Bwlch Nant Yr Arian & Block of the Month etc.

Same old, same old... I've been away again so haven't managed to post for a while but I've still been so busy doing lots of stitching.

I caught up with my Block of the month Swap for Diane the Cheshire Quilter. I'm really enjoying making different ones each month and this time I made a Snail Trail block to replace the one that never arrived and is still crawling from Merseyside to Cheshire.  I'm so happy how it turned out so readily and it is a definite improvement on my previous efforts, for sure.

 The challenge for this month was to make tissue pouches which will go into a charity sale for Hope Hospital, later in the year. A worthwhile cause so I made several including some from Liberty fabric.

I arrived home to a lovely post from Diane ... her May Block of the Month to me and, as ever it is a super one. Thanks Diane, I'm getting a lovely stash together.

Diane sent me the next challenge, which will also go into the charity sale, but this packet of instructions is all you can see for now until I have a go at making them.

Yesterday I attended a workshop, given by the talented Maureen Crawford, to make this Celtic braid table runner.  It was a super day and I loved setting it out,  just got to add the binding now to finish it.

We were in Pembrokeshire last week, an area we had never visited before and we enjoyed touring around, seeing all the beautiful countryside. On the way home we stopped near Aberystwyth to visit Bwlch  Nant Yr Arian to see the Red Kites. It was amazing and such a beautiful location.

The visitor lodge is fabulous...

 the super cafe has large windows with an outside decking area from which the birds can be viewed.

This is the view...

at around 2.00pm the birds, many of which have travelled 50 miles, are fed on the island in the lake and, at first, a bit of a frenzy went on.

Eventually the birds spread out and it is a wonderful sight to watch them swirling and swooping above.

My small camera didn't capture it all as well as I hoped.

As a result of the centre, run by the Forestry Commission, the kite population has increased and been saved from dying out completely in this area.

It costs just £1.50 to park at the centre for a couple of hours and there is no other charge. There is also a gift shop, an information centre and good facilities.

You should manage to spot mountain bikers on the specially made trail in the above photo.

There are a couple of lovely play areas for children, lots of wooden carvings,

and many feeding stations for all the other birds.

A great family day out and I really wished our grandies could have shared the magic of this place.