There's a flower in my pedal

This says it all......

Sunday round up

Today's heart 

is brought to you

 from one of my favourite pictures

a lovely play on words and a bicycle - excellent!

Picture supplied by a Sustrans booklet

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Sunday - so of course it was raining......... it's kinda what we've come to expect at the moment, and in order to keep us all entertained we did loads of bake and make.  

Eldest made the kitchen his own...............

Youngest raided my stash and started making a 2CV - carefully snipping and cutting small pieces of felt, pinning both the fabric and his fingers, stitching and cussing, cussing and stitching....................

Himself carried on (in the rain and the mud) and finished chickenham palace, they now have a 'pop-hole' complete with mini locking door, porch cover and a brick for a step up (nothing is too good for his girls!)

He tried to start measuring up for their nest boxes when one of the hens decided she couldn't wait any longer to lay and bustled him out,  so he put a couple of mushroom boxes in as a temporary nesting place, then Himself came back to the house for a brew and one of Eldest's biscuits. After what he considered enough time, he returned to find the first egg in chickenham palace. The girls obviously approve, just need to finish making the nesting boxes proper - oh for a longer weekend!

And me? 

Well, when I wasn't helping Youngest source suitable scissors, checking which felt he wanted to use, showing how to pin without stabbing himself, threading his needle - first with blue thread, then with red, then back to blue.... or when I wasn't reminding Eldest to put in the key ingredient into his PEANUT BUTTER biscuits mix.....or running out between the rain drops to see how Himself and the hens were.....I was trying out this..............

It is from one of our Orkney Isle holiday photos of some of the stones in the Ring of Brodgar.

I'm trying some fabric art - sort of collage in cloth! I am sure there is a proper technical name for this style of sewing,  all I know that I end up with lots and lots of snippity bits and thread on the floor and a smile on my face :)       

I'd tried something a little closer to home and a lot smaller - my first attempt - I know that in time I will look back and cringe that I showed these rather amateurish attempts but for the time being I'll share my tentative steps. (All in the name of the Revolution!)

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All for now, well that sort of sums up our weekend, a bit of sunshine a lot of rain, crafting, building, cooking and creating (a mess) - not bad really!  Once again it has been lovely sharing our weekend, hope your all had good weekends too xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

03..5.10 - Flying with swallows and swans

Isn't it amazing how much better everything is when the sun shines?


Yesterday we packed up the car, Himself threw (well - staggered beneath) the bikes onto the rack and we set off to the Southern Lakes for a day out.


We stopped at the village of Levens in Cumbria. Himself had devised a lovely (flat) route for us going up one side of the Lyth Valley and crossing over to return down the other side.  Despite a bitterly cold wind, the flashes of sun between the clouds was wonderful.


When the boys were smaller and lighter than now, Himself pulled them along in a bike trailer and until recently it had languished forgotten and dusty at the back of the garage. This weekend saw it being given a reprieve as Himself dusted it off and loaded up with our picnic goodies. 

We found the area ideal for trundling around on quiet lanes. 

The views were gentle and invigorating

I usually ride at the back, where I have my own company with my boys ahead in my view. It's here I can think, I can see and I feel free.  Quietly free-wheeling along a straight lane something caught my eye. I turned and flying alongside me was a swallow. It flitted and swirled with me for a couple of minutes and for that brief time, with wind in my hair, I felt like I was flying too.

Today - Monday, we had planned to make the most of the bank holiday but with a damp start and Eldest firmly attached to the computer trying to finish his homework for tomorrow, we didn't get out as early as we had hoped.

I played around with some sheep's fleece, trying out hand spinning whilst Youngest and Himself did a bit of baking.

We finally managed to escape the dreaded half-nelson grip of the homework and once again we jumped into the bicycle laden car and set off to find somewhere to ride.

It was wonderful being out alongside the canal.

We wondered about the history of this old stone.

The evening sunlight bathed us in a warm glow

As we were nearing the end of our ride, I saw a swan silently gliding on the canal, it stretched it's neck out as I came alongside, swept it's wings round and lifted itself out of the water with that wonderful reedy noise their feathers make. The swan flew for about 10 - 15 metres then landed again in the water. 

It has been a wonderful weekend - just wish it wasn't finished just yet..............

11.04.10 - weekend round up

Today - well today was 'an at home day', pottering around, planting out, weeding, cleaning, mowing the lawn and just generally enjoying the gentle spring warmth and quietly recovering from yesterday.

Yesterday?  - yesterday was brilliant. We took the bikes and set off for a ride along the Lune Estuary. Once again we parked at Glasson Dock which was heaving with day-trippers, icecream eaters and pram-pushers. We peddled out of the village as quickly as possible and soon we were flying along the cycleway with that wonderful clear coastal air all around.

