Time to get my own back

Yesterday I managed to get out with the camera for a little while, something which has taken a back seat over recent weeks. Despite the fact that throughout my life, I have seen more sunrises than I have missed, they still impress me. Yesterday was just such a day. I took about 30 photographs but here are just a couple.

Well those of you that know us personally or follow "The Vagabond Trail " will know that Pat, my wife, makes costume jewellery. For years I have been asked on an almost daily basis "What do you think of this?" or, "Do you think this stone goes with that?". Etc. etc. Well now the time has come for me to take some revenge. I like to keep my brain and hands busy too, so as a result I have many hobbies. Being recently inspired by my friend Sandy's unusual wrist cuff I decided to have a go at making something different for myself. So, the other dark evening, whilst being bored to tears with the TV, I sat with a sketch pad and pencil and doodled for a couple of hours. This was the first design that I came up with. It is made from copper,

brass and silver plated wire, then mounted on a thick leather cuff. "Hey Pat, what do you think of this?" I said. Well, she was full of praise so I decided to have another go. I already had an idea but I needed some old coins, I knew where to get some, so off I went on a mission. Armed with the necessary bits and pieces I turned out number two.

I am sorry that the image is a little blurred but it is not meant for a photography competition. "What do you think of this one then, Pat" I asked. Once again, she kindly made more positive remarks. Of course, I didn't need any more encouragement to have another go so here is another one.

Now, having got the sweet taste of revenge in my pallet I had to keep feeding it, so I messed about with a pendant and came up with this idea. Who knows where this new found pleasure will end, but I do have quite long arms for my height.

Just an update.

From Criccieth we went to stay with two good friends Sandy and Maureen, they live near Llanrwst. We stayed with them for about four days and had a really good time, they are a lovely couple and between them, made us feel very welcome. From there we headed back to the midlands, one of our grandchildren had been admitted to hospital so we felt that we should be close at hand in case any help was needed. Fortunately, after much medication and four days, she was well on the road to recovery and was discharged. We had no need to travel and so booked into a camp site about 10 miles away, we need electricity at this time of year in order to be comfortable. It is nothing to do with the weather, the batteries just cannot cope with the demand of the darker evenings. We have been here for about a week now and seem to have done more miles running around than ever. This is going to have to stop, the price of fuel is making travel by road a luxury once more.

Riverdance

A couple of days back I posted a photograph of a piece of driftwood that I had marked out and begun to whittle. Now here is the finished item, it's a ball in a cage made from a single piece of wood using no more elaborate a tool than a pocket knife. Sad aren't I? to spend hours producing an item that has no useful purpose. I can accept people taking that view, but for me it was a really satisfying way to spend some time. First came the pleasure of mooching along a deserted beach, just Pat and I, that we had walked a mile or so to get to, just to see what had washed up on the shore.Then picking up bits and pieces, examining them and trying to think how I might put them to use and at the same time watching the wildlife, at ease, because it was so quiet. We saw hundreds of birds in the hour or two that we were there. Several days later, I sat outside on my tool box, in the warm afternoon sun and began to whittle away. I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, working slowly and with caution, so as not to cut my hands, removing slivers of wood chip by chip. It was so peaceful the warm sinking sun on my face, Meg by my side and thoughts running through my head. I thought about my girls and their families, I thought about my Mom, I thought about my Dad, I thought about a couple of soldiers that I served with who didn't live long enough to see 21. I was then disturbed by the "Kronk" of a raven, followed by the "Mew" of a buzzard and I looked up to watch their aerial squabble. Then in the shadows of the back lit trees, I noticed the flying insects, thousands of them, dancing in large groups, swooping down as if all linked together by invisible cord and then up again as one body to be shattered into a thousand individuals as a grey wagtail darted into the hoard to snatch one for a meal. Quickly they regrouped, to continue their dance in the sunlight. I thought about the film "Riverdance" the hours of training, the countless rehearsals and retakes just to record a few minutes on film for our viewing pleasure. These fellows, the insects, gave such a display, no time for rehearsals, no training; most only live for a day, yet the dance was perfection with only the birds to provide the music. All too soon the sun sank below the horizon, the dancers all gone now, my eyes struggling to see in the low light and my hands niggling with a blister from holding the knife, I retired to the truck. A waste of time? ......................Yea. If you say so.

More things that have kept me busy

In addition to the items that I posted yesterday, I have some more, should you be interested. The first picture is of a couple of leather knife sheaths that I made. I like knives (quality ones that is) and I have quite a collection. These two knives I bought second hand, on separate occasions and neither one had a sheath, so I designed and made a couple using a piece of thick saddlery leather that I bought for fifty pence at a car boot sale, once I had cut them out I hand stitched them using some waxed linen thread that I again bought from a car boot sale. I made the small sheath first just to see if I could do it then the larger one once I was happy. Don't ask me why I like knives, I have no desire to do a Rambo impersonation or anything, I think it is the feel of something well made that attracts me, rather like marine boat fittings and climbing equipment. Anyway, there they are, no one is ever likely to see them for real as I keep them locked in a safe, out of harms way.

The next item that I have posted uses the silver fork that I picked up at a car boot sale in Portmadog last Sunday for twenty pence and a short piece of driftwood fencing that I salvaged from the beach near Criccieth. In case you have no idea what it is, let me tell you. It is a tea towel hook. The wood is mounted on the wall and the towel hung from the fork handle. I'm sorry if you do not like it, I thought that it was a bit of a novelty.

Finally, here is a work in progress, another piece of drift wood that I have begun to whittle. I will not divulge what it is intended to be, like most of the items here I have never made one of these before so I don't know quite how it will turn out, we shall just have to wait and see but I think it will take many more hours yet.

End of the brown trout season

30th September is the last day of the brown trout fishing season, so yesterday I took full advantage of the weather and our location which is in very close proximity to the River Dwyfach (about 20ft). For a good hour I could not find what the fish were feeding on, even though they were feeding voraciously. I kept at it, changing flies, changing tactics and getting more and more frustrated. I had a couple of bites but missed them. When just about at the point of giving up BANG! a large fish hit the fly, I lifted the rod and the hook was set. I could see it was a trout, as it thrashed about violently in a valiant attempt to throw the hook. I did not want to lose this fish. I kept the rod high and slowly brought the fish to the bank, all of the time thinking what a fighter this was. Safely out of the water and on the bank the fish did not look as large as I had thought it might be. Quickly I measured it, 9 inches, this was a specimen fish for such a small river and just on the size limit to take. I then photographed it, because I know that no-one would believe me. Doesn't look so large, does it? It's all relative you see, fish do not grow to any real size in this river, because the food is just not available. This summer I have caught about fifty fish here and have never hooked into anything the size of this one. I savoured the moment and admired my catch for just a few seconds longer before returning it to river, maybe I'll see it next year. As you might be able to tell I was ecstatic, so while waiting for my evening meal I fished a little further down stream for another half hour. I landed another two fish, the usual size and lost several more. What a great note on which to end the season. Thank you river, thank you fish, for the company, the many happy hours and I have really enjoyed the challenge.