tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360060104492668592024-03-06T02:56:18.277+00:00It's my mess ... and I love it!Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-84801121170624819752017-07-21T21:07:00.003+01:002017-08-01T16:31:54.907+01:00Living a (very) quiet life ... *updated with pictures 01 August* Well what a boring old so and so I have been over the last week. I can't believe how little I have done and how quickly the time has flown by just lazing around doing very little!<br />
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Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny and I spent the morning by the pool, but there were weather warnings about a huge storm heading our way. By late afternoon the clouds were rolling in and I popped to the supermarket for some essentials and prepared to stay put.<br />
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It was still raining the next morning, but thankfully the worst of the storm had bypassed my little island. The Monday was still chilly, wet and windy but I ventured out up to Taxiarchis before heading down to the old port to meet up with friends and the happy couple. We had a great evening and I headed home just after midnight.<br />
I spent the next day in bed ill - I'm blaming the grill place we went to for dinner, a few people had complained of upset stomach, sickness etc - the weather wasn't all that great so I didn't miss much.<br />
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I took it easy for a couple of days and when I finally felt better I headed to my favourite restaurant on the seafront - Scuna for a beautiful Greek salad and moussaka.<br />
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Friday was the first time I managed to motivate myself enough to get up and go to the beach. I spent a lovely few hours on Agia Eleni before the hoardes arrived and had a late lunch at the Golden Bay hotel before catching the bus back and lazing by the pool until the sun went down.<br />
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I think my brain has finally switched off after the last few months and I've literally come to a halt.<br />
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My goddaughter and her grandparents arrive from Athens on Monday for a few days so hopefully we will explore the island and they will love it as much as I do and the it's the wedding on Thursday before I fly home on Friday! So a much busier second week :)<br />
I need to have a walk around the old town and take some pictures - maybe tomorrow ;)<br />
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H xxxHayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-84769312261418723742017-07-15T20:51:00.000+01:002017-08-01T14:06:45.005+01:00Getting my Shirley on... *updated 01 August with pictures!*Firstly, I have to apologise for no pictures on the posts - for some reason Blogger won't allow me to access my photos on the iPad or iPhone so I'm afraid my posts are going to be even more boring than usual until I can get home and upload photos from a PCs<br />
An it looks as though I'll have to source a better (Apple friendly) blog platform.<br />
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Anyway... I'm getting my Shirley on again!<br />
My holiday this year coincides with my friends wedding so I'm here a bit later than I would normally choose - but it's always the best feeling stepping off that plane ✈️<br />
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Due to lack of organisation I didn't get to bed until late on Thursday night and then had the worst nights sleep ever. When the alarm went off at 0445 I felt like I'd hardly closed my eyes! </div>
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Never mind, Dad dropped me off at the airport and after a speedy check in I headed for some breakfast, a good nutritious start to the day was needed so I headed to the nearest eatery and ended up with a warm croissant and a lovely chilled glass of prosecco!</div>
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Delicious 😋<br />
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After a mooch around the shops the flight was called and we boarded immediately, such is the problem of a small airport at Skíathos we ended up siting on the runway for almost an hour waiting for a landing spot but hey ho we finally were on our way.<br />
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Best part of a book later we were coming in to land and a familiar sense of calm settled around me - I love this place so much.<br />
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For the first time we "parked" at the far side of the airport apron and actually got on a bus to the terminal - I know!! Those of you familiar with the airport will find this hard to believe but I promise you I wasn't dreaming lol<br />
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Luggage, smiley doors, transfer coach and within an hour and 15 minutes of landing I was being welcomed by Asimina and unpacking. I decided to head straight up to see Taxiarchis and Eleni and just relax at the pool bar.<br />
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The walk up Papadiamantis Street saw no significant changes from last year and the welcome at the pool bar was warmer than ever. I whiled away the afternoon chatting to Eleni before Taxiarchis and Mike arrived and after a good catch up I headed home.<br />
I couldn't be bothered to get dressed and go out so threw a pair of shorts on and popped next door to the tennis club for a salad before having an early night.<br />
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A decent sleep and no alarm made me very slow and meh this morning so I finished unpacking and had a lazy day by the pool at the tennis club.<br />
Comfy beds, good music and an awesome frappé and before I knew it, I'd finished my book and was almost halfway through another!!<br />
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I decided on a laid back night (are there any other types here?! Lol) and ate a delicious stifado at Nikos before strolling home :)<br />
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Beach tomorrow - I have gorgeous homegrown tomatoes and cucumber from Asimina for my picnic :) now to engage the brain and decide which beach to go to ....<br />
Kalinichta x<br />
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-72139547406963132362017-07-11T08:51:00.000+01:002017-07-11T08:51:37.582+01:00Getting back on track...Well hello there, I am so very sorry I've been AWOL. <br />
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The last few months have been a lot more difficult than I ever anticipated. <br />
Thankfully I've not had too much grief to deal with in my lifetime, but when it does come along I'm never quite sure how to go about things. <br />
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My dearest Aunt lost her battle with cancer on the 22nd April and took us all by surprise.<br />
Merely a couple of weeks after her consultation where the words "there's nothing more we can do" were finally said, she slipped away quietly at home. <br />
I dreaded those words.<br />
They get ingrained in your mind, make your heart skip a beat and then you realise that life is never going to be the same again.<br />
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I'm thankful it was quick for her, but selfishly it's so difficult to deal with for those of us left behind, but it's been a long 4 years for her and I'm relieved it's finally all over.<br />
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On the outside it's business as usual: get up, go to work, come home, start again. No matter how bad things get, you have to smile and be pleasant and just keep going.<br />
On the inside, however, it's a totally different story - I have depression, so this was never going to be easy. But what has surprised me the most is that my creative self has wandered off and left me, I've got orders backing up and just no motivation to get on and do them.<br />
I tried knitting instead of crochet and managed a little dress for my friends' grandaughter but even then, I found it hard going. I've not wanted to post here either, I need to finish Samoa and other bits and bobs but just couldn't find the words.<br />
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My dining room is now full of my Aunt's crafty stash - fabric, threads, patterns, books, embroidery materials, gadgets and enough beads to open my own shop - yet still, motivation and inspiration have left me empty of ideas. <br />
I know it will come back and I'll love the crafts I shared with her again but at the moment everything I'm doing is a chore. It's like I'm going through the motions and when the next day comes I do it again.<br />
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I was so lucky to have 2 work trips very close together which got me away from day to day life and offered interesting distractions and I'll be forever grateful to the Cyprus group for their support; they kept me going that first week and were such a lovely, genuine bunch. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in a lift in my whole life! <br />
My Aunt was really looking forward to me going and just two days before she passed away we were talking about the trip and how great it would be to see places I'd not visited in over 15 years. I'm so sad I didn't get to share it with her.<br />
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What I did share was 40 years - my whole life is filled with precious memories which I will treasure forever.<img src="webkit-fake-url://45953100-257e-4a2b-85bd-45e25b3d70fd/imagejpeg" /><br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-64989340285962327552017-05-01T11:15:00.002+01:002017-05-02T15:11:03.273+01:00Apologies ...Oh dear, what a couple of weeks it's been since my last post.<br />
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A heartbreaking bereavement swiftly followed by a work trip to Cyprus; I've not had the time or mindset to write.<br />
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I do, however have plenty to collaborate and share once I get my head in order - as Miranda says "bear with"<br />
