This month my adventurous side returned as I made the most of the beautiful (yet sometimes unbearable) heatwaves we had. I’ve had holidays in England, Scotland, and Wales too. With time spent catching up with long distance friends, family and loved ones, I’ve found myself hiking, walking, and simply enjoying the outdoors more. The coast was certainly calling my name this month as I had my first dip in the sea this year – with many more planned as we head into summer!
Days Out & Activities:
- Blair Drummond Safari Park – Catching up with a long-distance friend, we took a rather impromptu trip to Blair Drummond Safari Park. It seems this ‘visit one zoo a month’ streak is continuing! Anyway, having not heard too much about this place beforehand, and hence it being my first time visiting, I was pleasantly surprised by everything it had to offer. Despite not being as big as some of the major UK zoos in terms of species, it does have more attractions and activities to do in the park. Plenty of eateries, shops, fairground rides, a train, a dinosaur park, a drive-through safari, and so many animal talks & shows. We never felt like we had ran out of things to do, and had such an enjoyable day out. Our highlights were seeing baby meerkats (they had just reached the age of exploring outside for the first time), and the train journey around the lake.
- Great Orme & Llandudno – Taking advantage of the final days of the heatwave, we took a road trip to North Wales to explore Great Orme and the town of Llandudno. Our drive took us along Marine Drive which saw panoramic views of the sea below us, and we made sure to stop off at parts along the way to take it all in. Halfway along this coastal road, we parked up to begin a hike up the summit of Great Orme and have a small breakfast picnic. The hike looped us back down to Marine Drive where we walked along the coastal path back to the car. After Great Orme, we stopped by the town of Llandudno to enjoy the beach, town centre, and the pier. We set up our blankets on the beach, ate a lunch picnic with the sun blazing down on us, before heading into the sea for a little paddle – I only wish I brought my full swimwear along to go for a bigger swim!
- Murder Mystery Game – It wasn’t all sunshine this month however, and the rainy days called for some indoor fun instead. I had picked up a Crime Investigation game at a car boot sale, and we spent one afternoon trying to solve the fictional murder of a character in Antarctica! By the brand Murder Mystery Party, we were given a case file of a murder which happened aboard an expedition. Forensic photos, newspaper articles, witness statements, and online investigations all connected to conclude the case. I’ll admit it took us a lot longer to solve than the recommended playing time displayed on the box cover, but it did provide us with a lot of brain work to deduce the killer. This was our first time solving a game like this, and it certainly wont be our last!
Hobbies and Interests:
- Jigsaw Puzzles – I’m a little bit of a ‘grandma’ when it comes to hobbies, and one of my favourite pastimes are jigsaw puzzles – I have a collection as long as my arm! For my birthday I was gifted a Yetch puzzle (which is mainly made up of edge pieces), depicting a river with various creatures and foliage. With cute hidden detailing of little mice and other creatures, it was really fun to see the image come together. Due to its nature, the puzzle was rather challenging to put together at parts, yet one which was very enjoyable overall!
- Scrapbooking – Over the past couple of years I’ve been adding to a scrapbook to create a handmade keepsake. But I will be the first to admit I’m not always good at keeping it up to date, and I often find myself slacking some months. Papers, photographs, and mementos are sometimes simply put away in a box – out of sight, out of mind as you may say! Then I return to find quite the backlog to sort through. This month I made the active decision to set aside time to backdate these missing entries and get back on track, and I love how these pages are turning out! I’m quite a sentimental person, so having this place where I can look back at special events or days out with my partner has been really sweet!
- Journaling – In addition to the above, I’ve also been getting crafty with a journal. Now I am one who owns too many notebooks: some too pretty to use daily; some not fit for every purpose; some waiting their turn for the ‘perfect’ project – and yet I still find myself browsing for more in stores! To rationalise by stationary problem, I decided to be brave and turn one of my ‘fancier’ books into a fun little crafty one. Think a junk journal mixed with a bullet journal, mixed with a collection log. It really has it all. My favourite quotes, photos, stickers, thoughts and even drawings have finally found a place to live.
Physical and Virtual Media:
- Books – A Dog’s Journey (part way through).
- TV – The Devil’s Hour on ITVx.
- Film – Sheep Detectives at Vue Cinema.
- Games – My Horse & Me 2 on Nintendo Wii.
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