Out and about

This posting probably belongs in my other blog (www.jackieoutandabout.blogspot.com), which has been resting since visiting Chile and the shock of getting the hire car stuck in the electric gates. I have been out and about quite a lot recently, hence the gap in blogging. The following is just a taster of lovely places visited.

Bat, boats and steam engines

The bat was the most interesting, followed by the steam engine and then the boats. Wildlife is all very well, but not in the bedroom during the night. It was hot and humid last night and the window and curtains were open wide. At some point during a dream about the steam engine, I was woken up by 'man and bat' chasing oneanother around the room. It was mildly entertaining (!) and inevitably the bat got away. I covered my head, just in case the bat became entangled in my (short) hair and tried to go back to sleep.

A bat has visited my boudoir in our previous house and when I found it snuggled up in a slipper, it was very tiny and quite cute. Last night however, the aforementioned bat seemed much bigger (huge) and of hair tangling proportions. I couldn't find it this morning and it must have either flown out in panic, or is hanging upsidedown, adorning some aspect of bedroom furniture. It's a shame that I didn't manage to get a picture.

I'll have to made do with the Kingswear steam engine - of my dreams, and some bobbing boats at Stoke Gabriel.

Hedgehog and Canada Geese

The hedgehog night vigil paid off, with moderate success thanks to the help of a torch. 

Hedgehog in its scuttling night-time habitat, hoovering the bird-table leftovers. Their speed is impressive and they resemble little wind-up toys as they go about their night-time business.

Canada Geese in the daytime.

Canada Geese kids and parents, gathering for a post-breeding moult convention.

Hedgehogs and train tracks

I am working on a plan to take pictures of a hedgehog which allows for some sort of identification to take place. In the meantime and pending tonight's hedgehog vigil, this will have to do.

They were scuttling around like wind-up toys

Scene of scuttling - after the event 

Bright and light - train track overlooking Exe Estuary

Even brighter - but no visible hedgehogs

Summer day

It's been a proper summer day today - hot and sunny. I had intended to take pictures of  a typical summer day, such as people sunbathing, ice creams being eaten, bees buzzing, little children paddling, boats floating on crystalline waters, flowers blooming, bunnies frolicking, beautiful vivid blue skies, happy families sharing cheese and pickle sandwiches and orange squash, and of course, cyclists contentedly cycling. 


Never mind all that.... As it's now dark, the night time crew are outside in the garden and I have just tried and mostly failed to take pictures of two hedgehogs scuttling about outside. This is much more magical than anything seen today and I will post a picture if I get one later, so watch this space.

Peas and wool

Helping Philippa to knit has tweaked my knitting brain into action after about twenty years of respite. Yesterday I bought some red wool and a pattern and have embarked upon remembering what to do, with the assistance of helpful hints from YouTube. The main objective is to create a jumper for myself, in time for the 'red' Christmas season.


I had forgotten how 'rows' dominate when knitting. Sentences are begun with 'when I've finished this row...' . I had forgotten that there is quite a lot of counting involved... and quite a bit of remembering of where you've got to. Apart from ripping back about six rows because I thought I'd got it wrong, when I hadn't, the potential garment is progressing. 


I have begun to notice red, since beginning the knitting project yesterday.

Knitting and new red flask for cycling coffee

Themes of the day

The flowers smell as good as the wool feels

More peas and wool

...and some more 

Teatime sightings

There's always plenty of action in the garden. I took these pictures in between swallowing mouthfuls of Egg and Lentil Curry with Coconut and Pickled Lime (courtesy of Delia), through the closed kitchen window - so a bit blurry, unfocused and far off.

Rabbits, pretending they're not edging too close to the house for their own good 

A young Great Spotted Woodpecker, pretending to drill holes in the tree

Rabbit in clover - for the moment!

Robin, contemplating  - worms; garden forks; Christmas cards?

Surge of rabbits 

Flying - not cycling

The above title is to give the impression that I'm such a daredevil adventuress that I have taken up flying. I haven't, but was impressed by the colour, speed, agility, spectacle and the general fluttering of kite surfers in action on a very windy yesterday. It was as much as I could do to hold on to my bike whilst taking pictures.

Cycling in the rain

I broke my cycling rules today, rejecting lemon yellow gear in favour of a total black waterproof look - from head to toe. I made the assumption that there wouldn't be many super-speedy cyclists out and about in the rain (I was right), which would mean less chance of being run into - which nearly happens quite regularly, even when I am dressed as a flourescent lemon. 


My sun glasses are perfect for cycling (they don't actually cycle) as they are big enough to stop my eyes from watering. I didn't dare wear these today due to the rainy darkness. The hood of my waterproof jacket is all encompassing of my head and face (if you see what I mean), and the addition of sunglasses plus rain would have resulted in extremely poor all round visibility. My ordinary glasses were reasonably alright, except that I had to stop occasionally to wipe off the rain.


When I complete this image with the final details, you'll wish you could see a picture! I tucked camera, peanut butter roll and i phone in a bag inside the front of my jacket, which apparently made me look pregnant. Fortunately, the offsetting of this by compacting my waterproof trousers at the ankles by someone else's (!) bicycle clips (usually worn only by men of a certain age) had the effect of counteracting any vague allusions to pregnancy. 


So determined was I to have a semi-picnic in the rain, that I attempted to attach a mug (with lid) of coffee to my handlebars, to be sipped somewhere along the way. My trusty bike used to accommodate Philippa on the back when she was a toddler (she is now in her twenties) and does not boast modern fitments of any kind. It is still reasonably good at transporting a person, but definitely not toddlers or drinks (hot or cold). Most of the coffee had spilled within the first fifteen minutes. 


The advantages of cycling in the rain, apart from not being able to see very well, were that I only passed two or three other cyclists. When I reached the beach there was hardly a person in sight. I bought a cup of tea from one of the many people-less seafront cafes and was shown a copy of The Sun newspaper, and you'll be relieved to know, had the weather forecast for the next month pointed out - more continuous rain. 


There was still plenty of action on the beach.

Seaweedy sea

Loads of gulls

Pointy tails

Prancing

Floating

Dozing

Colour play

The sun played hide-and-seek today and beach and river scenes were dark and uninspiring, so I added my own colour.

River Exe

Exmouth

Doors

I couldn't resist the thatch, chimneys and whole cottages in the village of Otterton. The following are a selection of mostly summertime doors.

You'll have to imagine the doorstep

Thatched doorway

A practical mill door - flour is made here, rather than flowers hung

Access could be a problem!

July seaside

No takers!

Gull 

Very rocky shore

Sidmouth to Branscombe 

Cream teas and cottages

The following pictures provide a glimpse into a day out in Devon.

This is actually a postcard

This is a real one - yum!

Cottage at Noss Mayo



The Pink Cottage

An authentic cottage garden

Roses - not quite around the door

Beer and birds

I have been busy practising the art of photographing goods in shops. Today I have discovered an alternative to drinking beer.

And bird watching at the same time.

Here we have a whole row of different birds.

And matching glasses. There were many more beers and glasses. Here's just one more group of slightly naughty sounding beers. There were lots more in this category.