Today’s guest picture is another from Tony’s series of perfect weather in East Wemyss.
We were promised good weather by noon and as it was still a bit chilly in the morning, I was more than usually happy to see Dropscone arrive (with traditional Friday treacle scones) for a cup of coffee or two. I treated him with more than my customary respect as he has had an article printed in our local newspaper this week. It concerned the great number of shops that there used to be in the town in the days when almost all the money earned in Langholm was spent in Langholm.
After he left, I looked for some bird action on the feeder and although I did catch a robin…
…and a coal tit…
..it was a very quiet day birdwise with only the odd bickering chaffinch to show.
The temperature crept up to 7°C but sadly the sun did not make its forecast appearance so I had to wrap up well again for my cycle ride. On the plus side, the wind was very light so I was able to do 33 easy miles, but on the minus side, both the weather and my route were pretty dull so the camera stayed in my back pocket except to take notice of this handsomely decorated concrete bus shelter in Eaglesfield.
The bus shelter is utilitarian and perfectly serviceable without its decoration and Plato may have taken the view that utility is beauty but then he was probably sitting having an ouzo beside the beach in Greece when he thought that and not standing in the cold on a gloomy day in Scotland. I like the decoration.
The only other picture I took was a colourless view up the River Esk at Irvine House just to show how grey the day was….
…and I had to wait until I got home to get a glimpse of something more encouraging in the shape of the first daffodil bud of the year.
Mrs Tootlepedal was working in the garden when I got back and she tells me that she has potted on our Christmas tree into a bigger pot. It is still getting conditioned to life outside by sitting in the greenhouse for the moment.
There are snowdrops about but to save me crawling about on my hands and knees, I took a picture of two that the gardener has brought into the house.
It didn’t take long for darkness to fall outside and I settled down to looking at the hymns for church on Sunday while Mrs Tootlepedal made further progress on her crochet blanket.
She has two winter projects ongoing, the blanket for the hours of darkness and refurbishing her childhood rocking horse for the short daylight hours.
She has taken the whole assembly to bits and cleaned, sanded, repaired and varnished the base. She has fashioned an ingenious method for holding it all tightly together as the glue dries during re-assembly.
You can see the cleaned and sanded horse waiting patiently in the background for its turn to come, This will involve gesso I am told.
During the day, I did my vocal exercises with the straw and a glass of water a couple of times and I think that they are already having a beneficial effect. I will persevere.
There was no Friday evening music as my accompanist is still getting treatment for her damaged shoulder which is taking longer to heal than expected. Still, as I have had five pedals, two tootles and a choir this week, I can’t complain.
I didn’t get a very satisfactory flying bird of the day as what chaffinches there were insisted on approaching the feeder from the wrong direction. Some birds have no gratitude.
Had of course to look up ‘gesso’. Thought it might be one of your jokes.
Would I joke?
Ha!
Mrs. Tootlepedal does some very nice work! Your daffodils are at the same stage as ours, but I have yet to see any snowdrops.
Good to hear the straw is working.
As a first time crochet effort, Mrs T is quite pleased with her blanket but feels she has more to learn.
Your son’s photo makes me wish I was there. It’s 15 degrees F. at the moment and will probably fall to zero tonight.
I wonder if there is anything Mrs. T. can’t do.
It’s great to see the snowdrops and daffodil buds.
I am glad that we are generally more moderate in our winter weather than you. Zero is too cold for me.
Me too!
Tony’s capture is gorgeous, and I especially loved seeing Mrs. T’s first daffodil bud. Spring is around the corner!
A long corner but definitely on its way.
I’m all over Tony’s picture too. What a talented bunch you are. Mrs. T’s artistry is everywhere in the quilt, the rocking horse restoration and the garden. Now I have to go back and find out about the straw…
I think that the straw is definitely doing me good.
Seems as though some folk just enjoy teasing you with their perfect weather shots from distant places. I don’t suppose Mrs T finds time to complain. I wouldn’t imagine she has a moment to spare with all of her projects. How lucky you are to have her around.
You can say that again!
I love the thought of treacle scones. The bus shelter and the blanket look very cheerful.
Treacle scones are good.
Very nice…Sunshine after a long wait !!!
That is going to be a very smart rocking horse.
That brightly crocheted blanket and the painted bus shelter were the two pictures that caught both my eye and my interest. Thanks for the photographs.
I’m with you, the bus shelter looks very smart!
Can’t concentrate much, but liked the pics 🙂
Take it easy.
You are right. Thanks a lot
Your son’s image is stunning, the photography gene must run strong in your family! It was nice to see the snowdrops and the promise of daffodil flowers soon.
Mrs T is getting more cheerful by the day.
Great work on the crochet blanket and the rocking horse. Folk looking to relocate to beautiful areas will now be spoilt for choice between Langholm area or East Wemyss!
As far as weather goes, East Wemyss has it.
Langholm’s problem sounds sadly familiar to the problem our own little town of Winthrop has. Other towns in Maine, too. Lately, a ” buy local” movement has started in many communities. It has helped somewhat.
Our trouble is the decreasing number of places that we can buy local at.
Yup. Same problem in much of Maine.
Our town (Ilwaco, Washington) once had two grocery stores and a movie theatre, hardware store, launderette, clothing store, and now has one very inferior tiny grocery store and none of the others. Its only shops now are tourist related except for the wonderful Time Enough Bookstore.
love that bus shelter- Does it have a bench to use as a cyclists dining room?
I didn’t look. I’ll have to check next time I go past.
The is something of “The Monarch of the Glen” about that bus shelter. Nice to see.
I solved the crawling on the ground/snowdrop photograph problem by persuading Julia to do it for me. Perhaps a word with Mrs T…
That would be the day.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Nice one about Plato! I agree with you. The shelter looks very cheerful.
I will try to remember to photograph the other side next time that I pass. 🙂