Friday 27 November 2020

November Day Drift catch up, Part 2

Sunday, 22nd November

 Last Sunday I walked to Frogshall to collect some pine cones to make Winterval decorations and such (they're still in a box in the garage...).  On the way there I admired the moss, lichen and fungus adorned trees (as seen below, and here), but on the way back, just as I reached Overstrand, I took a slight detour (only a hundred yards or so) and found a small, man-made lake (well, a big pond, really - see above).  

 Despite having lived here for most of my life, I had no idea it existed.  I knew there was a reservoir a bit further along which I also hadn't seen before - although I have now (scroll down to Wednesday) - but this was a big surprise!

 Have any of you come across anything surprising while you've been wandering about your respective neighbouthoods/necks-of-the-woods/extensive grounds?



Monday, 23rd November

 Monday morning saw another sunrise as I went out to stretch my legs and get some fresh air before starting work.  Just like many of us, the Sun really didn't want to have to deal with yet another Monday, and couldn't even muster up the enthusiasm to obliterate Trimingham like it did on Friday last (see previous post).








Tuesday, 24th November

 A lunchtime leg-stretch around by the allotments brought an encounter with a sparrowhawk and this rosette of greenery (and a few others like it).  I'm not sure what this plant is, but I expect that it will produce some sort of flower head in the spring that will help to identify it.

 The sparrowhawk (or whatever it is) was hovering over a hedge hunting something small and frightened as I exited the allotments.  Rather surprisingly, it flew towards me and landed in a tree nearby.  However, it was still fixated on the ground, so I suspect it just hadn't noticed the almost two metre tall witch in unsuitable shoes gawping at it from a weed infested field.


 I had to brighten and enhance this photo rather a lot to make out the colours and markings.  In the original image, the hawk was just a dark blob - it could have been a bloody wood pigeon!

Wednesday, 25th November

The reservoir I mentioned at the beginning of this post  

Thursday, 26th November

 After a couple of grey and murky days, Thursday turned out rather nice. Blue skies and very little wind enabled a coat-less walk along the beach to Cromer and back.  As there weren't many people about, I even had a brief wander along the pier.



 And that's it!  I'm going to try not to take any more photos until December so I don't have to try and squeeze in another post before a fresh, new month begins.

22 comments:

  1. Norfolk an' mountains? Last time I was there there were Nor folk'n mountains!I think you and Broom went to Colorado.
    And I have not come across anything unusual lately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, I thought Broom was taking rather a long time to get there (I had my eyes shut due to Broom's erratic wobbling so I didn't see where we were going).

      Delete
    2. P.S. Excellent Norfolk wordplay there!

      Delete
  2. That hawk's after your wand. I can tell...

    As for "Have any of you come across anything surprising while you've been wandering about your respective neighbourhoods/necks-of-the-woods/extensive grounds?"; you just know the answer is going to be "Many times! Many fun times..."

    Jx

    PS That weird rosette of leaves belongs to Reseda luteola, I believe, also known as dyer's rocket, dyer's weed, weld, woold, and yellow weed - in other words an ancient plant used for dying cloth yellow. Or to be used in spells.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops! I must have had my flies undone! And not because of "Many fun times", unfortunately.

      Oh, thank you for the identification, Official Plant Spotter of Hexenhäusli Device and its Extended Witchdom. I recognised it as soon as I saw the flower head in your link - it seems I only take any notice of it when it has grown erect...

      Delete
  3. Unsuitable shoes? Converse? Or Vans? And yes, entirely unsuitable for a November in Devon. Good God man, where are your rubber wellies????
    Oh yes, I come across the weird and wonderful on my rambles. The morning of 1st November 2019 springs to mind - I even took a photo, but then decided against posting it because it was so grim. 2019 had been grim enough - maybe it was a portent for 2020?!
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm imagining some sort of carcass...

      The shoes are neither of those rather pricey brands, Ms Scarlet. They are very cheap imitations - So-Cal, I think? I used to buy Dunlop - also very cheap, but they stopped being stocked where I bought them from.
      It may surprise you to learn that I do not own a pair of wellies - or any type of sensible walking shoe/boot, for that matter. All my wandering is done in these rather flimsy and non-waterproof "sneakers" (with a Boots "Active" gel insole in each). I am very careful where I tread...

      Delete
    2. It was an enormous puddle clouded with blood. No carcass evident. What freaked me out was that it was the morning after Halloween, I wondered if there had been some sort of sacrifice!
      I wear Dunlop kids wellies.
      Sx

      Delete
    3. It clearly wasn't enough of a sacrifice as 2020 turned out to be rubbish!

      Do your wellies have the little elephant with an umbrella on the side of them?

      Delete
    4. Haha!!! No they don't!! But I shall think about the elephant ones for my next pair.
      As for the 2019 sacrifice - I know!! Appalling. The sacrificers have let the side down enormously.
      Sx

      Delete
  4. How strange. I visited BBC news after commenting here and this was the first news item to catch my eye.
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Dierdre Chambers! What a coincidence!" Ooh! How fascinating! I'd better take my trowel with me next time I visit the Shrieking Pits to see what old seeds I can unearth.

      Delete
  5. P.S Forgot to say that those sunrise pictures are gorgeous.
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't they! I'm very pleased that Camera managed to capture the collaboration between North Norfolk and the sun so well. So much so that I might forgive it the next time it focuses on something other than the thing I'm pointing it at! Maybe...

      Delete
  6. What a gorgeous place. I may just lit a match here, pack up my chaise and rather too extensive shoe collection and move in with you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might just have room for you and your chaise, 'Petra, but for your shoes I suspect another house will have to be built...

      Delete
    2. I think it’s time for you to start on the expansion then. Meanwhile I shall be packing up my shoes.

      Delete
  7. OMG! Pete and I have done one of those virtual collision things!! I did that with somebody else last week as well. I must be more careful.
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to have to put up traffic lights, aren't I?

      Delete
    2. Since watching the Crown and reading Sparky Tim’s post all I say is

      Oh dear!

      Do we need a queuing system?

      Delete
  8. My hawk returned again today for another squab supper. It's easy pickin's here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you have a condiment bar and napkin dispenser on hand - or, on wing, perhaps?

      Delete

Tickle my fancy, why don't you?