Fish in the Foss!

The weather has been superb in York this week and all of the Sumptuosity Fairies have been enjoying it...well, I say all but Sophie (who is a little Alpine Flower) has been feeling the heat and been wilting slightly. She is very pale and so burns very easily as well and keeps covered up, while Alanna (Banana) is a real sun worshipper and has been completely in her element.

I enjoy seeing the sunshine, even if it is through the windows of Sumptuosity Towers as I sit and sew away! I did have some time off this week, as Wednesday was my birthday and I had an 'extended' lunch break to go book shopping. It would have been longer but we are super busy and so couldn't really spare any more time. However, I did manage to find some nice titles to add to the Brompton-Charlesworth Library. What was super nice on my birthday was that Alanna (Banana) had made me a gorgeous Chocolate cake! It was huge and we all had large slabs of it with our morning and afternoon tea breaks....mmmmmmmmmh! The girls had also got me some lovely birthday presents - a Salt and Pepper set shaped like Guinea-Pigs ( I am Guinea-pig mad) and the CD soundtrack of 'Bend it like Beckham'. This is one of my favourite soundtracks and I had previously told the girls about how my copy had got scratched to bits in John's Land Rover. It was so sweet of them to spoil me like this, although I hope that they won't regret buying me the CD, as we have played it about three times already this week! It does have a brilliant song (one of many!) called 'Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot'. We have decided that it is Sophie's Sumptuosity Summer Song.

Fiona and Alice from 'Grace and Jacob' (next door at No: 7 Barleycorn Yard), popped in on Saturday, with a large Chocolate Muffin (complete with candle) and a lovely felt flower brooch (made by Fiona) for my birthday. Isn't it incredible how everyone seems to know that I like chocolate......? It is really good to have another creative textile-based business here in Barleycorn Yard.

The sunny weather seems to have really brought out all the York Wild life, as I am pleased to state that the Swifts are back in York and flying high overhead and I have even seen a Swallow flying above the city walls (which is a first for me here in York). What has been really nice is that we have spotted two Grey Wagtails flitting about over the surface of the Foss and we are currently busy looking about to see if they are nesting nearby - fingers crossed! What has really amazed and delighted me this week is the sight of lots and lots of fish in the Foss. When the sun hits the water it is possible to see much deeper than is normally possible and both John and I have been 'fish watching'... a bit like bird watching but instead it is fish! I am sure that yesterday we saw a Pike lurking among the Lily pads and there are lots of fish with a dark line down the centre of their body, although I don't know what they are. I think that I need an 'Observer's Book of Fish'! Anyway, the point is that it is great to know that the Foss is so teaming with life.

3 B.T.'s

1: John and I have been watching a Grey Wagtail most mornings are we walk along the Foss on our way to the Studio. It is wonderful to watch it flitting above the surface of the water catching insects.
2: The swifts are back in York and can be heard screeching above the city and this morning I was surprised (although very pleased) to see a Swallow.
3: Book buying on my birthday. I have now increased my Gerald Durrell collection, including one written by his sister, which is called 'Whatever happened to Margo?

Bye for now,

Love Ruthie xxx