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XxxHayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-30678984022913717822017-04-11T13:15:00.001+01:002017-04-11T14:58:24.724+01:00First day in paradise: Samoa 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We landed just before sunrise at Faleolo airport and were welcomed by the resident band playing local music and singing and as soon as the luggage arrived we joined the queue for the bureau de change. The Samoan tala isn't a closed currency but it is very difficult to obtain especially in the UK so most visitors take Australian dollars and get it changed at the airport. As expected, the queue was rather long and by the time we emerged, dawn had broken ...<br />
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We were given gorgeous fresh flower leis from our drivers Joe and Chris and once the vans were packed up we set off across the island to our first accommodation; <a href="http://cbcsamoa.com/" target="_blank">Coconuts Beach Club</a> <br />
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One of the first tourist hotels on the islands, Coconuts has a bit of a history including almost complete destruction when a tsunami hit the islands in September 2009. <br />
Our drive took us from the airport on the west of the island, right across the middle to the south coast, and less than an hour later we were checking in and sipping coconut cocktails (yes, at that time of the morning!)<br />
Hannah and I were sharing a 2 bedroom beach fale which, as the name suggests, was beach front with the South Pacific just a few steps away. Despite the rain (which featured very heavily during our trip unfortunately) I took myself off for a quick paddle with my coconut, as you do...<br />
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We has time to freshen up before having breakfast and then having a full tour of the property; the original accommodation known as the tree house (a small block of rooms was built back in 1992, the beach fales which were completed in 1994 and finally the over-water fales which were the first ones in Samoa back in 1997 with more added in 1999. <br />
The tsunami pretty much wiped out the whole property but by February 2010 they were ready to accept guests again and were fully operational in no time...<br />
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We then met up with Chris and Joe and they took us the short journey inland to the <a href="http://www.lupesinatreesort.net/" target="_blank">Lupe Sina Treesort</a>...<br />
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I've never seen anything like it before! Designed and built by owner Jack (an American who has lived on Samoa over 30 years) it is certainly unique! The main accommodation is the Samson suite, built within the branches of an ancient Banyan tree (over 300 tears old they think) climbing the narrow stairs up 12 metres into a tree was like being transported to a mythical land and the view was just stunning - I can only imagine what it must be like on a clear sunny day looking out over the rainforest to the ocean beyond. Some members of the group criticised it for being very old fashioned but I think bright modern fixtures would look totally out of place in the heart of a tree. I certainly wouldn't call it luxurious but it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience...<br />
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Unfortunately we couldn't view the other tree house (Star Gazer) as there were guests staying but the view from their deck area was just so beautiful...<br />
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The Star Gazer is around 10 metres up in an Ava tree and the bedroom has a glass ceiling so that you can watch the stars from your bed - and with very little light pollution I can only imagine it to be spectacular.<br />
We were invited to the main house for refreshments and were treated to fresh coconuts and home made chocolate cake, I love this place already!<br />
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We were scheduled to do a gorge walk in the afternoon but after extremely heavy rains it turned into a river walk - some of us carried on and had a great time and the rest of us (me included) headed back to Coconuts and relaxed for a while.<br />
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Dinner was in the lovely Mika's Restaurant, listening to the tales of the river walk and then the Fia Fia began...<br />
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Fiafia is a celebration of everything Samoan: filled with colour, music, song dancing and of course fire!<br />
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I was invited to take part in the 'ava ceremony and stood up, raised the coconut shell cup and said my first Samoan words "la manuia" which has a multitude of meanings: happy, well, good. I then (having watched a couple of people before me) took a drink and then threw the rest of the contents over my shoulder - symbolising the throwing away of misfortune!<br />
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After such a long and busy day (London felt like forever ago!) it was time to head to bed.<br />
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-66161694562681098012017-04-08T15:00:00.000+01:002017-04-08T15:00:00.146+01:00An epic journey - Samoa 2016I hope you don't mind travelling back in time with me for a few posts, I didn't get a chance to blog while I was away in Samoa last year as our days were very busy so I thought I'd do a year on (like I did with the USA) mind you, its crept up on me quicker than I thought 😮<br />
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Back in November 2015 I attended a training evening based around the islands of the South Pacific. I was sitting next to Alison from the Samoa Tourism Authority whom I'd met before at another event, she knew about my love of rugby and that I wanted to visit the South Pacific, anyway, as normal with these things there's a little prize draw after dinner, and there's usually a good selection of goodie bags, wine, accommodation and fam trip places up for grabs. Alison's prize was accommodation in Samoa and guess who won?! Yey!!<br />
Alison later explained I could swap my accommodation for a place on the Tourism Exchange which was taking place the following April. I said I'd love to and that was that.<br />
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So on April 6th 2016 I caught the train from Newcastle to London for the first 247 miles of my "epic journey"; as Samoa is on the dateline, I suppose it's the furthest place from home without leaving the planet! The sun was shining in London when I arrived at Kings Cross...<br />
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I made my way over to Heathrow and enjoyed a night in the Travelodge before getting up bright and early the next morning to head over to the airport to meet Alison and the group and set off on leg 2.<br />
Blimey, these places work like clockwork 24 hours a day I really don't know why I was worrying so much. A couple of minutes on the hoppa bus to terminal 5 and then I was on the Heathrow Express to terminal 2 eating my "grab 'n' go" breakfast of tea and a croissant. Just a few minutes later and I was at the check in desks :)<br />
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Now, meeting up with friends and family isn't too stressful as you know what they look like, however, meeting a group of people you've never clapped eyes on is a bit of a nightmare! Alison arrived and we checked in together as everyone else had already gone through. A quick meet and greet with Elizabeth, Hannah and Nicole at the gate and before we knew it we were called for boarding...<br />
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I've not flown Singapore Airlines before and know they are one of the best so was looking forward to this...<br />
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the view from seat 53A of a dull and rainy London...<br />
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I was quite impressed by the room in economy (even though business class was almost empty we weren't important enough for an upgrade lol) and we were given a little amenities kit - not had one in economy before, and I got acquainted with the entertainment system before the drinks trolley came around. I had the whole row to myself so I popped my feet up and read my book before stretching out and having a snooze...<br />
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The food trolley woke me up and I enjoyed my shiitake mushrooms and vegetables in ginger sauce with fried rice. Film time "The Lady in the Van" followed by a bit of crochet, another film "Star Wars" and some more sleep and before I knew it, we were somewhere over the Andaman Sea and the breakfast trolley was doing the rounds and the eggs Benedict were delicious...<br />
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Time to watch one more film (Suffragette) from my planner before landing. </div>
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That was the longest leg of 6747 miles done. We didn't have too long to wait in Singapore airport but had a wander around the shops and got to know each other a bit more. </div>
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The Sydney flight was around 8 hours (covering 3915 miles) and as it co-incided with UK night time I wanted to try and catch up on a bit of sleep to help me adjust to the 12 hour time difference. I checked my watch and realised I'd been on the go for 24 hours just as the captain announced we were flying over Ayres Rock - typical I was on the wrong side of the aircraft! On the way into Sydney the sun was shining high above the clouds...</div>
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We met up with the other members of the group who had come from various other destinations across Europe so it was nice to finally have us all together :)</div>
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It was dark when we left Sydney for the final leg of our epic journey. Only 2697 mile to go and we would be in Samoa!!! </div>
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-85788787339204113462017-04-05T12:40:00.000+01:002017-04-05T12:40:13.371+01:00Photo Challenge Week 14: PondAfter missing the photo challenge last week, I made sure I was prepared early for this weeks post!<br />
