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Sunday 30 September 2012

Batty about bats!- Sunday 30th September

Good Morning my crafty Friends!

I hope you all had a super Saturday and the sun shone on you! It was gorgeous here - we did so much yesterday, in fact everything except crafting!

We live right on the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds and between two towns: one of them is Yate, to anyone who visits, a 'new town' which sprung to life in the 60's, so a mix of that architecture (including the shopping centre) and newer houses built in the 90's (like ours), plus of course in this day and age ever expanding. I like where we live, we have a large garden, lovely woodland walk on our doorstep and farm land a five minute walk away, but sadly it seems, houses will soon be built there too. However, Yate does have a plethora of history dating back to the Iron Age, a lovely little heritage museum and a tudor house on the outskirts, where Henry VIII once made a stop over!

The other town (which I confess I prefer and spend most of our local shopping time) is Chipping Sodbury. Younger than Yate, but looking much older - very medieval, your typical Cotswold town. All this  history lesson, just to tell you about yesterday! 

Chipping Sodbury Food Festival and Jazz Festival(including local Somerset Jazz legend Acker Blk), plus a Vintage Fair, were all being held - so our little town was packed from very early. We got into the car park just after 9am and had virtually the last space! Having bought the papers, we went to our favourite deli/cafe..full with visitors having breakfast! No worries as, with most Cotswold towns, with just one high street, there are several cafes! A leisurely cappuchino and then we dropped off at the Sodbury in Bloom stand to say hello to one of my office volunteers, who also volunteers with the 'in Bloom' group, which this year won a Gold Award! Then it was to my friend Amy's shop,Out of the Blue, and I'm not saying this because she's a friend, but she and her mum do have the very best shop in town. The gifts for sale are such lovely quality, trendy and tasteful and she picks all the best craft items, so needless to say I called into say hello and spent money! After that, we fought our way through the packed Vintage Fair,  walked over to the farmers market and then back home. The missing bits for the coop had  finally arrived, so we put them in place and finally got round to dismantling the old nursery coop as the new girls and the old girls are all happy now!

Last night was the bat walk with the RSPB: I love birds and wildlife and have been a member for several years, their events are always friendly and informative. We are also members of Westonbirt Arboretum, just a short drive from our house and very beautiful, and that is where the walk was being held. About 15 of us turned up, we had a very interesting introduction to bats from Mark of the RSPB, got issued with bat detectors and then set out into the woods..stopping off at the wild bird hide. Honestly, we always spend time here when visiting and it is always so 'busy' with anything from woodpeckers to blue tits...yesterday afternoon...zilch..unless you count a family of about 6 squirrels! Next up Mark told us a bit about some funghi along the way and we stopped off at the pond, where he and Amy (also from the RSPB), tried to catch a newt (sadly they weren't playing either). By now the moon was bright and beautiful as dusk drew in, the owls were twit-twooing to one another and and how the bat detectors hissed with static! It sounded like we were radioactive. Suddenly they also started to pick up the sound made by Pippistrelles, we all stopped but they weren't going to be seen!

Mark and Amy had spotted lots of bats behind the Education Centre, in some woodland close to the buildings that picked up a security light, so we headed there: certainly there was a feast of moths for them, we did pick up sounds from a few species, but none came on show...of course this all goes to show that you just can't predict wildlife!It doesn't matter...we all still had a great time. It was a lovely, clear night, stars in abundance, but may have been a tad too cold for the bats. After an hour or so, we all headed inside for a well needed coffee and natter. 

All Summer we get a few Pippistrelles flying around our garden in their figures of eight most dry evenings, so I had more chance of seeing them at home, but it was a super evening, very eerie in the forest, we learned quite a bit and the company of total strangers was lovely..even though two little boys, from two separate families, aged 4 and about 12, did at times make me think we were extras on the set of Outnumbered! Tom actually thought that combined with the creepiness of the forest and sounds of the wildlife, it could have been "Outnumbered does Jurassic Park", now there's a thought Mr Spielberg. I'm not being mean, those boys actually lovely, obviously highly intelligent, not a bit shy and just like those kids on TV!

So here is my card for today, the simplest of all Halloween cards, featuring a bat and made almost entirely using my Cricut....Sorry it's been such a long post..hope I didn't bore you all too much!


Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great Sunday all, I'm hoping to get crafting at some point!
Carole X

14 comments:

  1. Hi Carol, a great halloween card and just love the BOO inside and child would love to receive this card. My mum and husband bought my a Cricut for my birthday in July and I have not played with it enough yet, so many other crafty things to do, but I need to get my finger out and use it.

    Have a great day.

    Wilma

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    1. Hi Wilma, the Cricut is sat on my desk (it's just the baby machine) and I rarely use it - shameful. When I do, I tend to cut lots of things and keep them for when I need them, but like you say, so many other crafty things grab our attention! Carole X

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  2. Not boring at all Carole, just a shame you did not get to see much. Your Hallowe'en card is brilliant, love that little bat and also the saying, not forgetting the wonderful BOO inside. Crafty hugs, Anne x

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    1. Thanks Anne, the saying is sweet isn't it? I picked it up on something one time I was in the US, I have a few more, it's just finding where I wrote them down! Carole X

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  3. Oh, that's such a shame about the bats, but I'm sure you had great time anyway. On holiday one year we went out on a boat dolphin spotting and saw - one dolphin!!! Two days later we stopped off somewhere and out of the blue saw a whole pod which came right into the harbour. That's Murphey's law isn't it!!!

    We live on the edge of the Cotswold too but the other end. Far from being bored I found it very interesting hearing about the history of another area. Just love your Halloween card too.

    love from Christine x

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    1. Thanks Christine, it didn't matter about the bats, it was a great evening, but I did feel sorry for the RSPB man, he was so desperate that we see something and nothing came out to play! Hugs from t'other end of the Cotswolds :) Carole X

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  4. Not at all boring - I am absolutely potty about the wildlife we have. It sounds as if it was a lovely walk, even though there was more chance of seeing a bat at home! We have bats here and have a pond with loads of newts in it although this time of year the sightings get really rare and we often find them under stones and plantpots in the garden. For several years we had a white newt in the pond although we didn't see her this year so I guess she's gone to the big pond in the sky!!!

    I need to get my Cricut sorted out and used - I love the images you have made with yours.

    Hugs Sue Pxxx

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    1. hi Sue, thanks - believe me, I hardly use my Cricut, so when I do I just cut lots of images! Carole X

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  5. Hi Carole,
    I know I'm late but I thought I had visited your blog and then I suddenly realised I hadn't. I really am getting scatty.
    Your day, and evening yesterday sounded so wonderful. What a fabulous description of everything, I felt I was right there walking with you. Needless to say without the hard work of the walking.
    Lovely halloween card. Those Cricut Machines are so useful. I was quite scared at the boo inside. lol.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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    1. Thanks Jenny...as you will see on Tuesday's blog, I rarely use my Cricut! Carole X

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  6. Hi Carole, just doing some catching up on the blogs and was so interested in your tales of your visits. Although I now live in Somerset I am a Gloucestershire girl through and through, born and brought up in Ebley near Stroud. Gloucestershire has so much to offer visitors and sometimes I do miss home (some very happy memories) but in saying that we are happy in Somerset. Westonbirt Arboretum has some wonderful walks and I remember going to a candle lit one which I found eerie LOL! Pleased you had a great time. Your bat card is great and love the boo inside. Hope you are enjoying your Monday, love Christine H xx

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    1. Hi Christine, yes I know Ebley and Stroud well, love the Saturday market in Stroud...we've done a candlelit walk too, great fun and very eerie! Glad you are happy in Somerset, another beautiful part of the west :) Carole X

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  7. Love your card, and I certainly would have loved the walk.
    Living out in the country we have bats flying about every evening it is great to watch them.
    The one thing I would like to know more about is the "Fungi" we have loads in our woods but although I "Think" I know which to eat and the ones not to eat I am never sure so just leave them to grow.
    Glad you had a great time.

    Patricia xx

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    1. Thanks Patricia, same here with the fungi! He did show us the beefsteak one, but I wasn't tempted and there was one which is edible, but if you eat it and then drink alcohol you will be very ill -apparently in the middle ages a refuge for the needy used to tell people they could stay the night but must not drink alcohol. They would put it in the stew and if the patrons were sick, they'd be thrown out! Oh my! Carole X

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