(Re)frozen

Melting has started yesterday but overnight there was more snow and freezing temperatures. The walks were challenging!

White Out

Snow Clouds

The news today for a even more severe lockdown in Scotland was grim but the day itself provided solace

Improving

The day got steadily better but the same can’t be said about this shed 

Damp, dismal and derelict

Laying in Ruins

An old shed slowly crumbling. In the extra you see the cutting is continuing in the field surrounding the shed. This made it possible to get to the shed. Flora had a fab time running around like crazy on the cut grass.

Dereliction

Back to the past

Sky or grass?

Views from the old railway line

In ruins

Ravensneuk Castle

We decided to make it three in a row by once again climbing Cauldshoulders Ridge because I wanted to make it to Ravensneuk Castle, or rather the ruins thereof. It lays in the opposite direction to the Allan Ramsay Monument, following a path on the top of the ridge in the direction of Penicuik. The views were once again stunning.

The ruins itself were far less impressive and not much remains from what must once have been a mighty defensive structure (build around 1527) where it would be hard for enemies to sneak up to, standing as it does at the top of the landscape.

Most of the stones are so overgrown that they can hardly be seen but in some places you suddenly see enormous blocks of stone so it's clear that once a lot of effort went into constructing a safe haven in times of strife.

Flora was far more interested in the remains of a camp fire and was sniffing it out. She once again did a great job climbing up and down but she was glad of the break we took by the castle where conveniently a picnic table was placed although a very long time ago, judging by the state it was in.

Derelict Sunday

There used to be a challenge on the Blipfoto site called Derelict Thursday and I participate as much as I could. We took a rest of that over the summer months. It has now been resurrected but on a Sunday.

The day started gloriously sunny and the dog walk took place with the camera in tow. I spotted these remnants of the railway which once ran where we now walk and it looked suitably derelict against the light.

Derelict Journal Quilt

It's that time again. A new month has started and I have made another small (6 x 12") for the Contemporary Quilt Group. By the way, if you follow that link to the group you will see one of my previous journal quilts featured (Polkadots) and that's the first time I tried out making text the main feature of a journal quilt. The Contemporary Quilt Group set the size for this year, and I decided to use words for my journal quilts as the main feature. Dereliction is inspired by the DerelictThursday project on the Blipfoto site where every Thursday we tried to capture an image of dereliction and decay. I started participating on the 5th February (you can see the picture here) and I have re-used that picture here. Spoonflower printed it onto a fat quarter for me.

I cut that image into strips and inter weaved it with a toning hand dye. The result was machine quilted and I then added the green letters which were cut on a Brother Scann'Cut machine, Bondawebbed on and embellished with small size 15 seed beads.

Vintage (but not derelict!) buttons were sewn on and more beads (this time size 12) were added along the binding.

Derelict Thursday

There were once plans to develop this site at Halmyre Mains nearby, and a large sign used to advertise the wonderful executive homes that would be erected there but sadly that was just before the crash. Since ;then this group of barns and buildings have been surrounded by huge fences with signs warning of dire consequences and dangerous instability. So I didn't venture in (there is apparently also 24 hour security) but took pictures looking up. as that was the only direction unfenced. This is my contribution for the last DerelictThursday challenge on the Blipfoto site before our summer break, dereliction looking a lot more derelict in winter time. 

As you can tell it's a wonderfully sunny day although there was frost on the ground still this morning.

Not Sew Good

Years ago when we first moved here I was in the habit of visiting auctions (very dangerous!) and whenever an old Singer came up for sale and no one bought i,t I felt morally obliged to put in a bit for these old, sturdy machines. In the case of this one the actual sewing machine was long gone and only the hull and table left. I think I paid about a fiver. Of course we didn't have room to put them all inside the house and in fact quite a few were passed on to other deserving owners but this one ended up outside in the courtyard and serves as a plant stand in the summer.

Wind and weather have taken their toll and it's anyone's guess how long this will remain upright but it seemed a good subject for the Derelict Thursday challenge on the Blipfoto site.

