A Walk After Tea

One thing about being away from home for nine days out of eleven is that there is a lot to catch up on. So it's been all go on the domestic front. Olly hasn't minded all the healthy neglect. He's been re-acquainting himself with all of his toys. And watching Despicable Me. Quite a lot.

 But after tea I felt the need to get out and stretch my legs. The early evening sun beckoned me, Pops and  Honey up the road to Burthallan Lane, and from there to Clodgy Point. I love this walk, as it's completely brilliant for little boys who need to run off their energies before bedtime. Or anytime in fact. Marc and I have paraded all our boys along this route through the years, and it never fails to hit the spot.

Our road. We live bottom left. Alf's friend used to call it
 The White House,  which sounds much grander than it actually is!

Olly is into Batman at the moment. And cutlasses. So he jumped, spoke in a growly voice and brandished his weapon at any unsuspecting passer by. Where on earth this boy gets his energy from I have no idea. He literally bounds and bounces his way through each and every day. He is always up for adventure, and his enthusiasm is just wonderful. However he did nearly fall into the path of an oncomming car. I cannot always anticipate his every quick as lightening moves. The driver gesticulated. I returned the compliment. I think I've bought a bit of Bristol back home with me.

There are three enviable houses that we pass on our walk. To me anyway. One is just up the road from us. Sam used to call it The Witches' House, and I guess it does have that Brother's Grimm look about it. I've been lucky enough to have a poke about inside, which only makes me covet it more, being Arts and Craft in style with a beautiful living room fireplace complete with Bernard Leach tiles.

The next house is at the beginning of Burthallan Lane. It must have stood alone once upon a time, but other houses have sprung up around it over the years. It's a wonderful cottage, with the most exquisite garden. I particularly love their low box hedging, and herbs growing out of the Cornish stone wall.

Finally is a new house that stands in the most enviable position, overlooking the whole of St Ives Bay and beyond. Olly was a baby when this build started, and it was only completed last year. Money was definitely not an issue when it came to this house, but today I noticed how the owners are starting to soften it with thoughtful planting schemes.

These houses always satisfy my nosey-parker tendencies.

 Along the lane and down the footpath towards Clodgy Point are the hedgerows. We picked and ate our first Blackberries, and Olly broke off a dried plant stem to make yet another weapon. He thrust it in and out of the bushes, scattering seeds from the dried out pods of Campion and others. I wonder if Mother Nature ever banked upon little boys to be effective agents of dispersal? The hedgerows show the turning of the seasons better than any where else I know. I may be awaiting my Dahlia show in the garden, but it's here that I am assured an end to summer is approaching. There are still lovely things to see though, and I promised myself that I would gather an armful of those dried stems on our return. I know Marc will be thrilled at the prospect of another twiggy display at home.

 And then before we knew it, we had reached Clodgy Point. It's an outcrop that stretches it's tip into the sea. There are several of them heading down the coast towards Land's End. They are know as the 'Seven Sisters', and on a good day you can see them all from here. The view is magnificent. A panorama that takes in the coast that lies north of St Ives, maybe as far as Chapel Porth or St Agnes (I'll have to find out). And way down South towards the Pendeen and beyond. I want to sit and stare. Olly wants to play hide and seek. Honey wants me to throw her a stick. Two out of three's not bad.

We do watch a man and his little girl fly a kite. She is about the same age as Pops, and her laughter is infectious. It's a lovely scene. I 'hallooo' a few people that I know. One is out dog walking, the other is puff puffing up the hill in her running gear. I feel rather guilty that I have been so slothful of late, but then I remind myself that come September I will have the time to devote to rather more self involved practices. So to celebrate that thought, I offer a piece of fudge to Pops and have one myself.

It's time to turn back the way we came. I chivy Pops along by telling him the story of Hansel and Gretl on the way. We only stop to look at the horses in the fields, and the swallows darting and skimming within. The sun is starting to dip, and I'm surprised to notice that we've been out for over two hours. I think that our tea must have gone down by now. It's a less whirly gig walk home, and I piggy back Olly some of the way. Once home, it's straight into pyjamas for both of us. A glass of milk, a clean of the teeth and a bedtime story. Lights out, and Olly is in the land of nod in minutes.

I artfully arrange my twigs, and pour myself a glass of wine.

Happy days.


Leanne xx

(all pics were taken with my phone, so not the best quality. And a few squiffy horizons to boot!)

Lately

Hello!

How are you? Well I hope.

Hey, thank you all so much for your lovely comments about my guest post on The Colour Collaborative. Really. Warmed the cockles of my heart. Lovely people.

































