat for you!  The lovely Margaret recently entrusted me with some of her spectacular quilt tops, as I had offered to take photos of them for her.  All her quilts are entirely hand sewn and embellished ...... hour and hours of work.  She has given me permission to share some of them with you .......

 

there is a bit of a mixed forecast for the weekend, but perhaps we will manage to have a walk on the beach.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne 

We finally get to Sunday!

On Sunday morning, we headed back over the Border to visit Coldingham Priory ...... or rather the remains of the Priory.  However the parish church .....

 

........ is built on the site of the Priory

 

this board (click on the photo to enlarge it) .......

 

....... explains what these relics are

 

around the site of the Priory are paving stones with messages carved into them

 

I always get a lump in my throat when I see these old gravestones

 

this old gravestone has had a new plaque put on it

 

and this War Grave is particularly sad, that the sailor's family wouldn't have known that their loved one had been buried in Coldingham

 

when we walked by to the car, I spotted this pillar box beside the car park.  It is from the reign of George VI, the Queen's father

 

from Coldingham, we went on to St Abbs for a cuppa.  While Malcolm was placing our order, I was admiring the little table setting

 

I was given a plain, ordinary white cup and saucer with my tea, but as happened the last time we were there, Malcolm was given this stylish cup and saucer with his coffee

 

after our cuppa, we had a potter down to the harbour, where the tide was well and truly out

these boats in the inner harbour would have a long wait until they were afloat again

 

of course I had to take a photo of this boat!

 

we had a hunt on the shoreline for shells and seaglass, but I was distracted by this crab claw

 

this was the first crab I have found with blue pincers

 

 

when we walked back to the car, I was glad that this enormous gull was sitting on someone else's car!

 

on the way home, we stopped to have a look round number four

 

the gallery is filled with all sorts of art works, and as we wandered round oohing and aahing, I had a good idea!  I have been stumped as to what to give Malcolm for his birthday this year ...... so I told him to pick something, which he was delighted to do.  However, as it isn't his birthday until the 3rd of September, you will have to wait to see what he chose.  However, I can show you a general shot of all the loveliness on offer

 

back at the flat, the poor swans were discombobulated again, as yet another boat came into the dock

 

to finish ...... our lovely neighbour (the shoe shop owner) popped in this afternoon to give me a bunch of sweet peas, which she had just picked from her garden.  I wish we had smell-o-blog, as their scent is lovely.  I put them in my favourite little vase, which I bought when we were living in Indonesia, so it is about seventeen years old

The rest of the weekend

When we went for our walk on Saturday afternoon, we saw lots of fruit in the hedgerows

raspberries

 

brambles

 

rosehips

 

at first we thought this was a small apple

 

but after Malcolm cut it in half and we saw the single stone, I realised that it was a greengage

 

on our walk on the beach, we encountered dead crabs in three sizes

small

 

medium

 

large

 

this seagull was keeping an eye on what was going on on the beach

 

and of course we have to have a photo of the lighthouse

 

there were lots of boats about

 

as we walked back to the flat, the pilot boat came out of the dock at a great rate of knots

 

looking round, we saw this large ship heading in

 

by the time we got to the flat, the ship was passing the lighthouse

 

and was soon heading for the dock

 

we held our breath as it came through the opening

 

but the pilot looked quite relaxed

 

the poor swans didn't know where to go, to avoid the ship and the pilot boat, swimming back and forward, and in and out of the dock

 

 

after our walk, we were in need of sustenance ....... these are bought scones, but they were very good, and the blackcurrant jelly was delicious

 

I missed seeing the spectacular full moon on Friday, but it still looked good on Saturday.  The first two photos are from earlier in the evening, then the last one is from bedtime

 

oh dear, today's heading is "the rest of the weekend", but that is only Saturday, so you will have to come back tomorrow to find out what we did on Sunday!!  Here is a sneak peek

 

hooray, an email arrived about a minute ago from Catherine, translating the cartoon (thank you Catherine!)

why did you say "muuuu" like that just now?

 

I was trying out my new language

Running late ......

........ after a very busy day, so I'll just give you a taste of the weekend, and tell you the rest tomorrow!  We went out for a walk on Saturday afternoon, along what had been a single track railway line

 

we paused on top of this viaduct .....

