Weekend starts with a bang

Just a quick post tonight then I'm going to relax for an hour or so before bed and an early start tomorrow for my trip to Carlisle. If the "red sky at night" theory holds, then it should be a nice day going off the view down the road this evening.... ....just beautiful. Well, I'll be at Houghton Hall tomorrow - it's a massive place and the flagship branch of the Strikes/Klondyke garden centres. Good thing I'll be loaded up with all my dies and stamps etc otherwise I'd be coming home with an assortment of bulbs, plants and assorted pots!
Speaking of gardening, I finally completed the rebuilding of the low wall. It's not exactly great, but it is strong and I'm happy with it. It was tricky because it was brick on one side with thick concrete on the other side. Once it all got broken it left gaping gaps that had to be filled, so I had to do a mosaic and balance all the pieces whilst they set. Here's the mosaicy side anyway!

I was missing one of the top pieces too, so had to build up the cement there. I just need to scrub all the loose flaky bits off now and then will paint the top as it once was, so it should look okay then. Heather and I picked up (well, we tried!) two more bags of bark for me to complete that whole area and then I'll be able to get on with the fun part of planting bulbs and adding pots around the place. It's all being done on a tight, cheap as I can do it budget, so I'm making do with bits and bobs that are around the place and using them in different ways.
Anyway, as I was saying, I'll be in Carlisle tomorrow, so hope to see some familiar faces there. I've got some nice techniques to share and plenty of samples. I'll be doing a double shuffle to catch my train to Leeds for Sunday's dabble day at Samuel Taylor's, so look forward to seeing you there if you're booked onto the event.
This evening I heard some very loud rumbling and banging noises and went out to find out what it was. Thomas and Tara both came flying in like 100 metre finalists! Turned out to be fireworks miles away on Blackpool promenade but there is a good, if distant view from the back of the house. A neighbour and myself wandered down the lane to get a better view - both in our pj's....one of the nice things about this area is that you can wander outside in pj's without worrying about being seen by lots of people! I tried taking some photos, but it really was a case of "a long shot" and I didn't manage to capture the fireworks. However, I did like the way this picture came out. Very atmospheric.That's a boring telegraph pole on the left though it looks like something more interesting here. You can see all the orbs created by midges etc too. Speaking of which, I woke up with two more bites this morning, gggrrrr! I have been spraying insect repellent everywhere but the perishers still keep coming back. I think they have taken to hiding until I go to bed and then they come out and bite me - little vampires!
Just watching the third episode of Parade's End which I am enjoying, though it's somewhat spoiled for me by the muffled dialogue - I really like Benedict Cumberbatch but he does seem to be mumbling in this series and I'm struggling to catch everything. Still, it looks wonderful and the atmosphere is sublime. I enjoyed the Bletchley Circle last night too - a bit far fetched, but good actresses including the wonderful Anna Maxwell Martin and the beautiful Rachel Stirling, daughter of the late Diana Rigg. Two ladies who have perfectly modulated voices!
Well, I'd better say goodnight. Not sure how good a night's sleep I'll get tomorrow night as I'm staying in the heart of Leeds city centre so suspect it may be a little noisy! Have a good weekend everyone.