A Woman With A Camera

Two New Pubs

This Saturday we tried two new pubs that had been recommended to us. The first one was a micro pub called The Ginger Giraffe. It has been opened in an old bus garage not too far from where we live. Outside they have a large model Giraffe. Inside is set out really well, quite rustic. They sell lots of different gins as well as real ale. They also have a small games room with a pool table. You can’t say that about many micro pubs. And live music on some weekends.

The second pub we tried was the Boat Inn at Pinxton Wharf in Derbyshire. Also a very nice pub. And sitting close to the fire on a cold winter’s day was very nice. The meal above was not my meal. I had a vegan burger with the works. This was my partner’s meal. Liver and Onions. He said it was very nice and home cooked as well. The pub has just had a lot of money spent on it doing it up. Well worth a visit.

Dinner & A Rest

Today the girls had a treat. I give them a treat at least once a week. Sometimes twice. Depends on how good they are. Today they had some fresh chicken for their dinner. They get very excited when they know that they are going to get a treat. I can’t break it up fast enough for them. They really do enjoy a good meal. Makes a change from the usual.

Then after dinner its time for a nap. Millie does like to sleep on her back at times. But you have to be careful not to wake her or startle her. She doesn’t like that at all. But when she is relaxed, really relaxed, then you know about it.

Stars

A couple of years ago I decided to name a star for myself, one of my bucket list items. I had always wanted to do this and it wasn’t as expensive as I though it would be. I liked it that much that I also bought one for my partner for his birthday. So now both of us will be forever up in the stars. I might even do another for someone else one day.

Memorial Bench

A couple of years ago this appeared at our nature reserve. Very nice bench and it has managed to stay undamaged. Can’t say much for the base though. Although I am surprised it has stayed in tact and clean. Kids, mostly teenagers, hang around this place dropping litter, smoking dope and generally making a mess of the place. So it has surprised me that is hasn’t been damaged. There has been some mud marks on it at times but that is about it.

I have heard about several of these benches around the country and saw one once in Wales, exactly the same. It was to commemorate the end of the first world war I think, it having ended a hundred years ago at the time of these benches being made.

First Snow & Walkies At Red River

We had our first snow this week after Storm Ciara at the weekend. It didn’t last long thankfully. I’m not a big fan of snow. I much prefer the summer. By the next day it was all gone. When winter comes around I tend to stay indoors a lot. I wish I lived somewhere warmer and if I had the chance I would go somewhere warmer. We have another storm coming this weekend. Storm Dennis this time. Dennis the Menace some are calling it.

This photo was taken this morning, a couple of days after the snow. I have to keep my girls on leads as they tend not to come back when I call them. This way they get some freedom but can only wander a certain distance away from me. In this case, about 30 feet.

These are the steps that Gracie, our older dog, prefers to use when on our way back home. She always takes a glance at me before heading down these steps as if asking if its okay to go this way. She knows where she’s going. The stream is a little higher than usual. Might get a little higher when the next storm comes.

Under this pond is a coal mine as this area was full of mines years ago, all now gone. There were a few mines here many years ago, all reclaimed now. In the summer this pond often dries up and can remain that way for awhile. We do get Ducks and Moorhens on the pond but in summer they tend to go on Loscoe Dam because the young can’t survive on here if there is no water.

First Snow

We had our first snow yesterday. Complete with paw prints from the dogs. It may not seem a lot of snow but we haven’t had a lot for a few years. After the storm over the last weekend it brought along with it some cold air then this happened. Although most of it has gone now, even though it has been snowing on and off most of the day. The wind has increased today also. Another storm is coming this weekend, named Dennis this time. Some are calling it Dennis the Menace. The last one had winds of up to 90 mph in some areas. Hope it isn’t as bad as that this time.

This is the flag we have in our garden, which we had to take down because of the storm. We’re leaving it down for now because of storm that is heading our way at the weekend. We had the electricity helicopter about earlier checking the lines just in case the last storm caused some damage. We see it flying low once in a while.

Millie Moo

Our Millie taken today. Just caught her right. I was playing about with my new camera and decided to take a photo of her and she looked at me just at the right moment. Tried it in black and white and thought it looked better.

This was taken a little later while she was taking a nap before dinner. She saw me at the last moment just before I took the photo. She can be such a cutie at times.

It may look like she is chewing her bed, but she isn’t. Millie is just resting her head. Millie does sleep a lot. Especially when there is a storm outside and we can’t go walkies because there is too much high winds and rain.

Our Millie & Ticket To EM Con

Another photo of our Millie. She loves to sit under the fire, which isn’t real but does blow warm air, which she loves to sit under. When our other Westie sits under the fire Millie will stare at her to get her to move. Excuse the carpet. There used to a brick fire so when we removed it left a gap where the carpet went up to it. We are in the process of changing it. This was taken just after we had just wallpapered the wall.

This is my ticket to EM-Con in Nottingham in May. I am looking forward to going to this again. This will be my second time at this event and there are some good people appearing this again this year. But it looks like I will be going on my own this year. When I went 2 years ago my cousins and sister went with me. Looks like they won’t be able to go this year. So, its me all on my todd this year.

Favourites

These are my two favourite rings. They are both 925 silver and I always wear them. The Peace ring I have had for many years. The second ring I have only had a few weeks. I also have a pendant that I never take off either, which are two whale tails, my favourite animal. One of the whale tails has opal on it, which my partner got from Jersey when he was over there for work last year. I didn’t get to go with him that time. But I did get to go to Guernsey the year before. Such a beautiful place.

This is one of my many trolley tokens. I used to collect them at one point. I still have over 30 but don’t seem to bother looking for them anymore. I bought this one when my sister became a mother, which meant I became an auntie. However, I see so little of my nephew that he barely knows who I am. Not fault by mine, by the way. My sister and I aren’t close but I stopped asking for meet ups at it was always me that did the asking. She doesn’t seem to bother anymore. My nephew calls me his mum’s sister, rather than his aunt. The sunflower is my favourite flower. I’m not a rose person. Don’t really like them.

Writing & Saving

This is just one of my ink pens that I write with. I tend not to write with regular pens as they are not so environmentally friendly nowadays. At least with this one, and my Lamy fountain pens, its only the ink you have to buy. Not the whole thing. With my fountain pens I have a refillable cartridge so the ink then comes in glass bottles. No plastic needed.

I am writing a sci-fi story, that I doubt will ever get published. But that doesn’t stop me from writing. Its about a battlecruiser that travels through space with over a thousand souls on board, in cry-chambers, which includes animals as well as people, to find somewhere else to live. They have a destination in mind but the ships computer takes them on a different route when it receives a distress call from another ship, in which case they become lost and have to look for somewhere else to go. This is not just one long story but many short stories about their journey through space. I have been trying to write it for many years but have never got it quite right so keep rewriting it. I will get it finished one day. I’m just a slow writer.

This is just a saving egg which I put all my 50 pence pieces and £2 coins in the help me save up for things. I have had it for many years now and when its full I put it in the bank. I’m not a good saver so I find it easier to save this way. When I have enough for the things I want to buy I can then pay for them with my card. If its in the bank its too easy to spend so in the egg it goes until its needed. Or until its full, whichever comes first.