September Walk on the Moors

This week we have seen some high tides along with the full moon.

We decided to go for a walk on the moors and I packed a picnic and took my iPad to take photographs to show you where we went. Lots of people comment they enjoy seeing the countryside and views of where I live. So we started by walking uphill on the narrow road which leads to the moors.

 

 

It is a steep road and has a deep drop on one side with a fast flowing river and this waterfall, it flows straight down to the sea. We are going to follow it's path to where it begins, it's source.

This is the point where we left the road and the shelter of the Hedgerows and trees behind on this warm day and begin to enter the moors.

 

My husband gets to carry the bag. Whilst I have fun using my iPad and photograph this beautiful Butterfly.

 

I captured both the butterfly and then the harebells on the banking of the old cart track.

The slate quarry is across the moor and every road and field around here is built from the local grey stone. The ground has many large boulders and you will see them in the river too, all shapes and sizes.

All hand built many years ago from the stone, some of the walls are now buckled and collapsing. Can you see them to the right as they weave their patterns up and over and across the steep hills.

A glance back to the sea from our high vantage point.

The river twists and curls on it's journey.

We cross the river over the ancient footbridge made from huge slabs of stone with a layer of sods and turf over the bridge. We used to play here as children and walk underneath the bridge as we paddled in the river. The boys would build a little dam in the summer time. We saw several small trout dart in the clear fresh water.

 

The pretty yellow gorse grows here alongside the purple heather.

Someone found another black feather for me. The collecting begins!

 

Some glimpses of the river and how it bends and twists in this valley.

 

 

Lovely fresh ferns growing by the river. And more found feathers.

 

 

 

 

A surprise to find this foxglove still flowering.

 

The river starts to narrow and the ground becomes more like marsh ground with wet mossy plants and reeds.

 

 

 

A single tree on the whole of the moor, not another one in sight. We can see the wind mills now. I am not a fan of these twelve structures and there are plans for replacing them with much larger and higher ones.

The river is little more than a trickle as we gain height and are at the area where it begins to form.

 

Time for a sit down and something to eat and drink. A favourite place by the big stone.

Memories as I look at the carved initials of two teenagers, many many years ago, who married and have shared their lives living here.

The heather is a lovely shade of purple at this time of the year.

Food tastes so good outdoors after a long walk. And then we turn around to head in the direction we came from. Back down the valley.

 

When we were young we picked the bilberries from the moor, not quite ready as they ripen to a dark blue.

Plenty of wild life up here. We saw a buzzard and a kestrel hawk. We disturbed a flock of pheasants. More feathers found here. And I saw a newt and this black beetle.

 

Lovely views from here. So quiet and not another person anywhere.

 

 

And feeling hot and a little weary I couldn't resist a paddle and a rest with my feet in the cool refreshing water. Whilst someone made a mini dam. Simple pleasures.

 

 

 

We had a lovely day out. The weather has been so nice and warm here, we are making the most of it. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

 

I washed my pheasant feathers and will show you my drawings next time. Thank you for the comments . Hope you enjoyed the walk. Millyx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New life

I am sitting watching the birds and they have been looking at my window watching and waiting for me to give them their usual scraps. We have two brown blackbirds with spotted chests, young birds that are getting really tame.

A cheeky blackbird or two, the usual sparrows and a blue tit. Some pretty collared Doves to name a few all fighting over it. A large magpie flew in yesterday which is not good news as they steal eggs from other birds nests. As we are so pleased to have found we have two nests in the garden, a Robin and a Wren, both sitting on eggs. You would laugh if you could see me trying to capture a photo of the birds feeding, way to quick for me! The photographer managed it.

Each time I have been for a walk I have found eggs, just there on the ground, some on the railway station, some on the shore and some on the road. A walk by a river and one through a footpath in the woods all had some egg shells on the ground. I collect them, wrap them in a tissue or whatever I have and hope they arrive home, some do and others are just crushed up pieces.

The tiny white ones with speckles of reddy brown belong to one of our smallest birds, the Wren. I found them at Kirkby Lonsdale. After sitting and enjoying the beautiful valley of the River Lune, famously known as Ruskin's View, we went down the many steps to the river walk. It was here on the bank I found the little white egg shells.

So I am going to watch and see if the Wren in our garden has a tidy up and throws the hatched egg shells out of the nest. I had hoped to draw them but my eyes are not yet allowing me to. It is taking time to adjust to my new glasses. But I did paint these last year, and enjoyed learning more about the shapes and patterns on lots of different eggs.

I really love the colour of this next egg found in the woods on Thursday. Two eggs obviously just been stolen from a nest as there was still fresh runny yolk inside one. The expert said it is a Song Thrush, now that would make sense if you had heard the beautiful birdsong in this wood. We had actually gone to see a Heron nest high up in the trees but we could not find it, I suspect the growth of all the leaves was making a thick green canopy and it was too hard for us to see. Someone shared her sighting of it and said you could see the young birds poking their heads over the nest. The Heron was seen flying up to the nest and gave it away where she had built and had her young. Never mind we discovered a new walk by a river and heard such a lovely bird chorus, all in the rain along with such big fat blobs of rain dropping from the trees.

