20/21st February, 2014....A blustery half term!

Sunday was well and truly 'the end' of the nice break in the weather. The last couple of days have been business as usual...heavy grey skies, freezing winds and parkas at the ready. Both SteveHillman weddings last weekend were sodden...poor brides (but I don't think they cared too much!). Our wedding day was soaking wet and my white fabric shoes were grey by the end!!

 

 

Quiet down here today, but we decided to sit outside Abbey Mill in the rain and have our lunch anyway!

 

 

Can't beat chicken nuggets out in the open air...according to Frank!

 

 

Finally, the daffodils are opening down here....but our favourite 'orange lichen' tree has been uprooted by either wind or water, not sure which!

 

 

That rocky escarpment inside the amphitheatre is quite spooky....you could hide a body in there and no one would ever find it......you can tell Elly Griffiths has a new book out...I'm getting dragged into her plots again (Recommend The Outcast Dead to all fans of thriller/crime novels!)

 

We have no problems locating the giant greedy jay...he's always hanging around the cottage bird table...I'd love to see one come down in my garden, but I think they need very tall trees and we don't have any...(oh, and thanks Mr. Leigh....it was a nuthatch we saw last week!!)

 

The black sheep of the family!!!

 

 

We also took a walk up to blustery How Tun Woods, just as a heavy storm was closing in, and BOY did it rain!!

 

 

It is a lovely walk though, and underneath the trees, the scrubland has been cleared so the views through the wood itself are stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is near Woodsie Mansions....didn't there used to be a tower of some kind here? A water tower? Right at the top of the old part of Hawcoat? I've scoured the Internet and can't find anything much about it, except an old map locating it??

 

 

Another half term over...poor Frank....!

 

 

 

And for all of you out there who have a SteveHillmanPhotography wedding booked this year.....he will still be wearing this suit!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16th February,2014...A beautiful break in the stormy weather!!

The weather forecasters got it right again today... blue skies and a glimpse of the 'giant golden football hanging in the heavens' (year six have been working on poetic word play this week!!)..!

Look at that sky...!

 

Very busy down here today...great for Abbey Mill....keep visiting during half term everyone...Frankie is in full support!!

 

 

Does anyone know what this strange bird was that appeared on the cottage bird table today?? Red under belly, way too large for a robin, but not a finch of any kind??

 

 

The buzzard was hovering for small-bird prey...what a fantastic sight, seeing it soaring but not so high as you couldn't enjoy it!

 

 

'Let me in...!' I'm craving the monastic life after a particularly intense six weeks at school....! I love it really!

We'd love to know what is going on here.. is it a tree crop? Is there another one about to go in? Frank thinks it's a Christmas tree farm, but there won't be a harvest for at least ten years by the looks of it!

 

Various modes of transport down here today!

 

 

Or there is always walking....check out this link..... http://andybrewwalks.wordpress.com/ ..inspirational walking!

 

Fence repair has been halted as it is Sunday...good to see the area is being made safer, but it bugs me that there is always 'yob litter' here from their night time drinking sessions...do they come down in their cars, drink, chuck out the bottles, cans and takeaway boxes, then drive off??I was never a 'yob'...wouldn't lower myself!!

 

 

Have some respect for our beautiful countryside people!

 

                                         Finally, this is for Grace...! She loves my blogs!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9th February, 2014...Freezing wind blowing in from the Irish Sea!

It's dry...!!! But the wind is bitter-nothing was going to stop us getting out and about today, as we feel like we are living in a cave at the moment. Work by 7.30am and home around 5pm means that you don't get much day light...thank goodness for the weekends!

 

Oh dear...someone has had a disaster with their car...good old RAC!

 

Frank has been hankering after one of these checked jacket thingys for weeks (HANKering  is exactly the right word for it too!!). He looks like he has escaped from the Beverly Hillbillies!!

 

A very hungry bullfinch followed us around today, and I think this other bird is a Great Tit???

 

 

We wanted to stay out in the sun for as long as possible, so headed over to the Dock Museum for a blast of sea air, and boy was it a blast...straight off the Irish Sea and FREEZING!

 

 

Hank again!! A lovely metal sculpture has appeared since we were last here with our Greengate year six children a couple of months ago...a few more of these and the Dock Museum will be rivalling Morecambe promenade for sculptures!

 

 

What a change in the Barrow skyline in the last few months....

 

... and look at the new housing estate on the Vickerstown School site!!!

 

North Scale and the prom hold some good memories for me, as I guess they do for a lot of Walneyites of my era....sailing from the old Barrow Sailing Club building, a bag of chips and a walk home to the 'Scale on summer (1976!) evenings...carefree days!!!

 

 

Steve Hillman was semi-impressed with the Digital Photography exhibition on the middle floor of the Dock Museum... I was very impressed, but what do I know (have you seen some of my ipad photos-they're terrible!). We both liked the photos of the lifeboat on the slip way at Roa Island, so well done that photographer...praise from SteveHillmanphotography is praise indeed!!

 

Walked and talked with some great people this week, we've played about with tepees and rockets and sock monkeys...thanks to those people, many of whom are our next generation!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd February, 2014...New faces at Furness Abbey!!

It turned into a beautiful afternoon, so after a lovely Sunday roast courtesy of The Bay Horse in Barrow, we headed out for a walk..!

 

Very busy down here today...can't blame people for wanting to escape their houses,especially after the week of torrential rain we've had. Poor Walney got hammered again yesterday I heard!

 

Gosh.. I'm looking OLD...how did I end up with an eleven year old son!! I do have a twenty- nine year old daughter as well, and she was down here with her friend Anna, who is over from Sweden, and she was so impressed with Furness Abbey!! You may remember Rosie's acoustic group April Maybe May, and their song Girl Next Door (excellent in my opinion)...well the song was about Anna, if you listen...here's the  Link!! 

 

We also had a lovely surprise as we were walking today....my friend and colleague Mrs. J was taking a Sunday afternoon Abbey stroll with her husband too! Watch out Greengate...we are energised for a busy week of learning and FUN now!!

 

 

We don't usually let people see us in our Sunday afternoon wear!!

 

I thought this photo would resonate with all the Iron Man fans out there.....it is just like the moment when he comes over the hill and creeps up on Hogarth!!

 

There are a few signs down here that spring is on its way....Mr H, as usual, sees a Land Rover Defender and wants one!!!

 

 

And you would need one to get up and down the drive of this cottage...my little Fiesta wouldn't make it up the first few metres!!