Cloud, Eesit, Stone

Little cloud from one of the maroons announcing the Breeches Buoy Demo on 23rd August at Prior's Haven, part of the 150th anniversary celebrations for the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade. (The event was filmed by BBC Coast, and I'll post a link, for those with access to UK tv, as soon as it's available).

Beachcombings: hag stone, or holey stone, from the beach at Prior's Haven.

Now the dog rose flowers are almost gone, same colours in bindweed growing above King Edward's Bay.

In progress: lace stitch cowl in Native Shetland Wool (shade: Eesit).

Flowers, Dancing, Gulls

A fragrant parcel: new lavender  arrived from Chateau de la Gabelle, Provence. Single origin, organically grown on a sunny mountainside 1300ft above sea level… we're dreaming of flower fields and tours around perfumeries in medieval towns… (a neat way to send it, flat like a letter).

school summer holidays have begun, freesia and gypsophila my daughter chose

ballet school continues for another week - these light summer evenings I go to watch the gulls hunting among the waves while she dances

Sea Witch at Tynemouth Market, Saturday 26th April… Witchi-Tiki, Ocean Alchemy and a Herb Pillow Recipe

Sea Witch will be at Tynemouth Market again this Saturday, 26th April, 9am until 4pm, with plenty of Fair Trade and handcrafted finds including cotton batiks and new season shell and Witchi-Tiki jewellery.

We'll miss you next weekend as will be visiting London, then back at the Market for Saturday, 10th May with aromatherapy pillows in new 'Ocean Alchemy' organic cotton fabrics...

until then, here's a sleep pillow recipe adapted from William Turner's 'New Herball' (1551):

25g lavender
12g lemon verbena
12g lemon thyme
12g woodruff

Save Your WAves - Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project at Longsands

Another afternoon of beach clean-up is planned for Friday, 16th May, from 2pm - 5pm at Tynemouth
Longsands, meet-up outside Crusoes Cafe…

http://www.sas.org.uk/region/north-east/

… website of Surfers Against Sewage, North East Region,

Snowdrops, Leaping Hares

A surprise snowdrop has found its way into this container in the garden, dormant maybe among the spring bulbs planted there two years ago?

Leaping hares.

Sunrise, Frost On The Beach...

beachcombing

frost on the beach, Priory's Haven

sunrise at King Edward's Bay

Blue Monday at the beach, just before school starts, sun sparkling on frost and water. It's just above freezing but everyone who's out this early stops to look at the sea - blue again,  low ripples like stirred silk. 

Light Southerly...

Light southerly winds bring in the new year. Today I found some of last summer's flowers above the estuary, and in the garden the first camellia buds...

… blue velvet draught excluders made this evening for the Sunday market:

Happy New Year...

… sunlight and sanderlings at the Fish Quay this afternoon - all best wishes for 2014!