Popped inside for a few moments and came out again to encounter this baby on the patio.
#birds
Remote
Rebecca Banner
@rebeccabanner@mastodonapp.uk
mastodon 4.6.8Mainly bellringing, cats, some nature/gardening and all sorts of making things, photography and video making. Non-theistic pagan with an Anglican background. Ace. She/her. East Midlands, UK.
344 Followers
188 Following
50 Posts
Joined February 07, 2023
Finally went somewhere I could get photos of #TinyBalancingSheep.
Fractal tree.
#MonochromeMarch #ThickTrunkTuesday
Zine permission granted
First fruits from my garden, radishes and sugar snap peas. The legumes are doing very well. Two rows of carrots - when I've tried them in this garden before they just haven't germinated, the raised beds are working for me here. No sign of the row of parsnips though. I don't know what the seedlings look like, but there is not a clear row of anything there.
I'm quite pleased with the work I've put in. In the past I have started plants but not kept on with their upkeep, but I'm doing well this time round. I quite like my evening watering routine.
#gardening #GrowYourOwn
Time to change my phone wallpaper again. These daisies are a volunteer plant in our garden this year, but doing a fantastic job.
#bloomscrolling #gardening
Blackthorn.
One of the earliest blossoms out in the UK, blackthorn flowers are spreads of white against still bare hedges. The bare tree reflects its name, as over winter it is a mass of dark branches, compared to its lighter cousin hawthorn.
I liked the contrast I got here between the white flowers and the dark background.
#MonochromeMarch #Bloomscrolling
Zine permission granted.
Another shot taken while at the bellfoundry, looking through the boardroom window into the new entrance courtyard. I love how the window has been patched over the years with different types of glass.
#MonochromeMarch #FensterFreitag
Zine permission granted
"but you are working," says the cat, "you are providing me with a lap. Your job today is to give me lots of fuss."
#gardening #cats
Beans for #caturday.
#MonochromeMarch
Zine permission granted
I've been sitting so long in between gardening I've gained a friend.
#gardening #UKWildlife
Music from the days of black and white.
My grandad's accordion, dating from 1930s/40s. On Saturday nights during the war he would have played at dances frequented by the airmen stationed at the nearby airfield.
#MonochromeMarch
Zine permission granted
The bellringers.
A close up of part of the bellringers' window at St Margaret's church Leicester. Traditionally during Holy Week, church bells are not rung, and although many vicars these days wouldn't mind if we did, it does give us a week off. Some towers hold their annual meeting in lieu of their normal practice night. This year at our tower, we're going to the pub instead of ringing!
#MonochromeMarch #bellringing
Zine permission granted
Dwarfed.
These trees always remind me that we are only one part of nature, just as these trees are a part too.
#MonochromeMarch creating monochrome images during the month of March and posting them here. I'm finding it a good way to stretch my very amateur photography skills, needing to look at light and composition to get a good photo.
Zine permission granted.
I did a thing! Or lots of things rolled into one. Not only did I go #bellringing and ring a quarter peal on the hottest day so far, I was in charge and conducting it. And I drove there on my own, somewhere I've never driven before (though I've visited a couple of times so knew the route), in a car with no aircon, coming home past 2 primary schools at pick up time!
Now taking some time to relax on our bed as it's one of the coolest rooms in the house, disturbed the cat who has decided to own it today. My new bamwoo insulated water bottle definitely keeps water nicely chilled.
A picture of Missy for #caturday.
Low light, luckily she held still long enough.
#MonochromeMarch zine permission granted.
Three photos today, because I couldn't pick one perfect shot. The most notable thing about this camelia bush is the colour of the flowers, so I thought it would be a good challenge to get an interesting picture of them in black and white.
#MonochromeMarch Creating new pictures in monochrome to post during the month of March. Zine permission granted.
#Bloomscrolling
Daffodils.
To all the mums out there, especially mine, on this Mothering Sunday.
#MonochromeMarch #MotheringSunday #MothersDay
At the foundry.
The conference I was on at the weekend was located at Loughborough Bellfoundry on Sunday, where I managed to snap this timeless shot - pretty much looking how it would have done 100+ years ago.
