A walk to the White Horse of Kilburn

Hi guys, I'm sitting in my B & B just outside Durham. The Broom Farm Guest House has a homely feel about it, and I have a lovely room with big TV, comfy chairs, en suite, and drinks making facilities. I shall enjoy staying here. 

I had an easy start to the day, took a leisurely drive over the bridge into East Yorkshire, then north through York. A few miles further on I stopped to take this photo, it's Byland Abbey. It was the cows which first caught my attention, I thought it would make a good picture with the Abbey in the background. It's an English Heritage site so quite a hefty admission fee, I didn't have time to look round, wanted to push on a bit further, I had a place in mind to take a walk.    

I parked next to the church at Kilburn and had a bite to eat before I set off. Just across the road is the Mouseman visitor centre. Robert Thompson was the Mouseman, he founded the company after teaching himself to use the traditional tools of medieval craftsmen. The story is that one of his craftsmen remarked that they were all as poor as church mice, so Robert carved a mouse on the church rafter he was working on. This has never been found but the mouse has continued to be a mark of quality and dedication to craftsmanship ever since.

There is a viewing area where you can watch the craftsmen at work.

A fine piece of furniture.

The table and four chairs which you can just see in the bottom right hand corner had a price tag on of �8,500 on it.

This is how the wood is delivered. Whole tree trunks sliced up with narrow batons between the slices.

Nearby is a cottage with the front garden absolutely full of lavender. The bees were loving it.

I took my Ordnance Survey map of the area with me and planned a walk to Sutton Bank. On the way is the bonus of seeing the White Horse. As I walked out of the village I met a couple with their dog going in the same direction as myself, so I struck up a conversation with them. They were on holiday from Sussex and were following a route they had on a leaflet. Between us, with their leaflet and my map we found our way to the White Horse.

It was a steep climb up there, not far now.

Here we are right on the top of the horse. Fantastic views. We followed the Cleveland Way, a long distance footpath, for a while.

In 2007 the White Horse was 150 years old. It was the idea of Thomas Taylor who wanted a horse cut out on Roulston Scar to rival those in the South of England. There is no chalk on the hillside above Kilburn, so it was cut out on a steep rocky slope with a grey limey sandstone base. Now there is an association which works hard to keep it in good condition.

It was lovely to have some company on my walk today. My new friends were well traveled and experienced walkers so there was many stories to swap. Their next stopover is Northumberland tomorrow, before they head back down south  and home. I didn't get to Sutton Bank, it would have been too far.

Tomorrow I'm off to Durham for the day. At two miles it's near enough to walk, though I might go on the bus if one comes along. I hate waiting for buses. The car stays where it is, in the car park.
Toodle pip.

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The Trolley Dolly strikes again

Dear Diary, Sorry I wasn't around yesterday but it was a boring old day cleaning the house, so there wasn't much to write about. All is now pristine, ha ha, no I lie, it is better than it was before I started. Don't want my cat sitter to think I am a slob, well I am sometimes but I do scrub up quite well  :o] 

What's the recipe today? I did some brown rice with peas and sweetcorn for lunch yesterday, and made enough for lunch today and the meal tonight. 

This morning was craft club, not quite so many people came today. We had some good news, the kitty is looking rather healthy and the chairwoman has managed to negotiate a cheaper deal for the insurance, so now we only have to pay �1 instead of �1.50. I took my bag of fabrics that I got from the Scrapstore to show examples of what is available, and said I would keep the membership card and if anyone else wanted to go in the next year I would be happy to use my car and take them.

I went to town this afternoon and filled my trolley and two bags. I did the shopping around of the stores to get the best prices on cat food and some things I had run out of. I also picked up some food to take with me so I can make packups each day. I will get a breakfast every morning which will keep me going till mid afternoon, then I will have sandwiches for teatime. I won't need an evening meal if I am getting a big breakfast, there just isn't room in my stomach for so much food.

Chick peas are 29p in Home Bargains, I stocked up. Tuna fish for Bugsy is 49p. Chicken pieces for Mayze is 99p. I popped in Aldi as I was passing, for a loaf of bread and a few other bits. I noticed that they have soya milk for 59p, the same price as Tesco's before it shot up to 75p. Worth a try I thought, I'll report back on that one when I open it.

Look what I found in the car park, Mayze is inspecting it closely. A battered and broken umbrella dumped next to the ticket machine. Parking is free for 2 hours by the way, you didn't think I put money in it did you! It was the colour which made me put it in the car and bring it home. A very pretty lilac. I will strip it away from the frame, and find a use for it.

