Hiking in Wales

Usually by this time of year I have posted a few holiday photos. I have somehow forgotten to do this, or even post very much at all recently. 

So here is a photo of my holiday/car knitting. I like knitting in the car on long journeys, as it sort of keeps me calm. These days I seem to have been demoted to the back. Jammed between son and dog, it is sometimes a bit tricky. We do not have a very big car. My daughter likes to be in the front so that she can control the music.

These socks are for my husband and seemed to fit into the theme our holiday in Wales, which involved quite a lot of walking. They are knitted from Blueberry Waffle Socks by Sandy Turner. I did my last minute trick of picking a pattern from ravelry, and then just seeing what suitable wool I had in the stash. I really enjoyed knitting these socks, and with doubleknit wool they were quite a quick knit. The pattern was also good for a holiday car knit, with a bit of pattern, but quite easy to remember once a few rows were done. I might try and persuade my husband to do a bit of sock modelling!

Here are some views from Cerig Lladron, taken on the same day but just looking in different directions, and one before our picnic and one after. This is a highpoint in the Preseli Hills, from where as my husband told us a lot of times, the stones for Stonehenge were brought. We started teasing him about the fact he had told us about this several times. Then when we called at my sister's in Bath on the way home, we confused her by having hysterics when she told as the same "interesting fact".  

The view was amazing, and we sat discussing whether it might be possible to see Ireland from this part of Wales on a clear day. A bit of research when we got back, and I found out it is not, but from Ireland you can see the higher bits of Snowdonia!
 

Someone else had a lovely time on the beach. This was taken at the appropriately named Poppit Sands Beach, because she is my "little poppet".

And finally, despite taking what I thought were lots of beautiful sunny views, this shot taken on the very first day of the holiday, was the only one picked by the BBC Weather Watchers. It did sort of sum the day up, although we had a lot of better ones.
 

Just a reminder that my Ginx Woolly Linx party for September is now running. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Weather Watchers

I have not being doing as much photography as I used to. So I have been trying recently to take a few more shots, and send some photographs to the BBC Weather Watchers. You can submit your photographs online, and if you are very lucky your photo might be featured behind the weather forecaster on one of the BBC News programmes.

I had been trying occasionally for a while, with no luck. My new decision was that every day when I walk the dog, I take my camera, and submit the best photograph. I think there is a bit of an art to it. Your photo has to be taken on that day, be landscape in orientation, not feature people, and reflect something about the weather that the presenter wants to talk about. Occasionally there will be an arty close up, but I tend to think that you need at least half of the photo to be of the sky.

I was delighted last week that finally one of my photos was featured on the BBC News Channel. You get a message telling you that you are Editor's Pick, but not the time or channel where your photo will appear. It took a bit of a search to find my picture.

For a laugh, a few days later, I took another picture of almost the same view. It was rather dull weather that day, but I was amazed that it was featured on the BBC London News. I wonder if once you have been featured once, you are put on a short-list, or maybe it was just chance. 

Although I live on the edge of London, we are so lucky to have the beautiful stretch of the River Thames only a short walk from my house. We are also close to some other lovely park areas: Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common. There is plenty of scope for enjoyable walks with the dog and my camera.

What I like about the Weather Watchers is that it really is open to everyone. We all have weather, and the photos just have to capture it, not necessarily the most beautiful view, or taken with the best camera. The BBC also get a daily record of the weather over the whole country.
 

Clicking around a bit more I have found another of my photos from earlier in the month on a page about frost, and the photo below on their bulletin board. They must have forgotten to tell me they were using it. So arty shots do stand a chance. The fern photo was taken on a frosty morning in Richmond Park. You can see the whole piece at https://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers/article/41959931/repetitive-weather/