Holiday UK #7 – Slow Worm

Posted on 18/07/2013 by bighair63

Excerpt from holiday diary 29th June:

“It was beautiful coastline. The sky was blue and the sun warm. We looked for basking adders but had to make do with a slow worm…”

Holiday Uk 6# – Planning a Walk

Posted on 17/07/2013 by bighair63

Excerpt from holiday diary 28th June:

“We ummed and ahhed over which walk to do. L flatly refused the 5 miler that was described in the book as ‘some of the most treacherous bog on Dartmoor in bad weather’. It wasn’t bad weather but having experienced more bog than we cared to endure in a lifetime, we opted for a more gentle walk along the river Plym through old clay quarries up to Dewerstone“.

Holiday UK #4 – The Ravens

Posted on 15/07/2013 by bighair63

Holiday diary excerpt 27th June:

“Yesterday we hauled our aching limbs to Dartmoor once again. Our chosen destination was Burrator Reservoir and a circular walk around Sheepstor. It was a steep climb up Sheepstor to experience 360 degree panoramic views of the moor and reservoir. Thankfully there were no bogs.

We happened upon a sheep carcass being devoured by Ravens and decided to stop so I could take some photos. The one day I decide not to take my telephoto lens, was the one day I wanted to use it!…”

Frustratingly I didn’t get any good pictures due the lens issue and I still question whether they actually were ravens. Perhaps you’d like to decide. They were huuuge!

Holiday UK #3 – Pebble Beaches

Posted on 14/07/2013 by bighair63

Excerpt from L’s diary entry 25th June:

“Bright blue skies! Off to the seaside at Beesands, a very quaint and quiet village with a huge pebble beach. We followed yet more of the SW coastal path over to Torcross where we lowered the average age of the tourists by about 40 years. Torcross butts up to Slapton Ley, a freshwater lake separated from the sea by a pebble beach…”

Excerpt from my diary entry 25th June:

“Give me a pebble beach and like a child, I feel compelled to collect the most perfectly round pebbles I can find. I LOVE pebble beaches but by the end of our walk, my rucksack was laden and my shoulders groaned under the weight of my collection…”

Today I must mention that it’s my parents 40th Wedding Anniversary! How fabulous is that? Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad – in it for the long haul!!

Holiday UK #1 – The Hole Incident

Posted on 12/07/2013 by bighair63

Excerpt from the holiday diary 23rd June:

“We’re sitting in the Pilchard Inn, a tiny pub perched on the edge of Burgh Island, home to a posh hotel where you can stay for a mere £400-600 per night. If you want to come by helicopter, there is a convenient helipad in the grounds. The ‘Rif Raf’ are welcome on the island but only if they walk across the sand bar when the tide is out or catch the giant sea tractor…

We walked from Ringmore along the SW coastal path dotted with flowers and pretty grasses. The winds were high but they blew the forecast showers over our heads and inland. L has become adept at simultaneously pointing out wildlife and dangerous obstacles…”

We recently returned from a great holiday in Devon and Cornwall. Not usually ones for taking a summer holiday in the UK (due to unpredictable weather) we decided to risk it this year and it paid off. Clear skies, turquoise seas, belting sunshine, rolling moorland, white beaches – If you could always guarantee weather like this, who needs to go abroad, there is so much to see right here?

As always we kept a running commentary of the holiday by way of a diary and this year I aimed to draw a cartoon a day to supplement the entries. For the next few days I’m going to share a few short extracts from the diary and a quick cartoon. Don’t expect beautifully penned, Wordsworth-esq, descriptions of the holiday. Sadly, I lack the vocabulary to paint a picture, instead, I draw cartoons.

Bee Encounters

Posted on 16/06/2013 by bighair63

Do you have a friend that overreacts whenever a bee or wasp makes an appearance?

Staring

Posted on 02/06/2013 by bighair63

I really can’t think of a title for this one…

Shopping Observations

Image

Public Toilets

Posted on 21/05/2013 by bighair63

This genuinely happened to me yesterday… I was minding my own business in the ladies toilet when out of the blue (err…cubicle) a little old lady started to talk to me. Or should I say talk at me. I’ve been pondering the statement – what problem(s) was she referring to? Was she suggesting I take heed, book a flight to Switzerland and check in to Dignitas in the morning? Or, was she simply commenting on her own gastro-dilemmas? I shall never know.

Between jobs

Posted on 14/05/2013 by bighair63

For the past few weeks, I’ve been between jobs. Towards the end of last year I decided to take the plunge and leave a permanent job, in which I was very unhappy, for a temporary post with more opportunities to get out and about. The risk was calculated and sadly despite efforts to extend my contract, they had to let me go due to lack of funds…don’t you just love austerity?!

So April was spent scouring the papers, writing job application after job application (A thoroughly demoralising process) until I was offered another temporary contract. Frustratingly, I’ve had an agonisingly long wait while they process references, do criminal records checks, et cetera et cetera . In other words, I’m still waiting for the contract.

In the mean time, I’ve been trying to pay the bills and generally keep myself out of trouble. It’s amazing how busy one can be when they’re unemployed. For the past month I’ve been practicing my cooking skills:

Making some extra dosh on Ebay:

And excitingly, I’ve reignited the freelance work using People Per Hour which allows people to buy and sell their skills/services. I’ve been doing a few things here and there and have been lucky enough to secure an 18month contract drawing a web comic for someone…sneak previews to follow soon! I’ve also set up another wordpress site www.designedbyamy.wordpress.com to showcase some of my design work.