Sauntering Around Settle

Settle is a beautiful town in North Yorkshire and whilst we were there there was a plant pot festival. Many of the local businesses had taken part.

A funny bunny.

Hop along to my shop

Spongebob outside the stationers.

Look at how he is constructed

Have you thought of doing this with plant pots?

Flowerpot power

Beware of the dinosaur.

Dinosaur dining

This bird is not sure if he should use the phone.

Cheap calls

We had a walk up the hillside. Look at the size of the stones that formed the base of the wall.

Humungeous

A  lamb skeleton on a stone wall.

It looks prehistoric

A former lime kiln.

Beautifully constructed

Sugar loaf hill.

One lump or two

Warrendale Knots, limestone scenery.

Look at the strata

This tiny flower is eyebright.

Tiny white stars

Anyone fancy wild bathing?

Or maybe the cold rock treatment

Can you see the duck in this rock formation?

Rocking duck

Looking towards Penyghent.

A beautiful view

Looking across to Langcliffe.

Spectacular 

The sheep are now being shorn.

Has anyone seen my fleece?

Can you see the tiny blue butterfly?

Fragile blue butterfly on the white clover

 Looking towards Settle.

Settle down now and admire the view

Roaming around Ripon

It has been a mixed week of sun and some heavy rain showers. I had a day trip to Ripon.

It is amazing what you see as you walk about.

Outside a cafe

A miscellaneous collection.

How many of these things have you seen before?

How about this for a comfy chair.

Do you fancy curling up with a book?

Do you get the message.

Just do it

There are a lot of poppies in flower.

Look at the lovely poppy seed heads excellent to use for printing

Home grown veg.

Broad beans, cabbage and gooseberries

I have harvested my garlic and it is now drying.

Garlic and carrots

The runner beans are in flower.

The vegetable patch runner beans, onions, turnips, courgettes, main crop potatoes

I have been harvesting red and blackcurrants freezing some and making cordial. 

Red jewels

These are some of the costumes I designed and help the children make for the Kirkoswald school play "A Load of Rubbish."

 The characters Banana, Cucumber, Turnip, Ink Cartridge and the Duster in the background

Newspaper and general rubbish

Cumbria in Bloom

I have had a busy week getting the Artful Garden and my allotment shipshape for the visit of the Cumbria in Bloom judges on Wednesday afternoon. The visit went well. This is some of the artwork that they could view.

I made some giant poppies to decorate my Cumbria in Bloom sign and put a blue cornflower on the back of the sign. 

Poppy power

Blue view

All the scarecrows have been to health farms, hairdressers and some have been on the toning tables. All have had serious makeovers ready to soak up the summer sunshine.
Charlie Barley has been to the gym and as a consequence is looking more trim. Looby Loo likes her new chair in the garden as she is no longer sitting next to Bobby Barley who used to tease her. 

Just doing a few exercises to limber up. Looby Loo you should try it.

Crazy Maisie finds the sun too bright hence the sunglasses, but the other scarecrows think it is just to attract attention. 

Some day my prince will come 

Boozy Floosie is trying to give up sloe gin and instead is drinking rhubarb cordial. 

Hic hic

Bobby Barley relaxing.

Move over Rooney

The Bottle Boys and Babes have been admired and they keep turning their heads to look inside and out of the garden.

Whose pinched my lippy?

His and hers hats

The peg dolls enjoy being out in the sun.

Daisy

Laura

I have decorated some tin cans.

Two cans

Dot

I have managed to clear a large quantity of the allotment.

I have put homemade windmills on the allotment to scare the birds

Bottle Babes and Bottle Boys

What a change in the weather. We have had several days and nights of torrential rain and some sunshine in between. 

The Bottle Boys and Babes have had a makeover and are now back in the Artful Garden. Some were camera shy but this was partly due to the wind that kept blowing their heads around until they were dizzy.

Bottle Babe.

Lush

Bottle Babe.

Love the earings

Bottle Boy.

Anyone for a snifter?

Bottle Boy.

Has anyone of you chaps seen a pheasant?

Bottle Boy and Babe.

Do you like my pompoms?

There have been some interesting cloud formations.

The starfish.

Sea the sky

The submarine.

Drifting 

We have started to pick the new potatoes, variety Nichola. They are excellent for boiling.

Delicious

I just love the humour of this card.

Such a grate card