bay full of breakers

9th July 09, High Newton, 8am

Clouds give interest to the sky but the sun finds a way through to illuminate the sea.

9th July 09, Football Hole, 4pm

Beadnell bay was full of big waves today. It was a high spring tide too so the waves were getting up close such that Trooper was needing to keep an eye on where his paws were.

swords into ploughshares

8th July09, around Christon Bank, 8am

8th July09, Football Hole, 4pm

Recent storms have stirred up the sea a bit - with the clouds it was a monochromatic kind of a day.

This WWII watchtower and its low lying buildings are used by the National Trust as a base for their conservation efforts around the coast.

threatening skies

6th July09, High Newton, 3pm

I was watching the skies darken and was heading for the car but this family were still enjoying themselves.

7th July09, High Newton, 4pm

Another showery day with lovely cloud formations around and about.

Here's someone who's been absent from the blog for a while. Business as usual.

money can't buy you weather

Northumberland is a great equaliser. We saw a very rich visiting couple recently - their clothes, their car, their attitude all screamed "look at how rich we are". Well you can't buy the weather and everyone gets rained on just the same. It is to my constant pleasure that the glory of this wee part of Northumberland is available to all regardless of monetary wealth.

5th July09, Howick coast, 11am

Agrimony - a member of the rose family. It smells of apricots, and used to be said to have magical properties in olden days. You can make tea from the leaves apparently.

One of 3 sea hares we found in a big rock pool. So called because their tentacles resemble hares' ears. Sea hares are hermaphrodites and mate in long chains. They can lay up to 26 million eggs in strings up to 20m long.

6th July09, Low Newton, 8am

A walk in the soft rain - very calm and beautiful.

Cinnabar moth. Common around here as its caterpillars feed on ragwort. This is one of the most poisonous moths in Britain but you'd have to eat it!

Flannel isle

2nd July09, High Newton, 7pm

An evening visit to the lovely evening light at low tide.

This wndbreak was very necessary as there was a good breeze. Perfect windbreak conditions - sun from one direction, wind from the other.

3rd July09, High Newton, 8am

On Flannan Isle there was a lighthouse which was found abandoned - Google it to find out more. We read the poem at school and the story's haunted me ever since . I wish there was a cormorant in the background of this sunbed left abandoned from yesterday's sun. This morning's fretty fog was not conducive to catching a tan!

Sea Rocket

2nd July09, Embleton Bay, 8am

The sun returns and changes the coast completely.

This is Sea Rocket, a member of the cabbage family.

The summer is in the detail

It's been overcast, foggy and dull the last few days. So I've looked a bit closer to find signs of summer.

30th June09, High Newton, 8am

Ragwort - A beautiful wild flower much hated by horse and livestock owners as it's poisonous to such beasts.

This is called Rest Harrow. It's tangled stems used to bring the harrow to a halt in the fields.

A type of bedstraw.

Wild hedge mustard

31st June09, around Christon Bank, 8am

cow parsley

31st June09, around Christon Bank, 9pm

Finally, we ended June with a nice evening.