Salt Spring updates

Friday August 24th

Early morning send off, then we went and had a coffee in TJ Beans and breakfast at home.

After a quick check in with Ian about the whales - or lack of - we packed a picnic and drove down to Ruckle Park and walked out to your point. 

Great spot to while away a few hours with a book, a camera and a nutter who decided to have a swim!

After having a horrible little snake scare the life out of me, 

we set off for home again - via Fulford Harbour and the ice cream shop. We had a nice look around the shops there and took in Burgoyne bay on the way home but too hot to walk again so headed for the supermarket instead to buy beer!

We enjoyed Susan's crawfish with pasta and cold beer.

Saturday 25th

Lazy start to the day and a chat with Karen and Greg then off to the wonderful market. 

We had a great time mooching round there and Keith bought me a lovely necklace and earrings made from pressed flowers but didn't buy me a wonderful woven wool rug ($325!!).

Got lovely salad stuff and g/f breads and came back for lunch on the patio in the sunshine.

Then headed off towards Vesuvius for a little walk in the woods and down a steep path to a beach with huge logs that made lovely sunloungers for a few hours while we read our books and sunbathed. Mr Warren of course, couldn't resist the sea despite not having swimming trunks with him so went for a swim in his pants!! He said it was really warm and it can't have been too bad cos there were quite a lot of people in the sea too.

We walked it to town to the Tree House for dinner but the wait was over half an hour for a table so after a look around the gallery opposite we came back and went to Harbour View (?) hotel and had their yummy lamb burger and salad.

Sunday 26th

Keith went for an early morning run to Long Harbour and then we went to the Anglican church opposite, and it reminded us why we don't do Anglican anymore! So boring  - should have waited an hour and done the baptist one instead! Enjoyed watching the chickadee birds in their garden during the sermon though! Thankfully we managed to get away without anyone being friendly and came home for coffee and breakfast and a sleep cos I was really weary. Nearly fell asleep in church!

After coffee and cinnamon bun revival, we took off for a little walk near Southey Point. It was lovely through the woods and down to the sea shore but the tide was in high so we couldn't finish the circle cos you need to go along the shore line and can only do it at low tide. So, we went back same way and drove to the first part of Southey Point we visited and settled down with our books to read for a few hours, watching the sea for signs of life. Chatted with a couple heading out in a little boat who saw whales there earlier in the week (tuesday) and dolphins played round their boat last week! Then we were lucky to spot a sea otter and watched him for a while - he tried hard to climb into a moored yacht which was very funny! It was joined by another and we watched them for ages hunting out at sea. Then after being pelted with pine cones by a squirrel high in the tree we headed off and stopped to watch and photograph some lovely deer by the roadside. 

A quick visit to the supermarket and Mr Warren was all set to be chef for the night, making salmon, prawns(shrimps!) saute potatoes and veg. Very pleasant!

An evening spent uploading photos and lots of oooh and ahhhs especially at the seal pictures!

What a lovely weekend

Gorgeous weather this weekend had us packing the dogs into the car and heading off for Seven Sisters near Eastbourne for a lovely walk to the beach. We followed the river at Cuckmere Haven, enjoying the wildlife along the way - especially the little white Egret who seems to live there! It was really hot and everyone else had shorts and t shirts on so we felt overdressed in jeans on that October Saturday afternoon! Alfie and Meg had to be on leads for the first part because of the sheep but then had a wonderful time sniffing about and running around on the beach while we sat and just watched the sea, filled our lungs with wonderful fresh air, and just unwound. Wonderful!

Here are some photos for you to enjoy too......

following the path beside the river down to the beach - about a mile of the most amazing meandering river.

Pretty windy at first but look at that lovely blue sky.....Alfie found a stick to chew!

Meg enjoying the beach all to herself (or so it looks!)

Blue sky, seaside, fresh air, my very own hunk and our 2 lovely dogs! Perfect!

SUCH EXCITEMENT!! New Website is working ☺☺☺

Oh I am so happy!!!

