Exploring – Page 4

Beastie Meets Beasties at the Oregon Zoo

Posted on December 6, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow, it’s been a busy week here in Beastie Towers… AGAIN!
Fortunately, not all of the global Beastie family are entangled in Christmas market preparations. So today I’m going to leave you in the capable hands (and paws) of Tammie and her mischievous monster companion Finn McSpool, as they have some close encounters with the residents of Oregon Zoo. Enjoy!

Tammie Painter

I know I promised a continuation of my tales from Orvieto for today’s post, but I thought I’d take a little break from the Italian adventures and share a recent outing that’s a little more local.

As you know, Finn McSpool recently moved to the U.S. from Ireland (although he’s thinking about packing his bags and returning after learning the results of our latest election). He’s done a little local exploring to Portland’s Japanese Garden, but this week was his first trip to see some local beasties at the Oregon Zoo. Late November may not be the best weather for wandering around a zoo, but Mr. Husband and I discovered a few years ago that on the Monday after Thanksgiving, you pretty much have the place to yourself.

I know many people hate zoos and think they’re cruel, but the Oregon Zoo is an outstanding steward for animal, environmental, and ecological issues, including…

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Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

Posted on November 29, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

All the leaves are brown… and the sky certainly is grey here in Dublin today! But it seems like not all Beasties are reaching for their hats and scarves, or bedding down on the sofa to rewatch “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

Not Paddy and Plunkett, anyway… They’re still on holiday in Lanzarote!
Today, their wandering paws have brought them to a part of the island that’s all rocks. Paddy’s not impressed – he had his fuzzy little heart set on building sandcastles. But Plunkett is in his element!
These local rocks are ideal for making stone walls, and Plunkett is determined to examine all of them!
This is starting to remind Paddy a lot of their trip to Arundel Castle, back in the summer!

Some of these walls even deserve a closer look…
…And at least that’s something Paddy can enjoy!
By the end of the day, I reckon he’d even forgotten about those sandcastles!
Where would you like to be spending this wintry Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaaand don’t forget to pick up your Beastie calendar, while they’re still hot! A mere €12 each, with free postage within Ireland, or €3 to anywhere else*. Get in touch to reserve yours!

*These rates are for one calendar – larger orders might cost a little more!

Among Fading Colours - CrawCrafts Beasties

Explorer Beastie’s Wintry Ramble!

Posted on November 18, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Knitted Beasties

So, the clocks have gone back and the evenings are starting noticeably earlier every day. And, after a slightly rainy start to the autumn here in Ireland, the sun finally showed his face – fortunately at a time when Explorer Beastie and I were away in the countryside for a couple of days!
The bright sunshine made for some great photos… although the slight nip in the air was a reminder that winter is very much on the way! Care to join us on our stroll?

Oh, but we’ll just have to wait while Explorer Beastie climbs a couple of trees first…
Amazingly, there are still some flowers out brightening up the garden at this time of the year…
…Even if everywhere else is starting to look a little less colourful.
But when the leaves fall, they sometimes reveal hidden treasure among the branches – like this cosy, mossy bird’s nest!
You need to be careful where you perch though… I think you’ve picked up some extra accessories on your hat there, Explorer Beastie!
Further down the lane, we found some natural treats – sloes, blackberries and rosehips!
In fact, the whole hedgerow had become one beautiful natural tapestry, dancing in the sunlight.
But despite the bright sunshine, it was starting to get a little chilly out here! So after a quick pitstop in a sheltered spot…
…It was time to head for home!

How is winter arriving where you are? Or are you somewhere that’s already looking forward to long, lazy summer days? Let us know in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday, when I’m hoping to have a preview of next year’s Beastie Calendar to share with you all! See you then!

Paddy and Plunkett, Livin’ it up in Lanzarote!

Posted on November 11, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

After last week’s post, some eagle-eyed readers were able to figure out that Paddy and Plunkett are currently enjoying a bit of winter (or late autumn!) sun in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Lucky them! Shall we see where their wandering paws have taken them this week?

It seems like they’ve been making friends with some more of the locals, for starters!
Having spent a lot of the early part of their stay enjoying the delights of the hotel they’d snuck into, this week they decided to venture further afield.

“Come on Plunkett, let’s head for the hills!”
Paddy – full of beans as usual – was keen to see the island from the top of this mountain. All the more so after he found out that it used to be…
…A VOLCANO!