July has flashed by. I'm staring August in the face, and the long summer holiday is stretched out before me. I've written a list. Three actually. Four if you count my Camp Bestival list (we are going on Thursday). I feel a little as if the holidays started a couple of weeks ago, but it may just be that the weather has been so great that opportunities for outdoor fun has been maximised.

Olly has finished nursery. I made a giant cream tea for the teaching staff to enjoy. He bounded out on his last day with a cake and lots of crafty stuff. He said goodbye and didn't look back. I cried my eyes out on the way home. When do you start looking back or feeling nostalgic? Little ones just don't do they. Onward to new adventures. Life is just one long summer holiday for them I reckon.

We have enjoyed evenings at the beach, tea overlooking Godrevy, walks in the woods, a trip out in the fishing dingy, spotting seals in the harbour, crafting madness at home, Lilo and Stitch on Netflix, making Rhubarb and Strawberry jelly (heavenly) and general pottering and pootling about. Don't get me wrong, it's not all been plain sailing. Olly has not been sleeping well, Alfie has been an utter git and Sam is tired - and therefore teasy -  from all the pot washing at work. So it can be a drag here, to be honest. As I've said before, it's those very concentrated periods of hideousness that seem to place a weight on top of my head and push it down.

But......

Yesterday I had a quiet word with myself. I am singing that song from Frozen. I am letting it go. I am going to chill the flip out. I am going to ignore the boundary pushing behaviour. I am going to snuggle up and watch a bit of telly with Pops if we are tired. I shall blithely float past Sam's sharp responses. I am not going to go mad, feeling that I should do this or ought to do that. I have my list, but I'm focusing on relaxation for better hallway vision*

I'm going to try anyway!

Leanne xx

*The Breakfast Club. Remember it?

Godrevy Again

Come on CT, tell me which Blue she is. Silver Studded? Or Common?

If you live here, or if you are visiting anytime soon, I urge you to go to Godrevy. Like a lot of the coastline of West Cornwall, this is an area owned and preserved by the National Trust (I think that the beach and the lighthouse are privately owned). Olly and I walked Honey there yesterday. I thought it would make a change from the dunes. And I had stared at the lighthouse from Sam's window this morning. She looked bright and welcoming in the early morning sun. And she seemed to beckon me over. It's what I told myself as I drove there anyway.

The headland overlooking the lighthouse was swathed in a violet carpet. It shimmered in the morning sunshine and contrasted beautifully with the blue sky above. You know when something is so other worldly that you find yourself catching your breath? When you have to do a double take, just to make sure that what you saw was real? No wonder Granny wanted her ashes to be scattered here. She must have known that she would always be surrounded by great beauty.

Olly bug hunted while I jumped around trying to take photos of the butterflies. I am determined to get better at it, even though I had to concede that maybe jumping was no way to score that money shot. There were hundreds of them flitting to and fro over the coastal heath land. I wondered if there had been a spate of Gatekeepers emerging from their cocoons, there were so many. I watched them chase off bigger butterflies, claiming territories as their own. Olly was fascinated by the orange beetles that were all over the plant life (CT has advised that they are probably soldier beetles. It's what we are calling them now anyway). They were "joined up" he said, as he watched them getting frisky on the flowers.

We watched a young Kestrel for the longest time. She was sat on a rocky outcrop minding her own business and preening her feathers. It was priceless. I thought for a moment that she was a baby, but then she flew up and away. You often see Kestrels here, but the joy never diminishes. There were a great many rabbits too. As I child I remember the delight at seeing the fluffy tail of a rabbit as it bounded away out of sight. I saw the same delight in Olly as he saw not one, but several running into the safety of the gorse bushes. There were Buzzards wheeling overhead and Crows walking shiftily around the top of the headland. We looked for seals, but they must have been out fishing. Olly was convinced that he saw a shark. It was a buoy. At least I hope it was....there are basking sharks spotted from time to time around here.

I was quite reluctant to go to Honey's date with the dog groomer. I could have stayed all day. I think Olly would have been quite happy to as well. I'm thinking that perhaps we will come back this weekend in Betty. The car park doesn't close until ten. We could get up to all sorts. I've always wanted to watch the sun set over Godrevy.

I wish you could join me.

Leanne xx

there are no filters on those photos. It really is that beautiful.

Rolling Waves

 

On Sunday, on the spur of the moment, we went to Portreath. We went to meet family and celebrate an Uncle's birthday. Sun, sea and a barbecue. What could be better than that? The sun was glorious. There was a squally breeze, which helped to whip up the incoming tide. The boys and their cousins wasted no time. They ran to meet the foamy surf and dared the waves. They splashed and jumped and dunked themselves over and over again. 

