Monkey & Sofia

Now you may not have appreciated that a chocolate labrador would have an interest in knitting but today I have to tell you creative types out there about a new design book that is NOT going to be in all the shops - much better than that, you have to go sniff it out for yourself.

Maureen and Phil have produced this wee treat which you can see here
Lindsay, who is a privileged soul, has just received a copy hot off the press.

While I am at it I had better tell you about Wool Gatherings. Lindsay and her friend Cairi (a girl never without needles and yarn) are running a series of days for textile minded folks here in sunny Chesters. They'll have mini workshops, tasters in spinning and dyeing, yarn and fabric swap shops, help and advice on as many different textiley crafts as you can think of, a chance to share information and swap techniques and ideas, and coffee and homemade cake plus Hugh's wonderful soups at lunchtimes. The first one is on 5th November....

Jamming again

The bountiful fruit harvest is still being converted by the jam and chutney queen. These dinky little crab apples smelled delicious - herself was taking photographs of them artfully spilled over a lovely patchwork textile when I thought a spot of quality control was called for.

The jam pan is full of plums and elderberries and I am fairly sure I saw a port bottle being tipped over the top later on in the cooking.

Yesterday was summer sunny and hot - here's the early morning sun through the willow hedge and the little russet apple tree. The grass got cut later

Today is autumn rain and clammy - no pictures as the job for the day involved drains... 'nuff said. I stayed indoors for that bit.

Butter Paws

Been trying to get my paws on these pics for days...I mean I KNOW how much you've all been dying to see them...

Anyway, Sunday dawned misty and chilly but I had the pleasure of rushing around the makeshift campsite in the half light, leaping at unsuspecting souls as they staggered from tents, and giving them a big smacker on the lips. Not my most popular move but worth the reprimand.

Back to the caravan for a quick breakfast before the action started. Off road vehicles of all shapes, sizes, colours, and ages rolled up to sign on for their big day. Drivers paid up their money, signed to say what good responsible souls they were, had a briefing from the Big Cheese and then headed off to explore the forests. Out there already were club members who were acting as marshals for the day, posted at different areas of the forest to guide and advise the participants...and in a few cases to tow them out when they got stuck!

Himself was Clerk of the Course so after everyone had signed in for the day, we set off into the forests ourselves, to make sure that all was well. It was grand fun, sitting in the middle seat of the Land Rover as we drove through the wonderful Borders landscape and climbed high up on to the moors. I discovered that wherever a few souls are gathered for an hour or two or three, they carelessly leave unguarded sandwiches and snacks as they stop to talk with one another.

We stopped often so I was out and about (on a lead, sadly), doing what any good sniffer dog does and lo, I stumbled over crusts and apple cores and at one point a full spilled packet of hula hoops. Never tried the things before but managed to get several mouthfuls down before I was rumbled.

It was a tiring day so I was not too upset when Lindsay whisked me home to my bed. I was oddly thirsty through the evening ..must have been the fresh air.

Heaven is not a caravan

Hello! So much to tell from last week's events
Well, it all got a bit tense and stressful (that word's there just for my friend Ross who tries to be firm with me -SIT DOWN, ASH! - but eventually gives in and lets me jump up anyway - he leads a VERY stressful life just by being Ross, really) anyway, the tempers were a bit frayed by the middle of last week as Hugh's great project built up to maximum velocity. He's been organising this great big (big for round these parts) off-road driving day called Wheels in the Woods in the forests north of here and had lots of worries about the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Off Road Club , the participants who were paying good money to do the event and, well, everything else under the sun that he could worry about, really.

He disappeared up to the venue on Friday morning complete with a borrowed caravan, a sleeping bag, lots of outdoor clothes and a substantial supply of bacon and coffee. Lindsay and I set off on Saturday afternoon to meet up with him and the other Club members who had been working away all day and I was introduced to the delights of caravanning. Hmmm.

Fortunately I was sustained by an early dinner before they pushed off and left me in the dark in the caravan and all I could hear was a party going on without me. However, when they re-appeared to crawl into sleeping bags for the night I did not seek petty revenge by howling, scrabbling or trying to get up onto the bench/bed thing even though it was infinitely softer than the floor. To tell you the truth I was a little weary myself having spent some of the evening harassing a black labrador called Lucy and being restrained from tipping a twelve week old spaniel called Mack upside down. Ho hum.

I still have still not got to the event itself, have I? I'll post about it tomorrow with some of Ross's classy photographs so you can see what it was all about.