Tag Archives: photography

An autumn walk

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An autumn walk wearing T-shirts! In October! It was really special because Someone was off work mid-week for a few days, and so on Wednesday we grabbed the opportunity to go for a longer walk. It was a beautiful day, about 19° and very quiet. I think we only saw a couple of joggers in the middle and then a couple of dog walkers at the end, it was 3 o’clock by then.

We took our time. I went slowly, took lots of photographs and really looked around. It was the first longer walk, at 6 1/2 miles, that we’ve done since August because I’ve been feeling so unwell. We’ve managed the hour-long loop around the fields near home a few times, but this was a proper jaunt.

To begin with I felt quite unbalanced, especially as the initial part of the walk begins alongside a road. Walking along with cars going past felt quite disorientating. But once we were on our own walking along the footpath and bridleway, everything seemed easier.

The footpath is a mile or mile and a half long and was a green lane enabling farm workers and people wanting to come to the shops to walk between villages and farms.

I wish that I could go back in time, morph into an invisible being, to see the people and listen to what they talked about as they tramped along this lane. I’d like to know what they bought. A length of ribbon to decorate a new bonnet? A packet of sugar, or flour? A long saved for book? A twist of salt? Or did they just go to the pub and then stagger home again. Stumble, trip, stumble, trip!

Why, Hello there!
Sometimes dark and leafy green, other times bright and sundappled. I really love this walk along the lane!
There are crabapples scattered at various points. I wish I felt like making crabapple jelly, or something with them. There are many more still in the trees which could be picked. It feels a waste of free produce, but jelly making is a faff.
Rose-hips and ivy flowers, what a pretty combination.
Old man’s beard or wild clematis.
It’s a well used footpath and bridleway, things can get very turned up and sticky for walkers during the winter. Especially when it’s been rainy and the horses have churned it up.
Just look at that! So beautiful with the sunshine playing in the leaves
Common barberry, the red and green together are stunning, don’t you think?
A mossy log, crunchy leaves and glossy ivy leaves. If you stop and look around, remember to look up and look down there is so much to notice and appreciate.
Last time we paused by these trees there were waving stalks of oats and barley, in the fields alongside the footpath
Beautiful ugly fungi
Reflections in the water gathered in the dip between the conjoined beech trees.
A perfect window.
Beech nuts crunchy underfoot.
I wouldn’t want to fall into this holly bush, steady as she goes…
High above my head the holly berries are beginning to look good.
We seem to have been walking along this lane for ages, it always takes longer than we expect.
And suddenly we are out!