Plunkett was a little less enthused at the prospect of encountering pyroclastic flow and rivers of red-hot lava – he hid behind the sofa when we were checking out Grim Reaper Beastie’s last set of travel pics – but once we’d confirmed that it’s a looooong time since this volcano last erupted, he was happy enough to continue with the climb.

Well, as long as there were frequent stops to admire the view, of course…
“Are we nearly there yet, Paddy?”

“Almost… Just around the next corner!”
“Woooooooah! Look at that!”

Mind you, it was pretty breezy on the edge of the crater, so the boys didn’t stay long. On their way back down to sea level, Paddy spotted their next destination – he was all for making tracks to visit that lighthouse, way off in the distance!
However, Plunkett put his paw down.

“We’re supposed to be on holiday!”
And it turns out that it was surprisingly easy to win Paddy over to catching a few late-afternoon rays!

We’ll be back with more monster madness on Tuesday. In the meantime, have a great weekend… And Dubliners, don’t forget that you can catch us at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh this Saturday and Sunday!

Paddy and Plunkett's New Buddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

On The Road Again With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on November 4, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paddy and Plunkett… But after hearing from Grim Reaper Beastie and Fairy Princess Beastie over the last couple of weeks, I reckoned it was only a matter of time before the boys got in touch as well! I wonder where they are?

It seems like their latest adventure got off to an early start, anyway – here’s Paddy up and dressed before the sun is fully over the horizon!
Isn’t that sunrise spectacular? Now, time to explore the hotel!

Woooooah, that’s a lot of stairs to climb! Let’s hope the breakfast buffet is worth it…
Nearly there! Note the curious human onlookers at the top, too… Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a Beastie before.
After stocking up on breakfast goodies – and filling Plunkett’s waistcoat pockets with extra snacks for later -the boys had every intention of hitting the beach. But then they found this!
Surely that’s just a wine glass with a plant in it? Nope, think again – it’s a private Beastie beach for one!

But the lads didn’t loaf around for long. After taking a refreshing siesta, they headed out into the neighbourhood… And discovered that perhaps they weren’t as far from home as they first thought!
They also bumped into some of the locals. This guy wasn’t particularly chatty…
…But it wasn’t long before they made a new friend!
Can anyone figure out where they are? If any of this looks familiar, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next Friday to find out more…

Hope you all have a fun weekend! We’ll be back on Tuesday with a new Beastie friend for you all to meet… See you then!

At The Bridge - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties

Guest Post – Fairy Princess Beastie’s Adventure!

Posted on October 25, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

We’re turning the BeastieBlog on its head this week! Last Wednesday, I got another update from a Beastie abroad – like buses, these things tend to come along in threes – and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you! On a sunny autumn day last month, Fairy Princess Beastie’s human family took her on a special day trip, and they were good enough to send me both pictures AND tales of her antics. So, without further ado, I’m going to hand you over to Louise – your guide for this monster day out! Enjoy!

Fairy Princess Beastie spent a lovely autumnal day out visiting Germany’s longest suspension bridge in Geierlay, Hunsrück (that’s in Rhineland-Palatinate if you know your German states!)

Before she set off on her big walk, she needed to build up her strength with a hearty lunch at a local beer garden. As there was no Beastie Menu, she settled for the Kids’ menu… schnitzel and chips (yum) and also some colouring pencils to keep her busy while she waited.
The 1.8km (that’s about 1.2 miles) walk to the bridge crosses over wide open fields and the views are dominated by various wind farms. Fairy Princess was intrigued and took a few minutes to check out the information panels on wind power…
Not only did they explain the link between the wind turbines and the bridge (this is fully financed by the income produced by the local wind farms), they also described some of the archaeological discoveries made in digs preceding their development. Apparently, the Romans traded with local precious ores.
Now there’s something a princess can relate to – sparkly precious stones!

After plenty of walking it was time for a well-earned break for Fairy Princess Beastie and her companion Isabel. This must have given her back plenty of energy because next thing you know she was off climbing trees – check out this cool oak tree forest!
And then, finally, they found the bridge! But would they be brave enough to cross? It hangs 100m above a deep valley, is 85cm wide and 360m long!
Quite an adventure – even for a big Beastie like this one! And as if that wasn’t enough – check out this hawk circling above for some tasty Beastie-sized treats, eek!
Fairy Princess Beastie summoned all her courage (and maybe cast a few anti-vertigo and protection spells for good measure) and was soon walking, jumping and even climbing on the bridge to get a good look down at the valley below! On the other side Isabel and Fairy Princess Beastie were amazed to see that the bridge has only been around since 2015.
(Careful now, Fairy Princess Beastie! It’s lucky your people are there to hold onto you!)