 

...... to admire the views

 

after taking lots of photos, we continued our walk, and popped in to have a look round this new shop.  It has some fabulous shabby chic furniture that Malcolm wouldn't let me buy (because we have nowhere to put it!!) and some interesting beach-themed bits and bobs

 

just along from the shop is this wonderful old building, ripe for redevelopment ....... but Malcolm wouldn't let me buy it either!

 

we then went for a walk on the beach ....... the tide was much higher than on our last walk, and the groynes were in the water

 

tomorrow, I'll share the rest of the photos from our walk on the beach, and an exciting event in the dock, and then what we did yesterday!!  But to finish ....... do any of you speak Gaelic!  This cartoon was in the paper at the weekend, and as it features sheepies, I would love to know what it says!!

 

 

 

A veritable pot pourri of a weekend

I was very busy in the kitchen at home on Saturday, and then equally busy in the studio, but I will tell you about that tomorrow.  Instead, I will start with what we have been doing in Berwick, both yesterday and today.  When we arrived yesterday, we went out for a walk round the town

old chimneys

 

who needs a cliff when you can use chimneys!

 

a different view of the lighthouse

 

a pigeon on the old walls

 

more old walls

 

did the English defenders fire on the pesky Scots invaders from here?

 

windpower

 

horsepower!

 

looking down the High Street ...... then looking up at the buildings

 

 

 

the window of the new dental practice

 

of course after all that walking we needed sustenance

a tasty cheese scone

 

and a delicious toasted teacake 

 

and back at the flat, the swans were waiting in the dock for us

 

this morning, we were helping to set up this exhibition

 

I have two pieces in it - my "Sunset Over the Bay" wallhanging, and a little canvas with a driftwood and seaglass boat (which you can just see perched on the radiator on the left)

 

Malcolm was helping with things involving large ladders

 

while I was assigned this wall to pin up some schoolchildren's work

 

after I had pinned up all my pieces

 

I helped Malcolm to hang these paintings of the lighthouse

 

while on the other side of the room, there was some discussion about the positioning of my wallhanging

 

all too soon it was time for us to head off for some lunch, and on the way out I picked up this card, illustrated by local author Cara Lockhart Smith

 

this side shows you where the Watchtower Gallery is (bottom left), should you be able to come to the exhibition

 

while this side shows the wider area

 

we had a rather indulgent lunch.  Malcolm's didn't win any points for presentation, but it was exceedingly tasty ...... homemade corned beef pie, with rather a lot of beans

 

while I had a delicious Coronation chicken panini 

 

we had lunch at Marshall's, and popped into the outlet shop afterwards for a quick look round.  I was very glad that we did, as I got the bargain of the year (if not the decade!!)  A super warm jacket, which will be good for walking on the beach in the winter

 

it has an extra detachable bit inside, which when fastened grips round the hips to stop the wind blowing in

 

I wouldn't have paid the original price, although I may have paid the outlet price ........

 

......... but all I paid was £19!!!

A taste of honey

In one of those little coincidences in life, we had already decided to visit the Chain Bridge Honey Farm on Sunday morning, before I finished the jar of honey on Saturday.  We started with  a walk round the visitor centre, where we learned all there is to know about bee-keeping through the years.  Then we had a cuppa - in a bus!

 

as we can remember travelling on buses like this when we were little, we headed for the upper deck, which was the preferred place to sit.  We could have sat at one of these little tables

 

but we preferred to sit at the front, where we tucked into a delicious cheese scone .....

 

...... and a slice of lemon drizzle cake, which came with a little dish of superb lemon curd

 

suitably refreshed, we headed back outside to see lots of  old vehicles and tractors

 

I was rather taken with this old caravan

 

it has been beautifully restored inside

 

there was also a wonderful collection of old household appliances.  I was careful not to get any part of my anatomy caught in the mangles

 

I remember that we had a Hoover like this when I was little (I'm not that old, it was probably my Granny's!)

 

as soon as I saw it, I remembered the words on the front

 

just a short walk from the Honey Farm is the Union Chain Bridge.  On one side of the river you are in  .........

 

......... and on the other side you are in

 

with this wonderful old bridge to cross from one to the other

 

 

there are plans to restore the bridge

 

there are wonderful views from the bridge

 

of course we had to buy some honey ...... after much deliberation, we settled on this one

 

and these two cards also came home with ....... but I don't think I will be sending them to anyone, but rather I will be framing them!

