Toothpicks.

I saw these spilled on the ground in a car park..how very random..but I was attracted to how they had ended up.

Crocus Hocus Pocus

Ooh we're having a bit of a warm spell this week...I've been faffing in the garden clearing and tidying, pruning the little Morello Cherry tree which was getting too big for its pot...and pulling out hardy Geraniums that had got out of control...well and become a hotel for snails and slugs...bleugh....I've planted some miniature daffodils and some mixed Crocus and some wonderful looking (on the label) Cream Beauty Crocus...every Spring I always get cross with myself that I didn't get a grip at the end of Summer and plant more bulbs, because I do absolutely adore the Spring and take such great delight in seeing all the new, fresh green shoots coming up after the long, cold winter. Anyway this warm spell has encouraged me to be out in the garden after tea just pottering about...I planted some more Snowdrops too..Fair Maids of February..I love their grey blue-green foliage. I always think planting bulbs is such a wonderfully positive thing to do...looking hopefully to the future and the expectation of being there for the reward of seeing them bloom...a bit like a promise...see you on the other side of Winter. Hope made reality.....magic.

Cream Beauty Crocus...12 for £1...I always think there's something very nice about picking your bulbs into a paper bag..counting them carefully and writing on the bag what they are! Much more exciting than   just buying a ready packed bag!

Nestled in the soil...ready..steady..grow!

Babycham.

I'll have a Babycham!

I was given some authentic Babycham glasses..I used to have some, years ago...well they may still be in a box somewhere up the loft! It's such a girlie drink..don't forget the maraschinos! I just need to get some of those retro plastic swords...

Moon charm

My wonderfully talented friend has made me a beautiful silver moon to go on the bracelet she made me.

Bonkers for conkers!

We got hit on the head by falling conkers today...it made us giggle....I bet anyone watching laughed too!

All strung, ready for an opponent!

Conker still nestled in its case.

And as I've read that spiders are frightened of them, I have put a conker in every corner of each room!

Sunset

Wow there was a beautiful sunset over Halifax this evening:

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight!

Papercuts.

I entered three papercut pictures into a local open exhibition, I found out today they've accepted this one:

His Hand.

These are the two "rejects"...they did say they'd have loved to show them all but had been absolutely inundated and were very short on space, so I'm feeling very fortunate to have had any kept!

Commander of the Sky.

Silver Strand.

Moving On Soup.

The weather is very peculiar at the moment, one minute it's raining in stair rods the next it's really windy and inbetween the sun comes out and it's so hot you can throw your coat off again. It's the changing of the seasons time..Summer's had her turn, she knows it's time to bow out for another year and yet she cannot resist a final flourishing curtain call as Autumn waits in the wings already with his toe on the stage...and so we're on the inbetween, moving on days where folk hurry about their business and the sauntering Summer days are over...it sometimes feels a bit eerie...the chill of the Autumnal breeze in the air even as the warm sun cocoons the other side of the street..makes you feel like making soup...but what with? I asked my friend...well have you got lentil, onion, celery and carrot she said...yes..well there you are Lentil soup...so I'm calling it Moving On Soup..not heavy wintry stew, but something to warm and cheer whilst making you feel uber virtuous! 

Soften onion, carrots, celery in olive oil, add red split lentils, tomato puree, tin of chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock cube and hot water, bring to boil until vegetables are soft then blend, season to taste. Dinosaur optional.

Japanese paper balloons.

Well I found these Japanese Paper Balloons in a shop in Hebden Bridge today...all different animal shapes...how gorgeous they looked all hung up! 

Paper bird from another fabulous shop called Home...Oh! Which is full of the most exquisite things for your home...one of those shops where you want everything!

F.I.A.T. Cakes. (LOL!!)

Fish In A Tin cakes...why that makes me laugh I can't tell you?! But it has kept me most amused today. Anyway they are a favourite with my children...they are very tasty!

Fish In A Tin....I like to use red or pink salmon.

Mix fish with a little red onion, chopped finely, mashed potato and a good squeeze of tomato ketchup...make into rounds and roll in breadcrumbs before frying gently in olive oil...ta dah!

Mist over Halifax

There was a very heavy, low lying mist over Halifax town centre this morning...looked quite spooky!

Damson Jam

My neighbour kindly gave me loads of damsons from his tree..I've never made jam with them before..turned out not to be as daunting as I thought, worst part was cleaning them and chucking out all the mouldy ones.

Add 500ml of water to every 1.25kg of damsons and stir occasionally for 30 minutes, the fruit softens and releases the stones.

Add 1.5kg of preserving sugar per every 1.25kg of fruit and boil for 10 minutes before testing on a cold saucer for a setting point (the jam starts to wrinkle and move slower)

Pour into sterilised receptacles! I made 18!

Watch out for any remaining stones...enjoy!

Ding dong.

Can snails read? :-)

Embroidered piglet

Been up the loft looking for something and found this machine embroidered picture I did years ago on my degree course.

Butterfly wing

I found this wing on the grass..think it's from a Peacock butterfly..poor thing, think next door's cat had attacked it.

Rainbow

Rainbows always make me smile..and sing the theme tune from the 70s childrens show Rainbow. Aw.

Rainbow over Cullingworth.

Keighley Tarn.

We visited Keighley Tarn in July just before we went on holiday..it was a very, very windy and cold day..lots of water birds around.

Coot chicks.

Duck and ducklings.

Thistle.

The wind made the wheat swirl in a mesmerising way. The seagulls could barely fly into the wind it was so strong...it is in a very high up place though on the moor top.

Blackberry picking time.

You have to be pretty quick if you want Blackberries for your crumble...once people realise they're ready then the game's on! Leave it too long and someone will have had them and if you leave it for another weekend or so then what's left will no doubt have gone to the Devil...so we picked our's the other evening after tea on the first day back at school....soaked them in salt water overnight to kill the little maggots and now they're safely stored in the freezer awaiting Crumble Time...which is not yet..we've still pleasantly warm days not requiring a hot pudding...

Soaking in salt water kills any goobers!

Like beautiful jewels, bursting with juice.

In my garden.

Well it's all feeling very Back Endy now as the garden year makes its final splurge as Autumn approaches..everything's setting seed and going over..still some lovely colours about and the Sweet Peas are finally producing enough heady scented flowers to make a decent posy..I have some in front of me now and their scent is so beautiful. There are lots of spiders about making webs on everything...we picked the Broad beans today..a colander full..and some tiny carrots which should be lovely steamed and buttered this evening.

Broad Beans.

Baby carrots.

Hover fly on the Japanese Anenome.

Honeysuckle.

Hilda's Fuschia.

Look at the state of my Hostas!!!! An army of snails has reduced them to lace curtains!!!