Hedgehogs and marshmallows

Many moons ago, during our 30 Days Wild we started a hedgehog house.

It started life as a large wooden box

Than after weeks of doing nothing, we cut it up and refashioned it into a hedgehog house

Now we just need to locate it in a quiet part of the garden and hope for a hedgehog!!

At the moment the children are using the hedgehog house to sit on whilst there kettle boils, hot coffee and toasted marshmallows, yum yum (I'm just using the electric kettle and eating marshmallows in the kitchen, far more civilized)

Blackpool by tram.

On Tuesday we drove over to Cleveleys on the coast and caught the tram into Blackpool. The children had never been on a tram!!

We had a look around Blackpool, just a few shops then some lunch.

Then after a walk along the front we boarded the tram and did the whole tram route!

Up to Star Gate (the end of the line) where we had to get off the tram as it turned around, then back on. Up the coast to Fleetwood, turn around and back to Cleveleys.

We did get a few funny looks, but we wanted to experience the whole trip!! 

More blue paint

A few weeks ago I bought a big pot of colour matched paint for our new kitchen. 

The stool was the first thing to get a couple of coats of beautiful blue paint, but there's still lots left. Sooo what could I paint?

A quick trip to our local charity shop and the idea started to take shape.

Now I can leave 'helpful' messages for the Family.

(but I will keep the chalk pen to myself then I wont get any smart comments back from them!!!)

Zoo, zoo, zoo.......

Just a quick post today as I'm absolutely shattered.

Yes you've guessed it we went to the zoo!!

(singing the zoo, zoo, zoo song is optional)

Blackpool Zoo has been a Family tradition since I was a child.

We had lovely weather despite the forecast and the only rain we did get was on the journey home.

They even have dinosaurs, although my son didn't think they matched up to Jurassic World (thank goodness)

Ooh and I remembered the Plastic People!!!

Lowther Castle and Yew Tree Barn

We had a Grand Day Out on Wednesday.

We headed up to Lowther Castle 

The sun was shining, making a perfect day for a family walk. 

The children loved the rope swing, I think they could have stayed all day!!!

As I set up the Plastic People for a photo, the children happily fought on the lawn!!

The beautiful view passed them by as the wrestled for about ten minutes.

The gardens are still being uncovered after years of neglect.

The photo below shows an engraving found of the garden from 1707. 

The Castle itself is a ruin and you can only go in part of it at the moment. The gardeners where in the process of planting up the area inside the ruin and I would love to visit again in a few years when its all grown up. 

 Normally I try and do a link to the the website of places I visit, just for your interest. But the Lowther Castle website is really well worth a visit. Its has lots of photos of the process of restoration and even has a aerial video of the Castle.

After lunch we decided to visit a friend of my 'other half's'

He's the resident blacksmith at Yew Tree Barn.

We even had a chance to photograph the Plastic People.

We spent some time watching him work and chatting about the things he was making.

The Barn contains all sorts of treasures, I especially love the numbers in the photo above. I think they are bridge numbers, if only they had my house number!!

Off to Court then to Prison . . . . . .

The summer holiday panic has started early (see here & here).

Normally I start the panic about the lack of days out much later in the holidays, but its started. . . . . 

So after a day at work yesterday, today was definitely going to be a  'day out' day.

We headed to one our favourite cities (large town really), Lancaster.

We even remembered the Plastic People!

We booked to join the castle tour.

The castle is still used as a Court, so we couldn't take photos.

At the end of the main tour, you get a look in the prison, which shut a few years ago.

After the Tour we headed for the shops, just a meander around really.

Nice for us all to visit court and prison but come home at the end of the day!!

Slow Sundays

I have been watching my Bird Box / Wasp Nest for a few weeks. Although we still have a few wasps in the garden, there didn't seem to be any visiting the nest.

So in an effort to reclaim the nest box for the birds, we decided to give it a clean out!!

After our morning of jobs we headed out for a ice cream!!

Our normal 'ice cream' shop had a huge queue so we went to Glasson Dock.

Its a while since we visited, but the house boat is still very much sunk!!!!

Ooh and I forgot the Plastic People. . . . 

Cherry Bakewell Tart

This afternoon, in an effort to reduce my sons 'technology' time, we decided to bake a cake!!

I had seen a recipe on the TV the other day which looked delicious, so off to the shops we went for the ingredients.

Leons Cherry Bakewell Tart

So with minimal assistance from my son, other than a keenness for licking the spoon, the bowl, the mixing thingy, etc we have a cake!!! (all made in my new oven)

We just need to wait until later for the cutting and eating, the recipe says its for eight but I'm very doubtful. . . . . 

Country Park

Another trip to the local country park !!!

On this visit we walked to the tarn, then up to the top of the fell to take in the views.

The weather was glorious.....But my son is very tasty for horse flies and when we got home he was covered in bites!!!

In other news, I felt the urge to sew!!

The sewing machine has been gathering dust for months, but on Sunday it came out to play.

I even had a read of the instructions.

Plastic people, ice-cream & damselfly's.

This afternoon, after a morning of gloss painting, we headed out to the garden centre.

We had a bit of a look then decided to go to our favourite ice cream shop.

After consuming our own weight in ice-cream we decided to go dragonfly hunting!!

 

Just a stroll along the canal.

It was great to have time to try and get some photos.

Just the Blue-tail Damselfly today. . . . . 

But tomorrows another day !!

Sunny Southport

In the summer holidays we like to take trips out with family. Its a great chance for my children to spend time with there cousins.

On Wednesday (after we selected the appropriate plastic people) we headed to Southport.

We always use the park & ride in Southport and the children enjoy the short bus ride into the town.

We enjoyed a saunter around the shops.

And had a lovely lunch with lots of chatter.

Random.

So we've had a few random days, like you do in the summer holidays.

We have visited the library to sign up for the Lancashire Reading Journey (no photos)

We have been to visit my Aunty for a brew and a chat.

 (She's sat with my Mum. My Mums a police officer and my Aunty's someone from Star Wars . . .  .chosen by my son) 

We had Rangers, this months theme was Dragonflies.

We spotted -

Blue tailed Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

& a Common Hawker.

We had a better look at home with a nice cup of tea.

The DIY continues. We had a trip to the DIY store today for some edging for our new floor.

I also got some paint to revamp my stool.

I had thought it might get relegated to the garage but it turns out we are not as tall as we thought, and can't actually reach the top cupboards in the new kitchen!!!

Anyway, the stool will get another coat of paint tomorrow. (and anything else I fancy painting blue, I did get quite a big tin . . . . .)