Not a great deal to report today. I have been listening to the Vera Lynn cd and really enjoying it. I particularly like the duet with Alexander Armstrong. This morning, having gone back to the puzzle and with not many really obvious pieces left I thought I would sort them into different shaped pieces. There are four maim variations.

Some fit in several places so I think there are still some mistakes which is hampering progress. I did a couple of household chores and sorted the recycling as it is that bin collection this week.
I caught the bus and went to the studio. Sandy had asked me to cover for an hour, she had offered to collect me and bring me home, but thought I would at least make one journey myself. I sat and painted a trinket box as I wanted to try the dried paint from cleaning the paint pots on a lid to see if it would be as successful as the plate.

The peacock and bowl haven't gone into the kiln tonight but the lid of the box has so I should be about to see how it is looking by the weekend.
My ankle had become really sore, but Tina changed the dressing for me when she got home. a piece of dried blood has come off and was still on the dressing, which has started to curl up and it was irritating the skin underneath. Feels much more comfortable now.
I have been working on the puzzle again and only have about fifty pieces left to put in now, but each on is still a struggle!! May a picture of it completed tomorrow, if it is actually complete.......

This morning I was up and showered quite early so did a bit to the jigsaw before Sandy picking me up just after 9.30 am
One of the spectacular daffodils had opened, I have them in tubs so that they can come with us when we move.

Charlie came out the front with me. This cat has a serious death wish. He stopped in the road as per usual and just sat looking as a car came up the street. Luckily it was a lovely lady driver who almost stopped, may not have been such a happy ending if it had been a boy racer or a taxi driver!!

. I stayed in the studio while she went off to put the car in for it's service. Very cold wind today, it had looked a lovely day until I got outside, rushed back in for my hat!! I carried on with the peacock and finished it before we had a bit of lunch together. I could have gone on, but sometimes you just need to put the brakes on and hope for the best.

They have some unusual cereal bowls in stock, I think they were a discounted item from the supplier. They look like they have a piece of hessian stuck on the outside, so I painted that as if it was material. But went for the Sharpie effect again as I like it.

The walk back from the studio was hard going today, a bitterly cold wind that I was heading into! After I had recovered from that and the stairs I went back to the jigsaw. Darren came up for a while as he had been in the shed and fancied a change. Not finished yet, and as there must be about 100 pieces that are just white, it still isn't going to be a quick fix! 

I am nothing if not a sticker!!.......

I haven't felt 100% today, and as well as the cough I now have the silly tongue thing that I get quite frequently. The surface strips off then corrects itself eventually. Did get it looked into years ago and was told it is 'geographic tongue',I suppose because it ends up looking a bit like a map! It is sore for a bit, would be worth it if it actually stopped me eating, but it takes more than that I am afraid! I had a package to send off so caught the bus into town, but didn't hang around long as I wanted to get home.
I have been clearing up a bit but decided to keep an empty box in the room in case either of the younger cats decided to play in it. Charlie thought he would have a wash and then a nap in there!

I have probably spent about four hours on the jigsaw and Darren came and joined me for about an hour as well. Still nowhere near being finished and the edge pieces are all the same and just blue and white, so a good many have been in the wrong place. You don't discover that until you have some pieces in the centre to join onto them, as extra frustration. But it WILL get finished.

This morning it was grey and drizzly out but it cleared up this afternoon which meant it was a pretty nice sunset this evening.

I am going to the studio tomorrow, the aim is to finish painting the peacock.

I had decided to stay in today, caught up with Casualty on catch up and wrapped my boot in the bin liner to have a shower. Darren took my washing down for me so that I could get it into the machine. Then he said he has to take the car to get the tyres checked so we could go to Deans. That was a nice surprise so we went and had tea and cake! We also bought a frog shelter as Blue has realised that they are an exciting new toy, much to our consternation!! This is her inspecting it before we placed it, hopefully away from her paws, under the bonsai tree stand.

The willow tree has not recovered completely, but still has life in it, I just hope the disease it had last year doesn't return.

I did a bit of tidying in my sitting room, as it was becoming very cluttered. Then I spent getting on for a couple of hours on the jigsaw. Still a very long way to go........

This afternoon I helped Tina get the dinner which was nice, we took the stool into the kitchen and it was good to be involved with the preparation. Very nice meal, toad in the hole with mashed potato and carrots. Then Tina and I watched the Big Painting Challenge and were very pleased that abstract girl didn't win!
We all like Vera, so I will go down and watch that with Darren and Tina this evening.
I nearly forgot to mention that the second wedge came out today, so things are moving along okay with the foot. The cough is not going away as quickly as I would like, but don't think it is any worse.

