Powter Howe

Somehow, inbetween the drizzly and windy foulness of today, we managed to grab a quick walk and find a smidgen of sunshine. A visit to a new wood - Powter Howe near Keswick - a very damp, licheny, mossy and fungusy wood, which is home to Pied Flycatchers. Thanks to the birdwatcher that pointed us in their direction and together with the 'Merlin' Ap confirming their call - we saw two different male birds. No photographs of them though. 

Not looking really like Spring yet! 

Bark hosting numerous species in the damp!

Moss, lichen and fungus.

Many trees had large numbers of Hoof Fungus.

'Space' for Pied Flycatcher! 

A 'summit' cairn.

Looking through the trees to the floods at the end of Bassenthwaite.

Dodd wood and summit

I was so tight for time this morning but managed to squeeze in Dodd, even if I had to run down! Spectacular views and well worth the effort ....

On the way up...no inversion, but a gorgeous day! 

Bassenthwaite ...beginning to freeze.

Rocky on the summit.

Looking over Derwent water and the Coledale round.

Looking north...

Skiddaw...

Happy dog! 

Cracking views ...

Looking west ...

Plenty of frost...

Mist on Derwent water . 

Castlerigg Stone Circle

 A new lino cut of Castle Rigg - two versions of colouring though - which has divided opinion. 

The least popular colouring ...but framed it looks lovely! 

..and a variety of full colourings! 

Making wax crayons ...

We had been wanting to make wax crayons using local sediments for a while and finally we found a 'free' afternoon! It was a simple process and there are refinements to be made, but the process is really promising ....all these earthy tones were made from samples taken from the local gill...

A variety of minerals/sediments to experiment with ....

Ground yellow ochre - limonite nodules and red ochre - haematite nodules.

Melting parafin wax...

Making basic moulds out of aluminium foil...

 Mixing wax and sediment/minerals...

Filling the moulds...

Results ....

A range of colours from a couple of minerals...

Processing, marketing and packaging has a way to go...but we are on it!

Dodd

An early morning walk up Dodd with some nice light. What a treat - especially as Molly is here with me. 

Across Keswick to Derwentwater.

Across to the Helvellyn range.

Looking up Borrowdale with Castle Crag. 

Autumn colours. 

White saddle fungi.

Fly agaric.

And the view from the summit. 

New oil paintings

With a couple of sales I am getting rather low on stock, so I have had a concerted effort to paint a bit while it's warm and oils dry rapidly. 

Towards Keswick from Binsey.

Watendlath tarn with water lilies. 

Bannerdale Crags from Bowscale Fell. 

The road to Caldbeck/Carrock Fell. 

Beautiful Bassenthwaite

 On the way home from Castle Crag we stopped off at the shore of Bassenthwaite...spectacular vies and some common quillwort washed up. 

Banded demoiselles at Lesson Hall

Good to see that there is a strong population still at this site....and we saw a kingfisher.

The beck...

The colourful male...

The prey - hiding!

The elusive female.

..and a speckled wood in the background.