Friday 8 July 2016

Friday again

and market day.   At a quarter past nine, regular as clockwork, the farmer will appear at the door, put my shopping trolley on the back seat of the car and we will drive down - he to the Auction Mart after first dropping me off to meet my friends for coffee.   One of my favourite mornings of the whole week.

This jig-saw was one of the presents the farmer got on his recent birthday.   We finished it last evening and I am showing it to you (I couldn't get any further away without standing on a chair) although the edges are missing, because it shows five interesting views of The Dales.
Starting at the top left we have a photograph taken from The Shawl in Leyburn.   This is a walk with views which stretch right over Wensleydale.  The sheep is of course a Swaledale sheep - the most common breed around here.
Below is a picture of Cauldron Falls in West Burton, a village in Wensleydale and a much visited beauty spot.

Next along is one of the protected wild flower meadows at Muker in Swaledale.   These meadows cannot be cut for hay before the middle of July in order to give the profusion of flowers time to set their seed.   They really are a sight to behold.

The top right hand picture is of one of the little back streets in Middleham - a couple of miles away and one of the foremost racing villages in the country with into the teens of racing stables and a carefully constructed 'gallops' up on the moor.   Whatever time of the day you drive through you are likely to see racehorses somewhere.

The oval in the centre holds a snapshot of St Matthew's church in Leyburn.

It has been enjoyable to do because it has been like doing five separate puzzles.   By far the most difficult was the wild flower meadow.

In the time it has taken me to type this the sunny morning has deteriorated into a dark, dull rainy morning with rain clouds.
Certainly this is not hay making weather.

23 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Love the hay meadow picture because as you know, I like my wild flowers, hoping to put some more on my blog today.
We also have blustery and grey weather this morning but rain that was threatened so far hasn't happened and also so far, hay making is going along well.

Heather said...

That is such a beautiful jigsaw puzzle, especially the wild flower meadow. I can imagine how tricky it must have been. Our weather here started off gloomy and breezy with a bit of drizzle but now the sun is shining. For how long, is anyone's guess.

Mac n' Janet said...

I like your puzzle very much, fun to have one of places you know well.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I've had conversations with several people in the past week regarding jigsaw puzzles. How they can be meditative and relaxing. I worked on several with my niece last Christmas but this latest round of conversation makes me think I need to go get one -- today.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

No not hay making weather as you say. We have to make hay while the sun shines... one of my favourite metaphors.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Hopefully the weather will brighten up for you as it has done here. Hoping for clear weekend for my cricket, but doubtful

Terry and Linda said...

We need some rain here. We are terribly, terribly hot and dry. I loved your photo.

Linda

Rachel Phillips said...

There is always tomorrow. Farmers have resilience in their blood.

Sue said...

Hope you get some hay making weather soon.

Librarian said...

Beautiful pictures! I have a "Yorkshire Dales" calendar in the tiny hallway of my flat, a Christmas present from one of my Yorkshire aunts. I love looking at a different picture from the Dales each month, every time I walk from one room to the other.

angryparsnip said...

I love your puzzle, reminds me of the postcards you have sent me.
Such beautiful county.

cheers, parsnip and thehamish

Barbara said...

I love the views of the Dales!
What a enjoyable project.

John Going Gently said...

I cannot believe i am saying this but i want a jigsaw

Billie said...

Hello. Are all these pictures a part of your village or county? I'm American & trying to get a feel for the size of where you live. The county I live in is rather large. Thanks so much!

Frances said...

Dear Weaver, you chose a marvelous gift for the Farmer, along with that beautifully carved walking stick.

I know what John Gray means.

Yesterday and today have been filled with truly awful news stories over here. I seek some solace and reassurance of other, quieter places over here in blogland. My country dreams.

I'm still debating with myself whether I want to write a post myself.

The oppressive heat and humidity also add to the mid-summer pressure. Where oh where is that thunderstorm that might help cool us down?

xo

Helsie said...

What a great jigsaw. I have a neighbour who has a couple of beautiful ones framed on the wall - an interesting idea I thought. When we visited your area eight years ago(we stayed in a cottage in Askrigg) we walked from Keld to Muker and back again one day and were absolutely delighted when we came upon these wonderful meadows full of flowers with their little paved path right through the middle. Wonderful photo opportunity... and we did as instructed and stayed on the path !! The Hawthorne trees/bushes were in full flower too. Absolutely delightful!

Cro Magnon said...

Sometime over this last winter I was watching a TV programme about buying houses in your area and they showed what I think were called 'Field Barns'; dotted around the landscape. Maybe you could show some of these one day.

Fairtrader said...

Down in the cellar we have several jigsawpuzzles but none as beautiful as that one! The last one we had was from an old lady in London who kind of embraced us as good friends, sweet isn't it?
However, I realize that we have to wait for other days, no time for puzzles other than the puzzling thoughts that goes: Where is.. whatever happend to....?..where in the name of..is my..?
I particulary love that meadow and appreciate the efforts laid down into it!!! Oh what a beautiful world we actually live in!!
I hope your marketday wasn't all ruined by the rain!!

Gwil W said...

The Dales are certainly special as your puzzle clearly shows.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Love the puzzle. I've taken to doing them online - can't drop the pieces that way. And since I'm the only one in my house that does puzzles it is a fun way to have lots of puzzles to choose from

The Weaver of Grass said...

Some really interesting comments here and a lot of food for thought. Cro's idea of showing you some field barns is an interesting one and I will oblige. We are going out for sunday lunch today - as we often do - and I shall be passing quite a few, so it could well be that you get a post on them later today.
Helsie's speaking of framing a jigsaw and putting it on the wall reminds me that I have often seen them used as a topping for a coffee table under a piece of glass.
Thanks for taking the trouble both to read and to reply.

Anonymous said...

Not good for hay here either. The fields are drooping :-(.

Pondside said...

We've had a rainy start to July here too, but it is welcome as we have been in 'drought' condition since mid-June.
The puzzle is a great gift - fun to give and receive and then to do together.