There is good news (at least that seems to be the general consensus) on the Blipfoto saga as the site has been bought out of liquidation by two American venture capitalists, also involved with Polaroid. It means that the site will continue although there will undoubtedly be changes of which so far we know nothing. I have said, and continue to say, that while the site is up and running I will continue to post my daily photograph there but have to admit that my blip mojo is in hiding. Whereas in the past I went out on regular photo expeditions with no other purpose than to find that daily picture I now simply carry a camera whenever I go out somewhere and try and capture something, which is not the same thing. But it might be the same situation as when my art mojo disappears. That always returns very quickly and for no apparent reason other than that I keep on arting regardless, so I will continue to photograph in the hope that too will bring back my enthousiasm for taking pictures.

Beauty in Dereliction

Yesterday's blip hand holding event was a great success and looking at us all reaching out to each other and to the Blipfoto site and it's, now no longer with us, staff members was hugely satisfying. We will have to wait and see who is going to buy the site and what will happen in the future but we showed an amazing amount of solidarity. 

It did however mean that one single line of stitching (30" long) was achieved in the studio yesterday, and nothing else. I spend the entire day online looking at all the pictures and leaving comments as much as I could and that in turn resulted (as I almost already knew it would) in a horrible migraine. So today I'm treating myself with kid gloves. A bit of gentle machine quilting and some playing with paint was on the agenda, and joy of joys, the sun was out and we were able to drink coffee outside. A real treat. The dog walk this morning was equally lovely and I decided to try and find dereliction (for the DerelictThursday challenge on Blip) close by. Fortunately there is plenty of it along the old railway line, starting with the image above.

As I had my camera I also couldn't resist taking pictures of the beautiful reflections in what is the peat field's draining ditch.

But beauty can be found in unconventional places too and I was very taken with the patterns of the wire around one of the old fence posts, specially seen against the low sun.

 So intricate! And such beauty in decay.

Dereliction Development

It's Dereliction Thursday on the Blipfoto site as it is every Thursday. I don't always participate but I was driving around today meeting up and having lunch with a friend so decided to keep an eye out for dereliction and then when I found some, to stop on the way back home.

I found lots of it but mostly in places where stopping the car would not be such a great idea so I was very pleased when I spotted this near Newlandrig. I'm guessing here but the collection of sheds I spotted looked like the remains of a chicken farm and you're be pleased to know that it is now available to purchase for residential development! Guess it's going to be some time till it's habitable though! I wish I could have gotten a bit closer but first of all the site was padlocked to the hilt and secondly I wasn't dressed for climbing over gates so decided to give that a miss.

For my blip today I have taken the above picture, cropped it and turned it into a dramatic black and white image. You can check it out here.

Unstable Grave Monuments in Penicuik

Time has not been kind to Penicuik Graveyard and as you can tell I took my life into my hands when I ventured in. Fortunately the unstable graveyard memorials didn't get me! I shared the graveyard only with a rabbit but the signs of human disrespect were everywhere, in the form of discarded beer bottles, cans, crisp packages and more disturbing remnants. I had come in search of dereliction (for the DerelictThursday challenge on the Blipfoto site) and oh boy, did I find it!

It hasn't even been that long since I was last in this graveyard as I tend to go in every time I go to the dentist but today is the worst I have ever seen the place. Although it has to be said that there were still a few uplifting signs such as the snowdrops in flower.

Since my last visit chain fencing has been erected around some of the little mausoleum buildings and the photographs were taken sticking my lens through the fencing. As you can see there are some important grave monuments in this graveyard (this is probably part of the family vault of the Dalyell family although I'm not  100% about that!) but it won't be long now before they too fall down and are lost forever. Is it only me that thinks that the way we look after our past says a lot about who we are at present? I found it all deeply depressing whereas I used to find visiting this particular graveyard with it's fascinating stones quite uplifting.

For my blip today I will use one of these pictures translated into black and white which emphasizes the dereliction even more.