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On my way home from seeing the lovely ladies at my local <a href="http://www.readysteadyknit.com/" target="_blank">wool shop / crochet group </a> on my day off I made a little detour to the village pond.<br />
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Now, I admit it's been <i>years </i>since I was last down here but apart from being a lot tidier, nothing much has changed ...<br />
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Despite the dull weather the ducks were in fine form and making plenty of racket as they swam towards each other and then I spotted a beautiful swan heading towards me<br />
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My friend had told me earlier that a swan had nested right alongside the fence so I assumed this speedy bird was the owner of that nest, by the time she reached me she was hissing a bit too much for my liking so I legged it!<br />
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I'll come down again soon when the babies have arrived and try to get some pictures of the fluffies!<br />
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It's funny, being down there on a dull spring day reminded me of coming down here with the Brownies some 30 odd years ago and looking for frog spawn - blimey I hadn't realised it was that long ago and now I feel old!!<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-38688673581544972322017-04-03T12:56:00.000+01:002017-04-03T12:56:20.007+01:00Goodbye March! The last couple of weeks have been so busy all of the days have flowed into one at a frightening speed and I missed the end of March!!<br />
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And that means I don't get to look at one of my favourite pictures anymore ...<br />
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obviously I didn't take it but it was my idea and I'm so glad I got to do it. <br />
You can find out more <a href="http://hmcloughlin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/usa-fam-trip-day-4-17th-november-2015.html" target="_blank">here</a> about where it was taken etc in my previous blog post about my trip to America.<br />
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I didn't manage the photo challenge last week as my inspiration deserted me when it came to the subject "van" - I think I'm pretty much sorted for this week though so that's good.<br />
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I've been gifting a few makes which is always a good feeling :) my new bunny pattern is lovely and everyone seems to like them too...<br />
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I've got one on the hook and another 2 orders, as well as an order for an old style. And I'm SO excited to be able to finally share my penguin with you! I fell in love with this pattern as soon as I saw it as it's the perfect penguin...<br />
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Isn't he gorgeous!? Even if I say so myself :) Both him and the bunnies are from a lovely designer, called Amy over at <a href="http://www.littlemuggles.com/" target="_blank">Little Muggles</a> - her designs are so sweet and the patterns are very easy to follow. I have a feeling I'll be hooking up more of her creatures in the future.<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-44389392020214685242017-03-22T19:48:00.002+00:002017-03-23T09:49:18.835+00:00Photo Challenge Week 12: HistoricalOh my goodness - I could fill an entire library with historical pictures, I'm such a history geek!!<br />
It's taken me all week but I finally decided on this one ...<br />
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This is the "Cooperage", one of the oldest buildings in Newcastle and has a great history..</div>
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I've always known it as a pub, which my Dad used to drink in occasionally (sadly, I've never actually been inside). </div>
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The first storey of the Cooperage was built back in 1430 - the ceiling timbers supposedly came from a Dutch merchant's ship that had sunk in the river Tyne which runs opposite the building. </div>
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Due to the close proximity of the old town wall at the foot of Castle Hill, there was no room to extend out so they went up and a new storey was added every century or so.</div>
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In 1531 the building was granted to the merchant Thomas Horsley and was then occupied by generations of prominent merchant families until around 1742. Records show that silk dyer Mr J Robinson bought the building in 1841 but by 1853 it was listed as a grocery store.</div>
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In 1863 an established cooper (barrel maker) moved into the building. Barrel making was big business as they were used were used to transport all kinds of goods from the river: beer, wine, butter and fish. John Arthur Cooper bought the building in 1876 and carried on the barrel making business. 6 generations and almost a century later, the family moved the business to Ponteland and in 1974 it became a pub.</div>
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Long since closed, archaeological digs have taken place inside and pottery from the 14th and 15th century has been found along with Roman pieces.</div>
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As with most old buildings, it's said to be haunted. One particular tale is that the ghost of a sailor who was nailed to a side door for attacking maid on the Long Stairs and he is still said to pound the door to this day 👻</div>
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The steps running up the side near the bottom right-hand are known as the "long stairs" which managed to survive the Great Fire of Newcastle in 1854 and they lead up to the castle keep.</div>
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The building next door (on the right) is the Michelin star restaurant House of Tides which is a fantastic place.</div>
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I love history, especially in my beautiful city so I hope I haven't bored you!! X</div>
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-57282440808133987492017-03-15T10:26:00.000+00:002017-03-15T10:26:02.864+00:00Photo Challenge Week 11: SpiralSo here we go on my first endeavour into blog photo challenges - eek!<br />
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I picked this one up from reading <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=5501771683&blog=4699095&frame_type=blog_feed" target="_blank">Nana Cathy's blog</a> and have watched (or read) from the side lines for the last couple of weeks seeing what others have submitted just so I get the right idea.<br />
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The hint which came out last week was "spiral" and I immediately knew which picture I would submit...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrqqHL5vT2UjGW4x4-FHl8yJ6hTyQqz1MXr-vQqmk6yjd4gKNhRCrK59bVJt8LHCAbRKf1dUvtYMzrxpbWYdnso4dMzneNaRZYg0eWxs8k94uXwD7JpAF-l-lIedoBQo2NsbeKiSV13I/s1600/1375120_10153279424200497_1982271975_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrqqHL5vT2UjGW4x4-FHl8yJ6hTyQqz1MXr-vQqmk6yjd4gKNhRCrK59bVJt8LHCAbRKf1dUvtYMzrxpbWYdnso4dMzneNaRZYg0eWxs8k94uXwD7JpAF-l-lIedoBQo2NsbeKiSV13I/s400/1375120_10153279424200497_1982271975_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this picture :) taken on a day out with my Mum, we walked the stairs rather than took the lift in the <a href="http://www.balticmill.com/" target="_blank">Baltic Mill</a> on the Gateshead Quayside. I looked down over the handrail to see how high up we were and loved the reflection from the floor below (you can just see me in the bottom right corner of the reflection as I took the picture) it actually looks a lot higher than it is because of this reflection and I liked that too.<br />
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The Baltic Mill is now a centre for contemporary art which, in all honesty I just don't "get" but I still like to have a nosey around and go up to the viewing platform and look out along the river of my home town/city...<br />
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The shiny building to the left is the Sage Gateshead which is a top class music venue, the world famous Tyne Bridge sits proudly in the middle and in the bottom right corner the Millennium Bridge.<br />
Baltic Square at the bottom left hosts all sorts of different events from comedy festivals to the city athletics meeting. Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-22659212372880515162017-03-10T18:00:00.000+00:002017-03-10T18:00:12.701+00:00Photo ChallegeI've always taken photos and love nothing better than wandering around capturing views and random things - I could never take portraits, I don't have the patience haha!<br />
Last year I entered my very first photo competition; <a href="https://library.newcastle.gov.uk/web/arena" target="_blank">Newcastle Libraries</a> were looking to re-vamp one of their regular titles and wanted pictures of listed buildings within the city for <a href="https://community2.newcastle.gov.uk/TyneBridgePublishing/newcastle-gateshead-architecture-and-heritage" target="_blank">Newcastle & Gateshead: Architecture and Heritage</a><br />
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As soon as I read the article I knew I wanted to submit my picture of St Nicholas' Cathedral that I'd taken a while back. My friend Julie, her children and I were having a guided walk of the city centre on a lovely Sunday morning and as we stood with our guide talking about Queen Victoria and the position of her statue on <a href="http://northeasthistorytour.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/queen-victorias-statue-newcastle.html" target="_blank">St Nicolas Square</a>, I just happened to look behind me and saw the reflection of the beautiful Cathedral spire in the windows of the Cathedral Square office building and immediately snapped this ...<br />
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I sent in my entry to the competition and it wasn't long before I was told I was a finalist! <br />
