Happenings ........................

Several weeks ago when reading about the on line show in November it seemed an amazing idea with plenty of time to produce some awesome creations. The on line show is a great idea and a big thank you to Daphne Blau for organising it. However, where has all the time gone!!! Busy stitching away, seem to be permanently behind with my work at the moment and have not updated my blog for some days so lots of catching up to do.

Last Saturday we took a trip to Norfolk Lavender Farm. It is many years since my last visit and at this time of the year the purple fields are a somewhat distant memory but we enjoyed our day out and took lots of pictures. Definitely will have to create an album just for photographs but I am including a selection with this blog.
The lavender farm has a garden shop, gift shop and restaurant. I found the most amazing 'green man' concrete pot for my garden which I will have to photograph and add to the next update.

Would like one of these in my garden, such a pretty blue colour!

A meandering path past a little summer house, also very nice for my garden if it was a lot larger!

The autumn colours of the trees are quite awesome at the moment, so often tempted to stop and take photographs of my favourite subjects but not quite possible when driving.

The lavender farm has a small rare animal park. It was a grey drizzly day and the tiny wallabies were sitting unhappily in the mud wishing for the hot sunshine of their native land. Lots of pigs in a range of colours, spotted and furry as well as a lot of little black babies..............

A friendly goat...............

Tried to photograph the emus but one kept pecking at my camera lens so I gave up. This is Ernie the lama.

 

Eric his companion, has the funniest white fringe and beard.
After a snack at the restaurant we headed back home with some stops on the way. Our first call was to the 'beach' at Heacham. This was Bronwen's first visit to the seaside in England and she was rather disappointed, the tide was presumably out all we could see was mud stretching far out with a glimpse of sea on the horizon.

 A pebble beach, lovely stones very tempting to collect!

Our last stop was at the village of Castle Rising. The castle is one of the most famous 12th century castles in England and has an interesting history.  It has served as a hunting lodge, royal residence and briefly housed a mental patient. Queen Isabella was exiled here following  her part in the murder of her husband and also reputably lost her mind! Not much left of the castle unfortunately except the outside walls and walkways around the interior as well as some rooms. The castle is reputed to be haunted.

One of two very large trees near the entrance. At the base of each tree there is what appears to be an ancient tombstone but the inscriptions are now so worn they are no longer legible and I could find no reference to these on any of the websites I visited.

One of the friendly and inquisitive sheep who seem to be resident in the village churchyard. Finally a war memorial with a difference. A sort of Narnia type street lamp with a poppy wreath

Austin seems to be settling into his base in Afghanistan and has received his first parcel from home. We are now putting together further 'welfare' parcels to be sent this week.
Megan and I took a drive to London to spend a day with his wife and do a little shopping but that is for my next update.
Today is All Hallows Eve, Megan has had fun decorating the house and carving a pumpkin for the front entrance.
Finally, thank you for leaving the comments, the draw for Bella will be tomorrow, so watch this space!

A gypsy fire is on the hearth,
Sign of the carnival of mirth;
Through the dun fields and from the glade
Flash merry folk in masquerade,
For this is Hallowe'en!
~Author Unknown