Exciting Icicles

My internet has been down for over a week hence no post last week. We have had some wild and cold weather recently.The countryside has a magical quality when everything is softened by snow.

On a trip back from Kendal near Shap quarry there were some incredible ice formations.

A river of ice

An waterfall of ice.

These icicles look like dreadlocks

The snow and ice look as though they have been poured.

Rods of ice

Amazing icicles.

Witches fingernails

The ice looks like an arm and fingernails.

Look at the contrast of the lichen on the rock and the ice

Ice daggers.

These icicles are like birds claws

Looking through the mist towards Shap quarry.

Mysterious Shap quarry

Conifer trees weighed down with snow. 

Winter wonderland

Snow on the Pennine hills emphasises the forests.

All the contours disappear with the snow

A dramatic view of sky, snow and hills.

Looking at the Pennine hills from the road to Melmerby

Spring cleaning I found this old leaflet.

Should every home have one?

On a visit to Hayes Garden Centre there was an oversize chair and spade.

Changing the scale of things always adds a new dimension

It is the time of year for marmalade making and the Seville oranges are only in the shops for a few weeks. You soak the fruit and juice overnight and them cook them the following day. The house has a comforting fruity aroma when marmalade making.

Seville oranges.

Washed oranges

Marmalade pulp.

Finely sliced oranges

Bottled marmalade.

It tastes delicious and has a good texture

I made these bird houses this week.

Birds in a row

Lovely evening skies. This one is a mackerel sky as the clouds look like the scales of a mackerel.

Indigo blue

Snow and Birds

We have had rain, strong gales, snow and hailstones all within a week. Snow makes everything look beautiful and softens the edges. My pottery houses looked very festive.

So pretty

A Gaudi inspired house

Snow and flowers

My two birdhouses had snow on the roof and inside.

Baby it's cold inside

I say somewhat chilly don't you think

The bumblebee has a snow beret.

Sparkle

On Tuesday the clouds were amazing. They just looked like feathers. You have to be so quick to take the photo as their shape is always so fleeting.

Feather boa

Drifting floating feathers

Last Saturday we had torrential rain and on a trip to Kendal the reservoir was overflowing. As I stepped out of the car I was almost blown away. It was a pity I could not get a closer view.

The power of water

This is my new collection of birds on plant pots. I have been experimenting with design and colour of both the birds and the plant pots. I am making these as cane toppers.

A flock of pottery birds

Rosy robin

Yellow finch

Little bluebird

Blue tit

Yellow Hammer

Greengage bird

Scarecrows and Showers

We have had some spectacular frost. Frost on the pottery houses.

Frosted flower heads

Frost creates a new dimension

Frost on the butterfly.

Frosted wing tips

A frosted bumble bee.

No buzzing around for this bee

Superb ice puddles.

An ice mosaic

Intricate patterning

Christmas and New Year are passed so all the scarecrows have taken off their festive clothes. This is the time of year when we get snow and rain so all the scarecrows are dressed ready to face any weather.

Charlie Barley could only find a small red poncho which offers little protection against the rain. He is hoping he may be supplied with a more robust outfit.

Just a tad too small

Crazy Maisie was very disappointed to find that her raincoat was a dull blue colour. She decided to have hair extensions so at least there is something to brighten up her appearance.

Feeling blue

Lotta Bottle was not happy. She had to wear Looby Loo's cast off raincoat. The fact it was a size small did not bother her as she is still able to show her figure to its best advantage.

 A ladybird spotted raincoat has no street cred

Boozy Floozie has chosen to wear a pretty spotted raincoat. She was concerned that her wine glass would not fit down the sleeve but was able to wear it around her neck. A tipple of sloe gin is quite warming in the cold weather.

Hic

Looby Loo loves her new flower power raincoat.

Happy as can be

Bobby Barley has a football poncho so he is highly delighted.

Footie rules OK

Friends together

I was given the sign as a Christmas present. It makes me laugh every time I read it. 

Don't say you haven't been warned

Happy New Year

Over the Christmas holiday I had a walk around Wetheral near Carlisle. We started the walk just past the village green past Wetheral Priory Gatehouse.

Eden sandstone

The gatehouse had a castellated tower.

Rapunzel where art thou?

We had to cross the Settle - Carlisle railway line.

A signal box just in view

A  railway viaduct. 

Twin arches

A derelict outbuilding.

I love the pan tiles

Notice the weight on the gate to ensure it is closed after use.

Push hard to close after use

This farmer built a tower so he could look out of the window for potential river poachers.

Spy tower

Notice the rock strata.

Crevices in the rock

This seat is part of the Eden Benchmarks project and was made by Tim Shutter.

Angel wings and stone padded cushions

More design than function

Corby Castle home of the Howard family.

The house on the hill

The waterfall cascades down the hillside

The caves were originally inhabited by hermits and later by monks.

Simplistic habitation

This tree trunk looks like a cave.

I wonder what is inside?

Wavy fungus

Look at the colourful fungus on this tree trunk.

Orange ripples

Bulrushes along the river.

Spear heads

Can you see a deer head formed by the tree branches.

A deer head with large antlers

A field of young Christmas trees. 

Little Christmas trees

I made these pottery birds as presents for my daughters.
Blue bird.

Cheep

Red bird.

Felling a little sleepy

Green bird.

Posing