The general public had to vote on which picture they wanted for the book (at this stage I didn't know it was going to be on the cover) I asked everyone to vote for me as you do and I won! <br />
My prize was a gift voucher and a copy of the book.<br />
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And here is my picture on the front cover!<br />
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AND my name is on there too! Fame at last hurrah!<br />
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I really wish I had the time and money to concentrate on my photography a bit more - I need to get out of auto mode and learn the workings of my camera but courses are so expensive. I also want to learn "proper" editing too. I post on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/geordielass76/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> all the time and have editing apps on my phone and tablet but I have no idea on layers and picture stitching etc<br />
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Since joining <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/" target="_blank">Bloglovin'</a> I've began following a lot of crafty blogs and have stumbled upon reading challenges and photo challenges along the way. So now it's time to bite the bullet - I'm entering my first photo challenge next week :) <br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-14432368870951917942017-03-05T14:00:00.000+00:002017-03-05T14:00:25.650+00:00THE sock post - finished!!I've wanted to make socks for ages and I <i><u><b>will</b></u></i> learn to knit them this year with the help from my friends at <a href="http://www.readysteadyknit.com/" target="_blank">Ready Steady Knit</a> but when I saw this gorgeous sock yarn from <a href="http://www.woolstack.co.uk/opal-winter-moon-8ply-sock-yarn-new-years-eve-8922/" target="_blank">Opal</a> I just had to have it and have a go at crocheting a pair.<br />
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There are so many lovely colours to choose from but the bright turquoise really stood out and it was this one I went home with.<br />
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The "Snuggly Socks" pattern from <a href="http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2014/10/16/simply-crochet-issue-24-sale-now/" target="_blank">Simply Crochet issue 24</a> was very easy to follow and worked up quite quickly. It's not a difficult pattern, just double crochet and you can measure as you go against your own foot which is helpful!<br />
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The heel was a lot easier than I anticipated, with decreases and then increases before continuing around the foot again.<br />
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Leaving just a small seam either side of the heels to stitch up, as you can see Mr Weasley wasn't very interested or excited by the new socks!<br />
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I got to the top and as there was a decent amount of wool left, I added a little picot edge just to finish them off...<br />
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TA DAH!!!<br />
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I'm wearing them in my wellies this weekend so let's hope they keep my tootsies warm!<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-21252385937505344232017-03-03T14:30:00.000+00:002017-03-03T14:30:09.511+00:00Spring, craft-tea time and socks!I love March: spring finally arrives, days are noticeably longer and everything is just a little bit brighter, hurrah!<br />
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We passed some beautiful blossom on our way for tea and cake on Sunday, nature is certainly stirring and colour is seeping slowly back into our rather bland winter world...<br />
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Almost every Sunday after lunch my Mam and I head up to our local (and favourite) tea shop <a href="http://enjoytheperfectblend.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Perfect Blend</a> for a cuppa and cake. There's nothing better than a nice stroll knowing there's a warm welcome and delicious treats awaiting you.<br />
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I always take whatever crafty projects I'm working on with me (when they saw my <a href="http://enjoytheperfectblend.co.uk/news/page/2/" target="_blank">Christmas pudding chocolate orange covers</a> immediately ordered as many as I could do as an added Christmas treat in the shop. I'm delighted to say I managed 33 and they all sold!) and we chatter while I "work"<br />
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I'm delighted that they are launching a craft-tea evening this month (Tuesday 14th) from 6:30pm - 8:30pm and I'm hoping some of my crafty friends will come along :)<br />
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So, full of tea and cake, we headed home to watch the rugby and I sewed up the heel seams on my socks!Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-41496695765709235882017-02-28T12:26:00.001+00:002017-02-28T12:26:47.292+00:00Goodbye February!And there you have it - February done and gone. <br />
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The last day of looking at another of my favourite pictures...<br />
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One of the most photographed spots in the whole of Northumberland, this is Sycamore Gap.<br />
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Made famous by the blockbuster film <a href="http://www.british-film-locations.com/scene-1hj/Robin-Hood-Prince-Of-Thieves-1991" target="_blank">Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves</a> back in 1991, it's been a place I've longed to visit since my teens. When I finally got around to it a couple of summers ago, it was certainly well worth the wait! Early on in the walk from Housesteads is the only place you are permitted to walk actually on the wall (which feels wrong, but you have to do it) and then you follow the path with the most beautiful scenery all around you before dropping down into this little valley with it's world-famous tree.<br />
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Depending on where you begin, it's not an easy walk, it can be rough under foot as you're just walking along the trodden grass and steep in a few places: it really makes you think about the poor workers and how they got all of the supplies etc in place and built the structure itself.<br />
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I'd absolutely love to take night pictures up there as there's hardly any light pollution and you can capture the most amazing starscapes like these from <a href="http://paulflanniganphotography.co.uk/index.php/home/Northumberland" target="_blank">Paul Flannigan</a>. I follow Paul on Facebook and can only dream about taking such stunning pictures as he does.<br />
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There are a few different websites with links for Hadrian's Wall and Sycamore Gap in particular, but <a href="http://hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/visit/steel-rigg-and-sycamore-gap" target="_blank">here's</a> a good one.<br />
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And a couple of extra pictures...<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-80408945434905240102017-02-23T16:48:00.001+00:002017-02-23T16:48:11.619+00:00February is flying byEven though it's only 2 days "short" of an average month, February always seems to disappear in a flash.<br />
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Earlier in the month I went to a crime writers event at <a href="http://www.gatesheadlibraries.com/whats-on" target="_blank">Gateshead Central Library</a>. I've been a keen crime reader since my teens (fact and fiction) and although it can be a bit gory and scary at times I still keep coming back for more. The evening was based around 2 authors and their professional partners: <a href="http://www.margaret-murphy.co.uk/" target="_blank">Margaret Murphy</a> (or A.D. Garrett as she is also known) writes psychological novels and her forensic expert Helen Pepper and <a href="http://www.marihannah.com/" target="_blank">Mari Hannah</a> alongside her partner Mo Dowdy who is a retired Detective Inspector. Is was really interesting to hear how they worked together to build the characters and plots, with the "experts" adding to the mix to make it more realistic. I learned a long time ago that crime work is a long, slow and laborious task and certainly not like it is on TV, the big screen or on the pages of a book but I still have a hankering for all that searching and analysis. Maybe in another life - there's no way I'm brainy enough or rich enough to start again lol<br />
As a result, I bought Mari's first novel and have spent this week flying through it, stopping occasionally for a bit of crafting! Loved it, need to get the next one :)<br />
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I spent my weekend off with friends, enjoying a fab Thai green curry and overdue catch up time (not to mention, some delightful gin as well) Sunday morning came and it was glorious, it was almost as if Spring had arrived: beautiful blue skies and even the wind was warm (ish!). We walked from Whitburn round past Roker lighthouse to the newly developed area at Marine Walk where we stopped for a drink and a seat in the sunshine. I loved this piece of sculpture - just framing the end of Roker pier in a rather James Bond-esque fashion...<br />
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We made our way back through Roker park so the boys could hunt down Pokemon and savoured the last of the blue sky before heading home for a well earned brew...<br />
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The damned hat has finally been finished and I still have no love for it, maybe if I hide it in the back of the cupboard until next winter I might feel differently. Or maybe I'll just make another one in a crochet-friendly wool and be done with it.<br />
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Sock number 2 is pretty much finished now I've closed the book and I got the heel and best part of the ankle finished in crochet class this week. It was the lovely Janet's 70th birthday at the weekend and she brought some beautiful raspberry and rose cakes for us to enjoy...<br />
