Weight, Walks and a Wedding

Apologies, another long gap in my blogging adventures. Life has been very busy lately - how on earth I found time to work full-time I have no idea!


The good news is that I have been keeping up with my Slimming World journey and this week gained my 2 stone award and my Gold body magic. Onwards and downwards to my next target - reaching 3 stone weight loss. 

We have had time to fit in some walking as well, we are both really enjoying getting out and about in the countryside this year and I am sure the exercise has helped with my weight loss. I am gradually finding it easier to walk further but am always too busy taking photos so my pace rate is probably not as good as it should be.


One of the walks we have enjoyed recently is the Longparish Riverdance walk. You might remember we walked this for the first time back in the Spring. It had a different look to it this time around now it is the height of Summer but still just as beautiful. Here are a few pictures I took on route.

Helen (Stitching Granny) - this one is for you - Yew Cottage (hope it brings back happy memories) 

This roadside verge was stunning - full of wild flowers.

Yesterday we returned to the village of St. Mary Bourne, one of our favourite places for walking, this time our eldest son accompanied us. It was the perfect day for walking, warm but with a bit of a breeze. Again I couldn't resist snapping away, the clouds were beautiful yesterday so hence plenty of cloudscapes!

Last weekend it was my youngest son's best friends wedding day. I have never seen my son look so smart, he usually is in scruffy work clothes or casual clothes so it was lovely to see him dressed up for once. Here are a couple of photos - 

I apologise for the photo heavy post, I can never choose what to leave out!!! I promise I won't leave it so long between blogs next time. In fact, I might be posting again later today, I completed a special crochet project last evening and just need to photograph it before showing it to you.

Out and About

Sorry, I have been missing from Blogland for a couple of weeks. We have been out and about but life has been busy and I haven't had much time for either writing my blog or reading blogs. I will endeavour to catch up this week although I am working three days this week so time might just run away with me again.


So what have we been up to?


We made a quick afternoon walk to Anton Lakes one very hot sticky afternoon. Here are a few photos that I took on that day.

We have also made a couple of evening visits to Rooksbury Mill, this seems to be a good time to see water voles and patience certainly paid off as we spotted one in the long grass at the side of the river and waited around on the bridge until he eventually came out and showed himself properly. I am really pleased with these photos.

The evening light was perfect for photography.

Time for walking has been in short supply over the last fortnight but we did fit in a morning walk in a location that must have become familiar to you recently. Yes, we were in St. Mary Bourne again on a lovely sunny day.

How about this field full of ox-eye daisies, simply stunning. The photos don't show its true beauty.

The lake was looking as tranquil as ever on this hot sunny day ...

and the roses growing over the thatched cottage walls were at their very best ...

as was this beauty growing in this garden.

This weekend was our usual monthly craft get-together at my friend Colly's house in Long Eaton. We decided to take an extra night in a hotel and go to Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve (just outside Coventry) on the Friday. It was here five years ago that I took this photograph of a dragonfly which I am really proud of. We have been wanting to return ever since. 

This time we didn't see many dragonflies but what a brilliant day we had. The highlight was seeing a kingfisher for more than a usual brief second and be able to photograph it. A longer lens would have been great but I am more than pleased with what I achieved. Here are a selection of photos that I took at this brilliant location.

We reluctantly left Brandon mid-afternoon as we had to make our way to our hotel near Derby in time to check in and shower and change before making our way to the Dog and Duck in Shardlow where we met up with some dear friends and their grandson for a lovely meal before returning to their house for coffee. A perfect end to a great day.


On Saturday I met up with more friends at Long Eaton for our crafty get-together and spent a happy day crocheting and nattering while DH visited a local nature reserve at Attenborough for yet more wildlife photography.


We made a quick visit to Dunelm Mill before leaving Derby this morning as I needed a cushion pad for a new cushion I have crocheted and we treated ourselves to a new duvet set before heading for the M1 to drive back down south. On arriving home we spotted this moth on a cyclamen leaf, we have since discovered it is a scarlet tiger moth. 

It somehow seemed a fitting end to a weekend filled with spotting and photographing all kinds of wildlife.