 

I'll be back tomorrow with a studio update ........ and some sewing!!

Catching up!!

I have been very, very busy since I was last here, so it will take a few days to catch up with what we have been doing.  So here, in no particular order, is a quick snapshot of the last few days!  We arrived home yesterday to a lovely squishy envelope on the doormat, with a pretty envelope inside

 

and inside that envelope was a lovely note from Dawn, saying that when she saw these very cute owl buttons she thought of me, and then bought them for me!  Thank you very much, Dawn!

 

Yesterday morning we went along to the Watchtower Gallery in Berwick, to hand in my three driftwood fish pictures, which  are being included in this exhibition

 

we had offered to help with setting up the exhibition, so we were given this wall to work on

 

which gradually filled up with all sorts of fish/boat/seaside related items

 

there is also an exhibition of artwork at the other end of the large room

 

the Watchtower is a magnificent old building, a wonderful setting for the exhibitions.  Do pop in if you are in the area - and if you pop in this Friday, you'll find me there, doing a stint as a steward

 

we went over to Berwick on Friday, to have a break from the dreaded decorating.  There were hardly any swans about, but when Malcolm went out for a walk, he spotted them all huddled in a corner on the far side of the dock (he also got all three bridges in the photo!)

 

however on Saturday, there were lots of them about

 

 

I suppose I ought to show you some of the decorating!  The biggest job was washing down the ceiling and walls, which were grubby because of the log burning stove.  This is Malcolm finishing the last bit of washing this morning

 

we then covered the carpet with a motley collection of old curtains, shower curtains, towels, and even an old ironing board cover!

while Malcolm did the cutting in, I got busy with the roller.  After much humming and hawing last week, we eventually settled on a light green paint, as I fancied having some colour on the walls, rather than boring white

 

having done the ceiling, Malcolm took this action shot of me starting on the walls.  I always use the roller on a long pole - much easier than using a stepladder

 

by mid-afternoon, I had done the first coat, and this is Malcolm covering the last little bit of white

 

I hope to get the second coat done on Wednesday (I'm having a girly day out with Maureen tomorrow), then we can get the furniture back in place and everything put away.  The lower room will be much quicker to do, as it is much smaller, with a much lower ceiling.

 

last week, it wasn't a squishy envelope that brought a present, but a stout cardboard box.  A gorgeous gift from the Lovely Granny-to-be, to say thank you for the Lovely Baby quilt.  Thank you very much, Granny-to-be ..... the fizz has gone away for a special occasion, and we have only just eaten the last chocolate!

 

and to finish ....... as soon as I saw this little box in a charity shop last week, I had to buy it

 

so of course we had to have boiled eggs for breakfast the next day!!

Before I tell you .......

....... why Malcolm was banished to Berwick at the weekend, I have some photos of the stunning sunset on Friday night

in contrast, I got up on Saturday morning to a prolonged thunderstorm, and torrential rain that was bouncing back out of the birdbath

 

which was in contrast to Thursday, when Mr Blackbird enjoyed a leisurely bath

 

then a little bit of sunbathing to dry off

 

ok, lets get on to the main topic!!  The studio needs redecorated, which of course means that I have to pack everything up.  I decided it would be much easier to do it on my own, as I am very fussy about how all my treasures are treated!  So Malcolm was sent off to have fun in Berwick, while I tackled this (I am embarrassed at how untidy it all is!!)

 

as I started the packing, I was distracted by this little tin, which was given to me by a friend years ago - she obviously recognised my many talents!!

 

but I realised that if I kept stopping to take photos, I would never finish!  By the middle of Saturday afternoon I had had enough of carrying boxes out to the garage, so watched Wimbledon instead!  However, I was busy packing when Malcolm came home at lunchtime yesterday.  He went up in the loft to get more boxes for me, so that I could pack up my books.  There was no way I could carry these heavier boxes, so I used the sack barrow

 

this afternoon, I packed my fabric into bags - the first packed were these three bright bags, which I bought in Majorca in May

by the end of this afternoon, quite  bit of progress had been made

 

to finish - if you don't like snails, go no further!  This one was slithering up the studio door yesterday

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!