Lock-In

I had hoped to write a bright and photo heavy blog last weekend but I am the biggest idiot ever.

Saturday dawned sunny and bright with an easterly breeze and was the day that the 50+ Adventure club were going to do the Orienteering Course at Stanwick Lakes.  I had all the packs and prizes for the teams and I waved them off at the start and returned to my car to get my walking pole and camera as I definitely wanted a walk on this glorious Spring day.  I closed the boot (US - trunk) and realised I had locked my keys in there!!!  The day went downhill after that.  I should point out that I can have the boot open with the rest of the car locked.

What to do?

- "We can run you home to pick up the spare" - Home key is on same key ring as car keys!
- "what about your spare key?" - In the boot in my handbag!
- "Who are your breakdown assistance?" - On my mobile phone in my handbag .....

and so it went on.  However with the help of staff at Stanwick Lakes I got a phone number to ring and TWO hours later they turned up. Eventually they opened the car and I got the keys back, but in the meantime the groups of Orienteers had finished the course, had had a coffee and a snack and most had gone home so the winners and losers did not get their prizes!!  I delivered them all this morning.

Yesterday's 'Will' day was sunny and warm and after going to 'Rhyme Tyme' at Bedford library he said he wanted to see the swans.  We walked along the Embankment and I noticed two eggs in a nest on an island in the river.  I zoomed in the camera and this is what we saw

"A crocodile" said Will

Wow, this walk was proving an adventure!

We dawdled in the sun in Russell Park and then headed for home.  There were traffic jams in the roads which is very unusual and I had trouble getting across with Will and we came to one where the police were in great numbers and stopping traffic.  What was going on?

"Oh it's Bedford's turn for the Edgar Mobbs Memorial rugby match and there will be a march past on the way back to the Bedford Blues Rugby Ground"  The Parachute Regiment band and members of the Mobbs family could be seen at the war memorial on the Embankment.  Will and I waited and then they came marching up the road

 

The 'soldiers' all looked very young and so I think they were local cadets and their boots made no sound!  Marching soldiers make a lot of noise.

My 'Moorland' blanket from Attic24 is coming along nicely and I am very pleased with it.

Last week at Higham Piecemakers we had a 'Hen' night project and here is my contribution

These 'hens' could either be place mats or turned into a table runner.  I have chosen mine as a placemat and she is such fun!!  I love the background fabric as well - A Hen Rietta Morning by Clothworks.

Orienteering

I have had my Cambridge grandchildren for the weekend as Mum and Dad went to London for a catch up with friends.

Yesterday I took them Orienteering at Stanwick Lakes and after purchasing the 'pack' ,which included a compass though I doubt it is impossible to get lost, we set out to find the first post on the map provided

and noticed this wonderful gnarled Willow tree

before arriving at the Iron Age house, which was a hit because of the mud outside!

A little drafty to live here!

Onto the next posts

and feet were beginning to drag so refreshment was taken before we went onto the Adventure trail.

 

The zip wire is always a great hit and it has been upgraded lately and zips along beautifully and easily.

There were flocks of Canada Geese flying around and, more unusually, a great many swans.  I managed to get a quick shot in of these two flying over;  we knew they were coming because of the noise the wings make in flight.  One 'bevy' (swans in flight) had about 10 - 15 birds which I have never seen before.

 

Finally a quick paddle around the playground!!

Today was something quite different, but again at Stanwick Lakes.

Dr Who had arrived.  This Dalek was scary because it suddenly started to move when there was no-one around and it was 'exterminating' everyone!

The Tardis was there and then the Doctors arrived and the children helped at the control panel

 

However as soon as these arrived

The Scarecrows

Ellie freaked out and refused to stay and so we had to go.  Never mind they might come another day.

Mini Mania for March is complete though you are only going to get a sneaky peak -

The theme is Tessellations and we can only use three colours - blue, green and orange.

My Higham Piecemakers Christmas Challenge 2016 is also complete but I am not showing this until after our 'reveal' in April.  Just three projects left to complete and all timebound!!  Why do I put myself under such pressure?

A vegetable dish....?

A couple of updates in this blog.  First is my Mini Mania for February.  We were allowed to make anything so long as it wasn't any form of patchwork and no bigger than 8".  I decided on this as I made something similar at a workshop a few years ago

Do you remember a few weeks ago I wrote about pruning the fruit trees in the orchard.  Well, I heard on the grapevine (forgive the pun) that a wall had fallen down and whilst I was there today I checked and 'yes' it had and just where I had pruned my tree.

Before ..

After

From the other side

What caused it - we have no idea but it will cost a great deal to re-build!!  Were the trees holding it up.  By the way, one tree we did not prune was this one that was in flower today.

A Cherry Plum

Anyway, a quick catch up as I suddenly realised that I haven't blogged for a while. 

Last Friday I went to a Quilt Show at Duxford IWM with friends and we had a good day out.  Not a large show but some of the quilts gave me ideas as a little bird told me that Mini Mania in a few months might be 'Tumbling Blocks'.

Over to Cambridge for the weekend to look after two grandchildren whilst Mum and Dad ran a half marathon as practice for the London Marathon when they are both running.  So cold and it rained as well; still they both finished with reasonable times considering that my son had been out on a stag party the night before.  At the end of the night the 'Groom' and his 'Best Man' were each presented with an envelope which was their entry into this run!!  They turned up, ran and finished and the Best Man had never run a half marathon before!!  Well done them.

Tuesday was 'Will' day and we walked along the embankment in the sunshine

and were accosted by a rather rough looking man who worried me, but all he wanted to tell us was to go and look at this duck

A Mandarin duck

sitting with the Mallards.  So beautiful, but was he an escapee from somewhere?  The first time I have seen one in the wild and not caged or kept in a garden.

I love volunteering at Chester Farm and always come away feeling in a good mood.  This time I was 'litter picking' all the rubbish blown onto the site after the recent high winds of 'Storm Doris'.  The weather was glorious and I was happy being outside.  Our volunteer organiser discovered a huge badger sett and they had dug up some Roman pot pieces - 

Mostly Roman pot but something metal (top left)

The small pieces were lovely

and as our resident Archaeologist was on site he was summoned and told us that it was a piece from a Castor Box from the 5th century.  The Roman equivalent of a vegetable dish that was only used in Britain so they were trying to be 'posh' even in those days!  As these were found away from a proper 'dig' they were going into a general box of bits and pieces and I was asked if I would like a piece and that is my hand in the photo above with my own Roman remain.   I am thrilled and will use it when I am giving a guided walk of the site.