A few Blissful Days by the Sea.

Spending time by the ocean restores my spirits like nothing else can.

I went to Newquay with two friends – we have holidayed together before many times, so we know it works. This was a special birthday treat for one of us, spent in a very special place.

The video was taken on our balcony and the round room at the end was our sitting room with 360 degree views – it was spectacular.

We walked, we ate delicious meals, we did a mind-scrambling jigsaw together, we danced to 60s and 70s tunes, we read, we watched the surfers and the golfers below, we relaxed, we laughed and breathed in all that ozone.

lunch at Lewinnick

I hope you too can soak up some holiday vibes from the photos – put on a bit of Elvis, the Stones, the Beatles and the Proclaimers and you will be right there with us!

Would you like to live here?

look at the salt water swimming pool

On the walk home: a bench with lichen and rusty bits!

on the beach we found thousands of these magical remains of By-the-Wind-Sailors

a type of jellyfish, but so much more than that

we watched the stormsand drank coffee in the cosy Seaspray Beach Cafe

and every day a rainbow!

it was magic!

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Silent Sunday Sunny Saunter

so good to see the sea again

Beach

Imagine my delight when I went for a walk at Overcombe beach yesterday morning and saw PINK seaweed!

It was such a beautiful morning and there were quite a few people swimming

with the backdrop of huge cruise ships sitting in the bay. There have been up to 10 at a time out there as they sit out the pandemic in the shelter of Weymouth Bay

They are quite a sight – some are enormous!

But I was far more interested in the seaweed and just looking at the pebbles 

and other finds

meet Rocky (found on different day)

and this is when Rocky met Bob, who lives at my daughter’s house

and this is me (on the left) and my sister on Newgale beach in Pembrokeshire, circa1962.

Who had one of those bathing suits? And why on earth did we have to wear those horrid hats in the sea!

Silent Sunday: Castle Cove

Silly Saturday: Meet Pete

Hi Everybody, I’m Pebble Pete

The cheeriest chap you could hope to meet

The beach is where I spend my days

With my crew I like to play

We often meet up on the shore

For fun and games, never getting bored

Riding on the waves in the clear blue sea

You’ll find the Stone and the Shell family

I will introduce you to everyone

So you can join in with our fun

Whether in the sea or on the sand

I want to welcome you to Seaside Land!

 

poem by Judy E. Martin

photo by Sandra Dorey

 

Welcome to another Silly Saturday!

I just LOVE working/playing/creating with Judy. I sent her the photo of a pebble and she not only created a fabulous fun poem but gave him the perfect name. I’m always excited to see what Judy does with the images I send her.

Judy and I have been thinking about creating a little ebook of our characters and we thought Pete was just the right character to introduce the Stones and the Shelleys and possibly take up the role of narrator, we’ll have to see where he takes us.

AND

Hot off the press

The first batch of cards have been printed!

They are blank inside and all come individually packed with an envelope.

What is it about seeing ones work in print – it’s thrilling!!!

The guy who prints the cards hadn’t read the poems at first as he gets so many to do, but as he was checking through the proof he read them and just couldn’t stop giggling – he was still laughing as he was telling me how funny he thought it was. Lovely to get such a spontaneous reaction.

The cards will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.

You, my lovely Daffodil followers, can have them a little cheaper at mates’ rates if you send me a message via the Contact Me Page.

I do hope you are having a wonderfully Silly Saturday – if you are doing anything Silly, I’d love to hear about it!   😀

 

#Stoned

Sunshine Sunday

Race you to the Beach!

Lunch

spying from my seat

beach activities below

wonderful delight

~

Our Photo Challenge Week 15 : LUNCH

Ronovan’s Haiku prompts (10th April): WONDER and SPY

~

Two weeks in the Caribbean! Lucky me!

I’m playing catch-up. Thank you so much Cathy for keeping the Photos purring along.