The last few days of warmth has brought on the may blossom and the air was filled with it's gentle sweet scent.

We saw our first butterflies of the year, loads of ladybirds and bumblebees.

We rode on, up to some pools that have been created  from old clay pits and turned into a wild life area.

We stopped at the view point where the boys just had to have an emergency snack and their sandwiches were scoffed in record time.

We cycled on, into Lancaster and over the Millenium bridge - built at a cost of 1.8 million pounds on the site of a Roman then a Medieval bridge. Out of Lancaster and on and on, when suddenly we realised how late it was and how far we'd gone and how far we had to go back!

31.8km later, we returned to the car - saddle sore and creaky knee-d

.

Tired - but a good tired

Definately worth it.

04.04.10 - chocolate eggs and saddle sores

Hooray!
The easter bunny visited over night, and being the clever bunny that he is, he put out the chocolate treats just before he went off to bed (because he very nearly forgot) and even more clever, he hid them inside the house (coz due to the lateness of the hour - it was very very dark - besides the weatherman had promised yet more rain.....) Clever easter bun!

So, yes you guessed, it was chocolate for breakfast - yumm.....

Inspired by our ride out yesterday, and not completely put off by what the weatherman did say, we decided to go out again. Only this time not on the coast as heavy showers had been forecast but inland, in the Dales for a change.

The day has the same format as yesterday. We set off when it was fine, and when we arrived at our start point - the rain lashed down with vengeance.

Only this time we did sit in the car and eat our lunch....and our mid afternoon snacks....and drank tea.....and the orange meusli muffins....and the chocolates that survived the breakfast nibbling.....but we chose to leave the apples for later......!

We had parked outside a little rural church, quiet and sleepy, thinking that there would be no service in the afternoon and we would be not interferring with any congregational parking - alas we were wrong.

Shortly after we had consumed the last crumbs of our lunch (except the apples which were just too darned healthy) various warmly wrapped up good souls appeared from nowhere to this apparently isolated church - for an afternoon's service.

A very polite vicar confirmed that we had indeed taken church parking and equally politely suggested we parked.....Over there, by the telegraph pole

Which we did, and promptly sunk into boggy mud and almost lost our boots. Hmmmm.

We wrapped up warmly with Himself grinding his back teeth at the weather and set off. 

After a while, the icy wind eased off, the rain became less stinging and then stopped and the views began to delight.

I must admit, I am used to riding a mountain bike and being able to power up hills and whizzzzzz down them again, landing in pot holes, splashing through puddles and surviving, however, Evelyn doesn't do things like that, so we genteely navigated along the lanes at an elegant pace, occasionally having to be pushed up the hills, as despite me changing gears down to the lowest, and despite me puffing and panting, Evelyn DOES NOT DO HILLS..... She also doesn't race downhills either, no we have to gracefully glide down, avoiding potholes and gravel that her road-thin-wheels tremble at. Despite all her fuss - we had a lovely ride - just a little slower and a lot more girly than I am used to!

Ingleborough in the background

Evelyn in the foreground

Just in case you didn't notice...........

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A stone stack - For S, who's sister Di died this morning at 7.30am

S - we are very sorry xx

03.04.10 - In which Evelyn and I go exploring...and take the boys and the dog too....

We were all off on Friday, but with one thing and another, we didn't get out as planned. So on Saturday - despite the promised foul weather - we jumped into the bicycle laden car and headed off to Glasson Dock for a bike ride on the cycleways (converted from disused railway tracks)

Himself Just open the road atlas, I'm not too sure which junction off the motor way we need..
Me err, where is it?
Himself - ho ho! I've left it in the landrover, not to worry, use the OS map...
Me err, where is that?
Himself, Ho ho (bugger) um, left that on the table, never mind, I sort of know where were are going....


45 minutes later, several turns, changes of direction and scenic routes through nameless villages we found the road we needed and turned on to it, when the heavens opened. Great big lashing down wet rain.

Grumbles began to eminate from the back.

Youngest Move up - you are on my side
Eldest Nowhere near you
Youngest Mu-u-uuu-u-um he's leaning on me
Eldest Not..... Are we there yet?
Youngest You are...Mu-uu-uum he is, are we there yet?
Me Stop it both of you, we're nearly there.
Silence.....rain....more turns, more lanes, rain, rain......subversive grumbles from the back.

Me (to Himself) Are we nearly there yet?

Himself (more to himself than to me) Nearly there - Ah here it is!

We damply drove through a soggy grey miserable litte village, peering through a drenched windscreen for parking.

