Tag: Firestone Bay

#1526 theoldmortuary ponders

On By Juliet CornellIn pondering1 Comment

Moon over Millbay.*

This was the scene for my first cup of tea of the morning. A crescent moon still slumbering in the sky.* Millbay is the port that lies to the front of our house. Best known now as a ferry port and leisure harbour. But it has quite the history, one of the the lesser known events was the secret arrival of the survivors of the Titanic.

Two hours later this was the scene at Firestone Bay whilst I walked Lola and drank the last mouthful of the first cup of coffee of the day.

In between I had breakfast, a shower and sketched out an arty idea that has been taking a good old bit of pondering over the last two days.

I was even caught pondering it in the street yesterday. I had failed to notice a friend who was aware I was mulling over a gnarly old admin problem.

She thought I was deep into the gnarly old problem when in fact it was nothing more serious than arty farty ponderings. Once I had got it out of my head and onto paper there is no need to ponder it until the next stage. Did this sudden mental freedom immediately fill up with problems of the old and gnarly sort? It did not. I would say beyond the delight of a gorgeous morning and a fine cup of coffee my mind was completely blank.

#1525 theoldmortuary ponders

On By Juliet CornellIn art, Hybrid Printmaking1 Comment

I went swimming with some neighbours about an hour before I took the photo that I based this image on. It was a memorable swim because the water was crystal clear with gentle waves and still warm enough, for staying in longer to swim and chat. 17.2- 17.9 according to satellite measurements. The air temperature was about 12.3, 5 degrees lower, which made changing a little chillier than we have become used to. The weather station is not too far, as the seagull flies, from where we swim. So I am able to get my science facts to sit alongside my experiential reactions.

Yesterday was the first time since early May that I had to hunt out a pair of socks to go for a dog walk after my swim. I may also have been feeling cooler because, after the domestic admin of the day I had been working on the painted layer of one of my hybrid images. Trying to represent the different energies of drinking mint tea in the garden of a bookshop. Located in the Gulf of Morbihan, 200 miles south of Plymouth 10 days ago.

We had anticipated cooler days but Brittany was experiencing a glorious Indian Summer which had us hunting out shady spots.

How will we remember the glorious, extended summer of 2026?

#1406 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn Serendipity, Stonehouse1 Comment

I had my first cold swim in home waters today. A summer of heatwaves has made me rather spoiled for sea temperatures. Last week in the sea felt a lot warmer.

Last Wednesday I swam at Tinside pool and found that to be really chilly; today was not quite so cold but today I had my gloves on, after getting cramps last week. My plan is to swim with no wetsuit in the cooler months. Gloves are one thing but the wetsuit struggle is one step I would rather not bother with.

There are a few arty admin jobs to get done today. One of which is to name and mount one of my paintings from the summer. ‘Tranquility in a Heatwave’ seems favourite. I am humming and ha-ing about getting some prints and cards made. It is always hard to know which images interest visitors to art shows enough to make a sale. Which is the purpose of putting a mount on it . Just to help me gain a new perspective. But actually just looking at a hot day after a chilly swim is warming me up. Or is a big mug of tea doing the job?

#1405 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn autumn, Scrag End of Summer, Yardening1 Comment

Washing on the line in a heatwave. This picture exudes the heat of our recent heatwaves. Washing dried in less than two hours.

Another happy heat-loving space is our tropical bed . Less happy are the pot grown plants of which we have many. Pot grown plants failed to thrive and went into a protective phase, not dying but not doing any growing or ripening.

But nearly a month since the last really hot weather all plants have snapped back into action. Tomatoes and Strawberries are prolific and as red as you could hope for. Everything else is growing away. The potted palm trees are throwing out new leaves. But days are shortening so yesterday all the potted palms were moved into the areas with maximum daylight in September. My hope is that their new leaves will unfurl and get stronger before the high winds of October.

With October in mind I decided to start on Autumnisation of the yard. It feels wrong in bright summer-like, September sunlight, but it is a job that must be done. A grubby job but satisfying with the reward of a cleansing swim. Chillier than I have become used to but still lovely reward for my labours.

Full disclosure there is vitually no difference between autumnisation and wint**isation but I really cannot contemplate that word just yet and neither can my potted palms.My washing is already suffering day-long drying that is not quite 100% . Autumnisation sucks.

#1289 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging, Bobbing, BreakfastLeave a comment

Farewell August, you have been particularly fine this year.  August is never one of my favourite months, nor is it one I actively dislike. It is the bringer of shorter days and unpredictable weather. I will never be a fan of shorter days, but after a summer of heatwaves from May onwards, the unpredictable nature of August has been delightful. Two days running we have been dodging really heavy rainfall . Which is pretty normal for late August. Usually it is a little dispiriting, but compared to the baking days of most of our summer, the rain felt like a welcome and quirky distraction.

Breakfast, blog and dog spot

During August and the heatwaves, Lola and I have developed an early morning routine of walking to the seafront most mornings. The timing being the difference in our routine rather than the destination. Late August’s slightly cooler weather brought a new changed routine. The timing was less heat specific but I would take breakfast with us and we would settle in one of the alcoves overlooking the sea.

Lola, in camouflaged comfort, waiting while I have a swim, write a blog or just take in the views before we both tuck into breakfast before heading for home.

Going forward I wonder if we might stick to this rather lovely breakfast, blog and solo bob habit.

Thank you August.

#1283 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, YardeningLeave a comment

The outside fireplace/barbque in our yard has only ever been used with an electric grill plate. I have often thought about using a fire log in it, but until this weekend have not put that thought into action.