After some more relaxing (and more tree and rock climbing)…
… It was time to head back over the bridge for the journey home. As her fairy wings had been left at home, the Beastie was very glad of a piggyback and a big drink after a successful adventure. The beer garden even had a traditional German beach chair for her and Isabel to relax in.
To keep everyone entertained, Fairy Princess Beastie waved her wand to perform a spontaneous fashion show before it was time for the long drive home – this girl loves her accessories!
What a great day! Thanks again to Louise, Peter and Isabel for bringing Fairy Princess Beastie along, and for sharing your adventure with us!

And to keep with the topsy-turvy theme of the week, I’ll have new Beasties to share on Friday… Join us then to meet them before they head off to Smithfield Market Fair (Gothic Edition!) on Sunday 30th!

A Fitting Backdrop for a Grim Reaper Beastie! N Depping/CrawCrafts Beasties

Grim Reaper Beastie Gets Away From It All

Posted on October 21, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Hey there everybody!

It’s been a while since I last received word from a globetrotting Beastie, so you can probably imagine how delighted I was when Grim Reaper Beastie got in touch earlier this week! As it happens, he’s been to Hawaii… but of course he had very little interest in going to a luau or hanging out on the beach in a brightly-coloured shirt (hilarious as that would be). I think you’ll agree that he looks much more in his element here…
… Because as we all know, the Hawaiian islands are a (literal!) hotbed of volcanic activity. And it seems that Grim Reaper Beastie is quite the amateur volcanologist – here he is again, scrambling around among the lava fields around Kilauea on Big Island!
I think he looks right at home here, don’t you? However, not all of the rocks were suitable for such up-close inspection… For starters, there’s quite a lot of red hot liquid lava around.
And if you think that’s awesome, you should see it after dark!
It also helps to get a bird’s eye view… If you look really closely in the bottom third of this photo, you can see a few fine orange specks where the lava is meeting the sea – and the clouds of steam this produces!
Fortunately, the lava around here moves pretty slowly, so Grim Reaper Beastie could watch it bubble up from the centre of the earth without having to worry about getting his toes burnt. Here, have a look for yourself!

Can anyone else see a monster face appearing in the hot lava towards the end of the video, or is that just me?!

But not every volcano in this area of Big Island is active. Grim Reaper Beastie finished up his tour at Devastation Trail, which was last affected by the eruption of Kilauea Iki in 1959. Here, shrubs and flowering plants have gradually started to recolonise this stark landscape of stones and cinders!
A perfect end to a perfect day of exploration!

Thanks to Nicole for letting Grim Reaper Beastie stow away in her suitcase, and for sending me his holiday snaps – it looks like you had a super trip! And be sure to join us again on Tuesday to meet some new Beasties, then next Friday we’ll be sharing more Beastie adventures abroad! See you then!

Paddy at Ballintoy Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Home Again… (Almost!)

Posted on September 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been quite a summer for Paddy and Plunkett! They’ve spent a glorious couple of months seeing all there is to see in Sussex and Kent, from white cliffs and lighthouses…
… To fantastic castles!
But it’s hard to get out of the way of travelling once you get started, so after the briefest of stopovers at home, they were back on the road again! This time, their wandering paws took them somewhere a little closer to home…
First stop, Ballintoy Harbour! This picturesque little town, situated a bit east of the famous Giant’s Causeway, may not ring a bell with all of you, but fans of “Game of Thrones” may find this place more than a little familiar. Careful, Paddy and Plunkett… You’ve ended up on the Iron Islands! And look, here come some of the locals!
Well, it turns out that only a couple of them were bona fide Iron-Born… the rest are visitors to the area, taking one of the many “Game of Thrones”-themed tours that have sprung up in the wake of the HBO series’ success. The use of out-of-the-way places in Northern Ireland as locations for Game of Thrones has been a huge lift to tourism in these places… and in the country as a whole. For the first time, people are getting out and exploring the natural beauty of Northern Ireland, rather than focusing on our troubled past… and I reckon that’s something to celebrate!
Here’s Paddy posing with some of that spectacular coastline, to give you a taster…
…And check out this amazing natural stone arch!
Back in Ballintoy, Plunkett’s well-publicised love of unusual architecture led him to seek out a local landmark!
This is Bendhu House, and it was the lifelong project of Newton Penprase, a lecturer from the Belfast College of Art. He started it in 1936, and he continued to add to it over the next few decades, earning the building a reputation locally as “the house that was never finished”. The fact that he taught fine art has really left its mark – each window perfectly frames a view, and apparently Penprase brought his students up here to teach them about composition. He was also responsible for the sculptures you can see on the exterior, which add to its unique look!
Penprase died in 1978, and his house was sold and subsequently fell into disrepair. However, in the early 90s, it was bought by its present owners, who have made it their mission to sympathetically restore this incredible, one-of-a-kind home.