Every year I marvel at the sight of a bird's nest, so delicately made and woven with their beak. We have seen so many this year in the hedgerows and on our walks, I have to say all spotted by the expert. My sister has a blackbird's nest with five blue eggs in her greenhouse, we can view it through the glass window as it is hidden behind plant pots. And then a dove sitting in her apple tree, on what looks like a flat plate of sticks, her nest. She had a Dove's nest last year and that is the white egg shell on my first photograph.

I have been collecting other shells, snail shells from on my walks. I love it when the brown outer skin peels away and blue and grey patterns appear. They seem to be everywhere and I have to stop myself collecting them.

Then we have found some new treasures on the shore at low tides. The sand is moved and shifted around and it uncovers pieces like this, oh I love finding them. I really am thrilled each time I wash the new pieces and see the patterns and the crackles in the glaze, more to add to my growing list of things to draw.

 

A blue sheen on the duck feather and a blue shell were my finds on a shore walk. See how good I am just collecting two things.

My two skeleton leaves from the garden, so many beautiful things catch my eye. My photograph of Ferns and bluebells and white bells. I managed to capture the big bumble bee visiting the flowers, it has been literally buzzing with them.

And I know you must be wondering if I have anything to show you that I have been drawing, yes I have, one of my favourites, the Lords and Ladies I found on a walk.

I saw so many wonderful specimens, a couple of fallen ones came home with me, stems eaten by snails.

And added to my zigzag book of the life cycle of the Lords and Ladies.

I had gaps in the pages so drawings had to fit the space.

The brown sepia study with a dip in pen looking good in my book alongside last years drawings.

And then some interesting sketches of the young green berries and the purple coloured finger, as I peeled back the skin and revealed the structure. I like them best when they are in their bright red clusters about September time. Sadly we have had some thunder storms and such heavy showers, this usually sees the end to many of the plants as they rot and collapse and the snails do the rest! I am keeping my fingers crossed there will still be lots that have survived and continue to grow and develop.

 

What wonderful sights and views we see living here, always changing ,and always amazing , one very atmospheric sky we have witnessed.

And a very pale blue like the colour of a bird's egg.

Thank you for the lovely comments, I do enjoy reading them. Millyx

 

Happy to be drawing again.

It feels so exciting to be drawing again.

The week after my eye surgery we walked along the beach. I knew it was impossible for me to draw then but I wandered along and collected shells and pebbles, seaweed and mermaids purses and hoped it would not be too long.

It is so true, you often only miss things when they are gone. I missed my drawing, the days were missing something. I felt like I should be doing something and I have filled my time with other creative projects, but it has always been such a big part of me and I needed to draw.
So I started very slow and feeling nervous knowing my vision was so different. I chose a box of crayons as I knew they were an easier option than using a paint brush. I could just sharpen the crayons and have instant colour, hold the pencil and have more control. My eye and hand coordination was something I knew I had to really work at and concentrate to regain my skill at drawing.

My new sketchbook was like a new beginning and I began with the objects from that day by the sea. The tide had left a wiggly line of sea treasures on the clean smooth sand. Slowly following that line of objects still wet and freshly delivered by the sea. I remember collecting the pretty shells and slipping them into my pocket, they made me smile and cheered me up. If I am honest I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. Then I saw a mermaids purse. I felt that surge of excitement, a big swollen beautiful mermaids purse in perfect condition. It was black and glossy and smooth and it was mine for the taking. I would keep it until my eyes were able to draw again.

Then I discovered others and ended up bringing a whole collection home. It could wait, it would have to wait and I knew I could as patience is definitely one of my better qualities. It was a moment of clarity, to understand, to know How much my drawing means to me.

Eventually, Little pockets of time, half an hour when I could, an hour if my eyes felt strong enough. I enjoyed using the crayons and it was a good choice for me. I then worked with a black ink pen for the mermaids purse and realised my limitations. It was really hard to try and focus on the details. It was completed over about a week, a little at a time with weak eyes and a shaky hand.

I was so excited to complete the page of my new sketchbook. I so wanted to try using my acrylic inks and last week I started the next page. I used the dip in pen and very slowly built up the shells and then a paintbrush for the seaweed. It hasn't been easy but I have just worked away slowly, as and when I felt I could.

I was so pleased to complete this today. Two mussel shells, a blue and white shell and the twisted piece of seaweeds. It feels like an enormous achievement and I am so grateful that I can draw again. My eyes have changed, confirmed by my eye test yesterday. Next week I will have my new glasses and It is to be full steam ahead, I am going to make up for lost time.

Here is the view of my open book, it measures 33 inches wide , A3 but in landscape format. I am thinking of all those lovely objects and treasures on the shore and at the beaches. I plan to fill my new book with my finds. Wait until you see what I have been waiting to draw, a starfish and colourful leg I think belonged to a lobster. I have never found a starfish before on our beaches so I am really excited to draw it. Now I need to tidy up the messy table and turn the page ready. Hope you enjoyed seeing my drawings.

Looking forward to more beautiful sunny days, loving hearing the birds singing and seeing all the spring blossom. I have walked into my garden most days and just taken the time to enjoy the colours of the flowers.
All photographs taken in my garden, by me with my iPad.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the flowers and spring has arrived where you are too.

We have had some beautiful weather and such lovely days. I will leave you with a sunset from this week, taken from my bedroom window. Thank you for your lovely comments, I am hoping to get back to regular blogging. So hope you will come and visit. Millyx