#MonochromeMarch
Time, please.
Last orders at #MonochromeMarch , with a sneaky selfie if you look closely. 31 days of posting monochrome pictures taken during this month of March.
Thankyou @StevenLawsonPhotography@mastoart.social for encouraging us all to get out there and practice our skills, I look forward to seeing the Zines (zine permission granted, as usual!)
Is this where pencil shavings come from?
A quick phone snap today, turned into monochrome with the very basic editing features on the camera app.
#MonochromeMarch
Zine permission granted.
Just been over to church to do some maintenance on the bells. We discovered at the last practice that the tenor clapper was loose, so went over to tighten it properly, and check all the other bolts. Turns out bell 3 clapper was a bit loose too!
The new ropes have had time to bed in, so adjusted them all to a better length. Pic4 you can see where the rope passes through the wheel on the right of the pic, and is tied around the spokes in the middle, so we can adjust length. Typically this is because they change with the weather, but our new ropes are manmade fibre so shouldn't change so frequently.
Ready for a quarter peal tomorrow.
#bellringing
Lazy day, so played a solo game of Forest Shuffle Dartmoor. For today's challenge I chose no.11: plant grove, with the aim to have 12 plants in my forest, and the lowest level of difficulty, score of 200. I managed the goal, but winter came too early and my score only reached 199. Almost there! I do lose far more than I win.
#boardgames
Hot cross buns made for tomorrow. Although we are not involved in church anymore, other than ringing, I do like keeping the seasonality of food through the year.
Missy has been moping around this afternoon. Guess she just wanted a lap as she came and made herself comfortable on me as soon as I sat down for a break. Didn't even stop for a pummel.
Can anyone tell me how to persuade my allergy that having a cat snuggle on me is a good thing. The cats are shedding, and I know all about it!
#caturday
Spring Skies
#MonochromeMarch #FingerpostFriday
Zine permission granted
Troll Bridge: suitable for first time buyer.
#MonochromeMarch #FootpathFriday
Unusual item travelling down the M1.
This afternoon's walk was repeated trips from the water butts at the far end of the garden to the drain at the house. We need to move the butts so building work can happen, but didn't want to saturate the ground even more by dumping 500 litres in situ. At least it got my step count up!
Meanwhile, the new shed was delivered first thing this morning. But a message from the builder saying his job at the beginning of this week is bigger than expected, so he won't get to us until next week, means we don't need to rush. We've got the long weekend to put it up on the patio (temporarily) and empty the to-be-demolished sheds into it.
#gardening
Jogging again after 2 weeks off. My very busy month is coming to an end, so I can try and get back into my healthy routine again. I also decided the ground has dried up enough I can go back to my preferred circular route, rather than a there-and-back route along gravel paths. The weather reminded me who is boss though, and tried to rain on me as I set out. A slow time for my mile run, but not unexpected. At least I didn't have the long slog uphill in the second half.
#running
Nature's takeover.
#MonochromeMarch #Mosstodon
Zine Permission Granted
Just glancing through last month's boardgame stats. Lots of games starting with a C.
#boardgames
"Warp speed, Mr Scott."
Or
"Great Scott! Where we're going, we don't need roads!"
Trying out some slow shutter speed work.
#MonochromeMarch zine permission granted.
This morning we went out to buy a new handheld hoover, but came home with a hearth rug and lots of plants instead! Mark really shouldn't leave me unattended in the gardening section of B&Q. (Add that to the list of shops I'm not allowed to visit without supervision.)
And as we're busy all weekend, I've spent this afternoon planting them - not ideal as the soil is cold and damp and claggy, but looking forward to seeing them grow.
#gardening
It's now reached 30C outside, which was the point on Wednesday that I decided it was too hot to be sitting outside, even in the shade of the pergola. But given that today it is already 27C inside (it was about 24 on Wednesday), I think I'm going to stay out here, with my little battery fan helping the ever so slight breeze.
Working on an article on learning striking for the next #bellringing guild newsletter, though some tree surgeons have turned up round the back and are shredding cupressus. The volume is not conducive to me thinking about how to explain how to listen to ringing!
