Wednesday 30 September 2009

The Moon and Mars in Torquay Harbour


The beaches are open to four legged friends tomorrow.........Amie will be pleased. Beaches mean ice cream. It looks as if she is getting stuck into a tooth pick here, it's really the remains of an ice cream cone. A LARGE ICE CREAM....no chocolate flake...........


Mars is there, it shows up better if you look at the reflection in the water.


We were night owls last night...............



walking along the sea front ...........................


and wondered how long the peaceful calm would last before the weather changes.

Doggy beach days start again tomorrow..........................

Monday 28 September 2009

Windy Winds in Teignmouth, Devon


This is result of my spinning practice, wool washing and carding paddles.


I'm not the greatest spinner of yarns, but it did knit up.


It's a one off and I really like originality, not sure if the ducks do.


Amie went for a walk around Teignmouth yesterday and ended up at the quay.
I love the view of Dartmoor in the back ground every time we cross the river.


The front door of Windy Wings.......... it wouldn't be fair of me to show someone's cottage on here, hope they forgive me for their front door. It's in a very narrow lane in Teignmouth, to see the name on the door made a large smile cross my face. Person after my own heart.........they have a sense of humour.


Last of all I couldn't resist this.........if anyone moans at me for taking it.....moan on, I won't mind......................
I hate having to try and quickly side step these things. I move slower than most (not all people before I really get moaned at) buggy drivers.
I always give way, or get run over....I cringe when one of the motor "things" comes near me.
The two ladies driving here, gave me a wide berth, for which I was thankful.
I think they were more interested in chasing each other along the sea front.
I can't tell you which one won, as they disappeared in a flash like a couple of Formula One car drivers.

Saturday 26 September 2009

Castle Cove, Dartmouth, Devon


While the weather lasts we are out and about.
I can't think of a nicer place to spend an hour or two.
Watching the waves from Castle Cove.

Save Castle Cove on the banner draped over the bridge?
It's in need of restoration. I couldn't have got to the bottom of this beautiful cove.
Shame as I would have loved to.

At least you can share the view.............




SAVE CASTLE COVE!

Friday 25 September 2009

Tatty old 20th century gong wall clock



A while ago I told you about finding my pictures on a web site that sold old tat.
My word for dust collecting stuff.... I'm sure there is another word for it but for me, calling it old tat works!

I know it happens so I shouldn't really have been so annoyed,
Soggibottom's clock, picture, part of a beam and the wall, look hard I expect you'll see a cobweb.

I deleted the old post of my Nana's 1920 clock.
Here it is the picture again with a new title. It has one gong missing, as we stopped the film too early.
I love this clock.................... I remember it on another wall, in another house and a time when I wasn't tall enough to reach it.
If any one knows more about it than we do, we would love to hear from you....apart from the same picture appearing on an Eastern European site..................

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Soggibottom's fluffy bits


I suppose I should put something that I have "made" on here.
This is the washed wool you saw in the tub a while ago. I know...rubbish spinner eh?
The finished article is coming along..........really, believe me..... honestly....


I started to knit with the ball of wool. That I had spun with a drop spindle (made by Tony) and it was fine....well no it wasn't.
It was very thick with fine bits.... but that was o.k. very rustic, that's my excuse!
I am never going to master drop spindle spinning, say that when you have had a glass of wine, or two.
I have now taken it off from this needle and re wound it. Using a larger pair of needles, I have made something. You'll have to wait as I haven't had time to sew it together yet. Fun doing something I have never done before though......be brave and try something different.



Now I can go back to the normal stuff................. Something different.

Fluffs is a Soggibottom cat, but she's not my cat, she really belongs to Steve.
How many of you have done the same thing with your kids pets?

If you haven't you will!!

We've looked after her here for about six years. No matter how much coaxing, carrying outside, love and attention she has always had. Her real owner arrives and she decides to explore the big wide outside world.........................

Fluffs and I spent the whole morning, messing around in the garden. I came in from the garden and thought CRACKED IT!
Jump for joy after all the years of trying to get her out and about.
No way..........................she has been asleep all day, she must be about 19/20 years old, so maybe you can't blame her.