I can’t just leave out the two weeks of our One-a-Week Photo Challenge I missed – not after nearly three years of weekly postings, so I will be catching up with a couple of posts today.

A few more scenes from that balcony – not a bad place to sit and have lunch 😉

Looking towards St Kitts

Pelicans bobbing on the water in the early morning light

diving for fish

the boys going snorkelling

fishing

evening

storm brewing

Click on any photo to see it larger.

I was staying at The Hamilton Beach Villas which were beautiful, but not quite what they promise on their website. No Spa. When we questioned this we were told that they “had got a bit over enthusiastic on their website” !

There seemed to be a lot of that going on in the Caribbean. Often when travelling I have found people tell you what they think you want to hear – anyone else had that experience?

Ammonites

Eleonora over at Coastal Crochet has created a cute Ammonite Pattern.

Of course, I couldn’t just make one. Once I had the pattern in my head I started making bigger and smaller ones.

I thought they might combine well with my seahorses, or make some beachy greetings cards.

Ideas are swimming around …..

Thank you Eleonora for the inspiration.

Linking in with Ginny’s Yarn Along 

Ginny suggests we add a book to the post. I haven’t got a book on the go but whilst I am crocheting I’m also watching/listening to a DVD: River Cottage: Edible Seashore

Yes, I’ve been eating seaweed – yum!

 

Mini Pilgrimage

Newgale Beach is just 6 miles from the treehouse. When the tide is out you can walk for 2 – 3 miles from one end to the other – that flat clear space calms my chattering mind and restores a sense of balance.

(Click on any of the photos to see them larger.)

The first walk is always special, reconnecting with the place. I remember all those happy family times. Each little landmark holds a memory from a different year.

My senses are heightened and I see beauty in every pebble

every wave and ripple

every grain of sand

There is a rock  …. the one with the yellow arrow

with a huge rock-pool in it, in which my Grandad and I once found an eel. It inspired this poem: Journey Into Now

I make a mini-pilgrimage to it each time I visit Pembrokeshire. As I touch it and climb up to look into the pool I feel closest to my grandfather. He was a rock and a safe haven for me through a stormy childhood.

We are making new memories there  – a photo taken in August 2015 of Miss E and Master R exploring the rock pools in and around that rock.

The pool indicated by the Blue Arrow features in this post . My daughter discovered it, Miss E swam in it and we all threw in a pebble and made a wish – we call it our Wishing Pool.

I threw in a pebble this time and made a wish for my Mum.

Here is my favourite photo from that first walk, I have just ordered it to be printed on a large  30″ x 20″ canvas.

I feel like the figure represents me – it was a man with a child in a carrier on his back, walking with a dog. I don’t have a dog but when I walk I am never alone.

~

On the way back to the treehouse I called into Number 35, a great little cafe/restaurant in Solva, for a scrumptious lunch of smoked salmon salad with garlic bread.

Yummmmm!

 

Ceiling

Taken on a blustery New Year’s Day at Mwnt. The little church providing a welcome haven from the dramatic weather.

As we waited for the completion of the magical Sand Circle by Marc Treanor

Our first Photo Prompt for our One-a-Week Photo Challenge.

Please leave a link in the comments.

Pop across to see Cathy’s ‘Ceiling’ too.

Ripples

 

Mystery

mystery unfolds

as sand is raked in circles

we gather to walk

~

trial run on paper

the reward is perfect

a Chartres labyrinth

Our Photo Challenge prompt this week is MYSTERY

Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge Prompts are REWARD and TRIAL.

Once again I combine the two in a ‘PHAIKU’ Challenge (my own made-up word), Jen, Denis, Cathy, and when she can, Melissa (it was Melissa who started me doing this) also often/sometimes combine these two challenges in a fun challenge each week – it is not as tricky as it seems – come join us! Leave a link in the Comments below.

Or

Join in the Photo Challenge by leaving a link in the comments here or at Nanacathy‘s, for me to include you in the weekly round-up, which usually appears on Sunday.