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Once I get this sock finished it's back to my list of makes and next on the agenda: a penguin to go down to Bristol with me next month and then 2 rabbits :)<br />
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-73445060141842245522017-02-10T15:32:00.001+00:002017-02-10T15:32:13.342+00:00Sock it to meI've kind of "frogged" my messy bun hat at the moment; despite the fact I'm almost finished, the fluffy black yarn is driving me mad!<br />
Another rabbit is done and dusted and before I start the next 2 I wanted to get a start on my socks!<br />
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I've wanted to make socks for ages and there seems to be a bit of a renaissance for hand made socks at the moment - lovely Lucy from <a href="http://www.attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Attic 24</a> is always showing off her gorgeous fluffies and it's making me want them even more!<br />
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I'm not ready for knitting them yet - the thought of 4 needles fills me with fear but I thought I'd have a go at crocheting them. I bought this gorgeous <a href="http://www.woolstack.co.uk/opal-winter-moon-8ply-sock-yarn-new-years-eve-8922/" target="_blank">Opal</a> yarn from <a href="http://www.readysteadyknit.com/" target="_blank">Ready Steady Knit</a> my local shop (and where I go for crafty chit chat on my day off) and after much deliberation I decided on a pattern from Simply Crochet magazine <a href="http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2014/10/16/simply-crochet-issue-24-sale-now/" target="_blank">issue 24</a><br />
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Not done anything unusual yet so not bad for a first attempt if I say so myself...<br />
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Let's see how I get on when I get to the heel!<br />
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Will keep you posted :)<br />
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PS: "frogged" in crafty terms means to leap-frog the project and go on to the next one before finishing!Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-65972845159456288622017-02-01T12:53:00.002+00:002017-02-01T12:53:48.705+00:00Goodbye January!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
There we go, first month of 2017 gone in the blink of an eye! Tomorrow when I'm back at work I get to turn over on to the next page of my own calendar. We get loads of free calendars at work from suppliers but none of them were what I wanted - too big, too small etc so I made my own with my own pictures, I chose 12 of my favourites, loaded them up into the Asda photo website and tah da...</div>
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January's picture is of Souter Lighthouse which was built in 1871. I've visited a couple of times now and the view along the coastline is absolutely beautiful from the top and it's not a bad climb either...</div>
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The stretch of coast between the Tyne and the Tees has 43.8 shipwrecks per mile, confirming it as the most dangerous area around the British Isles and the rocks at Whitburn Steel were particularly dangerous, making a lighthouse essential. Souter was revolutionary, being the world's first lighthouse to be purpose-built with electricity; due to technology it was decommissioned in 1988.</div>
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When the visibility dropped to less than 2 miles during daylight or the pier lights were not visible at night, the huge foghorn would sound (and wow, it's loud!) </div>
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Home to the best coal in the whole of the North East, the area has links with author Lewis Carroll and the nephew of our local heroine Grace Darling was the lighthouse keeper for 24 years. </div>
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I was lucky enough to be there on an open day and was up beside the huge lamp when it was switched on. The whole system looks brand new, it's so well kept and lovingly looked after by the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/souter-lighthouse-and-the-leas" target="_blank">National Trust </a>volunteers. The lamp itself is sat in mercury and can be moved with one finger - I know as I've moved it!</div>
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The main lighthouse keepers cottage is kept as a museum and is a little a step back in time with furnishings from days gone by. The other cottages at the Leas can be rented out - something I'd love to do during the long summer days.</div>
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The little garden is full of pretty flowers and attracts loads of birds and butterflies...</div>
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The perfect place to watch the sun go down with a g&t once all of the visitors have left for the day :) roll on summer eh?!</div>
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-18424333347357604152017-01-27T12:52:00.000+00:002017-01-27T12:52:36.120+00:00Winter Blues and Grey Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a huge case of the winter blues...</div>
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As much I as I love frosty mornings and Christmas-card snowy views I'm really not a winter person - I much prefer bare feet and flip flops to fluffy socks and slippers! </div>
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I think it's these dark mornings that are really making me feel bleugh. I love waking up early to the sun streaming through the window and the promise of a long day ahead whereas these dark mornings just make me want to turn over and go back to my warm fuzzy sleep; especially last week when I finally succumbed to the dreaded bug that's been doing the rounds.</div>
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However, despite headaches, runny noses, coughs and sneezes we must get up and get on as jobs need doing, bills need paying and craft needs crafting!</div>
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I've had quite a productive start craft-wise this year already having made my first bunny and sent her on to her new family. I really love the Toft <a href="http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=patterns/toys/-Emma_the_Bunny" target="_blank">Emma the Bunny</a> pattern and can't believe I've made 35 of these now, they're such a perfect and personal gift - let's hope baby Evie will love her new friend.</div>
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I'm in the middle of making myself a messy bun hat - the latest craze to hit Pinterest by the looks of it! Having long hair that's always up, I don't wear hats very often as it's uncomfortable and I end up with a rather unsightly lump in my hat, so I thought this would be the perfect compromise.</div>
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As always, I don't make things easy for myself and I chose a beautifully soft wool which is an absolute nightmare to crochet with. Fingers crossed I'll get it finished and I can be warm and toasty without having to wear my hair down or plait it like I do now in order to wear my bobble hat (especially at the rugby on these cold evenings!)...</div>
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Due to running out of stash space I think it's about time I started making up the pile of "freebie kits" that grows every month. I subscribe to 2 magazines and often buy others and they all come with little kits on the front and I pop them into my storage cube in the living room. The poor cube is getting way too full so in between my "proper" projects I'm going to see if I can fit them in...</div>
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The first one I did was the flower brooch from <a href="http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2016/03/31/simply-crochet-issue-43-sale-now/" target="_blank">Simply Crochet Issue 43</a> which I am really pleased with, an easy pattern to follow and I managed to whip it up in no time :) I might make a few more to have as little standby gifts, always handy to have.</div>
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I have put mine on my black winter coat and it's a gorgeous splash of colour on these dull grey days..</div>
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-74030152078586259042017-01-13T17:09:00.002+00:002017-01-13T17:09:36.979+00:00<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/8974743/?claim=ex6kyd7ga2a">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-67652518820440046992017-01-10T08:51:00.001+00:002017-01-10T08:51:11.885+00:002017 a week old already!I can't believe we have had over a week of our New Year already, the days are just flying past!<br />
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Despite taking my last few holidays and not working Bank Holidays, the days all blended into one and before I knew it we were back to work as if Christmas had never happened - well, apart from glitter which just refuses to go up the vacuum cleaner.<br />
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As a crafter, Christmas is always my busiest time and no matter how early I start and how organised I am, it always turns into a mad rush!<br />
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I did manage to get 33 chocolate orange covers finished for the local tea shop which I was pleased about. They had a Christmas pudding theme this year and my little woolly covers seemed to go down well and as far as I know they all sold. <br />
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I also had an order for a rainbow jellyfish...<br />
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I love these little chappies, they're quite quick to make up and always get a positive reaction. I was teaching my Mam to crochet using the pattern for these as they're not difficult but she's given up - she thinks it's boring! I think she needs to concentrate and that's why she doesn't like it but who am I to argue?<br />
I've also finished my first bunny of the year as well but I'm not posting her picture until she's been gifted - which depends on when baby Scott decides to arrive 👶<br />
