Derby, UK: Making Atten and other things...

After the 22 mile bike ride to Beeston and back, Andrew, Hannah and I were too broken to move further than the back garden the next day...

Even my chalkbox needed a rest...

I popped it into this snug chalkbox-shaped dent in the top of one of their bricks, before setting my sights on everything within 10 metres of my feet.

'Cute'
(I wrote that before the cat came along...)

But, fair enough, she did live up to the word's meaning with all of her rolling about and whatnot...

'Wheely nice day' in Derby

Look!

A day perfect for creating, one might say...

...and for cups of tea from pear-shaped teapots :)

This is me making a sock puppet...

First I snipped up the middle of a pair of socks and sewed the two sides into two, very skinny legs...

Then, using a knitting needle, I filled in all of the different areas with sock puppet guts (stuffing), and pinned on a face that I thought might suit his personality...

Taking a break to find hidden corners in the garden...

...and then chalking little messages there for unsuspecting gardeners later in the month...

'Oh, hi!'

Sweet :)

Sweets?

SA-WEET

Returning to complete my sock puppet, only to find I now have an extra pair of eyes watching the process...

A scared (and incomplete) sock puppet.

(Cats are too much for Atten)

Yep! That ill-looking puppet is called Atten...

Hi 'Atten'!

Sitting on a chair in the garden and taking in the surroundings...

...before embarking on our big journey back to the North-West...

'Time to go home'

(Atten had to come back to Liverpool without ears and arms because I ran out of time and didn't want to make him look all stupid by rushing)

Riding my bike on Crewe train station...

'Chilling' before the final train comes to take us home...

Annnnd home.
Atten looking rather happy with his bed-hat (a fixture until some ears can be sorted)

Snug as a bug, like.

...and dreaming of more adventures of the Derby to Liverpool variety.

The day he met a cat, rode a bike and made a friend in 'Helen Chalks'.

***

Derby, UK: Embarassing my hosts at the Zoo

In January 2011 I hopped on a train and travelled sideways for two hours to Derby. When I got there I was greeted by my brother, his girlfriend, some raspberry cheesecake cupcakes and a shockingly tall doorstep.

I scaled it, confused as to how their cat ever gets in and out of the house on a daily basis...

The next day we went to Twycross Zoo. EXCITING. I fumbled around for my chalk as soon as I saw the sign below (I wanted to write 'yay! We're at the ZOO!') but I got one of those looks that says 'do you really need to start already? Wait until you're inside, at least...'

We queued, eagerly trying to eyeball anything that looked like it might be an exotic animal living on the other side... 

Hello penguins. Totally deserving of my appreciation (and everyone else's), I left this message on the wall to remind passers-by of their aceness...

I remember looking up shortly after this though and seeing my brother and his girlfriend in the distance. I think they were clearing the area to allow me space after my scolding from the Zoo Keeper...

(I was not scolded. It was worth the wait.)