A Grand Day Out

6 a.m. this morning saw us reluctantly get out of bed as DD was swimming in Leeds & we had to be there for 8 a.m. She's missed nearly two weeks training so didn't do as well as she'd hoped but we left the pool by 10 so were determined to make a better day of it. Tropical World was a short drive away & we had a great time.

We didn't see as many butterflies as we have done previously but maybe it's the wrong time of year:


brown butterfly


Leaf butterfly feeding


White Koi Carp


Koi Carp


Marble Teal Duck


Red eared Terrapins sunbathing


Tropical red flower


Bearded dragon


Stripey Grass Mouse


little bird


Tropical yellow flowers


Blue & Yellow Macaw


Green Igunana

This Piranha looked as if it'd been rolling in gold glitter:


Red Bellied Piranha


Ring Tailed Lemur washing hands after eating a piece of apple

My favourite photo of all but I don't know what type of fish it is - if you do please let me know:


unknown fish

Unknown yarn

When I went to Coldspring Mill last week I picked up a bag of beautiful yarn but don't know what it is:


unknown purple yarn

It was sold as pure wool & definitely feels like it but I'll have to do a burn test to be sure. I suspect it might be Twilleys Freedom Spirit but I could be wrong. Any ideas? I've got 400g & am unsure what to make with it but it had to come home with me. I think it'll felt well but then again it would make a lovely Lady Eleanor.

There has also been some progress with the brown cone:


My So Called Scarf

On the swimming front DD is unable to train at the moment as she's suffering with growing pains. Whenever she exercises she gets shooting pains in her ribs (last month it was her shoulders) but is otherwise fine. So a weeks rest has been ordered & she's moaning already. As she's grown 3/4" since we last measured her two months ago, & clothes I bought her then are getting too short, I'm not surprised really.

She's now 5ft 2.5" at the age of 11 & gloatingly towers over my SIL. She's got a few inches to go before she's as tall as me but she's aiming for it & next her Dad. I think I should remove the grow bags from her bed......

Happy Gotcha Day Vince

It's mine ALL MINE!


If I could just lift it up..


whoops.....


wedge my foot here....


Got it!


Bye!

Crazy week

I've had a hell of a week & am finally glad to be back home again.

I spent the first 3 days of the week away with work. Lets just say; long days, sore feet, aching back and hotel rooms. Factor in an evacuation of the hotel just as I was dropping off to sleep, on the second night due to a steamy bath in room 517 &, hundreds of people stood outside in subzero temperatures
& you can understand why I was keen to get home.

I got home late on Wednesday due to horrendous traffic conditions & at one point we actually thought we wouldn't get back that night. Every motorway we attempted seemed to be either congested or closed. We finally made it & I fell into bed. Back at work on the next day & I was a zombie. Home at 4 o'clock & by quarter past I was in bed leaving potatoes baking in the oven & DD eating the contents of the fruit bowl. DH tried to wake me up for dinner but I couldn't move - 15 hours later I finally woke up again.

Friday afternoon saw me back on the road but this time for my own pursuits. My friend CL who lives in Canada was coming back to England to visit her family & I was picking her up from the airport We 'met' on the Hot Socks Swap as she spoilt me rotten & we continued the swaps at Christmas. We hadn't met before but email regularly so I was really looking forward to putting a face to the 'voice'. However the drive over was foul & the mix of fog & driving heavy snow meant the motorway traffic was reduced to a mere 15 miles per hour for part of my journey. I spent an enjoyable evening with a good friend who I've known for 20 years, which included an Indian, a visit to one of Manchester's most popular pubs plus a night on her sofa bed.

The next morning found me at the Airport & finally CL came through the arrivals gate looking tired having endured a long flight with the woman from hell seated next to her. Just to make you all green with jealously check out the beautiful yarn that she brought over for me as we've continued our swapping:


Koigu KPPM

Before she crashed due to jetlack we 'popped' over to Coldspring & found some wonderful bargains. Debbie Bliss yarns retail for £6 per 50g in Canada so CL was chuffed to find a haven of bargain yarn. We both bought a cone an unlabelled pure wool chunky in the most beautiful shades of brown & this afternoon I started My So Called Scarf for my Manchester based friend mentioned above. She doesn't read this so I think I'm safe to share my progress with you:


My So Called Scarf

The colours in this yarn remind me of Monet who had to get in on the photo shoot:


Monet

I started the scarf whilst DD swam in a District gala this afternoon. Her swimming has really come on over the past few months & she's beating her personal bests all the time. She came 3rd in the 200m Freestyle knocking 16 seconds off her previous pb which she had set at the beginning of October:


DD swimming 200m Freestyle

Then a 4th in the 100m Backstroke & again she knocked 10 seconds of her previous pb set at the end of October:


DD swimming 100m Backstroke

DD has nearly always beaten her pb's at this level but has never been placed before so we're both really pleased for her. I think the Rescue Remedy that I gave her helped to calm her down as normally she gets really stressed before she competes.

Finally one last photo in this already picture heavy post:


Winter Sunset

Like mother....

DH has just found DD sat up in bed designing her first dishcloth - guess who bought her a ball of dishcloth cotton yesterday....

Thursday evening

I LOVE Thursday nights as it's the one evening that DD doesn't swim so I get to stay at home for the whole evening As I'm always at a poolside I rarely get to watch TV or even sit & veg on the sofa but tonight I did both & knitted of course. Of the knitting content for now it's a secret but I can say that DH will stop whining soon.....

DH has also had a fun & productive evening as we've had a beautiful sky tonight:


February moon in Northern England

It was really clear & he managed to catch Orion:


Orion

If you look here you'll be able to appreciate the size of Betelgeuse (the largest point on the left side of Orion in comparison to our sun.

Ok the astronomy lesson c/o DH is now over. I'll share the knitting project once it's done. If it's a success I'll also share the pattern - if it works.....