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I even managed a quick make for myself (I know, things for me are rarer than hens teeth!) Simply Crochet magazine had a lovely cover gift on issue 43 way back in March (link <a href="http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2016/03/31/simply-crochet-issue-43-sale-now/" target="_blank">here</a>) of a flower brooch. I thought January could do with a splash of colour and am rather pleased with it ...<br />
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I've also got my super chunky cardigan on the go as well which is having the odd round added to it here and there. My local wool shop (where I go for my crafty chatter on my day off) was having a sale and I picked up some gorgeous wool for a bargain price. I did have a cardigan in mind but it wasn't working up how I wanted it to so I pulled it out and have started again. This time I'm attempting this granny hexagon cardigan which I found on Pinterest...<br />
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the pattern is from the Baby Prop Shop blog <a href="http://babypropshop.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/free-crochet-pattern-for-granny-square.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
I really like so fingers crossed I can get cracking on it :)<br />
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Next on my order list is a penguin (when I find a pattern that I like) for another new arrival and then I may be able to get on with my Sheepjes CAL in memory of Wink. <br />
Having said that, I've not finished my hand-stitched moose yet, just got to assemble him and add the finishing touches and see what he looks like. I might leave him up all year round and change the decoration to suit the season / holiday, we'll see let's get him finished first!<br />
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I don't tend to make resolutions but have decided I'd really like to learn how to make socks this year.<br />
I'm going to try crochet first as I think they will be easier and then have a crack at knitted ones, although when I'll get around to it is another matter entirely!<br />
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All the best for a wonderul 2017 xxx<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-48205546226775206962016-12-30T16:05:00.001+00:002016-12-30T16:09:06.232+00:00USA Fam Trip Day 8: 21st November 2015After a relatively early night returning from dinner at the Hyatt Regency we were up early for another breakfast meeting and site inspection; this time at the Royal Palms.<br />
As soon as we pulled up I knew I was going to like this place; built like a small Spanish village with alleyways, courtyards and arches and (most importantly) not too big!<br />
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We enjoyed breakfast before heading out on a tour with Nate the regional reservations manager. I decided to end my journey as I had started it with eggs Benedict and they were sublime, with crispy potato cakes as well. Poor Nate had been thrown in at the deep end as the person we were supposed to see was off ill but he did very well and showed us right around the property and answered all of our questions.<br />
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I loved the laid back feel and the tiled courtyards with their pretty gardens...</div>
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We had a few hours before checking out and going to the airport so most of us went into Downtown Scottsdale for a wander around.<br />
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Situated east of Phoenix, Scottsdale today is known for it's golf courses, lovely hotels and (to us Brits) ambient weather. There wasn't a cloud to be seen during our couple of days and it was lovely to feel the warm sun on our faces, yet the locals had their polo neck sweaters on and fires were burning in every hearth, I guess we are just made of sturdier stuff lol <br />
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In the mid 1880's US Army Chaplain Winfield Scott visited the area and saw potential for agricultural development. He bought 640 acres of land in 1888 and he and his wife and brother set up a farm and brought settlers from the east and midwest.<br />
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The area was called Orangedale due to the number of citrus groves they had but they also grew figs, nuts and potatoes. In 1894 the town was renamed Scottsdale and just two years later they opened the first schoolhouse which was quickly followed by a General Store and Post Office. The first resort The Ingleside Inn opened in 1909 but the second, the Jokake Inn didn't open until 1920 - this building still stands today in the grounds on the Phoenician Hotel. <br />
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Stacey, Martyn and I meandered up and down the streets full of shops and galleries, pausing to buy presents and nik naks and take pictures...<br />
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before bumping into Judith and Karen at the Rusty Spur - well, that was it for the rest of the afternoon!<br />
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We sat drinking Grand Canyon beer (out of the bottle) while listening and singing along with the live band and generally had a laugh - we were having such a good time that other people kept joining in our conversations and moving their seats! We really had to tear ourselves away to get back to The Phoenician in time to finish packing, change and check out which was a shame as I think we'd have sat there all night as well lol<br />
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And that was it, we headed to the airport just as the sun was setting, thanks to Curtis for this one...<br />
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Our flight was delayed a little but we made use of the business class lounge before departing for London. What an amazing trip with a great group of people and it's even better knowing we're still in touch a year later :)<br />
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The three Musketeers had time to squeeze in one last selfie though...<br />
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From Las Vegas through to Scottsdale and a whole lot of miles, experiences and laughs in between we had a ball xxx<br />
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-36857697433762359282016-12-23T15:32:00.001+00:002016-12-23T15:32:32.336+00:00USA Fam Trip Day 7: 20th November 2015After a rather late night and a few too many of those divine prickly pear margaritas we were up nice and early for a breakfast meeting and tour around the Westin Kierland.<br />
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Our guide was Bob, the director of travel industry sales (he reminded me of Donald Trump!) and I must admit we were rather quiet but once we'd eaten and were on the move we perked up a bit. We covered the whole complex from the golf course to the spa and everything in between - the public areas were very plush but I did feel the rooms were a bit plain...<br />
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We left Bob and headed to Saguaro Lake for a lovely cruise in the sunshine.</div>
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The Saguaro Lake in the Tonto National Forest is actually a reservoir formed by the Stewart Mountain Dam, named after the Saguaro cactus which cover the surrounding landscape. The lake has more than 22 miles of shoreline which means it's always busy with boating, kayaking, fishing and waterskiing. The cruise was lovely - we sat at the front of the boat and soaked up the sun (it did get a bit chilly but it was so relaxing) the captain narrated all the way, telling us about the local area, flora and fauna...</div>
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We arrived back at the hotel in time to freshen up and change for our afternoon appointment at the Hyatt Regency.</div>
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Our tour was conducted by industry sales manager Kristin and we were joined by Sarah from the Scottsdale Visitors Bureau. Again, another lovely property with lots of facilities but just a bit too big for me, I much prefer smaller boutique types (I'm discovering how antisocial I'm getting lol)</div>
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We had a delicious dinner sat outside beneath the palm trees before heading back to the Phoenician for our last sleep. </div>
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-18975297673920690602016-12-22T13:01:00.000+00:002016-12-22T13:01:08.594+00:00USA Fam Trip Day 6: 19th November 2015After an amazing sleep in THE comfiest bed I've ever had the pleasure to sleep in we had a bit of a more laidback day ahead, I skipped breakfast to have a little wander around the hotel and down by the creek - beautiful setting beside the water for dining and further along is the spa. Managed to have a peek in some of the rooms too - all different to each other and all very spacious. I'd certainly come and stay here again, excellent staff and an all-round very chilled out place.<br />
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Paul took us on a lovely walk at Airport Mesa Loop Trail - stunning views over the Oak Creek Valley and home to one of 4 vortex in the area...<br />
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Now, I've never heard of a vortex but Sedona is regarded by Native Americans as sacred and it is recognised as a place of healing and spiritual renewal. A vortex is an area of "enhanced energy" which is thought to provide inspiration and wellbeing and, according to the local tourist board, people travel from all around the world to "experience these swirling centres of energy that are conducive to spiritual healing, meditation and self-exploration"<br />
The Airport Mesa formation is said to contain a masculine power vortex and is named for it's location next to the airport.<br />
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We climbed to the top and the views were simply beautiful...<br />