Also

Joining in with Cee’s ‘Which Way’ Photo Challenge.

Mystery: Have you ever wondered how to draw a labyrinth? Have you ever wondered how Marc Treanor creates his magical sand designs? Have you ever wondered about the mystery of the power of labyrinths?

I learned to draw labyrinths many years ago but the sand designs remained a MYSTERY until 22.Sept this year when I was lucky enough to be able to join Marc on Mwnt Beach in Ceredigion, Wales for a supremely magical evening to celebrate the Autumn Equinox.

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Marc Posted this beautiful short video on You Tube and Facebook

I felt extremely blessed to have been able to be one of those long moving shadows making our way around the path to the centre and out again, whilst a flute and ukulele played and children sat around the fire in the middle.

You can see me carrying a magpie feather on the left, in this photo by Dimlo Sighs, which he has kindly given permission for me to include.

Profound, mysterious, magical, unforgettable.

Yarn Along in Solva

This morning starts on the best window seat in Solva, with ‘The President’s Hat’ and the start of a new crochet project. Couldn’t be happier!

I am making another version of my Woodland Hoodie pattern, planning to adjust and improve slightly. Master R loves it so much and is still wearing it – now in it’s third year.

Joining in with Ginny’s Yarn Along

Yesterday I went in search of the yarn bombed footpath sign I’d seen on Coastal Crochet

from a certain angle it looks like a bird or a llama don’t you think?

I climbed down the slipway (centre bottom of the pic) and set off across the beach following this man who walked all the way to the sea, swam and walked all the way back again, no towel, not a hot day – brrrrrrrr!

the tide was right out at 4.30pm

so I could walk round the headland to St.Elvis Bay

and do a bit of Beach Cleaning

and then meandering back

amongst families, artists

dog walkers and fishermen all enjoying the late afternoon and early evening…..

….. before a fabulous meal at the Harbour Inn, followed by our must-do-when-in-Solva – Tony’s Tuesday Bingo – “seven and six, was he worth it”, “Theresa’s Den, number ten”, “two little ducks, quack quack…..”

With a chance to do a few rows between the rounds and the banter.

Perfect day!

Beach Clean Vase on Monday

Still a little obsessed with my latest project – Beach Clean Art, I have set this oh-so-cute square vase filled with monbretia in front of one of my in-progress paintings and surrounded it with bits and pieces I have collected from the beach whilst doing my bit for the 2 Minute Beach Clean.

and

using these beach clean pieces for a backdrop again, this time complete with beach clean ‘Cleopatra’

and Tate Modern brooch

Tate Modern is selling these as a fund raiser to celebrate the new extension – exciting times, I hope to visit soon.

I have been developing the background canvases I showed you in this post, with a bit of stamping

A very roughly drawn ammonite (with a pencil) on the back of a polystryrene pizza packing disc has created some pretty good stamps I think.

I’ve been playing with bits of beach-clean to see which will make the finished piece.

These pieces are just laid on with no fixings whilst I decide – fixing everything securely is what takes the time – that is the work – all else is play.

 

I like the idea of fixing the smaller canvas to the larger, creating a little shelf – ooo i am having fun!

What do you think – does it work?

Joining in with Cathy’s inspired international garden flowers meme

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Monbretia with morning dew.

Repeat

no dazzling summer

dull skies give an even light

best for photographs

~

The rusting sea defences at Charmouth Beach, Dorset, on England’s south coast. Their shapes, colours and textures fascinate me, sculpted by the sea.

Did you watch the BBC’s ‘Springwatch’ or ‘Springwatch Unsprung’? On the latter programme there was a guest called Martin Dorey who founded the 2 Minute Beach Clean

“We are a growing family of beach lovers rolling up our sleeves to help rid the world’s beaches of marine litter and plastic pollution, two minutes at a time.

