Cumbrian Bloggers Meetup

So last Sunday saw the first Cumbrian Bloggers meet up in Carlisle, okay we're not the only Bloggers in the whole of Cumbria but we're the ones who have met up through twitter and arranged a date to meet. We're hoping to double the numbers for the next meeting, as new people are making contact every day through twitter #CumbrianBloggers and through the new Cumbrian Bloggers Facebook page. 

Hey why would you want to meet? 

Surely you just blog to talk about yourself and get free stuff(as 6 people have told me, this week). Well actually no, people write blogs to engage with others, we have things to say and sometimes no one like minded to say them too. Be your blog be about health, fashion, make up, food, crafts, travel, motherhood and all this and more; all Bloggers want to do really is talk. Sometimes we don't need a reply just the act of putting a thought our there is enough. Sometimes you find people so like minded through it you just want to meet them.

I think it was Jo from Perfect Hiding Place who organised the meet up(thank you Jo) and arranged to meet at The Thin White Duke. Now I've been to tweet ups before which I've always found to be tough as you sometimes have never tweeted(spoke) to those there but everyone who arrived at the Bloggers meet I'd read their blogs first. 

I felt like I knew a little about them, making it easier to chat everyone had a starting point.

 Helen aka Pierrelecat I was reading her blog before I knew she lived locally, proving that even the internet is a small world

Here's Jen from Jenny and the Magic Feather deep in conversation with Sally aka Sally Tangle

 A lovely picture of Anna from On The Dressing Table. 

It wouldn't be a meeting if details, hints and tips weren't discussed. 

Here's Cat from Outside Beauty, Inside Health our most famous Blogger as she was finalist in Cosmoplitan 2012 Blog Awards, chatting to Jo and Anna.

Of course I was there too,but you know me already. Go on give these ladies a read, I'm sure you'll be impressed with them as I was and be following them yourselves soon enough. 

Or if you're a Cumbrian Blogger get in touch to come to the next meet up.

I hope to be posting a lot more updates about Cumbria's Bloggers soon.

Watchtree - Winter

Watchtree is a local nature reserve, but one of those places that although I knew were it was I'd never actually been there.

It's always the way that you forget the beauty that's just on your doorstep.

During the Foot and Mouth crisis in 2001 Watchtree became the final resting place of many infected cattle, the site was chosen due to it's proximity to many infected farms, but also for its bedrock geology that would prevent further contamination from the buried cattle.

It's story could have just ended there, leaving the site a barren wasteland, however the ecological consultants assigned to the restoration of lands after the outbreak choose to turn the space into a community asset and a positive feature to local wildlife.

In 2003 Watchtree became a nature reserve, water areas were created with wildlife in mind, huge areas reseeded, 80,000 trees planted to enhance local woodland and create extra habitats.

They have educational programs for  school visits and run Watchtree Wheelers and cycle group for people with learning or physical disabilities. 
This amazing site is free to visit but has a donations box.

When we visited the site it was a cold frosty but clear Winters day, most of the ponds still had ice skimming the top of them. 

Maisie and Lucas enjoyed running around the wide open pathways of the site, trying to spot any wildlife which was unfortunately in hiding for us most the time. Maisie took to hiding in the wooded area while Lucas and I looked out for the Guffalo, of which we didn't see any.

We did however find this awesome wooden spider in the wooded area.

These insect holes are all over the site providing homes for little beasties, quite a lot had spiders in them when we were looking, and I think we may make some of these for our next garden project.

Maisie was map holder while we were there, she has her no one is listening to my command face on here, and took around the site to find the hides which look out onto various wetlands and feeding areas for birds. We saw a few sparrows, a finch and some ducks. The hides are very comfortable, with carpeted seating and one has a telescope too much to the children's delight. They all had posters inside to say which animals and birds were in that location.

The area is also the site for several wind turbines, I know that they get a lot of stick for being ugly and a blot on the landscape but I'll admit I find them hauntingly beautiful. Stood underneath one listening to it slow thrum thrum sound was a simple kind of peace and meditation.

I think will be regular visitors to this wonderful site, and hope to do another Spring time update. You can find out more about Watchtree Nature Reserve here.

Amanda.x.

Photographs courtesy of Stuart Ryan.