So what's the recipe tonight then? Salad leaves (last of the yellow stickers), cucumber (free from a friend), pickled onions and beetroot (Tesco Value), the last of the rice, a piece of cheese and onion quiche (�1.19 from Aldi, the rest I will take with me).

Right, that just about wraps it up from here, I've got to pack a bag. Catch you on the flip. Toodle pip.

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Deeeelishus

I took Jack and Honey out on the hills, and Jack decided to go for a mooch in the woods. What did I say about how easy they were to walk, never leave my side, ha ha. Jack came back wearing what looked like two pairs of wellington boots. He had found a nice pond of black mud. I'm just pleased he didn't decide to roll in it. When we got back he looked sheepish at me as I told him to come here, so I could get the hosepipe on his undercarriage. He flopped down on his belly after I washed the front paws, and wouldn't stand, so I couldn't get to the rest. He had to stay outside after that. My friends are back, they went away as Mr and Miss, and came back as Mr and Mrs. They looked really happy, I shall look forward to seeing the photo's. 

A quick lunch today. My first courgette, and some broad beans from the garden, in a pan with a splash of olive oil. A shake of mixed spices and garlic powder, cook for a few minutes and break two eggs into it. When they are scrambled it's done. It was deeeelishus. Simple and tasty.

Sitting outside in the sun with a glass of wine. I've just finished the bottle with my evening meal, which was steamed vegetables and two Quorn veggie sausages. I like to make the wine last three days, sometimes I can stretch it to four.

In between going in and out today I'm starting to collect a few ideas together for this picture. I can't decide whether to start sewing things on now and see how it pans out, or to lay it all out first making sure it is just how I want it to look before I start sewing. There will be a lot of walking away from it and coming back to it, as ideas come into my head. It will take a while.

I don't know if it's the wine or the walking that's making me tired. I think I'll log off and relax for an hour or so before bed time. I have a free day tomorrow but need to get the Dyson out and clean some windows. Have a nice Sunday. Toodle pip.

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Meet Jack and Honey

I had lunch out today, I ate it outside at someone else's house. It was a raw lunch, didn't need any cooking. Spinach, salad leaves, cucumber, pickled onions, walnuts, cheese, and broad beans from the garden. I don't think I'm going to bother cooking broad beans again, they are much nicer raw. No dressing, I have run out of the cheap tartar sauce and sesame seed oil, won't be buying any more unless I see something similar at a very reduced price. 

My lunch time table overlooking the garden at my friends house. Sitting in the sunshine reading the papers.

This little minx jumped on my seat before I had chance to sit down. She was quite happy to sit on my knee though when I moved her.

This is Jack, a huge ball of fur, he's like a big soft teddy. 

And Honey, she is very slender and beautiful.

Just got to nip round and let them out once more before bed time. The dogs are really easy to look after. Easy to walk, they stay by my side and don't run away. They have known me for a long time and know I have a treat in my pocket. That's the secret to keeping a dogs attention. My friend is coming back tomorrow, glad I could help out.

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Cut down on pot washing

Honey and Jack are tucked up in their beds tonight, well sort of. Jack is sprawled on the kitchen floor and Honey is on her cushion in the dining room. They are locked safely in their house for the night. I've been three times today since lunchtime. They get a 20 minute walk, lots of fuss, and a treat, as well as their dinner at about 6pm. I shall be going back in the morning at 8am to let them out into the garden and give them their breakfast, then a short walk. That will be my routine for tomorrow, backwards and forwards every three or four hours. I don't think dogs should be left on their own for more than four hours max. I will take my doggie comb as they have masses of  fur. Free grooming thrown in as well, ha ha. I'll get a photo tomorrow. There are two cats as well, one goes walkabout and one stays near to the house. It was nice to find a bottle of wine and a glass left out for me. I felt like Lady Muck as I sat outside on the patio soaking up the sun.  

I had a text from a friend, she has heard about a job going as a handy person, and asked if I would be interested. Yikes, a chuffin job, what is she thinking of asking me. I haven't got time for that. I don't mind helping folks out as and when required, but a job would mean commitment, I gave that up five years ago. 

I see we have some new people reading, welcome to the mad house for the new joiners. Nice to see you, I hope you will find something to tickle your fancy. 

