Friday, 15 July 2011

Making the most of the sunshine

Hello Lovelies,
well, with a terrible weather forecast for the weekend and glorious warm sunny weather this morning I decided to get the shopping out of the way asap. As soon as the boys were at school I zipped around Morrison's and dashed home to put all the shopping away.
The weather was still lovely and on my way home I pass a gateway that has been looking so pretty over the past few weeks . I can't stop the car to take pictures as it's on a busy bend but I wanted to get some images before the crops growing there are harvested so I decided to get out my bike as it's quite a walk....



Some of you may remember my trusty old Raleigh ( This is the picture I staged for a scavenger hunt photo )...she's 22 years old and I'm hoping to get her a wicker basket this year ...instead on the black wire mesh one. She also has a black gel saddle cover which isn't very pretty but super comfy :0)

I headed off .... whizzing down the hill, well actually I'm a bit nervous of whizzing these days so I stopped on the hill to take a picture instead.........


This is where I was heading.......



Lets take a closer look........



WOW .....I love the colour of this crop...not sure what it is ...maybe one of you lovelies know.
I love the glimpse of the three little cottages and fields behind it....


It's still only twelve o'clock so I decide to take a ride to the cottages for a closer look....



Ummmm pretty..... shame about the large conifers .

I love the freedom of pooteling around where ever the fancy takes me on such a lovely day. It's really warm so I'm cycling in my skirt and sensible sandals :0) the breeze is lovely around my legs .......



At the side of the cottages I notice a wonderful , really old stone trough...it would have been for animals to drink out of but now it is filled with colourful geraniums. ......



With an old watering can hidden around the back....



This is something you would never have noticed in a car .I get back on my bike and start to head for home. Up the steep hill it's first gear( yes my old girl has 3 gears !) and stand up on the pedals, I'm really gasping by the time I get to the top and very glad to put my bottom back down on the saddle and pedal slowly to recover.

Instead of heading home I cycle on to the next village. I don't want to rush home to the housework to day.
I'm just enjoying noticing how the fields and hedgerows are looking this July ...stopping to take picture whenever I feel the need...which is pretty often :0)....







I end up at my favourite church. I've shown you the simple little village church before and today it's looking as lovely as always .With a wonderful old rose growing over the porch.....




I'm pretty hot so I go into the shade of the porch to admire the old door...



Look at this handle and the colour of the stone reminds me of the crops in that first field ........



There is not a soul around and I sit for a while looking out .....



Before it is time to cycle home .
It was great to have a peaceful hour in what are hectic end of term weeks. I can hardly believe my twins are in their last few days at their wonderful, nurturing primary school. Makes me feel a little sad.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post. If the weather forecast is correct I expect I will get chance to add a few more rows to my giant granny this weekend.

Hope you get a little creative/outdoor/peaceful time too.
Jacquie x

29 comments:

  1. so worth getting on your lovely raleigh and exploring around the beautiful country side near you- beautiful images x

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  2. Hi Jacquie,

    I think it might be barley - I know it's not corn or maize and barley is the only other grain crop I could think of that's commonly grown in the UK (not counting oilseed rape). I googled "barley crop" and it looks similar to your photo so that's my conclusion.

    I hope in time I will become as familiar with the area surrounding our town. I don't have a bike, but it's something on my list that I would love to have. It's tricky moving to a new area to become comfortable to just go out in the countryside on foot or by bike - I could do it where my parents live, no problem, but I'm still getting used to it here. The hill and the meadow are about my limits!

    Heather xx

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  3. Yep barley. If it looks like teddybear fur in the wind then its barley. Wheat is like fat grass and Maize is like sweetcorn. Lovely pictures.

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  4. What a beautiful peaceful day. I have mega bike envy, it's beautful!
    Kandi x

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  5. Thanks so much for taking us along on your beautiful ride, the fields and flowers are beatiful and that church is just amazing. Hope the weather isn't too bad this weekend,
    Meredith

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  6. Thank you for that lovely tour of the countryside .... you just can't beat it can you. We've had a lovely warm day here too but rain is forecast for the weekend .... I'm just hoping it stays away so I can go car booting and it's my grand-daughter's birthday party tomorrow too. After my last post I was unsure if I dare comment on this one but you don't fall into the category of lycra lout .... genteel lady cycling is quite acceptable :-)

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  7. What a lovely outing, the photos are so serene, especially the church ones & oh boy do i love your bike, envy, envy, envy!!!!Its gorgeous :Karen x

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  8. Great bike, and so want one like that.
    Apparently, the Mr's ma has an old bike in the shed I can have and I keep dropping not-so-subtle hints that he should get himself over there and get it for me!
    Beautiful photos. I love.
    X

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  9. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.

