Sunday 31 August 2014

Ilfracombe Harbour

I've got a new pen which I've been trying out so decided to sketch the local harbour.

The pen is a Spacetec by Diplomat, apparently you can write upside down and under water with it, although why anybody would want to do either of those things is a bit strange, but never mind the writing is the main thing.  It works like an actual biro pen (in other words, not gel, not rollerball) - has a good weight to it which is nice to hold and I could also get light lines as well as heavier ones.  According to the leaflet, it will write up to 3 miles before needing a new refill......so I could be sometime with this one then, lol.




and the sketches......








Overall, I'm very pleased with this new pen
ideal for sketching en plein air and needing to
hold the sketchbook at an angle....the pen kept writing, yay!




Thursday 28 August 2014

The caterpillar from Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to a comment from Countryside Tales, we have an explanation as to what this little chap actually is...and will become.




Looks like a fox moth caterpillar to me. They remain as caterpillars through the winter, feeding until September before hibernating till spring. They're heath and coastal moths. Here's a link if you're interested in seeing the adult:

 http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1999

 (if that doesn't work, go to ukmoths.org and type in fox moth. CT :-)

Thanks Countryside Tales

 

Thursday 21 August 2014

Baby pigeon


The pigeon that has nested above

our arbor (see blog post here)  has had one chick by the looks of it...

tried to take a photo of it

 so hope

you can see him top right of this photo...



His mum was sitting on the roof of our house
having a well deserved break at the time.





Tuesday 19 August 2014

Velella Velella Jellyfish...

...Just when I thought I had finished adding photos of Jellyfish ...another variety turns up!!

This one is called Velella Velella or also known as By-the-wind-Sailor......and are quite small, measuring about 1"


 






I think this is the prettiest of
all the jellyfish I have shown










Saturday 16 August 2014

Peacock resting in the sun


I went over to work at Arlington Court this week, my voluntary day that is....when I parked the car and walked down the lane, I heard something.  Turning back I saw this chap on the roof, sunning himself....






There are in fact three peacocks at Arlington, 
this one likes the converted barn and it's adjoining tin roof.....

I've heard of a cat on a hot tin roof, never a peacock!






Sunday 10 August 2014

Grapes and a lodger

Our grapes are coming along just lovely in the garden.

They're growing over an arbor





they still have some way to go, but there are

loads of bunches



We aren't bothered about eating them ourselves,

but we think there is someone who is...

our Lodger....

you see we have a resident  Pigeon on a nest above all these grapes


(difficult to see but look at the middle of the picture and you
may spot her)










Friday 8 August 2014

Colourful walk

Walking through a local park the other day, we found a very colourful display of hydrangeas.  I took these pictures to share with you.  Apparently hydrangeas show the soil acidity by their colour...well, there must be a very mixed acidity level here.....


Pink = alkaline soil



Blue = acidic soil












Sunday 3 August 2014

.....and more Jellyfish

This Summer there seem to have been quite a variety of jellyfish here.


I like the shape of this one, like a flower...


I thought this one looked a little grim....but unusual


I love the colour of this one....













that's it.

Hope you are all having

a very restful week-end.


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