Spring's a sprung!

Life seems to have turned into even more of a rollercoaster than usual since we got Toby, certainly not a bad thing! Feels like we've had him years already, he's a cheeky little boy with a penchant for gloves, socks and anything he can nick out of a waster paper bin that he thinks will get a reaction! He's not reached full maturity yet in German Shepherd terms, though he's not far off. Still very much a puppy!

So this weekend seeing as Saturday was the Spring Equinox, myself, a friend and of course Toby went for a drive into the Yorkshire Dales for a lovely walk starting at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, middling at Helwith Bridge and up the side of Pen-Y-Ghent, one of the famous Three Yorkshire Peaks. Toby is being eased into this country bumpkin lark having come from a city background and so stiles are a seemingly new concept to him. When he first arrived, jumping over anything seemed fairly alien but he's cottoned on quick! A couple of stiles en-route looked something like this... >>>
Now anyone who goes walking with dogs will know how awkward it is getting dogs over this design of stile, I expect border collies can jump in one leap but, as I've experienced with Madam Maya the Malamute, some dogs just ain't going to make it. Regardless of managing to walk up normal stairs, these stiles are just not cutting the mustard...The first one we encountered involved me picking up Toby (all nearly 32kgs of him!) and bundling him up the stile in a less than graceful fashion. At the next one of these stiles there was a gate next to it but the entrance was blocked by farm machinery...my friend was trying to coax Toby round the back of it and down the side of a wall to get through the gate but he was just looking at us daft. As I realised I was going to have to go back over the stile and lead him round Toby then instead decided we'd faffed about far too much and simply scaled the 5ft dry stone wall...the biggest jump I've seen him manage yet! #Proud moment# All this exercise was clearly paying off and building up his muscles as he wasn't fit enough to manage a large jump like that a few weeks ago!

Anyway I digress...A few photos from the walk, taken from my phone so my apologies for the quality!

A beautiful white stream...

Last time we did this walk this stream was frozen so it was hard to see it's true colour. Little did we know it was full of creamy limestone deposits resulting in gorgeous crystal clear water flowing into the River Ribble.

View of Pen-Y-Ghent

Toby enjoying one of many stiles!

The River Ribble

Swaledales

Panorama and a Tobydog

Lovely views were had of dipper, curlew, oystercatcher and soaring buzzard. A stop off in Settle on the way home for a cheeky bag of chips to keep the hunger pangs away, a cracking end to a lovely day out.

On Sunday, with such blue skies overhead, I thought I'd bring out my old faithful motorbike for a spring clean. I managed about 15 minutes of scrubbing before getting bored, I was never one for making her sparkle, as she only gets mucky again! I'm afraid I'm a firm believer that life is too short for cleaning and bikes are made for riding after all! Instead I grabbed my camera as I couldn't resist a photoshoot. Toby was obliging as usual...

My lovely Thump, slightly cleaner!

Enjoying the sun, tis hard being a dog!

Pretty and he knows it...

Smiler!

So lucky to own these two beauties!

Then of course the word on everyone's lips on Friday had been the eclipse, it was pretty cloudy here for the duration of it, these were the shots I managed but nothing to shout about I'm afraid!

In other news, I am drawing quietly in the background, a couple of commissions are keeping me occupied. A spot of bird ringing is being managed in and among work days which is grand. With any luck I'll be close to getting my C-licence by the end of the year, if I can get the ringing time in!

The ecological survey season is just around the corner and I will have more than enough to keep me busy in that department so it's lovely to be able to make the most of my spare time walking and drawing before life becomes the hectic ball of fun that comes with surveying great crested newts, bats, otters and more! I love having the excuse to be out and about when nature is waking up. Nearly stood on these two on one dog walk...

Ribbety giggedy

Snowdrops and crocuses

I've rambled on long enough this morning but lots to catch up on! Until next time, I shall leave you with this two headed daffodil, it sprouted just the other day :)

Enjoy your start to spring all, can't believe it's nearly Easter!

Meg x

Toby's first week in his new home

Our lives have been turned upside down by our new furball, but we've loved every minute of having Toby and feeling very lucky to be able to provide this lovely boy with a home. In the space of seven days he's been everywhere with us, in two different cars, to the pub, to a busy reservoir, played in snow, played in rivers, mud and fields, met two new playmates AND a trip to the vets! Safe to say he's been a gem and settled in fabulously well, so pleased.

Some pics from Toby's first week...

Sleepy

Surveying the Tarn

Toby-luvvin'

First ride in the Disco...

Sleepy (again

The above picture is from today, we introduced Toby to Echo, a rather petite German Shepherd belonging to good friends of ours. Echo is also a rescue GSD and very vocal with other dogs. After initially barking her head off around Toby we went on a long walk to tire them both out with the intention of letting them both off once on neutral territory in a nice big field. Sure enough both dogs got on pretty well considering Echo's excitement tendencies, Toby took it all in his stride and we felt confident enough to let Echo in the house. After initial sniffing about the place both dogs settled down beautifully, very happy owners!!

Here pups! Great recall :)

With his new lady friend Echo

Toby has also been introduced to Maya the Malamute, another great success! So two new (lady) playmates for Toby = yet more exercise for our new pup :D A Valentine's week indeed!

The house feels complete with the addition of our canine friend...though I fear we may never be free of fur again...

Just a few spare hairs!

A new dog, a ringing tick and the last of the puffins!

We've had an exciting few days recently, welcoming a new addition to the family...Meet Toby-Wan Kenobi, well just Toby really - he's a white "champagne"  German Shepherd.