We believe that every piece of litter removed from the beach matters. So it doesn’t matter if you do 2 minutes or 30. Each and every piece of marine
plastic removed from the beach is a piece that will no longer go on to kill.

Our movement has grown enormously since its inception in 2014. Since then thousands of people all over the globe have used our hashtag for their
beach cleaning activities.”

Inspired by this I went to Charmouth to do my 2 minutes, and then posted my finds onto the 2 minute Beach Clean Facebook Page. 2Min Beach Clean is on Instagram as well.

I came across a huge tangle of detritus too heavy to lift

but including a fascinating array of waste, all with an unknown human story attached

I set about cutting bits out that fascinated me and put them with the rest of my haul of beach rubbish. 2 minutes turned into a wonderfully relaxing hour of  beach-combing finding more REPEATs

Amongst the rubbish it was this rope that intrigued me the most

which I have since discovered, from a diving friend, is a float line for a fishing net, probably a net for catching prawns.

I soaked the best bits in rainwater and just had to have a play around with the shapes

Next time you visit a beach spare just a couple of minutes to pick up the plastics, it thrills me to feel part of this wonderfully international inspiring idea.

Joining in with our 52 Week Photo Challenge: REPEAT

and

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge: prompt words DAZZLE and SKY

Next week our Photo Challenge Prompt

is

ROUND

~

Update: I have just started a new blog to house my Beach Clean Art.

 

Spring

dodge showers

find a slinky toy

play with light

~

Joining in with our 52 Week Photo Challenge: SPRING

Please go to the Photo Challenge Page for details.

and  joining in with

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge: prompt words SHOWER and PLAY

I have had a few wonderful days in Margate, staying with a friend and helping her with a bit of DIY. But first a visit to the Turner Gallery where I found this dinky slinky in the shop and hey presto, I had my photo for SPRING.

 

Next Week our Photo Prompt word is: FRIENDS

Update:

Joining in with Cee’s Black and White Photo challenge

 

Beach Labyrinth

 

We have had such a glorious weekend here in Dorset, dry, sunny and with little or no wind – after the wash out that was August, the county was a real holiday mood. After a walk on the heath we headed for the beach.

The tiny gritty pebbles of Burton Bradstock beach are no good for building castles or dragons, but a labyrinth can be created almost anywhere

After a few walks round, the boys ran it – children nearly always do. Then it was my sister’s turn whilst the boys went back to enjoy the waveslittle bro wonders which way to go next, looking a bit Christopher Robin-ish

whilst Great Aunt Sue soaked up the sun and sight of the sea to remember once she gets back to the city

What a tonic!

If you want to see some truly amazing sand art go to Marc Treanor’s Facebook page. Here is just one example of the beautiful designs he creates on Welsh beaches.He is bringing out a calendar for 2016 shortly.

Holiday Snaps: Sand

We have just returned from a wonderfully magical week in Pembrokeshire, S.W.Wales.

I went with my daughter and her 3 children, Miss E, 8, Master R, 5, and Little Miss M, 3. The weather, for the first time EVER ( I have been going there for years!), was brilliant for the whole week! Only raining at night, and although sometimes windy, it was never so cold that we needed jumpers – that in itself was a minor miracle.

So we spent almost all of every day on the gorgeous beaches, building sand castles ….

just digging …..

making pictures

and huge sand dragons

and boats, and quad bikes, and even a sand sofa ……..

and doing cartwheels for the sheer joy of it

with very little time for crochet, but it still always went with me of course

and then there was the swimming and the rock pools to explore………

 

Travel Theme: Grey

St Elvis Cove

Solva

Pembrokeshire

Wales

August

2015

 

Linking in with ‘Where’s my Backpack’s Travel Theme

After seeing Cee’s Travel Theme: Grey post

That is my daughter and Miss E you can see in their wet-suits going in for a swim whilst Master R, Little Miss M and I did some exploring around the rocks.

A Walk on Wednesday.