Sunday 20 September 2009

Birthday Boy


Tony's birthday today.

He has decided he is 29 and sticking to that age.

It's been two and half years since we saw Steve at Soggibottom. Has he changed?
.....kids never change in the eye's of their Mum and Dad.

I'm not going to tell you how old Steve is otherwise it would make me an awful lot older than 29.



This is the view they were looking at..............



You know us here at Soggibottom, love to share things................

Thursday 17 September 2009

Free and a give a way


With this little dog, never in a million...........


Nearly 12 years old and still walks the walk.............. that is Amie, not me ........I lost the walk along time ago........do I care........



This is a place called the Hackney Marshes, in Newton Abbot, beside the river Teign.....



Amie still plods along, so do we........


I said I would give links to other great blogs a few days ago (or was it last week?). I will, but need to mention all the lovely people who click here without ever leaving a comment. I KNOW YOU CLICK GUYS!
Thank you, so pleased you share Soggibottom Cottage with us. The blog never was about making anything. It's about the cottage. But if you ask me to make something I probably can WITH SOME THOUGHT......as long as it has nothing to do with a paint brush..........

YES, to True Blue Canadian
I will have time to make another bear. I've been making bears all summer.
I can't always blog them. They aren't mine to blog....
I have been knitting, and spinning, or is that trying to spin........? ? ?
I am an absolute rubbish spinner.....how do they do it?
How do they make it look so easy?

Hi Sally, give Scobby a huge huge and hope to see you soon x x x ........................As you might have guessed my email's are still not as they should be....before I forget........for Caroline at Uniqart Spuds, get theirs in the end. We had chips for tea!

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Sticky monkey

We have a sticky monkey.

Not talking about Amie sitting in her favorite spot in the car on her way to Dorset on Saturday morning.

Not the other sticky monkey you can see holding onto the back window for grim death. He falls off sometimes.

We have no email system at Soggibottom at the moment.
We have had a really cute little guy fixing it for days. He did, then as soon as he went out of the door......Murphy's law kicked in.
Cut off from the outside world..................AGAIN!


What a beautiful world it can be.
This is the beautiful Chisel Beach at Weymouth.
Miles and miles of it. Always at it's best viewed from the highest point you can find.

Portland Bill was slightly windy as you can hear. This is the view we see on a clear day from Devon.
The Devon Coast is beyond the lighthouse.
It's always a hazy view from the Devon side. Brilliant to know what we are looking at next time we go for a walk along one of the Devon beaches.

Sunday 13 September 2009

Dining out in Dorset


When you've been out and about in Dorset eventually you have to stop and have something to eat.

She might have her head in her dog dish and you think ah, poor little thing, what you don't know is earlier she had eaten smoked salmon and still woofed down her tea.



Amie and the tombstoner's of Portland Bill

No words...................


can say how I felt watching the kids jump from here. My heart went to my mouth and I felt sick. Maybe it was just me. Amie watched with enthusiasm.


Saturday 12 September 2009

Two blogs for the price of one


We have so many lovely photo's from our day out in Dorset today. Here is just one.

YES CAT......................... you are on the wrong blog again.................

Wednesday 9 September 2009

nine, nine o9.


I quite like the thought of 9.9.09. I like the number nine. There are only 6 pictures on here.
Most of the others are video's, it's late so you will have to make do with six. (I like the number six too).

I'm sure most of you have seen the views above and below but I love to stand and stare when we go to Haldon Forest. The view above overlooks Exeter.


This is another favorite, it's on the other side of the hill and looks towards Dartmoor and Newton Abbot. It's also a great spot if your into birds of prey, saying that we have only ever seen a buzzard flying over here, and only once. We see more of them flying over and landing in the cottage garden. Great view though.


This must be where my tree hugging bit comes in.


I know you have seen these before, but the sun was shining and it makes a BIG difference.


East Devon.


Back to the trees........
I intend to mention as many of Amie's best mates and as many of the Soggibottom favorite links as I can over the following posts. As the picture above shows a forest here is your first link.

