T Stands for ...two outings !

Another whizzy week has passed by and along with having some time to play in my craft room I got one big task out of the way - phew! I have finally got around to finishing taking up some new curtains! Well, I say 'new', they have been in their packaging since we bought them a couple of years ago, but I didn't want them up before we decorated the living room and that took us an age too what with packing up all our things at the caravan then finding homes for that  stuff!
We thought a quick press and we would have them up, unfortunately our windows are not a standard size. This meant that they were folded up and put out of the way until I got tired of moving them around. They do look very nice!

As well as all that we managed to get two outings last week. It meant staying up late to book them (fortunately this weeks outings were easier to book)

Last Tuesday morning it was raining, not heavily, so we donned waterproof coats and set off to Styall and Quarry Bank Mill gardens. The rain was intermittent so not so bad and it was still quite warm. The only problem was that unlike the dry day when we visited last time, no-one was stopping for rests or picnics. There were quite a few hold ups, I don't think some folk knew that it was so hilly and were having difficulties walking.

 I love seeing these Rose bay willow herbs...yes, I know they are weeds and I was forever pulling them up at the caravan before they went to seed.

 The steps were still closed

...so were these.

 The best seat in the gardens - but it was soaking wet!

This would be the view from the seat.
We stood back and let a lot of folk past.

It was fascinating to see the raindrops run off this branch

Hubby could take some shots without anyone behind us.

 As you can see there aren't many gardeners in and the list is not being updated

 I didn't want to stay around the midges for too long...

...and we soon caught up with folk heading back to the car park.

On Friday we had booked for an afternoon visit to Lyme Park. It was very windy and threatening rain so it was waterproofs again. You may remember the last time we visited we came to a gate leading into a wood but decided not to go through, this time we headed up the hill straight to it and went in..

There were threatening rain clouds but some patches of blue too

The sun shone through the trees and it became quite warm as there was no wind in the woods.

Can you see  face here?

We hardly noticed this stream on our last visit but it was racing away on this occasion - not surprising with the amount of rain we have had lately!

Back at the carpark the swallows were ducking and diving for insects above the trees.

This week there is somewhere very familiar and somewhere we haven't been for a while!! We are taking a picnic today!

Now for my T Stands for Tuesday pic to join in at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog The Altered Book Lover.

It's a special occasion this week, celebrating 7 years of TSFT.
Huge thanks to Elizabeth for introducing us all! We had one of my favourite meals - Smoked mackerel with Sweet Potato

Hubby stayed out of the way so that you can see my new curtains - he said that I should show proof that I had actually finished them - ha! ha!

Thanks for looking, Chris