August's Photo Scavenger Hunt

Last month I joined A Photo Scavenger Hunt hosted by Kathy of Postcards from P.P.

Here are my photos for August:-

1. A Fountain

This fountain is in the courtyard of The Assembly House in Norwich.

2. A Boat

A trip down memory lane; this is the Norfolk White Boat that I used to sail on when I was younger (with an ex-boyfriend!) We saw it whilst we were out walking.

3. Mountains

I had to cheat here. During August we went to Norfolk - no mountains there! :) So this is a photo that I took last month whilst we were on holiday in Turkey.

4. Street Food

Do ice-creams count as street food? My son playing with his food!! :)

5. A Picnic

My husband and son with our picnic, whilst walking by The Norfolk Broads.

6. Market Day

Norwich Market is a permanent market. There has been a market in Norwich since Saxon times and this market site is older than any of the surrounding buildings. I can remember this flower stall being here when I was a child.

7. A Festival or Funfair

Last weekend it was The Reading Festival. I snapped these festival-goers whilst we were out for a walk beside the River Thames. I'm glad that I wasn't joining them as they had typical festival weather over the weekend - torrential rain!

8. Bread

Yummy, walnut bread with an evening meal.

9. Something Bizarre

Someone's private garden on the Norfolk coast.

Some of the sculptures were quite bizarre (I didn't like the head behind bars in the garden wall), but the overall effect of the garden was amazing.
10. Fabric

I have just bought 7 metres of this gorgeous material from Laura Ashley. We are planning to redecorate our bedroom and I will be making this fabric into curtains.

11. A Sport

As a family we aren't really into sports, but we do like walking and cycling.

Here is a photo of my Mum, looking rather sporty with her hiking poles and map. I love this photo; my Mum doesn't like having her photo taken and this is a good shot of her laughing at me.

12. Something Ancient

At the end of our week in Norfolk we visited Grimes Graves and went down a Neolithic Flint Mine.

and just for a laugh ...

13. A Norfolk Mountain

Beeston Bump - 207 feet above sea level!

Beeston Bump is the remaining one of two hills that were created during the last ice age.

Home Again ...

... and wishing this rain would stop!

This posy from my garden has been brightening up the kitchen window sill,

while I baked Apple & Cinnamon Muffins

and Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies.

We had one day of sunshine earlier this week and my husband and I went blackberry picking.

We also picked some of these plums

and I discovered the tallest pear tree that I have ever seen; it was as big as an oak tree. I could only manage to reach 3 pears!

I have frozen the blackberries for a winter treat

and I turned the plums into jam.

Knowing that we were expecting heavy rain I rescued some roses from the garden and placed them in our living-room. The wooden cat in the photo is a recent project. I painted him white and then F&B Pavilion Grey, distressed him to reveal some of the white and highlighted some areas by gilding with silver leaf.

All this rain has encouraged Maurice and Ella to stay indoors.

It also encouraged me to spent a morning on the 'net and I discovered Pixlr-o-matic.

Pixlr is a simple, free, on-line photo editor and I have played with a few effects.

The cats have been given a vintage look by using Sophia

and this photo has been altered using the following effects :-

Melissa

Worn

Flowery

Melissa & Flowery

Melissa & Worn

Melissa, Stop & Trashy

Peter

Peter & Old

Peter, Old & Twinkle

Pixlr is so quick and easy to use and I love the combinations of the effects.

Best wishes, Pj x

A Sunny Week in Norfolk

Yes I've been away again! :) This time to spend a week with my parents in Norfolk. :)

We were very lucky with the weather and spent most days on the coast.

The first beach we visited was at Winterton-on-Sea

and we worked our way a long the coast throughout the week.

Overstrand

It was cloudy at times, but still warm.

Sheringham

Trimingham

Of course we had to have an ice-cream! :)

I love Ronaldo's ice-cream; mine was yummy Christmas Pudding.

Whilst in Sheringham we watched the steam train leave the station.

We spent one day walking by The Norfolk Broads.

Thurne Drainage Mill

Another day we went Geocaching with my parents.

Our walk took us by:-

steam trains,

along riverbanks

and through fields of cows with bulls!

We also went Geocaching with my best friend and her family.

No trip to Norfolk would be complete without a visit to Norwich.

Elm Hill

Norwich Castle

We had lunch at the cafe in The Assembly House.

"Poshing it up" to quote Jay!

On the way home we took a small detour to Grimes Graves and climbed 30 feet down a Neolithic mine shaft to view the tunnels created by the flint miners. I can remember visiting here when I was a little girl and going down the mine with my Dad.

The grassland is pockmarked with 400 mines that have been back-filled.

Sunset over farmland near my home village. I still think of Norfolk as my home, even though I left when I was 23 years old.

Now when can I plan my next visit?