Boxing day in Mundesley

Don't worry about it, it's normal for Norfolk. The annual dip for the inshore lifeboat or how to get over the excess of yesterday.

As you can see some were better dressed for the occasion than others but everyone had a jolly time. They all went in and they all came out at speed as it was a bit on the chilly side.

In the bleak midwinter........

...... only the dog walkers go out.

A little glitter for the season. Happy Christmas to you all.

They tell me that running water does not freeze.

Well they may be right but I am beginning to have my doubts. We only have about two inches of snow but the temperature is a little low for the time of year and has not risen even in the sun.

I have been swinging on the beams.....

...to put the lights up. (Well not really, I used the step ladder.)

I like the added lights in the windows; double glazing has more then one virtue.

I have started to make a new piece and it is, in modern parlance, doing my head in.

There`s nothing like a challenge to take my mind off the weather.
.

A little snow.

The coastal effect has limited the snow fall on Mundesley but we have had some. The wind chill however has been a bit much so I don't go out if I can help it.

Is it cold out there?

Yes it is but no real frost and no snow yet. The wind is from the north-west which is helping and not due north which would be even colder.

I know I am a wimp when it is cold but if we are going to have a hard winter I will try to get used to it and get down to the beach more often.

Sun on the waves.

Two lovely sunny days but with a mean temperature of three degrees C. Great to look at but all I want to do is sit by the fire and keep warm.

An abstract picture created by accident as the paint peeled off the animal feeding trough. I keep finding these pictures on driftwood and other odds and ends and I think I feel an exhibition coming on for the shop.

I have got a bit behind myself.

The yard is out of control after the busy summer, but it has been productive. Beans, broad and french, with carrots and tomatoes and a few potatoes and herbs to add to the mix.

With a lot of help from two friends it has been returned to some semblance of order and is now ready for some horse muck to enrich the compost for next year. Very much a case of many hands get the job done.

I have been moon watching.

It is being a hectic week as I dash around doing Festival business during the day. There are many evening events but I am sitting with a glass of wine looking at the moon and being lazy.

The Felbrigg mosaic has been done.

It did not rain and the sun shone. The children turned up and fell to the work with enthusiasm while the artists looked on . We all had a lot of fun.

One to make you smile....

Chris is my window cleaner so was happy to share the joke.

I have been working on the Cromer and Sheringham Arts Festival so no time for walking on the beach. The Festival starts on the 23 October and runs to the 31st.

Spot the less-than-deliberate mistake .... for the dyslexic amongst us, this should read Cromer.......

I am mainly painting stones.......

The Cromer and Sheringham Arts Festival [23-31 of October] is getting rather close and there are still things to do.

The drawing is 8ft by 8ft and is the design for a mosaic which will be made up at Felbrigg Hall, with the help of the artists who are showing in the walled garden. We will be doing this on the 24 October between 12pm-3.30pm so if you are in the area come and join us.

Mosaic design by Sam Robbins

I am painting the gravel as the colours we need don't come naturally in this part of the world. I also would like dry weather to dry the gravel after it has been washed and so I can spray paint it outside. Oh happy days ............. the things we do for art.

Ladies in waiting......

..... at last the sculpture is out in the open.

After months of of work in the studio the pieces are out in the open where they should be.

The sculpture trail is in the walled garden at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk and there are many more pieces to look at; these just happen to be mine.

On my way to the beach...

..I found the seedhead of the Butterbur. It stands about 14 inches high so a bit difficult to miss really.

The beach, as you can see, was not available as it was high tide and the north wind was blowing. The waves were about 10 feet but there was a lot of spray so I put the camera away.

They do start young........

.......or am I getting older.

Some good waves over the last few days but a real nip in the wind.

The Sea Holly appears to have set seed
so with luck there may be a few more plants next year which would be good. It is a very handsome fellow when in flower.

Play time in the surf.

School may have started but they all turned out yesterday in the early evening to enjoy the big sea.

It was a bit crowded with lots of yelling and whooping plus a few good rides.

A lot going on ......... so this is just a taste.

A big swell this morning.

The rain overnight had cleared and the surf was up.

It was a big sea with the waves close together but worth a go. This lad got some good rides but also some drubbing from the waves.

It was hard work out there.

The last of the summer sun......

......some of the people who are staying in the holiday cottages on our lane enjoying the evening light.

I am not sure what this is but I think it has something to do with the wind farms being built along the coast. It is not the first one I have seen.

The North sea had turned to foam.....

....and had churned itself up overnight and got itself into a right lather. The gate had been closed which is very unusual this early in the season. It was not a very high tide but a lot of wind was driving the sea up the beach.

A shot of my workshop where outdoor sculpture is in production, and I mean production, as the summer is nearly over and I am behind myself.

Some of the smaller pieces are going to Blickling Gardens tomorrow and the larger ones to Felbrigg walled garden in October.