A Day with the Boys

Good morning

Good afternoon

A walk round the pond.

We wanted to identify this little bird – it was so tiny and hard to spot in the fir trees. Such a loud alarm call for a tiny bird.

Even harder to find with my phone, look at the top of the video and it will come into view

We searched the free App ‘Chirp’, I have on my phone, once we were away from the bird. (we should not play recorded birdsong near birds as it confuses them) The nearest we found was the Willow Warbler and the Chiff Chaff, but ‘Chirp’ did not have their alarm calls

So I looked on You Tube and we found this clip

We think it is a Chiff Chaff, what do you think?

After a glorious gentle summer’s day in the sunshine, a last wander before bed

Good night. 🙂

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Creation

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pets no more

children fill my days

playfully

~

The photograph is of my son holding his newborn twin daughters.

This week’s Photo Challenge prompt: CREATION

There are many wonders in all creation but the mystery, magic and miracle of birth sums it up for me.

Also entering Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku challenge. His prompt words are PET and PLAY.

For most of my life I have had dogs and cats as pets but the last one died just before moving house in 2005, life got busy, grandchildren came along. I sometimes miss the company of animals, but enjoy the freedom without them nowadays.

I have nicknamed this combo of the two challenges a Phaiku – have a go!

Please leave a link to your ‘Creation’ Photo or Phaiku in the comments.

Next weeks prompt is WRAP 

Also joining in with Cee’s Black and White Challenge: Made by Human Beings – couldn’t resist!

Now drum roll please!

Here is our new Photo Challenge List for 2017. It has been an absolute joy to compile the 2017 list with Cathy for your inspiration and delight.

Thanks go to Cathy, Rainbow Jane and Melissa for the 2016 list – it has been a great year – just 3 more weeks to go! I don’t think Cathy, Jane or I have missed a week – quite an achievement and so wonderful to have been doing this together. Melissa had so many other priorities to attend to but joined us when she could. It was Melissa who introduced me to the idea of the ‘Phaiku’.

Thanks also go to YOU for all your wonderful entries – it is always a delight to see the variety of the interpretations for each word. Long may it continue!

We’d LOVE you to join us in 2017.

Ta Dah!

A huge thank you to RainbowJ for the graphics.

Feel free to copy this list to keep to hand – I pop mine in my camera case.

A few changes to note for 2017:

1. The day for the start of the Challenge will be each Tuesday.
2. Please leave a link in the comments on this blog, Wild Daffodil, so that the entries are all together and we can visit each entry easily.
3. This list for 2017 has been compiled by Cathy and Sandra.
4. The name of the challenge has changed to ‘One-a-Week’.
5. If you feel inspired to create a haiku to go with the photo you can find prompt words on Ronovan Writes each Monday.
6. You don’t have to post every week, just join in when you like.
7. Choose current, recent or archive photos and posts to link to.
8. Have fun!

and as Cathy always says HAPPY SNAPPING! 😉

 

Cards, Kits and Abstract Designs

I am still loving playing around with colouring the paper using Frances Pickering’s method, which can be found in her book ‘Under the Cover’.

and thought these might make a cheeky entry into the Daily Post ‘Abstract’ challenge.

I do love the way the colours blend and am wondering about framing some of them.

They are perfect for making birthday cards and this one went to Big Sister (6) to go with her letter ‘A’

She really liked it and asked me lots of questions about how I had made it. She wanted to make a card like it, but as I did not have all the necessary ingredients with me I said I would send her some of the paper and cut-outs to make some cards of her own – here is the little kit I put together for her.

3 folded cards and some bits and pieces to stick on them.

I’m looking forward to seeing what she makes.

~

 

Hope

*

 Watching and waiting 

In tension and not knowing 

Until at last, love

*

*

Hope springs eternal

As we wait for the babies

Patient pregnant pause

*

The first Haiku is for Ronovan’s Weekly Challenge. The two words he has given us this week are LOVE and LAST

I’m really enjoying this Haiku malarkey and this week I have tried to follow ‘the rules’ and create a Haiku in which:

a) the two sentences work in isolation:

‘Watching and waiting in tension and not knowing.’

‘In tension and not knowing, until at last, love.’

b) it links to nature or natural forces.

c) it is enigmatic enough to relate to different circumstances that anyone can identify with.

d) it follows the 5,7,5 syllable pattern.

How did I do?

The only thing I didn’t quite manage is:

e) each sentence being opposites – unless we can stretch this to ‘tension’ being kinda opposite to ‘love’

*

The photo is this week’s entry in Bluedaisyz Photo Challenge, subject: HOPE.

It is a picture I took of my daughter-in-law’s beautiful bump when she was expecting my last two grandchildren (twin girls). I had not noticed my son’s shadow until I uploaded the photo – what a happy accident!

Can you also see the fainter shadow of my d-i-l facing my son’s shadow too – I only noticed that when I was writing this post – even more wonderful – well, to me anyway!

Thank you to my son and daughter-in-law for letting me use the picture – fond memories of that wonderful time. And now we have those two beautiful girls!!

Other ‘HOPE‘ photos: Erika, it will make your mouth water; Jamie, a beady eye; Melissa, and on the day of the birth of a new princess, new hope of the life of fluffy little chicks – so cuuuuuuuute!

Next week’s photo challenge subject: SKY

Update: Ronovan does a review each week of all the Haiku entries – it must take him hours! I look forward to it each Sunday. He picks a serious Haiku ‘winner’ and a humorous one. This week the Humour Prize went to Vashti with her great take on the two words, which set off a whole dialogue on Love and Leftovers – brilliant!

And his serious choice is from Rachel, so true!

Ripple Throw

The Portland Ripple Throw has found its home with my grandsons …..to snuggle under whilst watching T.V……… to stretch out on when Granny is trying to photograph it

corners being kicked up as the boys practised long-jump across it…

and big brother was delighted to discover he could still see through the blanket when he covered himself up as a GHOST MONSTER

and could chase his little brother

happy days!

For those of you who would like to know the details:

Portland Ripple is made from Lucy at Attic24’s Neat Ripple Pattern

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

Using Stylecraft Special DK , acrylic machine washable yarn and a  4.5mm hook

It uses Multiples of 14 sts plus 3 for turning.             12 x 14 = 168 +3 = 171

So chain 171 as the foundation row.

I really don’t like counting chain stitches, so I usually just chain about the width I want the finished piece to be, and then do about 10 more chains and start on the pattern – any chains left over, I simple unpick before sewing the end in.

This is my random colour order, 2 rows for each colour:

1 – 10:       Lime, Parchment, White, Aster, Silver, Cream, Parchment, Lime, Meadow, Aspen,

11 – 20:     Silver, White, Parchment, Cream, Aster, Aspen, Lime, Cloud Blue, Silver, Parchment,

21 – 30:     Cream, White, Aspen, Aster, Cloud Blue, Meadow, Parchment, Lime, Silver, Cream,

31 – 40:     Aster, White, Cloud Blue, Parchment, Aspen, Meadow, Silver, Aster, Cream, Lime,

41 – 50:     Cloud Blue, White, Aspen, Meadow, Lime, Parchment, Cloud Blue, Cream, Aster, Lime.

My finished throw measures   104cm (40.5”) wide x 130cm (51”) long

The boys seem to like it! – what do you think?