The Mere Cremone Gardens

To continue my stroll by the side of The Mere from the previous post I'll start with this Wood Pigeon chilling out.

The sun was against me to capture 'Secure' (made of steel and oak) by Nick Horrigan so maybe I'll pass the view off as moody.  Next

Its so quiet -sshhh. 

The artist John Merrill was inspired to create the wooden SShhh by the peace and quiet of the beech avenue at the end of Cremone Gardens. Originally made of local lime wood the weather eventually took its toll so he has re-carved and replaced the letters in good old sturdy oak. The utility vehicle was also quiet however its driver was hard at work with a leaf blower keeping the path clear. He had come prepared for in the yellow bucket was something most welcome on a chilly and windy day, a hot drinks flask. His leaf blower was turned off when we reached the sculpture and he

waited until I had taken a picture of the decorated holly tree and passed him to retrace our steps

for the path beyond in the woods was very muddy not the place for someone wearing the wrong footwear.

Or to go beyond the gate to the Fishing Pod to gaze over the waters. I believe there is a family of otters living on The Mere - no need for them to join the EAC (Ellesmere Angling Club) for these natural catchers of fish have carte blanche

Links

Ellesmere Sculpture Trail - John Merrill
Ellesmere Sculpture Trail - Nick Horrigan with a much better photo.

Fish Out of Water

A fish forever leaping on the flower banking of Grange Over Sands promenade caught in April when the spring flowers were in bloom.. There was also a flat fish nearby always associated with Morecambe Bay,

the fluke (possibly more commonly known as flounders).  I don't know if people still go fluke treading in the bay but it was a method of catching them by feeling for them with ones feet and then grabbing hold of them by head, gills and tail.  I've never fished in my life but have in the past waded across the silty channels of Morecambe Bay and suddenly felt something stir under my feet which made me and it move a whole lot faster, a very strange experience, and I'm never sure who is panicking more me, or the fish.

Here flying into view is one of our feathered friends. 

These wooden sculptures along the promenade are relatively recent and I wonder what they look now amongst the summer planting rather than the rather restricted cover of spring  They are all the creation of Andy Levy wood sculptor who works with both traditional tools and chainsaw carving.


A fondness for fish in the artistic sense has also just appeared locally as mosaics on the Haverigg foreshore but the sunlight was in the wrong direction for photography.  No problem, I'm just grateful that the sun is making an appearance after a less than stellar summer.  I contented myself with taking an image of this rather charming 

fishy embellishment on the new Haverigg information board.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at F here

 

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