Scavenger Hunt

Hello there! I've hardly been in Blogland over the last two weeks and have been missing you all - how are you? It's been busy here and I'm very glad that it's a Bank Holiday weekend. Last week we had several seasons at once with snow, sleet, hailstones, rain and warm sunshine all in the course of a couple of days. That's April for you. This weekend I'm joining in with a photographic scavenger hunt hosted by Hawthorn at I live, I love, I craft, I am me... If you've never visited her blog, I recommend you take a look. Her photos are great and she always has something interesting to say. Over the last three weeks I've been taking photos which fit the categories she set, so without further ado, here they are:

1) Orange

I reached for a clementine after our meal and P passed me one of our old Ikea plastic plates. We bought these plates years ago when the children were little and we needed some unbreakable crockery. We've carried on using them, as we're fond their flowery shapes and bright, zingy colours. As soon as I put my clementine on it I knew that this was my 'orange' photo.

2) Feather

Our garden is regularly visited by pigeons and collared doves who like to peck the seeds I put out on the feeder. I know many people think of them as a nuisance, but I have great affection for them and love their rounded shapes and soft grey plumage. When I was gardening I found a feather and used it to mark where I'd planted some seeds. 

3) Something fresh

Two weeks ago I picked some rhubarb from our garden and within 20 minutes it was trimmed, washed, chopped and cooking gently under a crumble topping in the oven. Even I was impressed by my speed. As my friend said, 'That's quicker than Birds Eye!'.

(Here's the 'after' shot - we ate it with vanilla ice cream).

4) Horizon

We drove to Wells one evening recently and, as we reached the top of the Mendip hills, this view lay ahead. We take this road very often and as a result it's become very familiar, but I never tire of this wonderful view of the Somerset Levels and Glastonbury Tor. Magical.

5) Wet

I went outside after a shower of rain and stopped to look at raindrops which were caught in the new leaves of the aquilegias. The closer I looked, the more I could see. You can see our cherry tree reflected in this lovely, sparkly droplet.

6) Craft

I love going to craft workshops and learning something new. Still on my to-learn list are basket-weaving and stained glass-making, but one that I really enjoyed a few years ago was mosaic-making. I made a mat and this green and white daisy-bordered mirror which hangs in the kitchen (as it's a mirror I am making a rare appearance). Cutting up the tiles was easier than I expected and I enjoyed piecing together the design as I went. I must do some more one day. 

7) Growing

When we were at our local farm shop recently we stopped to visit the ducks and hens, and as we passed the pond we noticed the frogspawn. It's not the best photo, but you can see the hundreds (thousands?) of tiny eggs and a tadpole swimming by. In every egg was a miniscule wriggling black dot, each one a froglet in the making. 

8) Memories

This little milk bottle brings back memories of my infant school days. Back in the 1970s every child was entitled to school milk, and we would be given ours at morning break. If I was milk monitor I would count out the little bottles, which held a 1/3 pint, and line them up on top of the big old stove that stood in the corner of our classroom to warm. Then I would pop a stripy red and white plastic straw into the top of each silver foil topped bottle, ready for drinking. I actually didn't like warm milk, but did enjoy the ritual of having my own tiny milk bottle.

9) Sticks

I love a den. We found this one in the depths of Goblin Combe. We hadn't seen anyone for the whole time we'd been in the beautiful and eerie gorge, but here was reassuring evidence of busy human activity. Rather cosy isn't it?

10) Sky

This is my choice of category. At this time of year the skies are so dramatic, a fabulous ever-changing artwork going on above our heads as we go about our everyday business. I am a bit of a cloud freak and can't take my eyes off the silvery-lined, billowing cumulus clouds which tower high into the atmosphere. The beautiful dark grey parts of them bring rain and hailstones, and before you know it the sun is out again.

I really enjoyed doing this scavenger hunt and hope to visit you all in Blogland a bit more this week. Hope you've all had a good weekend. See you soon x