And speaking of home, Paddy and Plunkett are off to put their paws up for a while! I think they’ve earned some down-time, don’t you? Of course, please feel free to share your own weekend plans in the comments – you might just inspire them to start planning their next day away!

Paddy and Plunkett on the Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett – Last Day of the Holidays

Posted on August 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Is it just me, or is there a whiff of change in the air? The sun, when it finally makes it out from behind the clouds, is shining with a more mellow light, and the breezes feel a little cooler than they did this time last week. It seems like summer is coming to an end – although how I’m able to notice this when it never really got started is anyone’s guess! But with the shops filling up with “back to school” supplies, and the evenings starting a little earlier each day, it’s time for a pair of adventurous little woolly monsters to think about heading for home.

But not before they’ve hit the beach one last time! This one looks nice – but where are Paddy and Plunkett?
I suppose these pebbles would provide perfect camouflage for them. Helllooooooo?

Oh, wait… there they are!
They really couldn’t have asked for better weather on their last day – look at that sky, reflected in the perfectly still water behind them!
Unfortunately, at this stage their budget has pretty much completely run out, so the boys will be foraging for lunch.
Is that sea kale? Let’s hope so! Sea kale actually did enjoy a brief spell of culinary popularity in the early 1800s, when a lot of people started growing it in their gardens. Although it’s easy to cultivate, it bruises easily and is best eaten soon after cutting, which is why you’re unlikely to see it in your local supermarket. Still, that doesn’t affect Paddy and Plunkett, who will be tucking in straight away!

And after lunch, perhaps it might be nice to snooze in the sun for a while…
“Hey Paddy, what’s that noise in the background?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Plunkett…”
“…It’s just the Dungeness B nuclear reactor.”

“WHAAAAAAAT?!”

Hmmm, how DO they end up in these places? Paddy spent the rest of the day trying to keep Plunkett away from the internet, so he couldn’t read about the many setbacks this power station experienced, both during its construction and ongoing maintenance! By the end of the day, both of them were all tuckered out…
…So they thought it was best to get an early night.

I wonder where they’ll be off to next? And how will you be spending the last days of summer (or winter, for those of you in the southern hemisphere)? Let us know in the comments!

Paddy and Plunkett Check out the Defences - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Over in Dover Again!

Posted on August 19, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Paddy and Plunkett

Well, it looks like Paddy and Plunkett are still rambling their way around the English southeast! I wonder whose rather elaborate doorstep they’ve landed on today?

This is Dover Castle, the largest castle in England. Most of this massive sprawling fortress was commissioned by Henry II, who probably hoped it would impress the many European pilgrims who passed through Dover on their way to Canterbury.

In keeping with this royal connection, Dover Castle holds replicas of what the crown jewels would have looked like at that time…Oooooh! Sparkly… Although probably a couple of sizes too big for our heroes’ heads.
The Castle also boasts some truly beautiful stained glass windows…
…And a reassuring quantity of cannons.
But not all of the castle is above ground! The cliffs under the castle are riddled with a network of underground tunnels, the earliest ones dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. They were originally designed so that a large number of soldiers could get from the castle to the beaches below quickly and easily in case of invasion.

One of the coolest things about the tunnels is how you get into them in the first place! If you look closely, you’ll see that this spiral staircase is actually a double helix, meaning that there are two separate staircases here, instead of just one. Architecture buff Plunkett found this fascinating, and wanted to share this photo with you all.
And Dover Castle’s history doesn’t stop there. The Castle and its tunnels were pressed back into service during the Second World War, initially as an air raid shelter, but later as a military command centre, telephone exchange and hospital. Some of the tunnels are even meant to be used as nuclear bunkers! Evidence of this more recent military involvement is there for any Beastie to see… and to climb over.
Yikes! Look at that thing! It’s lucky Plunkett is driving this time – who knows what would happen if Paddy commandeered the wheel?
Paddy and Plunkett will be back next Friday – assuming they aren’t held for questioning by the local police – and don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday to meet some more new Beasties!

(Or, if you happen to be in Dublin tomorrow, you can meet them in person! We’ll be at the Ha’Penny Market in The Grand Social, Liffey Street, from 12-6!)

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