We didn't get blown away - Fossils - part one 🦖🦈🦕🦈

Thankfully we survived the storm . Just the usual , a tree came down up the lane and a neighbour's fence down , flowerpots and bin lids flying in from somewhere lower down the lane . Powercuts all over Cornwall , our lights were flickering and the internet kept cutting out on and off . We were o.k.

We have had a fairly settled week weather-wise and even a little sunshine . I have a new little friend . A Jackdaw . He is very tame and every morning at around 10am he is coming to me (in my bright red kagoul) for a handful of grain .

There he is sitting up on the telegrah wire . I know it's a rubbish pic and I am working on trying to get some better photos of him . Also Blogger seems to have changed the way we upload pictures ..I'm seeing lots of gobbledegook html I think it's called and can't see my photos until I click to publish it . Very confusing . My daughter is not here now to help me..she would know what to do . It's probably me ! I have probably done something wrong .

I just remembered that I was going to tell you about our recent fossil finds .Yes , so we got away for just two days of dinosaur hunting up at Charmouth .

Hubby found a small but OMG awesome piece of a Rhamphorynchus beak last time we came , so now it's my turn ! I did find an Ichthyosaur vertebra but he's still the winner .

Unfortunately the tide was out but the nights were drawing in and it became too dark for us to see . I came home with my usual bundle of driftwood , seaglass , heart stones and a couple of nice old bricks to hold down netting up in my vegetable garden . I also felt that we didn't really have time "to get our eye in " as they say ....but we'll be back !

So then we came home and went for a McDonalds and a coffee sitting in the car watching the waves at Marazion . I went for a little wander along the beach .Marazion is well known for semi-precious stones , which wash in from places far away . We don't find fossils here . So I'm just beach-combing , looking at all the different seaweeds ,semi-precious stones , looking for sea glass , funnyface and heart stones .

And off I go, deep in thought and in my own little world ....

....jelly fish and sea weeds ...

.... and funny face stones .....

...to be continued ......

Wild ' n' Windy Weather

The weather is certainly changing here in Cornwall. This is the wild sea at beautiful Poldhu Cove.

I haven't been away for a holiday for a year and a half due to being so poorly...yes..I know its lovely here and I,m very lucky to live here.....but I do love a bit of Dinosaur Hunting and one of my favourite places for this is Charmouth . Contrary to what people say, you can find fossils here in Cornwall.....I found a nice piece of fossil wood , a foot long piece of a pine tree branch, nicely preserved on our own Poldhu Beach and a big " devil's toe-nail  " on a beach down at Lands End .....poorly preserved Trilobites at a beach on the North side of the Lizard....but for prehistoric sea creatures..the place to take the children is Charmouth .

.........and at this time of the year..dogs are welcome too !

Here we are arriving in Charmouth,... little dawg recognises where we are and is practically jumping onto the dashboard of the car in excitement !

.......turn left and there is a car park right by the beach ....and loos ...Charmouth Heritage Centre and fossil shop with amazing Icthyosaur  in a glass tank at the back of the shop...and lots of gemstones and big fossils  and little fossils for you to buy ...,in case you
dont find any ......

                                          .......but you almost certainly will !

 We stayed in the lovely  ,near by village of Wootton Fitzpaine ....it seems that every where you look there are Bronze Age settlements. The sun rising through the drifting mist is just so beautiful !
My only complaint was that I would have liked to have had one fish'n'chip meal during our holiday but the Charmouth Fish'n'chip shop was shut every time we went ! : (
 I brought my crewel embroidery with me ..oh ..I take this everywhere with me and have been doing this for pretty much most of this year...but I will speak more of this over on my new journal  Cornish Piskie Stitches .

So in my large handbag I am carrying this crewel project and three bags of crewel wool and in my DMC Embroidery Travel bag I have packed another project that my clever little grandson designed .....and that I am stitching up as a little surprise Christmas gift for my daughter . I,m having so much sweet fun stitching this in perle cotton  embroidery threads , in the colours of his original picture .

             I love the way children pretty much all do these radial , big headed ,  happy  stick people !

We found a few fossils , tiny pyrites ammonites , broken belemnites , a broken piece of Ichthyosaur tooth and a bag of rocks for further investigation when we get home .

Did some more , then added lots of yellow French knots to give it a bit more sparkle .

On the way home , we drove out of our way to go and see Stonehenge....I,m glad that I took this photo as we approached it on the motorway , as when we got there they were closing and you cant see it from the new entrance . Fed up !
Then briefly rejoiced as we approached my favourite ring of trees on the hill , my heart sinking to see another bloody windmill ruining the view . How come the people here allowed this  , in such a beauty spot ? !!!

.......and then this ...so much of Bodmin Moor is now being ruined ...this is the Temple Fishery and Dozemary Pool area ...and as you are driving out of Cornwall the view of Rough Tor and all the surrounding  ancient moors will never be the same again .

 So then I took pictures of the trees.....thinking maybe to embroider a tree ....

......or thirty trees on a hill....without a windmill  : )

Aah ! ...good to get home and find my Schlumbergeras beginning to bloom . Yes , I have a thing for Gasterias too !
  Then to finish off that embroidery ....

 Yes I used a vintage arm chair cover  , flipped it over to iron on the wrong side down over a towel . Cut off the excess with the useless scissors that I bought cheap on ebay and wont make the same mistake again .

                  Press down edges over the cardboard  backing of the frame ....

                      lace up the back and neaten by stitching a scrap of fabric over.

                   
                                          another quick press with the iron......

                                                               Ta daah !
               Thats  another Christmas present done ! Very happy me !
Well tonight Storm Barney is on the way . I,ve closed up the cold frame and moved plants into their shelter zones....I hope my old greenhouse will still be there in the morning ,or else I,ll have to bring the entire cactus collection indoors !
  Hope you are cosy and warm where you are !   love Daisy Debs  : ) x

Jake's Bones

Here we are on the beach again, beach combing and looking at our brilliant new book !
 Me and my little grandson reading the best educational children's book I,ve seen for a very long time " Jake's Bones " written by Jake McGowan -Lowe .Published by Ticktock.
  Jake who is 12 years old has been interested in wildlife and collecting bones he finds whilst out on nature walks , woods and beaches . He shows how he puts the bones together as complete skeletons of the different animals  . It is such a fascinating hobby and a great introduction to biology in general .
 We love that dinosaur on the front cover !