Skywatch - 25th August 2011

Autumn Is Coming

I noticed whilst driving this morning that the trees are starting to change colour.

Then when we parked up and were walking into the hospital grounds for my son's orthodontist appointment we walked through these (excuse the crisp bag littering the pavement)





Work finished this year on a brand new hospital and the old one is in the process of being demolished so there was a lot of this going on




More on that in another post when I have more time because when they knock down something that evokes so many memories of days gone by it stirs up lots of emotion which I think needs documenting.

Blogging from the beach getting attacked by these




They are everywhere.





Brought something to do if the ladybirds leave me alone long enough

Skywatch And More Day Trips

Another shot from Bolton Abbey earlier this week for Skywatch.  To see more skies from around the world please see Skywatch Friday.

Today we went for a little visit to a new gallery called The Hepworth after Barbara Hepworth.  It looks like a big bunker from the outside.

They have a walk of fame with stars (just two of them).

the great Henry Moore (love his work)

and of course Barbara Hepworth.

No photos of the inside as I wasn't sure which parts allowed photography and didn't want to get into trouble.

the favourite part for the boys was the really good playground outside. Art and sculpture isn't exactly the most interesting of things when you are little.

Out In The Yorkshire Countryside

How are the school summer holidays treating you so far?

We are half way through them here. The first three weeks were pretty much uneventful apart from odd activities breaking it up and an assortment of hospital and dentist appointments. Speaking of which little man has a physio appointment at 8am tomorrow! Very early but over and done with so we can make the most of his dad being on holiday from work.

My other half always has two weeks off in august. We used to go on holiday for one of the weeks but funds haven't allowed for that the last two years so daytrips it is this year. Not that I'm complaining because I would rather have it like that. I'm more of a homebird plus the older teens don't have to come with us when we go out for a few hours so make great dog sitters when we go places that aren't dog friendly. Biggest man prefers, at 15, not to come to daytrips so it works for us.

Today we went to Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire countryside. I wasn't really sure what to expect as I've never been before. I was thinking walking by the river like we do at home. I wasn't expecting steep hill paths so the old legs got a good workout. Glad I put my trainers on rather than shoes or sandals.







As you can see it was rather high up. The clouds had emptied themselves just before we arrived so it was wet and slippy in places. The edge of the path put my heart in my mouth at times particularly as little man kept straying over to the side.







This was the priory ruins.





and the very old graveyard at the side of it.







Reflective family portrait on a bridge. The river wharfe is a really peculiar colour.







Stepping stones across the river. I was the bad parent for only letting middle man go that far. The stones beyond that point were either underwater or had water lapping on them. The river was running fast beyond the bridge and regardless of the fact that he is 13 and can swim it was a risk I wasn't taking.







A lot of logs had coins pushed into them. I've only seen this in one place before but I'm assuming it is a luck thing like a wishing well.







A bit of nature







We then crossed to the other side of the river and made our way back to the car via this fountain thing.













Menwith Hill US spy place on the way home.

Skywatch - 11th August 2011

10 Things On The 10th

This is my first time joining in with 10 Things On The 10th over at Shimelle's blog

10 random sort of things from over the last couple of weeks:


1. My boys have found a love of reading. Harry Potter for the eldest two and erm Master Crooks for this one lol

2.  We have been on lots of buses

3. My little one never bores of the steam train arriving.

4. Even the ordinary should be recorded every once in a while

5. He loves his football

6. There is a massive sense of satisfaction at producing homegrown veggies

7. Even when it is raining the river is a peaceful place to be once you learn to ignore the noise of the clay pigeon shooters

8. Birds on feeders are incredibly difficult to photograph when they want to be.  You can just see the blur of it flying away.

9.  Whilst I don't mind watching birds on feeders as above, when they appear very close to the back door and are capable of staring out the dogs and then have their eyes on said back door they really do freak me out.  This one did just that earlier this week and no it wasn't injured.  Same with pigeons in town - I hate them because I know they are going to set off and flap their wings as soon as I walk by them.  (photo taken out of the window)

10. The council need to get a big stick and make the man in charge of the allotments do his job.  Just look at the state they are in.  People like myself are willing to take on plots yet they let them get into this overgrown condition.  Letter of complaint together with photographic evidence should be hitting their desk right about now.

1.

Scrumbling

Do you know what a scrumble is?

I didn't until earlier this week and once I discovered them I can honestly say I am getting addicted.

In the scarf journey group on Ravelry we are doing a crochet journey but it has evolved into freeform crochet and the making of scrumbles.

This is my section which will go to the next person in the circle and the next until it eventually reaches home.  There are 11 of us in the group so it will be a while before we all get our end result to either add to or make into something.

Expect to see quite a few more of these soon. 

Skywatch

Yorkshire Day

So Monday was Yorkshire Day. It was also the first day of August. This year has slipped away so very quickly.

Anyway since we are Yorkshire born and bred we made some Leeds Parkin from my Yorkshire Teatime Recipe book. which I bought at the castle last week.

I used up some porridge oats the eldest son had used in a cookery lesson at school last term so it wasn't quite to the recipe and it was a bit dry around the edges but all in all it turned out pretty much OK.

and look - some beans from the containers in the yard.  I'm super pleased to have finally grown something that we can eat. 

A Week In The Life - Day 7

The final post of A Week In The Life went a little like this

Sunday morning shopping.  I like going on a Sunday morning before it gets busy. They open the doors at 930 for browsing and then open the tills at 10.  I can get more or less most of the weekly shopping done in that quiet half an hour.

stupid error that won't go away no matter what we do. I think this computer is in need of a bloody good service.

walk into town

ironed some work shirts

bought new school shirts for September

my other half, eldest son and youngest son went to the friendly at Leeds.  They played Newcastle United.  Here is little man with the club mascot Lucas

and clapping something.  He doesn't go very often because my other half and eldest son have season tickets so have to sit in their prepaid seats.  Apparently he was very vocal with the singing etc and really got into it and buying him a season ticket in the future was discussed.  Middle man doesn't do football in case you were wondering.

That concludes A Week In The Life.  I might do it again during a random week when the kids are back at school and we have a bit of normality.