They only left the water for their tea. Burgers and sausages. Fairy cakes and jelly babies. They sat enveloped in towels, shivering slightly. Olly's lips a rather fetching shade of blue. I wish I had thought to bring Alfie's bathing shorts. He wanted to go in the sea for the first time in a year. No matter. He waded in fully clothed, and dried out in minutes. Once full they rushed the waves once more. Olly was even more gun ho this time, and went under. He was in no danger in the shallows, but I held my breath. Up he came coughing and spluttering. He shook those wonderful wet curls and dived back into the waves. 

They don't come along very often, these magical impromptu days. This one didn't start until late afternoon. It carried on until late. It was possibly one of the loveliest days of the year so far. And a total antidote to the @%^$£ week that preceded it. I wish our trip to Portreath could be bottled. So that when the gloom descends, it can be opened up as a reminder to everyone (but mainly me) that our life here is awesome. Our trials are intense moments. But the good stuff far outweighs the bad.

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I am blessed. I really am. Lovely people visiting my blog, and leaving words of support and encouragement. One thing about me is that I find it nigh on impossible to leave it at the door. Self restraint? I wish I had some. I often wish that I could separate parts of my life from this blog. It's a hotch potch of stuff, often written on a whim. The odd planned post thrown in for good measure. It's not particularly sophisticated that's for sure. Honest? Yes. Quite often bored of the sound of my own voice? Yes. Hoping that you forgive my indulgence and ridiculousness? Yes!

Leanne xx

Flight behaviour

I read CJ's post with interest yesterday. She wrote about the come down she was feeling after her holiday. I certainly felt the same this morning, as I came back down to earth with a bump. It was aided and abetted by the daily loggerhead with Alfie. The weekend already seems so far away.

I really didn't want to do the mundane this morning. I knew that I should clean the bathrooms, cut the grass, go to the supermarket and generally get the house into order. But I really couldn't be bothered. So I assigned myself just two jobs; ironing and unblocking the upstairs loo. I figured that I deserved some time out after they were completed, and so I proposed to Olly that we go butterfly spotting. With the dogs. And some chocolate and a juice box. He jumped at the chance. Well wouldn't you?

I have documented the walk we took before, but it's always different. The foxgloves are all but over, the flowers climb further up the stem and are replaced with soft green seed pods. The blackberry bushes are unfurling their pink and white flowers, which are enjoyed by many different pollinators. In fact the sound of buzzing and the amount of flying insects was quite amazing.. The pink campion are still in flower, but their seed pods are mature. We rattled them and Olly enjoyed scattering the seed. Different types of grasses are abundant now, and it enveloped us as we walked down the path towards the cliffs.

There were a great many orange beetles crawling all over the hogweed. At least I think that's what it was. It is similar to cow parsley, although it's chunkier and less wafty. I think there may have been angelica too, but my plant identification is still scant. I did see scabious and kidney vetch growing out of the ancient Cornish hedges that border the fields. Along with thistles and yellow flowers which are all lumped together as dandelions, even though they obviously aren't. I thought afterwards that I should take close ups of all of these, and identify them later. I have a book.

There were butterflies. They were everywhere in fact, and very busy they were too. An abundance of Red Admirals flitting here and there, barely pausing for breath. We spotted Speckled Woods and Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and what may have been either a painted lady or a larger fritillary. They were too quick for me to photograph, and Olly and the dogs were impatient to keep moving. We also disturbed quite a few day flying moths. White with black speckles. At least I think they may be moths. I need to ask my moth and butterfly guru, CT.

The weather turned as we walked, and spots of rain turned into a rather heavy downpour. Olly insisted that I carry him back to the start of the footpath. He really is too big to carry for any long distance, but I obliged. Time is short with this one. I shall miss our ambling walks together when he starts school in September. Who will I be able to point things out to. Who else will enjoy shaking the campion seed pods or playing the "tree in the summer" game with the grasses? Who will laugh at the daft orange bugs with me, and watch the farmer and his dog herd the cattle from one field into another?

As usual I am writing this post after I have put Pops to bed. It's been mayhem here this afternoon. Lots of teenage hideousness that I won't bore you with. Suffice to say I am frazzled. If it's another fine day tomorrow, I am returning to the hedgerows. I shall record the plants and try capture the butterflies. I think that may help to strengthen my resolve and my nerves for life here.

