a quick update!

Finished!
Early signs of life in the polytunnel -Stir Fry leaf mix salad!

Nice to work at home this morning -it is 'Review Day' today, where the students just come in with their parents for a 15 minute interview, usually with their tutor, to discuss progress & set targets. I am doing the 'grave yard' shift & seeing a few parents who are unable to make it during the main part of the day, so I have been working since 7.45 (which is about 5 minutes earlier than I normally start AT school?!!!!!), but with a bit of blogging (Geog & not) and chores like putting out the washing mixed in. YES! The washer is fixed & the new bit for the Rayburn is due to be fitted tommorow. Grandad & Grandma to house/ dog/ Rayburn sit. Thank you M&M!

Not Eye Candy Friday, but only Thursday, however it might be covered in snow by Monday if the Metcheck forecast is right!

Worth a mention

In reply to a comment on my last post re midges & Scotland. If you stick way out west the midges are not usually a problem (its too windy!), Skye, Mull or the mainland is a different story! The ultimate enemy of midges is .... Avon Skin so Soft Woodland Fresh body oil!!!!! Its famous we discovered, used even by Mel Gibson when filming Braveheart & the US Marines plus Scottish forestry workers & fishermen! Probably works on the little welsh b*******s too! You can get it on e-bay, click on the picture to go to the sellers listing! Costs about £4 inc. postage. Better than DEET & doesn't melt the furniture or the tent! The only times we have had a problem on either the Uists or Tiree were mid evening on calm nights (& they are rare!) when midge nets were needed, not because they were biting despite the Avon SoS but because they were plain annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter on its way back to the Alps!

If the forecast is correct then we can anticipate good conditions in a couple of weeks time when we return for another ski holiday! This time we are loading up the land rover & heading via the overnight ferry from Hull to Zeebrugger (Yes there is a disadvantage of living in t'north - the channel ports & the tunnel are a flippin long way away & there is a lot of 'south' in the way!) to drive down to Bourg St Maurice. We have again snared a neat little apartment just a couple of minutes from the funicular which will whisk you up to Arc 1600 & all of 'Ski Paradiski'. This has become a bit of a family tradition - Feb ski somewhere new & Easter pile back to Bourg, either driving or (last year) Easyjet. The advantage of this set up is that it also is flexible booking, not Sat-Sat or Sun-Sun. I have attempted to insert the mini-forecast in here but apparently there is something wrong with the html code & as I do not speak html that will have to wait!

Aunties socks are finished! Picture to follow, they are nearly dry after blocking! They are only a day late & I think they are OK. I think Auntie will be happy with them. They certainly fit the Amish belief that a flaw should be stitched into work, as a perfect project is an insult to god, as only god is capable of perfection (Think that's right)!

some sunday things

Another lovely spring day in Yorkshire. Some gardening has been done -mainly pricking out the first seedlings & sowing others. These are in the 'inner' greenhouse inside the polytunnel and quite snug in there. The rest of the polytunnel is ready for a dig & laying the irrigation system (a leaky hose system & yes I did pay good money for a hosepipe with holes in it!) I am reading 'Scenes from a smallholding' by Chas Griffen. Its an entertaining read & whilst some of it might be my pipe dream there are some great gardening/ veg growing ideas and experiences. On the subject of small holdings and self sufficiency (sort of) we watched the new Casterway series first episode on Friday. I found the first one fascinating (I bought the polytunnel as a result), but can't say we were at all impressed with the second series start., the location was amazing but it was so contrived 'are they pirates'? Give me strength! Might watch tonights but it could be the last!

Aunties socks have caused much stress. I reached the heel before comparing the second sock with the first & realised that they didn't match!!!! I had reversed the pattern on the first & not on the second if that makes any sense, so had to frog the second & match its curves to the first ...grrrr. Time might be tight! They are back on track now despite a very exciting rugby match on TV this afternoon! Well done boys, you did England proud. I have been watching

rugby long enough to remember when the 'outside half factory' was in Wales. Now its in Newcastle! Fantastic Falcons fly high!

Dog and I went for a RALK late this afternoon (RunandwALK). Furthest yet I think. It was try enough to venture along some of the tracks across the valley in running shoes, rather than wellies which was great. Must try and keep up to it as we are going skiing again in three weeks!

re: wife in the north

I have been reading this blog 'Wife in the North' (now subject to a £££ book deal & mentioned in the Sunday Times) for a couple of weeks now & I think I can safely say I will NOT be buying the book. There is a limit to the amount of 'north bashing' I can take & I am NOT a northerner by birth. I have only lived in the 'north' for 31 1/2 years so I am clearly an 'off-cumden' but really......!!!! If its so bad then s** off! It is good geography though.... cause & effect of migration, types of migration, perception of places -especially a southerners view of the north, infact I found the blog via a comment on a geography teachers forum. My upper sixth group will shortly directed to browse the blog. That will be interesting! There are a few 'died in the wool' yorkshire folk in the group plus some migrants from the south! Talking of yorkshire folk.... that will be Mr J (the elder & the younger)... haven't directed them to it yet!!!!

Fibre on the hoof and Auntie's Socks

It was a beautiful late afternoon when I got home from work so the dog & I went a walk with the camera. Thought this picture of fibre on the hoof was worth a snap. They belong to one of our neighbours & are Teeswaters, complete with dredlocks! Do you think she was admiring my sweater? There were some signs of early spring. The curlews have been back for a week, which is 'on-time'. They have not noticed any climate change or signs of an unusually early spring. There was a really chill wind. Dog & I have had a couple of really good tea time walks this week, which were exactlly what was needed. The education game has been pretty tough this week. My exam classes (A level & GCSE Geography, plus GCSE Citizenship) are great, a real pleasure to teach. My geography groups seem to share much of my passion for geography & have a genuine feel for enquiry & want to learn but some of the year 8 and 9's ....!!!!!!!! Just don't realise that schools are places to learn! Actually much of the stresses are created by the adults... the kids you just deal with!

Auntie's socks are making slow progress but I should be able to finish the second one this weekend & get them washed & blocked and in the post by Tuesday. I managed a photo but it was difficult to capture the colour & the pattern. Its also tricky to photo your own foot without growing thick ankles!

Progress on Auntie's socks

Coming along nicely! The yarn is really super soft & the pattern is, as it says on the tin, soothing to knit. Nearly finished the first sock - will take a picture when they are finished as the lace pattern looks better stretched.

We had our first 'Sunday Roast' since the 15th January when the Rayburn went on the blink! Its still not 100% fixed -needs a part, but as long as you catch it tripping off, its usable. The washer packed up yesterday & I had to go to the launderette. Put these words in the correct order ... pours, rain, it, never, but, it ......!!!!!! and a few expletives!!!!!! Son & heir had never visited such a place in his 17 years (good Uni training I suppose!) but helped out -mainly running backwards & forwards to the nearby petrol station for MORE change. Its certainly not a cheap 'do'! Hopefully the engineer can be summoned tomorrow. At least its under warranty!

On a broader 'blogging front' - my 'teaching blogs' are going great guns & earning mentions in the tightly knit virtual circle of geography teachers that lurk on the net. Two of my sixth form students have set up blogs for students/teachers in their other subjects too. All started by me beginning to lurk in and out of knitting blogs last summer...... makes you think! The power of the knitting/ crafting world......!!!!