Thankful Thursday

I am really thankful for the lovely weather we have been having lately.  I have been out walking early in the morning in shorts and a sleeveless top and not been at all cold - most unusual!

I am thankful that these two boys are getting on so well.

Thankful that Mark and I get to pop out and make the most of the weather due to the flexibility of him working from home in his own business.

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon walk in the local park and I found the wood totem sculpture I missed earlier on in the year!

Some more wooden sculptures.

Rats?  Thankful?  Well I am thankful these are not running round our garden!  Not that I have seen anyway...we keep out bait stations well stocked up.  I am surprised that the park didn't have any dotted around - we saw five rats all together in one group, just roaming around a few feet from where we were standing!  

The Sailor leaves...

Yesterday the Sailor and his lady headed off - him to rejoin his ship and her back to her home in Nepal.  It has been absolutely wonderful having them both here and we had a really special Christmas and January together - the best family time we have had in years.  

For their last day we decided to go for a walk in the park - it was VERY muddy, but an enjoyable morning.  I came home and cooked them a late lunch/early dinner of roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and chicken with beans and broccoli.  

It was sad to see them go and I will miss my son tremendously - he is such a pleasure to have around and we are immensely proud of him.  He has worked so hard the last few years to get where he is and joins the ship this time as a fully fledged officer.  He is doing what he loves and enjoys and that is all you can ask for.   

We won't see him again until the end of May.  In the meantime I have a lot to keep me busy - so hopefully will manage to get on with things and not find missing him too hard. 

We were surprised during our walk to see some lovely camellias in bloom.

Very wet and boggy!

Percy enjoyed himself

Came back rather dirty though!

Fortunately however, being short haired, it dries quickly and brushes off easily.

The lovely couple.

There were also some daffodils poking up their heads and when I got home I also realised some of ours have also started flower!  Will have to take a photo today.  My main daffodil plot though, which was besides my sewing studio had a load of patio slabs and sand bags placed on pallets put on it - and despite requests for it to be moved - hubby still hasn't got round to it - so another year I won't have the beauty of those daffodils.  Never mind.

Very proud - he has his first stripes!

Friday's Walk - Ashridge Estate & Aldbury Village

With Friday being a lovely bright Autumn day we headed off out to Ashridge Estate for a walk.

There is a great cafe at Ashridge Estate open all year round so we arrived for an early lunch before heading off.  This time we decided to try a completely different route which ended up in the charming village of Aldbury.

A charming thatched house is seen over the hedge.

Cottages with open gardens.

The charm of this village is evident by the houses seen.

I stopped and spoke to one gentleman who had just come out of his house and he told me he had lived  in the village for 20 years and never tired of it.  He said that the location has been used for various TV shows and films over the years.

All so pretty - and of course the lovely bright day adds to the beauty.

Village pond.

Stocks and Whipping post.

The village church St John the Baptist

This quintessential English church was restored in 1867.  Apparently (as we couldn't go in due to having Percy with us) it is notable for the Verney Chapel which is separated from the nave by a screen of stone.  The church contains memories of the families Hides and Harcourts who left charities to the poor of the parish.  It also contains a monument of Sir Robert Wittingham who was slain at the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

One of the village pubs.

More photos as we walked around this charming village.  I took quite a few as hope to paint a couple of the cottages at some stage.

This scene has obviously been taken before by numerous visitors as it was featured on some postcards and on the Wikipedia page of the village!

Portsmouth

Yesterday we managed to get down to Warsash to see our eldest son and we went into Portsmouth for lunch and the afternoon.

We were in for a bit a treat as there seemed to be a spitfire doing a display over the water and we stood and watched for a while.

The sky was pretty grey and it was cold and windy but that didn't stop people from getting out on and in the sea to enjoy it.

The canoes were following swimmers, although you can't see them...personally I think it was utter madness! 

Percy enjoyed his day out.

Portsmouth has some pretty grassed and flowered areas and as it was pretty cold, it was quite quiet and not too busy which was nice.

There were masses of starlings on the grass.

A nice day out, even if it was jolly cold - must take my woolly hat next time!

Good to catch up with our son.