I turned back to take this photo at the end of the lane and then enjoyed being out in the open again. Surrounded by countryside, with long views across newly ploughed fields, a distant village with smoke from a bonfire rising into the sky. At this point you are at a green crossroads and can go one of four ways. We have tried all, but our favourite is the one, which with several more turns takes us in a big 6 1/2 mile loop. It ends with a hill right to our front door. A downward hill, is definitely the best kind at the end of a good walk.

~~~~~

To be continued, part 2 coming soon…

Taking stock: June

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Making: overnight oats to eat with a drizzle of honey, strawberries or raspberries. Raspberries are a fantastic with an apple topping too

Cooking: white ish sourdough (I use dark rye flour to feed my starter, so it’s usually a bit more beige than white) sourdough pizza and oat & raisin cookies last week. Fewer flour based foodstuffs this week!

Sipping: jasmine tea. Think I always say that, don’t I?

Reading: Out of Bounds by Val McDermid. So good and I’ve only read a chapter and a bit. I fell asleep after reading 2% of the book last night. So that was roughly 5 minutes reading and 30 asleep. Sigh. I’ll have to sit up in bed to read, but even then I start nodding. This never happened until last year or so #older

Waiting: for many places and groups to open again, as we all are. I miss lots of things and people

Looking: at a fragrant bunch of pink pinks I’ve just cut in the garden

Listening: to Michael Crawford on Desert Island Discs with Sue Lawley, must be an old episode. The radio was tuned to BBC 4 extra when I turned it on (later: it is a vintage ep, she’s just said he’s 57 and I’ve just googled and now he’s 78!)

Wishing: for a pair of socks. Cold feet but listening, eating and looking at the moment so obviously too busy to go upstairs!

Enjoying: Michael Crawford’s story about meeting Gene Kelly

Appreciating: my lovely garden

Eating: overnight oats, honey and strawberries as I type/dictate/listen

Liking: the slightly cooler weather. Variety is good. We know that as soon as we’re able to rent holiday cottages and stay in hotels again that the weather will be atrocious anyway, don’t we?

Loving: Vera on BritBox. I’m new to it, so am watching in order from series one. Isn’t she gloriously grumpy?

Buying: avocados, we can’t seem to get enough of them at the moment

Managing: my wild lockdown hair

Watching: my sandalled toes when the bees are visiting the campanula flowers – they get very near!

Hoping: to be able to sing with my group again before the end of the year

Wearing: t-shirt and cropped jeans, probably need long trousers and socks and a cardie today. It’s been 25° for days and days, now it’s 15°

Following: James Corden on his USA tv show. Watch this clip

Noticing: how sore my hand still feels after a little bit of crochet on the new star blanket last week #Boo

Sorting: receipts. Next

Getting: those longer trousers and socks before

Bookmarking: local walks info, there are so many, so so many different paths and bridleways

Coveting: really comfortable loungers for the conservatory. Dozing, reading, sipping drinks while using type. Any recommendations?

Mr Scrappy went to his first non-essential items shop this week. He was the only customer. He felt like dancing and treated himself to some glitter gel pens for £2

Feeling: full

Hearing: the kitchen clock ticking and Michael Crawford singing

List copied from Pip’s marvellous Meet me at Mikes blog. It’s the one blog that I always return to. I read it in batches. I much prefer reading some blogs in batches, rather than one post here and there; I feel you hear their voices more clearly and get a grip on what they’re doing and where they are in life. Hers never fails to cheer me up if needed and makes me feel inspired. Thanks Pip.

Why don’t you have a go at writing a Taking Stock post? Then throw up some accompanying pics, if you like, it’s fun to write (and hopefully read) them.

Left handed crochet for Red Heart Yarn

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At the end of last month I was contacted by Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Concupiscence blog, asking if I would be interested in undertaking some paid photography work. I would need to illustrate how to crochet each step of the basic stitches as a left hander. These photos would be used in an article Kathryn was writing for the American company Red Heart Yarn. The only special requirement was that I use Red Heart yarn and a Susan Bates hook, but if I didn’t have those they could be sent. I wondered how things were going to go as the work needed to be emailed by the Tuesday, but we were to be away Friday to Monday. This meant there were only two working days for them to be delivered. Plus the weather’s track record at the beginning of February meant I might be trying to get the best photographs on a very grey day. I needn’t have worried; the yarn and hook were delivered by Fed Ex when we arrived home, and on Tuesday morning I awoke to bright sun.  

   I spent an enjoyable morning taking photographs of each step of the basic crochet stitches and writing notes in repsonse to Kathryn’s draft article. The article is now here on the Red Heart Yarn Heart Strings blog. 

And do you know what? I couldn’t think of any yarn or craft materials I need so I’ve saved my earnings. I must make more woolly things; so I have a yarn deficit when I visit Heather’s new shop (so excited for her!) next month with my crafty friend Rachel aka Mrs Pip.

  
 

Perfect

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   Today we pulled on some warm clothes and went out for some fresh air, after a few days of socialising, eating and drinking. A swift five mile walk was just the thing.  On Boxing Day it’s usually great fun seeing children whizz by on their shiny new bikes and scooters, with everyone nodding and smiling their hellos, but it was a rainy day and so the hibernation continued.  I’m so glad we decided to postpone a wander around the shops this morning. Walking alongside peacefully grazing sheep, while admiring the stark beauty of the trees against the rapidly darkening sky felt absolutely perfect. 

Decanter magazine

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In August I was contacted by Annabelle Sing a picture researcher for Decanter magazine; she had seen my blog photos from our visit to The Crooked Billet in Newton Longville, last April. If I agreed the magazine designer might choose to use them in an article. What a compliment! If they were used would I prefer to be credited by name, or would I like information about their picture rates? Well what would you have chosen?!

I emailed the seven photographs and waited to see if the designer chose to use a few of them, or not. By September I assumed they had found others. Then on Monday I had an email saying they had indeed been used and I should invoice the accounts department. The rate depends on the size of the pictures, three were chosen and take up 1/8 of a page. I’ve only ever sent one invoice before, and that was to Simply Crochet for my brooch design and crocheted samples. There’s nothing to it although I was a bit daunted the first time, but now I find it quite exciting. You email a document and money subsequently appears in your bank account. I’m getting a taste for it now!

I asked if I might also be sent a copy of the magazine (the November issue) and received it today.

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Ironically the photos here are pretty poor due to the low light.

The review is less than flattering, albeit honest. It’s a year and a half since we visited, when we had a superb celebratory lunch with friends. Ownership changed in September, after the previous owners of 20 years left, and the reviewer may have visited afterwards. It hadn’t occurred to me to ask about the review; I was far too flattered to wonder. Personally it doesn’t really matter as last year’s visit was my first and only, and I have no links with The Crooked Billet. I am rather disappointed however as I know the owners had built up a large following and the food, drink and service was superb.

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Still, I am about to be paid a tidy little sum which is a very nice thing indeed!