We've rehomed him and he seems to have settled in very well much to our relief! He's very, VERY furry. This was after 40 minutes work on him...

...and we appear to have a spare dog! This is mostly his undercoat, amazingly soft, the birds will make good use of it for nesting material come spring :)

Having had a German Shepherd before and knowing what fantastically intelligent and loyal companions they are, we had to have another. Toby certainly doesn't disappoint. Here he is on a walk today.

In other news, I've got my first ringing tick of the year, a mighty fine male Coot. Such strong birds with amazing legs and feet! He naturally left me a nice rich and green present on my leg as a thankyou for the silver bling ;)

And finally I'm able to show you the last updates on the progress of my Atlantic Puffin portrait as it is now...drum roll please....FINISHED! I only started it a year ago... Plenty of hours have gone into this piece of work I can tell you, worth it in the end I hope you agree. It's been a lot of fun bringing these quirky little sea parrots to life!

Seeing puffins in my sleep...

And here's the finished artwork, all framed up!

And for something a bit different, here's a short video of me in action, working on the puffin colony...

That's me for now, catch up again soon!

Meg x

2014: A look back on a very busy but fun-filled year!

'Ello ello!

So I thought I'd do a reflection type of post, if anything it should be a good way to collect together all the cracking memories created from last year! Looking back I'm amazed how much has been fitted in, it's been a good 'un :)

First up, ART HIGHLIGHTS:
 My pencil drawing of a mother and baby Mountain Gorilla, entitled "Primaternal Love", was shortlisted for the David Sheperd Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition where it then went on to sell on the Preview night before the exhibition was properly open to the public, SUCH an amazing feeling and definitely the highlight of my arty career so far. To have a piece of my artwork framed up and hung just down the road from Buckingham Palace with many staggeringly beautiful artworks was a huge privilege and certainly one I will never forget. I hope to enter again this year, the deadline is drawing closer (haha see what I did there!) but I have my entry piece in mind and hope to get cracking on with it very soon once the dreaded tax return has been filed!!
You can read more about my time at WAY here http://megghyll.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/what-weekend.html

My other main art highlight was getting the opportunity to visit internationally famous animal artist Pollyanna Pickering in her home at Matlock for a very special event to celebrate 30 years of the Born Free Foundation. A really lovely day out and the chance to meet one of my all time favourite actresses and founder of the BFF, Virginia McKenna. Read more here! http://megghyll.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/born-free-foundation-30th-anniversary.html

I'd like to also take the time to say a massive thankyou to my lovely customers who have either commissioned my work, bought products from my shop or just taken the time to like and share my work and posts online, it truly means SUCH a lot and keeps me thinking all of the time spent at my drawing board isn't in vain. You're all superstars! :) Here are a few of the commissions I've undertaken this year....




ECOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS
I've been very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work as an ecologist since April which has meant most of my spring and summer season has been spent outdoors, my favourite place of all :) Great crested newt surveys and translocations, bat surveys and building inspections, otter, badger and water vole surveys, it's all been going on and I've loved every minute of it, even the antisocial hours...!

Having spent the entire season putting hundreds of miles on my motorbike and numerous outfit changes every day (bike kit off and into wellies and waterproofs, back into bike kit, back into wellies...!) it was somewhat of a relief to pass my driving test (first time yippee!) back in October and the acquiring of my little Stella Skoda - yes she has a name, I know... :/ - who has naturally done many more miles since she arrived in my care! Thump, my SV650 has earned her right to stay warm and dry in the garage after serving me without fault for close to 7000 miles in a season and 4 years of being effectively run into the ground! Who knows, if I'm feeling VERY generous I may even give her a spring clean, though she'll probably fall apart then in shock....


Read more about my ecological exploits in a few posts, check the drop downs on the left hand side of this page :)

RINGING HIGHLIGHTS
2014 was crazy busy with ecology work and my bird ringing training took a bit of a back seat as I found being available AND getting suitable ringing weather was a tall order throughout the year. However, 2015 looks set to have much in store on the ringing front, I hope to get plenty done and maybe that C licence is not so far away! I've already been out once this year and managed a busy morning of almost 90 new birds in my trainer's back garden, hopefully a sign of good and productive things to come so will keep you posted.

FUN HIGHLIGHTS

I've had the chance to enjoy some beautiful walks over the year, including the Forest of Bowland and mostly the Yorkshire Dales. We often have a furry companion with us too, Maya the Malamute :) I've made visits to the RSPB reserves St Aidan's, Fairburn Ings and Leighton Moss as well as a weekend at the Rutland Birdfair which was a lot of fun!  Weekend breaks in Wales, Kent and France too and jollies to the Scottish Highlands and Italy. It's easily been one of the best years of all my 26 and I think 2015 is looking set to be a grand one too. I'm blessed with great friends and supporting family, not forgetting my chap who is my rock and best mate. Here's to making many more happy memories.

Remember, you only have one life so LIVE IT :)

Ascending Mt. Snowdon

Tour de France

Coire Lagan, Isle of Skye

Madame Maya Malamute

Gaping Gill

Leighton Moss

Manorola, one of the Cinque Terra, Tuscany

 So although it's been a year filled with positive experiences, it's also been a year with losses too, in particular, a very good friend of ours who left us too young. Never to be forgotten.

But not to leave on a sad note, here's a little Blue Tit, the first visitor to my window feeder :) Hope all of you enjoyed the festive period and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Speak soon,
Meg x