Its taken another 3 hours today, but finally, you can see the new website.

Its the first time I have been able to update it myself for over 2 years since I changed computer and lost all my files. I am incredibly grateful to Keith of MawsPaws who has been looking after it for me in the meantime, but now, Big Girl! I can do it myself again!!

Please have a look - its very simple for now and I am too scared to mess about with it again today, but its a start! You can see all the new bears too.

Have fun

Website updating frustration

Hello again

I am completely frustrated with my website - I just CAN'T upload the new bears to it so it is destined to remain out of date unless a knight in shining armour comes to my rescue!

In the meantime, I have been busy.

We had the most fantastic holiday ever, in SW France, close to Dordogne, Toulouse, Pyrenees sort of area and you just HAVE to go! www.salazarholidays.com and its even more amazing than it looks on the website.

More about that in another post though - for now, I have some new bears to introduce.

It is Hugglets Teddy Bear Festival on Sunday 12th September at Kensington Town Hall, London and it would be lovely to see you there if you are planning to go. Do come and say hello - top of the stairs right by the refreshments.

And finally!

Well, at last I have both time and creativity back again and yesterday I was delighted to spend some time at my bear making table in my bear making corner, and finally get started again.

I am beginning with two fun little Warren Bunnies - one is white and lavender and the other is pink and pink!! They will be little handful ones and hopefully ready to show off for you soon. It felt so good to get my hands in the mohair and the stuffing again, and this afternoon maybe I will even venture to needles and threads!

Life has been full and fun, with exams and trips to the beach in this gorgeous weather we have been enjoying, seeing friends, doing lovely soothing treatments for lots of people, and tonight - Cinders is off to the Ball! The Grosvenor House Hotel in London no less! So I am looking forward to that, and just thinking that maybe I have left it a bit late to think about getting hair and nails done as its lunchtime already. Why didn't it occur to me last week to book something! Oh well! Posh frock and high heels - that will have to do!

Anyway, I would rather be making rabbits today than sitting being fussed about! Come back later in the week and you may get to see one!

Time has flown whilst I have been having fun!

I have had a really busy, but wonderful, few months and here is a quick taster of whats been going on.......and before you get excited - absolutely NO bear making (sorry!)

We had 2 brilliant weeks with the Changfeet staying here. So many laughs and special treats, and now - very happy memories - despite Alana's swine flu episode!

We 3 girls had a great day out at the Radley shop, Liz Earle shop and then afternoon tea at the Dorchester (as you do!!) and we had a great evening out seeing Evita too. We joined with Vicky and Vianney for a day out in Bath and there were many fun evenings and silly games played too. Come back soon Changfeet, we love you! ♡☺♡

(and I am still trying to persuade Janet to start making her lovely Changle Bears again)

Meg is still as obsessed with her pond as she was last year. Much to Alana's disappointment, despite waiting with the camera for hours, she didn't oblige and fall in that time, but we got some sweet pics.

Andrew went off to Mexico at Easter with Urban Saints and Amor ministries on another house building mission and here is his finished house. We are so proud of him for all his amazing work fundraising, and then the actual build too. A family are happily living in it already.

I have been studying hard trying to get my head around chemistry for my aromatherapy qualification, but loving doing the treatments with all my wonderful essential oils. Its like being a witch!!! (well thats what my minister thinks anyway!)

And now I am a grand old lady of 50 having just celebrated my Birthday in the most beautiful place in the world, the Lake District. We had a lovely week, with gorgeous weather, lots of wonderful walks, red squirrels visiting most days, new born lambs all around and the gorgeous scenery and lovely food that makes it all so special up there!

And best of all was the knock on the cottage door on the afternoon of my Birthday and there were my children to see me!!! It was the most amazing surprise and treat ever! I am still stunned.

So thats why I haven't had time to make any bears for months!!

I promise to make one as soon as I can understand the chemistry and have learned all about the essential oils. SOON I hope!

I found this tonight, and thought I would share it with you.

Click for details!