Steps, ferns and fishing

Random shots for a Saturday morning. 

The new fancy steps are Clive`s pride and joy;

 the boys are beginning to add the artistic touches to the basic structure.

 The fern grows on the bank opposite the back door and is a nice patch of green before the leaves open on the trees.

 And fishing;      a great way to do nothing while pretending to do something.

Heavy water.....

.......or how to get wet with out swimming. The tide was too high for walking on the beach, so I could only look at the sea and watch the spray.

Sailing by........

.......and men at work in the garden.

 The ships out at sea rarely come within camera range but I do like to try and record the odd one.

 Most ships are at least ten miles out so not in photo distance, but there are quite a number each day.

                                                         The garden progresses and is now being set in concrete, so if we or they have got it wrong we have had it  ............ but I think they have got it right.

Texture.......

Weathered sand and burnt wood show a range of colours and patterns which are quite amazing.

 The effects of wind and rain in one case and fire in the other.

 I think the burnt wood would make a fine abstract wall hanging;  I could try copying it.

Nature study.......

This is the lesser black-backed gull sitting on a marker on the end of a groyne.  

                           The other photo is our answer to the great white shark. 

 Usually, the North Sea has only small examples of the shark family and this one is the lesser-spotted dogfish, all of 15........inches long and not noted for biting people.

Wood works.......

............. in the garden and on the beach. 

Here are the new steps in the garden [unfinished] to stop us falling down the bank into the stream.

 

And breakwaters on the beach to reduce the power of the waves.

Mundesley in February

Optimism is the name of the game.

Best foot forward and all that .......

And it`s a bit soggy on the beach.

Morning sea.......

...... I had a quiet walk on the beach before the painting of the kitchen walls;

 not artistic,  just decorating;  needs must.

It is much warmer than latterly so I  spent more time on the beach than I should have done. 

Nice, though.

Big slump and little slump.

       All the rain we have had has got to the cliffs and given them " that sinking feeling".

 The name for this type of slippage is  slumping which seems reasonable as only the top vegetation is sliding off. 

The cliffs are only overgrown sand dunes after all.

Surf at dusk......

...... or playing in the sea after school.

 I think wetsuits must be quite warm, so I am thinking I should get one for walking on the beach.

Muddy waters.......

River Mun after the rain.

New patio will be ready for g&t if we ever have a summer.

One good, one bad......

..... photo.

 The starfish is to prove that, occasionally, I do go on the beach in this cold weather. 

           The longtailed tit shows the problem of not having a long lens[yet]. There were about eight of them in the trees opposite the back door.

           I know you can have a charm of goldfinches so can you have a flitter of longtailed tits ?

No snow; just rain and then more rain....

The stream is not that high but rushing away as it does in the winter.                                                                          Work on the garden has had to slow down because of the weather.

       The orange-y colour on the mud is the sawdust from cutting  the supporting timbers.          

 The range of colour in wood is always a joy to me,  it`s  not just brown.

Beach cat........

...... master of all he surveys,  just checking out the surf.

   

 It was a bit lively, as you can see, with the sunshine making it rather glamorous.

Nearly got wet feet........

          ...... again, as the tide was coming in with some vigour.

     No snow,  just a bit of frost making the sand crisp underfoot. 

                         I`m hoping for driftwood after the east wind but not much luck as yet.

Love in a cold climate........

..... two ring doves sheltering from the snow flurries.

             Not a good photo because I stayed indoors and took it through the window, in my usual wimpish way.