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I didn't feel the earth move or find myself but it was certainly a lovely walk and looking down over the town and the stunning red rock formations was very peaceful.<br />
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Paul dropped us off in uptown Sedona to have a look around the shops while he sorted out provisions for our picnic lunch. A very pleasant little place, clean and a bit touristy we bought the obligatory key rings and fridge magnets and generally wandered around in the warm sunshine - a welcome change from the cold and snow!<br />
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Named in the early 1900's after the wife of the city's first postmaster, Sedona has been inhabited since around 9,000 BC when Paleo-Indians were present in the area - they had left by 300 AD and there is no further evidence of inhabitants until around 650 AD when the Sinagua people arrived with their rock art and cliff dwellings. They were followed by Yavapai and Apache tribes until they were forced from the area in 1876. They returned in 1900 and have lived together since. <br />
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Our next stop was the Chapel of the Holy Cross...<br />
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Commissioned by Marguerite Brunswig Staude - a local rancher and sculptor at a cost of $300,000 the building was completed in 1956. Unfortunately there was extensive renovation work going on so we couldn't get inside but what we did see was beautiful. <br />
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We stopped off for our champagne picnic lunch, with the biggest sandwiches I've ever seen at a lovely walk site (shame we couldn't do the walk) and enjoyed the warm sunshine before making our way to Montezuma Castle.<br />
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Montezuma Castle was declared a National Monument in 1906 and was built and inhabited by the Sinagua people between 1100 and 1425 AD. Building took over 300 years and the main structure is 5 stories high with 20 rooms. The name suggests it was dedicated to the Aztec emperor Montezuma - however, it was abandoned over 40 years before he was born, neither is it a castle but never mind...<br />
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we enjoyed a lovely walk (accompanied by a volunteer guide) who gave us loads of historic information about the area and the different communities that lived here. <br />
It is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, sitting around 90ft up a sheer limestone cliff face opposite Beaver Creek. It covers almost 4,000 square feet across the 5 stories and shows that the Sinagua were not only skilled engineers but very daring builders. It's not clear whether it was built so high to escape enemies or nature (flooding from the creek) but either way, I think climbing ladders that high must have been pretty scary! We continued our walk back to the visitor centre, pausing for a few pictures along the way...<br />
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On our way to Scottsdale Paul wanted to stop off and show us the various cacti which grow like weeds in the area so we headed up into an area of the Sonoran desert to do a cactus walk.<br />
The Sonoran desert is huge and covers large parts of Arizona, California and Mexcio and contains a number of endemic plants and animals including the saguaro cactus...<br />
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They grow as one large spear and then develop arms - usually around the 75 to 100 year mark and they live to around 150!<br />
Of course, we had to have a picture of us doing our cacti impressions...<br />
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We also found a fabulous development opportunity ...<br />
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I'm not sure what we decided to develop it into but we liked it!<br />
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We arrived into Scottsdale in the late afternoon and seeing traffic and so many people was strange after spending most of our time away from crowds (I must admit I'd have preferred to stay in Sedona a bit longer). We were very excited to be staying at the luxurious Phoenician hotel for the final 2 nights of our trip but it was bittersweet as we had to say goodbye to Paul.<br />
I can't praise him enough, such a fun and friendly guy he really brought something special to the group; absolutely full of information and his sense of humour was great, we did so many little things that he squeezed into the schedule just for the fun of it. He and Curtis were like a double act and bounced off each other so well it was like they'd known each other for ages.<br />
He seemed genuinely sad to see us go and we all got big bear hugs and waved him off.<br />
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Walking into the huge Phoenician was a little daunting but it was nice to get unpacked properly. My room had a lovely view over the main pool area ...<br />
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Stacey had what can only be described as a corner suite - it's the biggest hotel room I've ever seen and well worth the walk all the way along to the far end of the building!<br />
We were given a site inspection by the leisure accounts manager Joanna and then treated to a wonderful dinner followed by a few prickly pear margaritas!!<br />
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<br />Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-79941691832184721112016-12-16T17:29:00.001+00:002016-12-16T17:29:33.659+00:00USA Fam Trip Day 5: 18th November 2015After a comfortable night in Maswick Lodge it was another early wake up call for sunrise.
It was bitterly cold as we headed off in the van through some more fresh snow to Mather Point.
Named after Stephen Mather who was the first director of the National Park Service, this is the first stop-off point for people entering the canyon at the south rim; and although it's not classed as having the best views, it certainly takes your breath away.
From here, the north rim is 10 miles away and the floor of the canyon a mile below and it took the Colorado River around 6 million years to carve the canyon on it's 500 mile journey to the Pacific Ocean - mind boggling as we stood in the cold waiting for the new day to dawn...
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Mather was a millionaire who enjoyed hiking and joined the campaign to create a federal agency overseeing the national parks and he was instrumental in the creation of the National Park Service in 1916 and was later named director. He believed in the preservation of this stunning landscape, scenery and beauty and encouraged tourism development; spending his own money to build infrastructure.<br />
Back in 1903 President Roosevelt visited and said:
"The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. it is beyond comparison - beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world. Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children and all who come after you."<br />
And I couldn't agree more...
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As the light continued to spread you could clearly see the layers in the rock. Geological studies here started in 1858 and are still going on today and there have been almost 40 different rock layers identified, the most recent in the 1970's...
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We headed back into the warmth at the Maswick food court and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before packing up the van and taking a walk along the rim to see some other viewpoints.<br />
Our first stop was the Kolb Studio: this cosy art gallery / information centre is literally perched on the edge of the canyon at the start of the Bright Angel Trail.<br />
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Built in 1904 it was the home and studio of brothers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb - pioneering photographers who operated the successful studio for over 75 years. In the early days, their film development came from using a muddy cow pond eight miles away - the only water available; but despite hot summers and long cold winters, the brothers moved on and developed methods and techniques of photography to match their surroundings and produced some of the earliest images of the inner canyon.<br />
I absolutely fell in love with this little place - although much bigger now and (thankfully) with amenities I could have stayed forever: looking out over the canyon is something I could never tire of...
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A couple of minutes walk further along the rim we came to the Lookout Studio.<br />
One of four buildings classed as the Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark, it was built in 1914 by the Santa Fe Railway as a rival photographic studio to the Kolb but is now an observation point and gift shop. Mary Colter was an architect who designed rustic structures to look like indigenous buildings which blended into the landscape and environment - I like her work.<br />
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Our final stop was Bright Angel Lodge (another Mary Colter building) which was built in the 1930's as a replacement for original accommodation dating back to 1896. She originally designed it in stone like her other buildings but it wasn't approved by the Park Service; so she re-designed in wood. We then made our way down to the Grand Canyon Railway - oh how I wish we'd been able to take a ride on the steam train!<br />
With the snow, deer and amazing surroundings it felt like we were living in a Christmas card!
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It was finally time to leave the Grand Canyon, but not before one final photo stop ...
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We then headed a few miles south to find a bear ...
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and a little further for THE ultimate adrenaline experience (for me anyway) a helicopter flight. We were delighted to have been treated to the 50 minute "Canyon Spirit" flight.<br />
For someone who doesn't like flying I get very excited about helicopter flights - some sort of terrified/excitement I think lol and of course you get to look sooooo gorgeous in your harness and headset...