Link to Squirrel Chat......lovely, arty, humour, cooking tips from Don, in depth world thought, and Buzz and Jackie should keep you on your toes..... Buzz and Jackie are a pair of Jack Russell's, they probably rank with Frankie de tabby !
Give it a click and hopefully see some of the other Michele's art.....SQWAHR

September at Soggibottom


Well, looks like this is it. The great British Summer has come back, except now it's Autumn. While London and the South East have had great weather this week down here in Devon or at least over the bridge Soggibottom side the sky has been overcast, grey and at times it's rained.

What else could we do today except take Amie for a walk. We took so many pictures in 2 hours I can't put them all on here. So many that it might take me a week of blogging, just so you can see the best one's from our walk at Haldon Hill. For now make do with the one we took while we sat and had tea in the back garden.


I thought you might like an update into the wool that was in the trug being washed. Here it is. IT KNITS UP......to my amazement. I have done something right!

I very cheekily went and asked my neighbour who is a fantastic felter and artist what I should do with the wool tops. I had an idea but the outlines of my idea's sometimes come to grief.
I came back over the bridge with a pair of carding combs (I think that is what they are called) and the right soap flakes to wash the wool in. How is that for being cheeky. It's not something I normally do, I only wanted her advice. I am blessed with great neighbours...... Anyone have an odd spinning wheel laying around?

I've just proved that I don't need one. Might be harder work, but all good practise. I'm still not sure what I am going to knit with it.
An idea will come......................hopefully!



In the meantime we are off to Dorset over the weekend to visit Cat and her beach hut exhibition. It's not often I get the chance to really see a fellow blogger's work up close. Cat has such a talent for costume making her art astounds me. .......................hope she has a kettle in the beach hut.....

You can nip over to RAGGY RAT for all the details.

Hopefully see some of you sometime over the weekend at the Beach Hut Studio, Portland Bill, Dorset.

Sunday 6 September 2009

Snail and slug busters, who needs them?


We need some get up and get 'em frogs.

This isn't one of them.

Normally when we start to clear the jungle/garden the frogs scatter when they are disturbed.


Not this camera loving little guy.............now isn't that a kissable face.

You can if you want to I'll pass on that.


He sunned himself for ages, I began to be bored watching him......




No wonder we have so many snails this autumn.

Get to work froggy.

As you watch the video you will understand how I felt.

Saturday 5 September 2009

Soggibottom Visitors


Georgia is our Goddaughter.
Here she is with her little sister Zara when they came to visit last weekend.


A Soggibottom bear went home with them.
I hoped they would take the snails they were picking up outside with them too....
they didn't........but there is always next time.

Thursday 3 September 2009

NOT TIDY TAILS - again


We know she looks good.


Fluffs and Mew keep wondering what the new smell is.......



Ready to meet her fans.............she also has a silent love.....Campball.
You can see him and his friends if you click on the link to Sparky Brand.
Campball belongs to Susan from the Mad Merles...........ah.....he needs a blog spot of his own.

Wool tops and Poppy tops


It's not often I take to washing out side but the wool tops weren't coming into the cottage until they were cleaner. I'm not sure what I am going to make out of them yet. I'll let you see when I have finished............any idea's?


Also been picking things from the garden ready for the Winter, terrible thought of the dark nights creeping closer and closer. These are marigold petals if your wondering where I have left my marbles... I use them for all sorts of things, cooking, hair washing, and they dye material. They grow really well, no skill involved. The bees and I love them.


Christmas poppies, now I have mentioned the other dreaded Winter word.
They have been drying in the shed all Summer, now it's time for them to dress up the cottage fireplace. Then I cut them down and use them for our Christmas door wreath.


Last and not least....the Gourds....wow, did I get in a pickle over these things. I do label plants but the labels have a tendency to either fall out of the pot or I use the plastic label for something else, KNOWING that I will remember what they are when they grow......

They got muddled with courgettes, pumpkins, and squash....all the fun of growing your own. Just wait and see what comes up!
I also had a stern look for growing something in the veggie plot that wasn't one of Frankie de tabby's garden eatables. Look great on the cottage table, very Autumnal......