A New Month!

Goals:

I always have little goals I set myself, usually involving crafting, gardening, writing etc...but this month the main one is:

Walking:  I am going to attempt to walk 100 miles this month!  That is an average of approximately 3.2 miles a day so if some days I can do more to counteract those days I do less this is achievable hopefully.  

Starting this goal as I mean to go along, I headed off this afternoon on a route I haven't done for a little while.

Up the hill to the cliff top path...

...along this path.

Along the path with blackberries on either side - must remember these when they are ripe!

As I walk along these hedgerows butterflies abound

flying in the air as if dancing to the tune of the wind.

Through the fields where a kestrel is hunting

I stood and watched it for a while as it hovered in the air, every so often diving down to land before flying back up into the air again.  I only had my small pocket camera on me today so the photos aren't the best.

It briefly stopped on the power line before flying and hovering again.  It also called out a few times so was fun hearing its cry.

Back to footpaths...

I've shown this sign before, about the ancient village of Nettlecombe.

Love this shot of the Marbled White.

A fallen branch across the walking track.  This must have come down in the last few days I would think as it had been quite windy.

Across a small trickling stream.

So much buddleia in flower

The signpost pointing back to Nettlecombe.

The old fire hydrant in Whitwell, looking a little sorry for itself.  

The church.

The time was right!

Lovely window.

Which way now...

Hidden gates.

With wonky signs.

Pathways to walk with butterflies and bees to observe busy at work.

Another interesting gate.

Lady bird

Lovely flowers

with a Hoverfly.

Beautiful colours

I left another rock on my travels, this time just at the end of the tunnel path in Niton.  

Today's walk: 5.3 miles.

New box of teabags opened for the 1st July... a strange thing to post, but it just took my fancy that I was starting a new box today for some reason.

My lunch - home grown radish, beetroot and lettuce.  Just what I needed to fuel me up for my walk.

I faffed a bit with my new trolley craft station ... I have my art books on the bottom shelf.

I forgot I had left my camera in black and white mode, so when I took this photo of the Heron this evening I realised too late.

I managed to restore it to colour just as it flew off.

I am not sure what this bug is.

My first cucumber!  Growing well.

Some cherries for after dinner.

Greens for dinner fresh from the garden.

The shelled peas - I never cook them, preferring them raw.

I picked some of the smaller raspberries from a different vine, and they were delicious, but I ate them before I got them to the house!

Oh and I saw a baby fish in the pond today which was exciting!

An overview of the last month!

Well the month seems to have flown by, and Christmas is almost upon us.

So what has been happening.  

Some sad news....

Mason otherwise known as Max died late November, leaving Oscar and Rocky on their own.

On 9th December after chatting to a friend during the day at how well Oscar was doing I was shocked to find he had died sometime during that day after I had seen him alive and well.  

This meant poor Rocky was now on his own....I don't like them being left on their own and when a friend she said she had a baby boar from a recent litter available and would I like him as a cage mate for Rocky I said yes!

Little Sylvester arrived today.  They are still getting acquainted from opposite sides of the hutch!  Hopefully before long they will be the best of friends.

We had the 'Mysterious Case of the Fish out of Water...

I discovered one of our fish beside the pond....no marks on him so no idea how he ended up there!  Did he jump and fall out by mistake?  They are not so active at this time of year, so not sure.  Cat's can't get to the pond as it is raised, the only other explanation would be a heron or something...but would they then have left the fish?  

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Some more miniature painting has been done.

Dusk

Old Boat

Heron in Flight

Sunset on the Sea

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I haven't been taking a lot of photos lately, not sure why...partly because I haven't been doing the walks that I did last year....for much of the past few months it just seems to have been too wet.

I did capture this robin in the garden the other week though.

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I haven't felt much like preparing for Christmas this year and it has taken some getting into the mode of it.  We have decided no presents this year....everyone has too much and don't really need anything, so we thought we would make it more about family instead.   We will be having my Mother in Law and her Partner come round for the main Christmas Dinner and then my Aunt and Uncle will also join us later in the afternoon for a light tea.  We will get some games down and play some games and hopefully enjoy each other's company!

My older son is away this year - he is working at sea and will be spending Christmas on board his ship.

I have done a little Christmas decorating....lights and the small tree are up.

The nativity scene was made and painted by our eldest son when he was five years old and is rather special!  The stable we got last year.   My wood carving that I bought on the Reservation in Arizona this year carved by a Navajo, takes pride of place.

A collection of snowmen with the Polar Bear.

The yearly visit of the Rotary Christmas Sleigh went by.

We visited some of the Christmas displays at the local garden centres, but I forgot my camera most times!

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary,...or rather I spent the day singing in the Church Choir in the morning, during the afternoon for a rehearsal and at the Concert on Sunday night!

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I've enjoyed singing in both the Community Choir and in a Church Choir and we have had a busy couple of weeks with concerts.

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