Himself ( brightly)  I think we find parking first, then have our lunch in the car and see if it picks up

More subversive grumbles in the back with the occasional clear word... hungry, starving...

Me Ok ok! we get the message, Just park there!

Himself  Oh, missed it, will try this one...

Me ok

Himself Oh, can't, won't fit under the barrier with the bikes on the carrier, will stop at the next one

Me - sigh

EVENTUALLY!

We parked.

AND THE SUN CAME OUT!

What a difference it makes when THE SUN COMES OUT. The sad little grey seaside village suddenly had colours and charm, it suddenly had appeal and charisma.


We rode down to the cycleway and stopped to breathe the sea air.

We trundled down the cycleway......

We stopped for picnics and basked in the sun, whilst just absorbing the view and leaving behind all the stress and all the grumbles and we suddenly remembered that life is good (but it's even better when the sun shines!)

Evelyn

Mud

More mud

Then it was time to leave and get back in time for a family meal with my Mom and Dad, only, we still didn't have a map, we still had very muddy children and had to get them clean and presentable and we had less than an hour to do it!!

Sorry Mum! Dinner still tasted delicious - despite it having to be kept :)

29.03.10 - recovering

Recovering from the change of hours from Greenwich Mean Time to British Summer Time - Yawn.

Recovering from over a 23 km (14 mile) long bicycle ride - creak

Recovering from a late night (homework and difficulty in lifting said creaking body off the settee)

Recovering from Youngest waking me at 2.30am to say his bed had escaped - again

But!


This creaking body actually enjoyed the outing with Evelyn! It's been so long since I actually leapt athletically onto a bicycle and sallied forth merrily. (Joke)

BCE (Before Children Era), Himself and I did a fair bit of mountain biking - not your hardcore stuff, more your getting out and riding 8 - 10 hours over hill and dale, camping in a 2 man tent then doing it all again, before returning home completely knackered ready for work (erm - not so much of the 'ready for work' more your going-to-work-for-a-rest......)

I have had a brilliant sturdy much loved mountain bike with more than enough 'grunt' for both of us, which Himself has quickly taken over kindly adopted.

So, it was with trepidation, excitement and a dose of good old fashioned fear that I stepped over this lady-like-girly-bike sans helmet and mountain bike gear and in an instant was transformed to someone off the 'Cycle Chic' website ..... And it felt good.

We started in a village just outside Lancaster and followed the old railway track, now converted to a traffic free bicycle lane. There were many people with their bikes, trundling along, I wish I'd taken photos, but I was still in the semi hazy state of ecstatic-bike ownership and the nervous still getting used to being back on a bike.

Eldest 'off-roading' to check out the daffodils

We trundled through parks and by universities; we peddled over bridges and alongside creeks until we reached Morecambe on the coast. Here we had one very quick and terrifying moment where we had to deal with traffic and despite us having right of way I had to shriek at Youngest to stop before a car added him to the fly collection on the radiator grill.

Urgh, horrible - this is why I have taken so long getting back on a bike - car drivers..................

But, once on the promenade, we returned to the genteel act of cycling amongst other cyclists, walkers, holiday makers and dogs. All in their own worlds, all enjoying the sea air and all out of their cars.

There is a certain light, a specific colour that can only be found at the coast and I find that both invigorating and relaxing.

All along the front are sea bird sculptures,

the best, in my mind,

were the ones in the centre of the roundabouts,

however, I was not about to stop for photographs

whilst Youngest was playing 'squash' with the traffic

At the end of the promenade, we turned inland and followed the track along a canal which wound its serene way through villages and fields. Swans and geese silently floated on the water whilst narrow boats puffed and chugged their occupants through the waterway.

Bikes cast aside in favour a mug of tea

We crossed over the Lune Aqueduct , not one for those without a head for heights.

But, oh so beautiful.

Evelyn and giddy dog on the Lune Aqueduct

All my boys on the Aqueduct

We carried on, time was not waiting for us and we still had to get back to the car. Hunger, homework and showers were on the cards.

The last of the afternoon honeyed sunlight on the Aqueduct.

And, final view - of Evelyn and the River Lune.

This Sunday was lovely and the behind tender - but it was worth it :)

27.03.10 - a new best friend

I have a new best friend.
How fickle am I?

Her name?


Evelyn.

We only met this morning and spent the afternoon together.
We are going out again tomorrow.

She is beautifully old fashioned yet totally modern.

I like that in a girl - I kinda hope I'm a bit like that.

Old fashioned values with modern eco-friendly out look.

And my new best friend?

Well, she's quite special................

It has been a lovely afternoon - my knees only creaked marginally

and the callouses on my behind have not yet appeared - there is time,

there is still time!

I will post more of our adventures, for we plan to have lots of them.