The fireplace is an impressive erection ,  smoke should rise up a reasonable sized gap at the back and exit via the chimney. The fireplace may be a case of style over substance. Form and function are not quite aligned.

Artistic Impression © theoldmortuary

The reality did not quite match my imagination, my five year old flame log was quite impressive.

But the flames were lively and the smoke did not get drawn up the chimney,  there were some concerns from our yard visitors regarding the use of railway sleepers in the construction.

All was well, but today I took the precaution of lowering the shelving and moving things around to make the whole experience more relaxing.

The whole yard had a bit of a reorganisation at the same time. Definitely a sign that we are well and truly back in a normal British August. I dodged rain showers which was easier than dodging the blistering heat of our heatwaves. But now I really want to see how my changes look in sunshine. A normal British August will keep me guessing on when that will next happen.

#1279 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Firestone Bay, Stonehouse, Summer, WordsLeave a comment
Firestone Bay

Heatwave 5/2026 has left Firestone Bay. Leaving the Bay and surrounding area with normal, unpredictable  August Summer Weather. This was the scene yesterday and the day before. The crowds of swimmers anxious to cool down have left the area. I had the water to myself for twenty minutes or so. Other bathers had just left and a few arrived as I left.

In a normal English Summer the bay would still be buzzing on a day like this. But 5 Heatwaves have made normal seem mediocre, lacklustre even.

More mediocrity.

Mediocre is not a word that is used often. It is one of those words that my synaesthetic brain loves.

Meaning neither good nor bad. It feels judgmental and not in a good way.

There are many things that I am pretty poor at doing. Doing them to a mediocre standard would be a considerable improvement. But if I were judged to have become mediocre that would not seem like a positive.

Good Enough is a phrase that feels similarly down beat when actually, for a lot of things , good enough is good enough.

Yesterday was  a little lacklustre, mediocre even, but good enough in its own way.

Who wouldn’t want a bay to themselves for a lunchtime swim.

#1278 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Firestone Bay, Hybrid Printmaking, SerendipityLeave a comment
Partial Eclipse 2026, work in progress.© theoldmortuary

It is just over a week since I bobbed during the partial eclipse with 9 other bobbers. At the time the experience was both peculiar and beautiful.  Peculiar because we swam for virtually the whole of the eclipse experience. Quite often with special Eclipse glasses which gave us a completely safe experience to view the eclipse in real time, but our vision  was limited to black and red vision of the black moon obscuring most of an orange sun . While our bodies were experiencing the sensations of the sea and our ears were hearing the happiness and exclamations of a bay, full of happy swimmers.

When we didn’t have the glasses on we were experiencing ever changing highly saturated colours that slowly darkened and changed as the moon crossed the sun. One of my Eclipse glasses visions was of sparks of light like golden diamond twinkles firing off the perimeter of the sun. I think caused by drops of sea water on my eyelashes or on the plastic lens of the eclipse glasses.

I knew I wanted to create an image of the experience, but which one?

Until I decided to throw caution to the wind and put all my recollections into one image. Not as mad as you might think for someone who worked in medical imaging. For example a CT scan image is made of many amalgamated pictures taken from lots of different angles at slightly different times.

My hybrid printmaking technique with photography and painted or mono printed images uses exactly that technique, modified a little.

Yesterday I had to get a bit of a wiggle on to get this image off to a printer for a test run Giclee print. It is still not the finished article but I will need to see how a print looks.

So that’s where the image is currently but what about my personal recollection?

Really one of the loveliest things I have done in a really familiar home environment. I still haven’t quite found the words to describe the experience. But I have found the many layers of a half decent picture.

#1275 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Devon, Serendipity, Stonehouse, Words1 Comment
Breakfast of figs, fresh from the tree. Strawberries were from a supermarket.

We seem to be on the backside of the fifth heatwave of 2026. We woke up to an entirely different feel this morning. More normal for an English summer, some overnight rain and cooler. Dull.

Since May my days have been planned around heat avoidance. Today there is no need to take Lola out for an early morning walk to avoid her getting over hot and her paws getting sore from baking pavements. Today all thoughts of sun drenched and over-saturated colours have faded to greige.

I walk past this sign almost every day of my Stonehouse life. It protects a car park of 11 spaces overlooking  one of the most interesting sea views in England.

Joy Sucking Car Park Sign

Every day I look at this sign and think. Surely this could be achieved in less dispiriting language and still deliver respectful and appropriate parking.

You can hear and feel the joy and colour being sucked out of peoples souls as they are confronted with this message in such a beautiful spot.

The Cafe itself does not suck joy. Drinks are served in ceramic mugs, the cheesy chips go down very well. Especially with fresh figs during a heatwave.

Their bacon butties ignite warmth in winter swimmers.

But that sign! Every day my heart slumps a little bit as I feel joy being extracted excruciatingly by words, harshly used, in a beautiful place.

#1271 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

It has been an exciting two nights in the sky for Plymouth. The British Firework Championships were over head. All enjoyed at one step removed from the comfort of our own backyard.

Home comforts

The first night we had had such a long swim under the light effects of nature during the eclipse it seemed too much to pop out to see fireworks in the same sky. But sitting in our yard we heard every pop and bang of the fireworks which were let off on a pier less than half a mile away from our yard. We had also committed to having a small granddaughte sleep over for the second night. So her parents could see the fireworks Diligently we watched the previous nights event shown on YouTube with her. She was thrilled and we could turn down the volume.

That was followed by the three of us  competing to do the best interpretive Firework Dance with sound effects in the half an hour before bed time.  Then as the second evening of fireworks started overhead and bangs and booms  filled the air we fretted that she would be woken up.

A love of fireworks can be complicated.