Leanne xx

Summer So Far

I don't know about you, but summer is off and running here. We have had hot sunshine. We have had rain too, but it has been welcome for the most part, if only to aid watering the garden. June has merged into July around here, and I've hardly come up for air. All this good weather has stretched my days into the evenings. The weather has made a social being of me. I have had friends around mid week for curry and chat. We have sat in the garden until late with family. There has been evening walks with Honey, so that she wouldn't get too hot.

The garden is in fine fettle. I wonder whether I should carry on with those fledgling garden posts? My garden has fledged! I feel as if I have recorded it's humble beginnings. Maybe I should move on to plot number 10. I have had an epiphany about it this week, and I'm very excited about it. It's always been about the flowers for me, and so my allotment will be about them too.

I would like to tell you about a few lovely things that have happened in the garden, however. I noticed only yesterday that there are Nigella growing in the raised beds. I completely forgot that I had sprinkled some seed earlier this year, and have been lamenting the fact. But then I spied their feathery foliage creeping upwards in between the dahlias and cosmos. And I'm so thrilled. I have ripening Blueberries. Last year they were frazzled by the heatwave we had. This year I have what can only be described as an abundant crop. It makes up for my decimated gooseberries and strawberries. They are almost ready to pick. Fancy that, blueberries for breakfast, picked by the front door! I had another surprise while I was rootling in amongst the blueberry bushes. I noticed what appeared to be weeds growing in the pots. On closer inspection I realised that they were actually verbena boriensis seedlings. This is such a bonus because only one of my established plants has grown back this year. So I have potted them, and they may be ready to plant out soon.

We have had more seagull drama. Sam brought home a baby seagull that he had found wandering the streets. I wasn't best pleased. I was all for taking him back to where he came from, in case the mother was still around. But Sam got location amnesia, and so I was forced to look after him for a couple of days. He escaped into the garden, and the nesting seagulls on our roof attacked him. Olly named him Ewan. He has named the three (three) babies on our roof too. They are wandering around in a rather haphazard manner, pausing every now and then for a little lie down. Their mum calls out to them indifferently every now and again. You can almost picture her reading a copy of Take A Break and smoking a fag, while paying lip service to her maternal duties. The other day I caught one of them staring at me through the Velux window in my bedroom. It's very off putting for a woman of my age, I can assure you. I am still scarred from looking up from my bed in my attic room while at University to see builders waving at me from above. I was rather unprepared clothes wise for that moment too....

We are starting to gear up for the summer holidays. I face it with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I have a list of things to do and places to go. I would really like to go to Bristol and see family and friends. But by myself. Marc has said that he'll take the boys camping. I think they'd probably enjoy it with just Dad. I do try and organise the fun more than they would like sometimes. Now that the houses over the road are finally nearing completion, we are hopeful that our house may seem more attractive than it has up until now. To be honest, I think that we are toppling over the move. Hey, we are nothing if not contrary at chez Paxton. We've had a few things happen that have pulled us up by the short and curlies, not least Marc's almost unemployment. And we have to admit defeat in finding something local that would cater to what we'd like to do. Living here is wonderful, but my goodness you have to pay through the nose for it. Travel thirty miles in either direction and it's achievable. But that isn't an option while Alfie is at senior school. Anyway watch this space. You never know what might happen. I certainly don't.

I have almost given up sugar for about a month now. I haven't cut out eating fruit, not when all of those lovely punnets of strawberries and nectarines are available. I have given up all refined sugar. That means no cake, no biscuits and definitely no liquorice allsorts. I have started to eat more protein and good fats. I have already noticed some benefits. I am no longer bloated. My pre-menstrual nonsense has eased, and my mood is stable. I am happy with that. I am still swimming, although that will take a hit during the holidays. I intend to offset it as much as possible by exercising at home. Although even as I type that I am laughing inside ;)))



So a little round up of stuff around here. My summer so far has been cool. I hope that your has too.

Leanne xx

I just want to thank you all for your loveliness on my why I write post. I love blogging. Everyone is so positive and can do. It's so good to belong such a positive gathering. And hello to new followers. You are most welcome. I am always awry with the etiquette of the blogger, so if I haven't visited your blog please give me a written telling off. I am rather away with the fairies at the moment. It's the lack of sugar that's done it....

Godrevy Lighthouse

 

I can see Godrevy Lighthouse from Sam's bedroom window. Every morning I wander into his room, and I stand for a moment - sometimes longer - to stare across the bay towards the lighthouse. I may go back to that window several times during the day. Just to check on her. She is a beautiful and permanent man made fixture on my horizon, and depending on the weather is either dazzling white or a soft grey outline.

