A Wan Walk

I had an interesting walk around Wan Fell. This is one of the few remaining low heath habitats in Cumbria. It is acidic valley bog joined by wet heath land areas.
Looking from Wan Fell towards Cross Fell.

A hint of snow on the hilltops from this bronze environment

Looking across the fields towards Lazonby.

Lush grassland compared to bleak heath land

One of the many small quarries on the site.

Mining using hand equipment must have been very hard

Bracken dominates the area

Large boulders and rocks

Gorse adds a splash of colour to the heath land.

A tinge of yellow

A 'cripple hole' to allow sheep to escape to an adjoining field.

Look through the cripple and what do you see

Rabbits find it easy to make burrows in the soft sand.

One bunny, two bunny, three bunny and many more

There is a large sandstone quarry on the site.

Mining sandstone

Many local buildings are made from Lazonby sandstone including my own home

I have dismantled my Christmas display in the Artful Garden so everything is looking quite dull after the Christmas cheer. I have put raincoats on all the scarecrows to protect them from the winter chills.

Boozy Floosy just needs a hot toddy to keep her warm

Bobby Barley dreams of football and playing for the first division

Crazy Maisie's sombrero reminds her of summer

Looby Loo is suffering from fashion fatigue

I have also added a series of hats to the Gossip Heads that look over the garden wall. 

It's amazing what you see from here. Did you hear about Mrs B she .........

I have made a flower from dogwood. I found that you can use it like willow. 

I have added dried cardoon and fennel heads to this display

I have been experimenting with my pottery using different glazes and oxides.

A wren on a leaf

Spring has Sprung

Another week of mixed weather. Warm then wet days and one night when the Helm wind was so strong you could hear it roar.

I have been busy getting all my flowerbeds cleared at home and in the Artful Garden and I am almost there, just the vegetable patch to weed. I still have a lot of work to do on the allotment but I have been prioritising my gardens. I had a battle clearing under the hawthorn and blackthorn hedge. The spines are lethal, so very sharp and I had to crawl under the hedge.

I have planted a lot of seeds, vegetable, herbs and flowers so the greenhouse is getting full. I am trying some new things this year one of which is sweetcorn.

A variety of seed trays

Spring is definitely here. The cherry trees are in blossom. 

Blousy blossoms

The leaves are opening on the hawthorn hedges. The cows have returned to the fields after being indoors all winter.

Delicate green

The daffodils are still at their peak.

White daffodils, houses and heads

Yellow daffodils and bumble bees

Bonny bellis.

Bellis buttons

Here are a few of my pottery designs.

A robin

A birdhouse

My trip up Hartside the other day was stunning. The mist floated in the valley and and you could just see the Lakeland hills peeping out though the haze.

A dramatic and atmospheric sky 

The Lakeland hills just visible

Swirling, floating and lifting

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

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