This morning I'm at the 12bell eliminator at St Margarets Leicester. I'm not taking part in the actual competition, but was in the band for the test ring - essentially the sound check for the judges to make sure they can hear the bells well. The first team is currently ringing their practice piece. Not much business at the bar yet!
#bellringing
Beautifully level sponge cake. Making gluten free cake for the #bellringing 12bell eliminator contest at St Margarets tomorrow.
#baking
Replying to
@mirijb2 @artcollisions @mayintoronto and if you're very lucky in certain circumstances you can enter a flow state. But be careful about waking up out of it - it's easy to forget where you are in the piece of ringing and go wrong!
Getting used to the new straps during my accordion practice tonight. Worked on my nemesis of finding Amin quickly in a three bar phrase where bass changes 4 times a bar! Might have just about managed the phrase if you squint. Flicking through the book to choose some different tunes to try and found this interesting bass line to try. Feeling more confident in trying out more technical stuff.
Today's exercise involved my bike.
I have dreams of summer weather, just hopping on the bike and cycling somewhere. Maybe to the reservoir, watch the ducks, and the fishermen in their rowing boats. Have an ice cream.
Problem is, my legs currently disagree. And my lungs.
I get the bike out and pedal through the wood.
Whee!
Downhill towards the road crossing.
Whee!
Downhill to the bridge across the stream.
Uphill
Uphill
Uphill
By this point I'm walking, having exhausted all 18 gears, even the little ones where your legs spin like a top. And like a top I slowly weave to and fro, achieving little.
So just a short cycle today, circling the plateau to avoid too many uphill bits. Explore the new estate built next door. Back through the wood (oof! Uphill away from the road crossing, but not too long.) Turn into the drive, 1 mile distance covered. That'll do for today.
#cycling #cyclingForTheUnfit
It's hot, damn hot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXR0uoxUvaw
Replying to
@olivvybee@beehive.city it sucks that we all learnt this as we grew up, ie: a) its important to be successful/do something important/achieve fame or riches; and b) it's ok if x person is more successful than you because they are older than you. Leading to the conclusion that if someone younger than you is more successful, then there must be something wrong with you.
Work (not) in progress.
I'm taking a break from sieving soil today and clearing a space for the next pair of raised beds to go - approx where the wheelbarrow is.
Need to get wood chips to go down on the black gravel grids. Buff gravel grids have been cut ready to make a start on improving the stone path, which also needs extending. Also need more grids to complete it, though we have the gravel (sitting on the drive) and the edging stones.
Next up today, moving the turf pile which will mulch down into more soil for the raised beds if I give it a few months. Then I might do this tiny bit of shredding just to get it out of the way.
A bit hot to be doing hard work today!
#gardening
Excellent quarter peal tonight at Whitwick. A replay of the method we attempted last week but didn't get - Mark and I have finally rung January's method of the month! Some really steady ringing.
#bellringing
https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1952543
A busy day with #bellringing related stuff today. 2nd day of the Association of Ringing Teachers conference, but I snuck out with some friends to go and ring a quarter peal at a nearby church for International Womens Day. A band of Ladies Guild members. I called Bob Minor - my first time without a backup keeping an eye on me, and I turned the tenor in, my heaviest bell turned into a quarter on 6 bells!
Back to the conference, then another quarter peal at the end with fellow conferencees, via a pit stop to tape up my blisters, so I just rang the tenor behind. A very pleasant quarter of grandsire triples.
https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1946969
https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1946849
Replying to on mastoart.social
@StevenLawsonPhotography@mastoart.social it's also really good looking at all the other photos and getting ideas and hints from them. Thanks for running it!
Been joined by a little juvenile robin this afternoon while I've been putting together more raised beds.
#gardening #birds
Today I planned to be a more easy day, though it has left me with an achy back and feeling tired enough to be disinclined to cook tea.
The half bag of gravel for the driveway has been distributed, filling the divots where the car wheels sit. And two more raised beds have been put in place, following strategic weeding of the area first.
Still, tea to cook, and bellringing practice tonight, and I've only walked 2000 steps.
#gardening