I have taken countless photographs of her over the years. From close up and from far away. She calls to me. I always stop and look at her when I'm out walking the dogs. I sometimes can't quite believe that I live somewhere that has proximity to a lighthouse. I quite often have to pinch myself that I live here at all. She is a beacon of safety. She is a famous landmark. She is reputably the inspiration for a Virginia Woolf novel. According to Olly, she is where Granny lives. She is a beauty.

Leanne xx

My Kind Of Perfect

  

 

 

I have to say it's been a wonderful family focused weekend here. A perfect mix of seeing and doing and pottering and relaxing. Topped off with a great Grand Prix. And cake. We were going to venture further afield, but in the end we stayed local. Sometimes it's hard to choose where to go when you live here. We have so many favourite places. So many 'secret' spots that we return to time after time. And I'm glad we returned to them. They are old friends, and they welcome us back with a smile each time we visit.

So we piled into Betty. We grabbed pasties and coffee from Philps. We walked the dogs over Gwithian Towans. We drove to Godrevy.  The boys had an ice cream and we said hello to Granny. We went crabbing off the harbour pier and actually caught some. We looked for sea glass and blue pottery fragments. The weather was perfect. The light was spectacular. It was wild and windy in places and sheltered and warm in others. Honestly it doesn't get much better than this right now.

I am left with a lovely full up feeling. It may be that second slice of cake. But it feels good all the same.

Leanne xx

Hellesveor Cliffs

 

I have to tell you, this morning is a beauty in West Cornwall. The sun is bright in the sky and there is just the gentlest breeze. I don't want to drive and then walk. I just want to walk. I haven't walked out onto the cliffs for so long. The weather has stopped Pops and me from venturing there. Too muddy and a bit tricky for little feet. I had an urge to walk there today. I felt it when I woke up this morning. I'm waking early, and getting the household chores done and dusted before the boys wake up. So that the day can be mine. Call it well planned household management.

It's not far from me, this walk. Just up past the rugby club, along the path that winds through the housing estate, through the horse field and I'm there. Five minutes away from my front door, and I am away. I am transported to a place alive with nature. Those hedgerows are stunning me with their display of bluebells, red campion, cow parsley, hollyhocks, anemones and many others. I take pictures for referencing later. I know quite a lot of the names of wild flowers now, but there are still those that escape me. I look up their name, but it never stays inside my head. Pops and I make up our own names. In rather the same way that they got their names in the first place, I would imagine.

The birds are singing too. I can hear blackbirds, robins and wrens. The occasional 'caaak' of a grouse in the fields. There are skylarks and other songs and sounds that I recognise, but can't give name to. I spot them flitting in and out of the hedgerows, or gathering food along the path. There are buzzards soaring high overhead, catching the thermals as they rise and circle. There are crows in the fields, looking shifty and up to no good.

The pollinators are everywhere. I watch the butterflies waft in front of me, following the path with ease and grace. The speckled woods join together in a tumble. Courting or fighting, I'm not sure which. I know that they are fiercely territorial. I see a Peacock butterfly, but it's too quick for me. It teases me down the path with it's stop start antics. The bumblebees career along too. The seem drunk, as they fly in that hap hazard manner. I am always amazed that they manage to fly at all. They seem to be forever in danger of crashing into things. I spy a tiny butterfly or day flying moth. She is the size of my finger nail. Bright yellow with black spots. I hold my breath and try in vain to take a snap. No good. She's gone. I wait for a while and hope that she will return, like the Brimstone did last year. Honey barks, anxious to get moving again, so I give up and carry on.

And there is the sea. It is gloriously blue this morning. Calm and deep and mesmerising. I find a vantage point and breath lungfuls of sea air. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds the sea makes. I wish that I had brought supplies - a flask of tea would be good right now. There is no-one here. No boats on the water. No walkers passing by. Just me and the Atlantic. I could toboggan down those cliffs and plunge right into the big blue. It is just so inviting. Instead I promise a trip to the beach tomorrow with Pops. To dip a toe or two perhaps.

I walk on. Further than normal. I really don't want to stop. I'd like to keep on walking to Zennor. But I have other things to do today. So reluctantly I turn and head home. I meet a lady running with her IPod. I wonder why? I think she's missing out on all the glorious sounds of nature. I say hello to a couple walking. They are German, I think. I tell them about the yellow butterfly/moth that I saw. I'm a bit like that. Sharing my nature nerdism with others.

..............................

When I get home I look her up. I can't find her. Not on my chart. Not online. I know what I saw. But can't find her anywhere. She's a mystery. If anyone has any idea about what she could be called, I'd love to know.

Here's hoping you all have as lovely a day as I am having.

Leanne xx