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I don't think I've ever heard 5 travel agents stay so quiet for so long!<br />
Words just can't describe it, especially as you go over the rim...<br />
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Our pilot Benton was highly amused at how quiet we all went, I don't think we could take it in and I still don't, even now a year later.</div>
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We flew right across the canyon and climbed the north wall and came over the north rim to see how different it is - at around 1000 feet higher, it's at least 10 degrees cooler and has a much more rugged landscape. The season is a lot shorter than the south due to heavy snowfall and results in the north rim receiving about a 1/10 of the number of visitors than the south.</div>
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I'd do it again in a heartbeat - it's not a cheap excursion but certainly well worth it.</div>
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Once on "terra firma" we posed for the obligatory photo which was given to us as a gift...</div>
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Absolutely hyper from our flights, we made a small detour to Valle and stopped off at the Flintstones store - it used to be a mini theme park but is now a store / bric-a-brac shop and of course we had to have our picture taken!...</div>
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After our little diversion we carried on south another 30 miles or so and came to our next stop Bearizona...</div>
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Set within the Kaibab National Forest, Bearizona is more of a wildlife park than a zoo - the enclosures are big and in the main area of the park they roam the 160 acres very happily. More than half of the bears are rescue and the others are from other parks who needed help. As it was winter and chilly, the bears were understandably subdued as we passed through the park in the open bus (complete with fleece blankets to keep us warm!) but we also saw Arctic wolves, Rocky Mountain goats and elk, Alaskan Dall sheep and Tundra wolves as well as Mule deer and bison. We also had time to walk through the Fort Bearizona area which (although still being developed at the time) was filling up with beavers, otters, javelinas and bear cubs - who were sleeping much to our disappointment!<br />
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We took in a birds of prey demonstration which was amazing (even though I don't like birds) full of information about the animals and conservation...<br />
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During our little trip to the gift shop we met Flower the skunk! Thankfully she had been de-scented earlier and so was nice and happy and not smelly lol...<br />
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We left behind the wildlife and headed towards our final stop of the day, Sedona.<br />
A lovely place surrounded by stunning red rocks and pine forests. It had been a long and very busy day and when I saw my upgraded room I knew I wasn't going out for dinner! Everyone had creekside cottage rooms down near the arrivals and I was whisked off in a golf buggy up to a vista cottage. Without doubt one of THE most beautiful and comfortable rooms I have ever stayed in. The view across the valley was just gorgeous, the amazing bathroom with outdoor shower and the bed was so high I felt like the princess and the pea!!<br />
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I told the others I was staying in and while my jacuzzi bath was filling up I sat on the balcony with a glass of wine and watched the sunset...<br />
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Then, wrapped in my plush robe I sat in front of the fire and ate my room service dinner while watching CSI. The perfect end to one of the best days I've ever had in my life.Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136006010449266859.post-50453640292964684022016-12-01T16:15:00.000+00:002016-12-01T16:15:50.126+00:00USA Fam Trip Day 4: 17th November 2015Today produced 2 of my favourite ever pictures: unfortunately I didn't take either of them but am in both of them!
We were up VERY early this morning and there were a lot of whispers and complaints about the cold and the wind chill definitely made it a lot colder but none of us would have missed it for the world...
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Paul drove us back over the road and into the visitor centre area of The View Hotel. Now, in the pitch dark there wasn't a lot to see and it was bitterly cold (coming from a Northerner, that's saying something) but as the sun started to rise, the magic started to happen...
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So still and quiet, it was beautiful to watch - even though it was freezing!
The first of my favourite pictures is this one, which Curtis took whilst I lay on the floor taking photos between the railings...
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I really want to get it put on a canvas, I love it!
We headed back to Goulding's for a brief site inspection - we looked at the new units they're building a little further down from the Lodge. Really lovely, I wouldn't hesitate to come and stay in one and the views across the valley are beautiful.
Paul then took us on a little detour and I got THE most amazing pictures as well as my second favourite...
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This is the road to a place called Mexican Hat, named after a Mexican hat shaped rock and with a population of around 30! This stretch of road was made famous by Tom Hanks in the film Forrest Gump, it's where Forrest finally stopped running...
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We spent some time making sure everyone had their picture taken and larking about while poor Paul was on traffic duty! I love this one of all of us, I think it really shows just how well we all got on...
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We finally piled back into the van and moved on passed Black Mesa to our next stop - the Elephant Feet...
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These huge formations are literally at the side of the road - there's nothing else there!
We carried on through the Hopi Reservation and just outside Tuba City came across hand painted signs for dinosaur tracks. It's believed that a Dilophosaurus walked this area around 193 million years ago (waaaaaaaaaay before the T-Rex which is what some people try to tell you made these tracks!) They've been viewed and identified by paleontologists, however, due to being on sacred land they've not been studied in any great detail which is a shame...
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About half an hour or so down the road we came to Cameron Trading Post where we stopped for lunch and a bit of shopping. A very atmospheric dining room with a pressed tin ceiling and huge open fire was very welcoming after our busy morning. We ate delicious (huge portions) of American/Mexican/Navajo food surrounded by traditional weavings, cabinets, carvings and baskets before wandering through the Aladdin's cave of a store. It was fascinating watching a lady weaving a beautiful rug. They're so expensive but when you take into consideration how long they take to make and how long they will last it's fair. I must admit I spent a small fortune on earrings and other paraphernalia - you know what I'm like for mementoes! A year later and I still love my mug and people always comment on my turquoise Native American Indian bear earrings.
We left with full tummies and empty wallets and the next stop on our tour was the Little Colorado River Gorge.
One of the largest tributaries of the Grand Canyon, Little Colorado River carves it's way for 45 miles through the Navajo Indian Reservation. We stopped at the main viewpoint which offers a view of about a quarter of mile of narrow and very deep gorge.
The viewpoint we stopped at had a few stalls set up with locals selling bits and bobs and a short walk to a breathtaking view...
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Half an hour further down the road and we entered the Grand Canyon National Park and a view none of us was quite prepared for...
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No words can describe it - it's simply mindblowing.
270 miles long, 18 miles wide at it's widest point and a mile deep - and completely natural.
The first inhabitants arrived 12,000 years ago.
Paul took us along to a Moran Point, a very popular spot on the rim which obviously provides endless photo opportunities for the 5 million+ visitors it receives each year. There seems to be a bit of confusion over which Moran brother the point was named after, but more theories name Thomas rather than Peter. Either way, we had good fun paying with the perspective of various pictures as well as trying to take in what lay before us...
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From here we headed into Grand Canyon Village and carried out a site inspection at the El Tovar Lodge.
Early in the 1800's the US Government sent out trappers and expeditions of the area began to map the Canyon. The area was given Federal protection in 1893 as a Forest Reserve before being upgraded to a National Monument and finally in 1919 it was awarded National Park status.
The stage coaches brought the first tourists to the Canyon, quickly followed in 1901 by the railway and the first major structure to be built was El Tovar which was financed by the Santa Fe Railroad. When it opened in 1905 it was considered to be one of the "fanciest hotels west of the Mississippi". Little has changed since then and it really is like stepping back in time, yes it's a bit tired here and there and the carpets are wearing thin but it has a very unique atmosphere and a wonderful dining room. We checked into our rooms further in the village at Maswick Lodge but returned to El Tovar for dinner and were treated like royalty.
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Hayleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378990360370226018noreply@blogger.com0