A project, a mouse and a beach.

Though overcast it isn't raining (yet), but I had occasion to pop outside in the downpour yesterday and guess who was sitting sheltering by the pond and looking totally fed-up with the weather?

 He made me laugh out loud!
(focus not too good as it was howling down)

Do any of you remember the cream painted wash board I got from Dagfields around a year ago?

Well I've FINALLY done what I was thinking of doing with it, hanging it on the laundry door (with a little tweaking!)

(Sorry there's no natural light here in the back hall way.)

I've given the wash board a couple of coats of light blue emulsion and a dry brush over with grey.

I've had the wash tongues for years, and I've been on the look out for the 'Laundry rules' at a bargain price - finally found on e-bay for a song.

(If only they worked!)  I just added a couple of pegs and Bob's your Uncle :o)

As you know it was my birthday, and (lovely) Hubs had ordered my gift that arrived this week.

The tissue paper may be a clue?

Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson :o))

Now the word 'furniture' may be a little misleading, because what I wanted was...

a breadboard, with it's signature mouse and adz marks - it is after all hand made. 

Isn't he cute? It's going to be a real family heirloom.

  I have followed the directions and lightly oiled it with sunflower oil ready for use,

that's if I can bring myself to cut on it!

Hope the little chap cheers you up as much as it did me.

I did manage to get my feet in the sea last week and it did me a power of good.

We had a (wonderful) day out at Fairbourne Mid Wales on the opposite side of the estuary to Barmouth.

I really needed to re-charge my batteries.  Walking along the pebble beach for me is the ideal way to do it, and it's been too long since I'd done it.  Of course I bought a few more pebbles back for the pond ;o)

and found some interesting rocks - I love the different lichens.

I found a large number of shattered slate roof tiles, and crawling across the was a HUGE Fox moth caterpillar

Then on closer look there were more in the grass.

They were around 3" long and as thick as my little finger!

We watched as the Fairbourne Light Railway chugged past us :o)

Then we went a ride further down the coast - looking back along the coast road towards Barmouth

and then the view out to sea

Bardsey Island is on the far left of the photo, and looking out towards the Lleyn Peninsular.

Then on to Tywyn  to the sandy beach  

Where I had a paddle ;o)

and a view of the groynes

Aah, that's MUCH better!

Welcome to my latest followers - So pleased to see you here :o)

See you all soon, best wishes

Late addition - an apology

I'm sorry if I haven't been replying to emails to 'secondhandrose' address, I've only just discovered that there was a blip and I hadn't received any since Mid AUGUST!  I've sorted it out now (fingers crossed x)

Please accept my sincere apologies, I'll try and catch up this evening - but I've over 100 to go through.

Rose x