Family visit

We went down to see my Auntie Alison and the family near Bicester. Good to see everyone and catch up. This photo is of two new family members, Catherine who is nephew Adam's wife, and William their son.

When we got home we were saddened to hear that Danielle's Uncle Bob had died. The circle of life keeps turning.

Xmas 4

A Boxing Day walk down by the river Wharfe at Tadcaster. Cold, damp, murky and surprisingly pleasant. Wellies necessary though.

Xmas 3

And here is Rowan. Great to have her with us for Christmas.

Xmas day 2

We were happily ensconced on the sofa drinking our fizz, while Rowan did the traditional handing round of the presents. The dog decided she needed to make a statement move, so walked delicately along the back of the sofa before resting her head on my head.

Xmas Day

Christmas Day has its own rhythm in the Palmour household these days. Cup of tea then smoked salmon on sourdough with bucks fizz for breakfast. Main course of Christmas dinner for lunch (a vege wellington this year, made by Danielle) then pudding at tea time. All works well. Rowan is here with us, and she took this photo as part one was about to happen.

09.07 on the clock, bottle opened. No excuse really.

Happy Xmas

Selby Canal 2

Another shot of the Selby canal on a very still and bucolic day.

 

Selby Canal Tunnels

The band got back for a jam yesterday. Great to be playing as always, had a really good session; who knows when the next one will be.

 This photo is from the Selby Canal which I walked this week. The two semi circular ponds on either side of the canal are part of an innovative 18th Century piece of engineering that helped prevent flooding of the canal be means of tunnels underneath. The five sets of tunnels have just been listed by English Heritage, which is how I came across them for the first time. A beautifully functional bit of architecture.

Guest

Friend Lorraine came up to stay last month, just found this photo of her and Danielle on what is the furniture formerly know as the sofa (now one of the dog's personal seating areas).

Rowan Returns

Rowan is back for Xmas, still working but from York for a few days. Everyone is pleased to see her including Layla.

The Ouse

The river Ouse, taken from the old East Coast Mainline railway bridge at Naburn, was looking suitably autumnal and beautiful last week. I went for a short ride to stretch my legs.

Layla and siblings at 2 years old.

Layla was two this week. She is one of a litter of five. Through the wonders of WhatsApp and the Yorkshire Rose Rescue Centre we get to see how the other four are doing each year. The answer seems to be "pretty good". Probably the only litter of Egyptian street dogs to ever be born in Spennithorne in the Yorkshire Dales

Layla

Marty

Peach

Bella

Billy

 

Old Street skyline

Rowan took this in Old Street last week. It shows that: 

1 she has a good eye for a shot and 

2 the google phone has a pretty good camera on it.

Bramham 3

Final shot from the Bramham walk. Taken of the lake before the sun worked its way through the cloud.

More Bramham

When the sun popped out on Sunday it really brought the landscape alive for a while.

The Magnificent Two

From the walk yesterday, Danielle and Layla taking stock.

Family

Ro and Pete came for the weekend, great to catch up on all the family news and to see them again. We went a good walk in Bramham woods on Sunday, mild and sometimes sunny with red kites for company.

Guarding

Another shot from Hatfield Moors this week. If you look carefully you'll see the guardian of the moors sitting proud.

Failing Forward

Sometimes a fail can prove to be a win. I whipped out my phone trying to catch a photo of a Little Egret flying across Hob Moor this week. So keen was I to get a shot of a new visitor to the moor that I ended up taking this shot of the moor itself, blurred beyond acceptable levels. Except I really like it. Not to exhibit but just to look at now and then.

When I'm 64

Birthday consisted of walking the dog, saying goodbye to the loom, then going to see Chantal McGregor at the Crescent. She is a really good young guitar player from Leeds who plays like a dream. We both enjoyed it a lot. This is a good track of hers, need to listen to it all.

The Empty Table

For Layla any bench we see on the moors is where we should stop for lunch, whatever the time of day. So when she was up ahead of me and spotted this bench she sat patiently waiting for me to arrive and feed her. It was 11.22. The wait was in vain.

More Hatfield

 I have been out of action with a cold for close on two weeks, so it was great to get back to taking the dog for a good long walk on Hatfield Moors. 2 degrees C, a bit of rain, no one around, and a great walk.

Layla had a great time chasing deer, and I saw a male Hen Harrier for the first time since in Cantabria in Spain in 1984. Saw a Peregrine and Marsh Harrier as well, so it was a rewarding day all round.

GroomTime

Danielle took Layla to get groomed last week. This is  not popular. If an expression could tell a thousand words, then this is such an expression.

New House

I do like to have a nose around when I am walking the dog. I had no idea this new house was at the end of a little cul de sac until I had a look. A lot of similarities with our extension. I'll try and talk to the owners when I get a chance.

Bread

The Danielle sour dough bread experience continues. Getting more and more professional looking.