I’ve set a heart as my featured image this week to send love to those who’ve lost loved ones, and those injured, and their families in both Manchester and London. I also send love to all victims of violence, and to send love and thanks to all the brave and wonderful people who work for our emergency services.
Whilst I’m staggered by events close to home, in the spirit of keeping calm and carrying on, I’m joining in, as I always do, with Sunday Sevens, which was started by Nathalie at Threads and Bobbins.
This week saw the start of the Moor Otters Trail. This is a public art initiative created to raise funds of Dartmoor National Park. I’ve spotted two otters this week:
Bud in Simmons Park in Okehampon…
… and Dobhar- chU at Lydford Gorge…
If I spot twenty otters I can claim my otter spotters badge!
Something else that’s just started is the Sunday train service from Okehampton the Exeter. It only runs in the summer, so if you miss the last train on Sunday, you have to wait a whole week for the next…
![20170528_121151[8702]](https://dartmoorcreative.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/20170528_1211518702.jpg?w=768)
At book group on Thursday we discussed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. There was pretty much a 50/50 split for those who did/didn’t like it. The reasons for liking/disliking were many and varied.
Friday night we went out for a curry…
Saturday was the first in the month, so this saw me again at Lydford produce Morning…
Saturday afternoon/evening we had a wonderful time at a friends’ party.
Mr Hicks wasn’t feeling too lively so he stayed at home. But don’t worry he still knows how to have party…
He came in from the garden looking like this on Friday morning…
And there’s been a lot of paddling in the warm weather…
Hope you’ve had a great week.
Dartmoor Creative 
Looks like another fun and busy week for you!😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
I think you’re right to keep calm and carry on. Scarily close to home for me as my daughter goes through London Bridge to work every day but what else can we do but continue to live as we choose to do in defiance of those who hate us and our way of life and want to impose their extreme views on us.
What did you think of the book with the long, strange title?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Scarily close to me too – littlest only moved from living a couple of train stops away from London Bridge a couple of months ago and we often ate in the borough market area of an evening with her. When the reports came through last night I was concerned she might be there meeting up with friends- releaved when she wasn’t but still everyone there was someone’s daughter or son.
As for book although I thought it far too light and suffering the Holywood treatment, I liked that it was easy to read and probably brought some of the horrors of the 2nd world war to people who wouldn’t have chosen to read about them. Which reflects back to last nights events underlining how we all need to remember how important it is to to stand up for everyone’s right to respect and freedom. Plus the book reminded me of my Dad’s involvement in WWII and how angry he was that we – society- swept what it had taught us under there carpet so quickly 😦 So I guess the message coming to me loud and clear this week is stand up for our right to be ourselves and for freedom 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well said. Sounds like our emergency services did an amazing job, as did so many brave people helping in whatever way they could in Manchester & London. We have to carry on & not let the bad few control us. I have also been thinking about how to write my Sunday Sevens this evening. Makes me appreciate the little things even more
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a grubby doggie! What had he been up too? Happy otter spotting & your curry looks yummy😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’d only been out in the garden for his morning ablutions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They certainly were. I’m always in awe of them, but even more so last night.
I felt I didn’t want to post my Sunday Sevens, but decided not to do so would be to given to those who would take away our freedom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We can’t give in. Just done mine but mixed feelings as well.
1st I knew about it was when my daughter rang at 11pm to check I was ok. She knew we were driving up as Mr B has meetings in London
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny how our children end up worrying about us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
True😃Makes you realise that we must have done something right
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep. Or at least not too wrong 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice catch up from you. I loved that book when my I read it a few years ago!
Yes, horror of London last night. What is the world coming to?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did enjoy the book – although I was disappointed with the way it ended up feeling good to me like a ‘romantic comedy’ and felt the dark and light oddly mixed.
I think the world has always been this way, but we never learn to be kinder to each other 😦
LikeLike
Mr Hicks looks a little concerned about his possible reception after his morning ablutions 🙂
And is it true that wine tastes not so great out of a tea cup? I haven’t tried it that way yet. Perhaps if it is a fine bone china teacup it might be okay?
I read that book about 8 or 9 years ago and although my memory may be a little sketchy, I remember that I loved it, except for the ending. Which was, I believe, written by the author’s daughter after her death. I loved the way the book was written from a ‘this is life’ perspective, getting on with what is presented, what is and somehow making the best of it wherever possible with the insane things kind of happening on the periphery – a bit like the world today! For instance, I don’t yet know what happened in London, it will filter through as the day progresses I guess and I go about my life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr Hicks just didn’t want his photo taking! The wine was from fine bone China and tasted great! I was highly recommending it to everyone. From what I’ve read the book was totally redrafted by the niece because her aunt was so unwell. I agree it was the end that let it down but, as I said before I felt the mix of light and dark oddly presented even though I enjoyed it. Apparently the first draft was really Elizabeth’s story and nothing like the final book.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope you manage to spot all the otters. 🙂 Hicks is a picture! A lovely post.x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. There’s a 100 otters and they’re right around the moor, so quite a lot of spotting to do. The one we absolutely must find is the Dark Knight one, but he have no idea where he is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Keep on searching. Send Hicks on the hunt.:)x
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Still not keeping calm here and carrying on to whoever will listen.” We will not be cowed”!
It was ghastly on Saturday night, my youngest son had gone to London to the theatre and out for a meal afterwards. So grateful when I got his reassuring text the next day and so sad for those who didn’t get their text. Just seen the news report from the Manchester concert. I love the film of the Policeman dancing with concert goers. Enough.
Hope the stall went well. Looking foward to the Lion kit!!
Is that a very nice jumper I see you sporting? The curry looks as if it was very tasty. Mr Hicks, what can I say, still Top of my Pops.
Have a great week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Glad your son was okay. I was very out of sorts yesterday knowing how easily my youngest could have been there if she hadn’t moved a few months ago.
Ha ha! A Dartmoor Lion kit. Maybe I need to start some new rumours.
Thank you, yes I did design and make the sweater. Mr Hicks send love and snuggles and wishes you a great week too xxx
LikeLike
Another hard week. I just heard about London this morning because we have a new rule. No news on the weekends. We need the break from the noisy trumpet. So grateful that your family is fine, and so sad for those whose families are not. I enjoyed the book, BTW, years ago, but you are right about the ending, it felt a little off. But light and dark is what we have in this world. It apparently doesn’t always balance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a good rule. We do quite often miss the news at the weekend and even in the week if we’re out in the evening. You’re right it’s good to have a break from it, although my phone now tells me of ‘breaking news’ and I’m not sure I want to switch that off as it is good to find out when big things go off. You’re right, we do have light and dark and not in balanced amounts. I guess for me the imbalance was more that it felt like two genres poorly mixed together. so the lighter parts didn’t sit well with the darker parts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do hope if there was breaking news that we should hear, we would hear about it anyway, but I agree, you might want to keep your phone on that setting. What I find the hardest right now is that there is no more gray. No compromise, only bright light and ebony dark. And without gray, we can’t move forward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for a great post. My heart also goes out to all affected by the violence.
Great work at otter spotting, that will be a lovely summer activity. 🙂 These 2 are super cute.
Enjoy the rest of the week and take care.
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Although i’ve seriously failed in my otter spotting this week! Hope you’ve had a good one xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loving the wine in a tea cup! So glad to see Mr Hicks having fun 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would thoroughly recommend wine in a teacup 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have that book on my tbr shelf. I’ve avoided it because of the diary style of writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy the diary style, but one of my friends specifically didn’t like it for that reason.
LikeLiked by 1 person