Why have I posted a pic of an empty yogurt pot and a banana skin? The pot is not empty, it has one serving of yogurt left in it. Normally if I have fruit and yogurt I will put the fruit into a bowl and spoon the yogurt on top of it. What is the point of mucking a bowl up, when I don't have to. Save on washing up, just put the fruit in the pot and eat it from there. Easy eh! Think, don't muck a pot or a pan or a plate or a mug, or a piece of cutlery up if you don't have to. Makes sense to me. Less washing up will save money.

I've booked a B & B for next week, looking forward to my city break in Durham, and will be visiting Newcastle as well. There is WIFI so I will be posting each night.

Mayze hasn't come in yet, I had better go out and look for her. She can be a stubborn little madam when she wants to be. I'll say goodnight and toodle pip.

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Stocking up at the Scrapstore

Hello. Just got ten minutes to whack this out pretty sharpish. I took three of our crafty ladies over the bridge this morning to Hull Scrapstore. We had a rummage through the mountains of fabric, and picked out a few things from the other crafting materials available. The building is an old school and it has been turned into an Aladdins Cave. We were like kids in a sweet shop. Ooooh, look at this, or, this would make a good wotsit. Here we are laden up with our goodies.   

For those who don't know what a Scrapstore is, it's a charity that collects unwanted materials from factories, office and shops. Things that are destined for landfill, can be rescued and put to good use somewhere else. I took a few snaps to give you an idea of what it's about. It's a shame that the Scunthorpe store closed, though there is talk about opening another one. I hope they do manage to get funding for it.

If you want to check if there is a Scrapstore near you, take a look at this site.

I'm going to have to cut this short, I am going out again. My sis is on a caravan site not far from here and I have been invited for tea. Please excuse me while I dash off. Toodle pip.

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Never a dull moment

Good morning. I had a busy day away from the house yesterday so I didn't get round to posting, oooops. It started off with crafty club in the morning, I took a sandwich with me because I usually feel a bit peckish at about 11am. When it finished just after twelve I wasn't ready for lunch so I started on a clearing up and trimming back job along the outside of the church wall. There is a narrow footpath there which is well used by the people who live down the hill, and it isn't nice if they have to duck and dive among the hanging ivy and weeds growing out from between the stones. I took one black bin bag with me and filled it, which cleared half the length of the path, then my tummy told me to put some food down there so I went home for a late lunch.

I had planned on finishing the job another time, but the untidiness of the rest of it was bugging me, so I went back for part two and filled another bag. Job done and it looks a whole lot better. Luckily the church gardener was loading some bags of grass cuttings into his car to take to the tip, so he put my two bags in with it.

Next was a dog walk, then I got the mower out and tidied my own garden. I love freshly mowed grass, the smell of it is divine. My cuttings go on the compost heap and will eventually get put on the veg beds when all veg is picked, then it will rot down over the winter, and the cycle continues. This has worked well for the last few years.

I've made a start on the back to front picture. Remember the piece of fabric which is just as interesting on the back as it is on the front. Some ideas are starting to emerge. It will take some time so don't hold your breath for results any time soon.

It was interesting reading through your comments yesterday, from one end of the imagination scale to the other. Some saw it only as what it really is, a tree stump being taken over by insects, and others let their minds wander and saw lots of different scenarios. Which proves that you are only limited by your own imagination. I like to think that my imagination has no limits, nothing is set in stone, everything can be changed. Explore, explore, explore.

I am pleased to say that the 'no washing up', regime seems to be working. As soon as I am finished with any pots, pans, or cutlery, it's straight to the kitchen sink and a scrub under a slow running cold tap with a stiff brush, then put on the rack to dry. Another trick I have learnt is if I have a pan with a slightly greasy feel to it, I put a large mug of water in the microwave to heat it up, empty it into the pan and scrub it out. Because I try and make meals with the minimum amount of cooking and using the minimum amount of utensils, pots and pans, I don't need to heat lots of water. I don't need to heat a whole tank full just to turn the tap on for a bowl full. I have just bought a new bottle of wash up liquid but I can see it lasting me ages. A few drops is all that is required, no need for masses of foam spilling everywhere. I will mark the date on the bottle of when I start using it, will be interesting to see how long it lasts.  

I've got a busy time coming up in the next few days, a friend has asked me to look after her two dogs and two cats while she goes away to get married. She only lives five minutes away so I'll be getting my bike out and peddling round there three or four times a day. Friday I've got to go and get my arm punctured, pneumo injection. That won't take long as the surgery is just across the road. Next week I am planning on a few days away, looking at accommodation at the mo.

Looks like a sunny day today, plenty to do, so I'll get on with things. I need to trim my hair soon. Toodle pip.

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