    Love your vintage bike, why not crochet a seat cover to hide the gel pad?

    My youngest is leaving junior school soon so I totally get the tinge of sadness you get....

    S x

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  10. "pooteling"...I think I'm in love with that word! And I think I'm going to start using it too! It's adorable! And your photos...what a lovely ride "we" had! I so enjoyed going with you!!! Sorry your weather forecast is bleck...it is those blecky days that make us appreciate the beauty you experienced on that wonderful bicycle of yours! And, ugh...I can only imagine that uphill pedal! x&o, Annette

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  11. Thank you so much for the pleasent break on my stress filled day. You have no idea how much your post cheered me up today. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

    Anna. :)

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  12. Such a lovely post Jacquie with gorgeous photos of the countryside, beautiful flowers and cottages. I feel like I've been with you on your bike ride.
    The crop is either barley of a whiskery variety of wheat. Makes me nostalgic for my days growing up on a farm in Western Australia.
    I hope your nasty weather forecast turns out to be wrong and you have a lovely weekend.
    Anne xx

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  13. I appreciate this little virtual bike ride. Thank you. Oh, I wish I could have joined you! Victoria

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  14. awww such a beautiful day for you and such pretty photo's. Its a lovely feeling riding a bike through the country lanes althought i haven't done it for years not since leaving home 20 years ago and leaving the country behind me. have a lovely weekend, dee x

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  15. Hey Jacquie thanks for 'dinking' us round the countryside.........
    gorgeous pics
    (Don't know what you call it in the UK but 'dinking' is when someone hops on the bike for a ride. They sit on the seat or bar if it's a boys bike and you do the hard work pedalling.....)

    If I had such beautiful countryside to ride through, I am sure I would be convinced to drag my bike out of retirement and dust off the cobwebs.

    Love the Geraniums in the water trough, beautiful. I think i might have to get some in pots for our Summer, they are just so colourful.

    Hope the sunshine lasted a bit longer for you,

    Claire :}

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  16. Lovely pictures! I love you blog, you make so many gorgeous crochet projects. Thanks for the inspiration! Have a lovely day!
    Annemarie

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  17. Thank you Jacquie for sharing your gorgeous pictures with us on your ride !
    I follow you for a long time and always see beautiful things :)

    Warm greetings from Belgium !

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  18. What beautiful pictures, Jacquie. I love the view over the field to the cottages, and that old church door with the wonderful metalwork. Just lovely. And so nice for me to be able to enjoy pootling around without having to put any effort into actually pedalling!
    Jane x

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  19. Lovely! I'm always up for a bike ride somewhere new.

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  20. I didn't know you were a cyclist - you need a crochet wheel skirt! Just Do makes them and they're fab, let me know if you want the link.

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  21. Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures. Just smell the UK summer here where I am in the Southern Hemisphere and miss my lovely outdoor days there! Have a good weekend.

    Carina x

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  22. Such beautiful scenery and lovely photos! and I love your bike too by the way! :)

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  23. This is so lovely! Is the raleigh fairly light? I have an old-looking bike but its just so darn heavy, and cycling up hills is rarely an option (not good for this part of the world). Definitely a good idea of yours to get out and about in the sun as its pouring down now. xxx

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  24. Oh my, that's just absolutely lovely; a perfect English countryside dream--the old bike, you in your skirt and sandals, the roses around the church door...I'm green with envy. Thank you so much for taking us with you!

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  25. Lovely post, have such itchy feet to get my bike out again but time conspiring against me at the moment! Definitely barley in those first pics, wheat in the one before the church :-) x

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  26. A lovely bike ride without the effort of doing it myself. Thank you that was a great post.
    Gillx

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  27. Looks lovely :) Gorgeous bike.

    I want to do a bike ride post but am waiting for the right weather - today was not good :(

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  28. Are we living in the same country???!!! Your neck of the woods is looking marvellous.

    I think crochet a seat cover for the gel cover and spray paint the basket till you can find a wicker one....

    xxx

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  29. Ahhh you've reminded me how much miss cycling, I used to pedal everywhere when I lived in super-flat York. Now I live in such a hilly place where everything is in walking distance, I've not biked for over 3 yrs!!!
    I saw this recently and faved it on flickr....
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/crochetingaway/4942881780/in/faves-attic24/
    i loved that the metal wire basket was also crocheted, maybe you could do that to yours in lieu of a wicker jobbie?
    happy hols jacquie, we are off in Connievan in a weeks time, I agree that 'vanning is the way to go, have fun!!xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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