Happy Holidays and Harvesting

We have been away for nearly three weeks at our daughter's wedding in Rome and then to Chamonix and Wengen in Switzerland. In the time I have been away the gardens have grown like topsy and there is a lot of fruit and vegetables to harvest from among the weeds.

I was manning Alston Art Show yesterday and made these cards.

Oriental beauty

Dotty birds

Houses in the main street that back onto the graveyard.

Many of the houses are very old

Looking down Alston main street.

Natural beauty

The  Derwentwater clock in St Augustine's church in Alston.

This clock is very unique

Looking towards the Solway from Hartside.

Atmospheric

Looking towards the Eden Valley. 

Look at the different field colours

Heather is now growing on all the moors.

Purple hues

Willowherb drifts in the verges.

Purple power

Wall art near Queen Street station in Glasgow.

The 3D effect is excellent

What can she see?

Pennine Perfection

I had a walk along part of the Pennine Way last weekend from Alston to Garrigill. The scenery follows the South Tyne. It was tranquil and beautiful. The curlews and oyster catchers were calling and their song floated across the hills without any other man made noise to compete with.

The water in the South Tyne river is very peaty.

Fast flowing

In places there are large banks of shingle and the river diverts into small channels.

Rivulets in the South Tyne

The air quality is very good as there is lichen on the tree branches.

A tree smothered with lichen

Beautiful

Ferns are growing in the branches of this tree.

So many ferns

Moss covers the dry stone walls.

Green walls

The roots of this tree grow down the bank.

It is amazing how far down the bank the roots grow

Can you see a teddy bear in the tree trunk?

Bear with me

A view of the rolling hills with only a few isolated farms.

Rolling hills

An old farm gate.

How many people and animals have passed through this gate

Watercress in a stream.

The water needs to be flowing to make the watercress safe to eat

 A limestone enscarpement.

Giant pillars

Clouds over the moor.

How many rays can you count?

Snow on Cross Fell

I have made a wreath from small plant pots for the Artful Garden gate.

Jelly plate papers decorate the plant pots

The robin now has a nest made from what was pruned from the grape vines.

The nest is decorated with sheep's wool and willowherb seed heads

Spectacular Scenery

The days are lengthening and it is lovely to wake up and hear the birds singing. I have been busy making some more pottery this week and hope to get back to my gardens next week.

On Thursday I had a trip to Northumberland. I travelled there via Hartside.

There is still a lot of snow left from last weekends deluge. Not a lot of snow fell in the Eden Valley or at Alston but mainly on Hartside. 

Snow cleared from the road by the snow plough

The journey from the Cumbrian border into Northumberland is beautiful. There are many stunning vistas. This is Langley castle.

Very grand, a wedding venue

A willow deer that is now turning green.

Oh deer

Looking back to Alston from Hartside summit.

The bleakness has its own beauty

An abandoned house on the Alston Hartside road.

What a view from the windows

Looking across to the back of Cross Fell.

Browns and beige

Looking over towards the back of Cross Fell.

Can you see the river in the bottom of the valley?

A typical rural view in Cumbria.

Pastoral beauty

A very old sign on the Gloucester Arms in Penrith.

This pub has recently been restored

Remember to look at my shop on Etsy magscreatesandmakes