Slept quite well last night, must have been the increased exercise! This morning I did a bit more of the jigsaw and then Darren came and helped with it for half an hour or so which was nice. Probably mot worth another photo yet, but maybe tomorrow!
I left to catch the bus at ten past twelve to go to the studio. took another picture of the primulas as I think they are beginning to get eaten again!

 I thought the morning party was 10 am until 12 noon, but it was half an hour later so the studio was still closed. I went and got a sandwich for my lunch and bought a little chair which I intend to decorate at the charity shop. No photo yet, but will do a before and after! As I waited outside I noticed the hill in the distance was shrouded in mist.

I did a bit more painting on the peacock for about an hour, I will hopefully spend a day at the studio next week and get it finished.

I also collected my experimental plate, really pleased with the effect in the centre.

An update from yesterday, we decided the first bird to fly was not a kestrel, we think it was a harrier hawk/
Going to a concert by the U3A choir tonight, with Tina, in aid of Wateraid.

Had a lovely day out with Tina today, most active day I have had since the surgery so feeling a bit pooped tonight, but in a good way, The weather wasn't great, but the rain held off for most of the day. Tina drove across country, beautiful drive and we stopped at Helmsley. We had been going to continue on to York, but in the end we stayed in Helmsley, a lovely market town and market day as well. Lots of tea rooms and crafty and very individual shops. We had a drink stop when we arrived then had a good wander around the market and in several lovely shops We didn't go in the castle, think it was closed anyway, but got a reasonable picture from the car park.

Passed this pretty unusual scarecrow, not sure how effective it would be but it made me smile!

Took this picture of a stream between the buildings on the way back to the car park.

We had noticed that there was a bird of prey centre nearby so we headed off there. The wind was pretty icy and a lot of the birds were in their cages. The ground was uneven in parts, but I managed the getting around fairly well today. This was fabulous wall art, we thought one like it would be good on the shed Darren, although this was probably a bit on the big side!

This fish eagle was a fabulous fellow.

Tina thought I should take a photo of the funky fungi.

One picture of Tina by a cage with another fish eagle in.

We then went to see a flying demonstration, which took place in a smaller area today due to the wind. I am ashamed to say I cannot remember what the first bird was, Tina might prompt me or I will check in the book later.

There were two young lasses doing the demonstrations and they were both absolutely lovely and obviously adored the birds.
Next came the tawny owl.

Then the barn owl.

The did fly one of the larger birds in the big flying area, but it was a steep walk down and I would have struggled getting back up again. We did watch from a distance for a while then it started to rain so we made out very chilly way back to the reception centre. I got some nice note cards and a paper mobile to make, always up for a challenge!!

They had quite a range of birds, so if I get on well with this one may try another. We headed home then and stopped for tea and cake at a nice farm cafe. Then we called into the new Lidl, my first visit there, before we came home in the rain by then. Like I said, pretty tiring day but I am not in a lot of pain, so all good. Tina and I would both love to get to Helmsley and the bird of prey centre again, preferably on a warmer, less windy day.

I managed to get through the night without a serious coughing fit, so that was a bonus. It is still a bit troublesome today so I will continue taking the disgusting mucus cough medicine as I think it may be helping. 
I went up to catch the bus just after 10 am and went into the studio, Donna was on her own today and I haven't had a good chat with her for quite a while. W e did have a good natter and then I decided I would attempt to paint one of the large peacock ornaments. They have had them on the shelf for a long time, expensive and a lot of work involved, but in for a penny, so to speak. I spent several hours, Donna went over to the bakers to get me a sandwich so carried on after a bit of lunch. 

Donna did print me off a photo of a peacock, but some artistic licence will be in play I think! They had the kiln on last night so this afternoon I got to see the canister that I had done for a sample for the studio.

Also got to see the experimental plate after it's biscuit firing. I did use a lot of paint under the bits of hard paint, I also broke them down to make them more likely to stick. The centre has glazed over almost like glass, so I am very happy with it. Tonight it will be glazed and go in the kiln again.

So, a very crafty day today. Walked home just after 4 pm and am taking it easy for a while before I go to get the dressing on my wound changed by the nurse at the surgery.
The Throw down tonight, hard to imagine how the challenges will be even harder!