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fionadean.bsky.social
Fiona
@fionadean.bsky.social
1.9K followers 920 following 21K posts
Always busy doing something

parkrun ED, crochet, Archie the springer spaniel, nature, word games, church & choir, gardening, Mum of teen, drinking wine, let me know if I missed anything!
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fionadean.bsky.social
Morning. Please can someone explain the forecast. Yellow warning of rain yet sunshine all day? Have the weather men finally gone mad?!
A weather forecast, showing light rain early on, then cloudy sunshine. And a yellow warning of rain.
November 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
We get them in our garden. Gorgeous little things but prone to getting damaged by lawn mowers 😬
A slow worm, a type of legless lizard, wrapped around the fingers of my hand, so the head and tail just cross over. It’s a little slimmer than my little finger and has a long brown stripe along the side of its pale brown body. The body is covered in tiny scales.
November 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Yesterday was frosty and I went the scenic route to work. Today is grey and damp and it’s time to walk Archie 🐾
The view from Brockweir bridge looking up the Wye valley on a very frosty morning. The foreground is dark but the distant hills are catching the sun and the sky is blue. The river is steely grey and the banks are frosty.
November 27, 2025 at 8:39 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
It was beautiful today, so glad my working arrangements meant I could get out with Archie for an hour this morning 🐾
Sunshine bathing a big oak tree with rusty brown autumn leaves, a grassy field and more trees in the distance. The sky is clear blue, not a cloud to be seen.
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Aren’t they gorgeous? Archie has regrets about going swimming this morning as he had to have the hose when we got home
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel looking mournfully up at me. He’s stood just outside the back door looking very soggy.
November 24, 2025 at 10:44 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
I’ve tried a couple of patterns… the dc amigurumi method ones look good but have no stretch. This pattern uses alternate rows of doubles and trebles and is really reliable. I don’t knit so can’t comment on how long they last compared to knitted socks.
A page from a magazine with the written instructions for the crochet socks.
November 22, 2025 at 6:16 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s #parkrun pics from Forest of Dean. It was a damp, chilly morning but 81 of us braved the course including 19 first timers
Me, a middle aged white woman in black leggings and red tshirt running towards the camera along a trail covered in oak leaves. Me eyes are shut but I’m smiling. The runners setting off on leaf strewn ground in the woods. The chap at the front is being towed along by his dog and came in first. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel leaping towards the photographer with a stick in his mouth. He’s looking full on at the camera and in the background are lots of brown fallen oak leaves. A lady in a brightly coloured bobble hat and black coat bending down to hold the neck of a dog, who is stood up on her hind legs to receive the attention. The dog is black with brown chest and nose and big flappy ears. Her eyes are closed and she looks content.
November 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Wall to wall sunshine here today, perfect for a walk to the estuary. Very low tide so most of the wading birds were out on the mud but I saw a stunning charm of goldfinches feeding on teasels 🥰
Looking out over an estuary at low tide. Very little water, mostly mud. Clear blue cloudless sky. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel looking up at me, asking me to throw his stick.
November 17, 2025 at 11:40 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
We are near enough to Monmouth to be taking nothing for granted. Especially not our next supermarket delivery
Waitrose in Monmouth was flooded on Friday night. We will be buying frozen peas from nasty Tesco for the next few weeks.
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
It must be something to do with the gearing within the opener. You could always have one of those lethal ones that’s just a pointed blade that you lever against the side of the tin, producing a dangerous jagged edge… or on second thoughts, maybe not!
A dangerous stabby old fashioned tin opener. £3.50 from Amazon.
November 16, 2025 at 9:49 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s #parkrun pics from Forest of Dean. Despite yesterday’s rain the course was only slightly muddy in a few places, nothing like the puddles we’d been expecting. But it was foggy, a very atmospheric November event. Thank you to @chris8238.bsky.social for the photos
A middle aged white woman running along a leafy forest trail, wearing vest, shorts and trail shoes. It’s foggy. Runners setting off through the fog on a carpet of fallen leaves. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel in an action shot, leaping across the frame. He’s got a stick in his mouth and is giving the photographer some side eye.
November 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
That’s not a wet dog! This is (came through the door bang on cue 😂)
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel, looking soggy after his walk. He shook himself free of his towel when I went to take the photo.
November 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
We set off for a short walk then discovered how full the stream is and a certain springy spaniel went swimming
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel swimming in a pool formed by a local stream.
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Part 2
White tubes of fungi growing from leaf litter. A bit like coral. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel sniffing behind a felled tree trunk, which has a long stripe of the frilly orange fungus. A mushroom that looks like the parasol bit is folded up on itself. A white fungus that looks like it has lots of cavities within itself and has also been munched!
November 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s fungi part 1
Layers of frilly fungi up a stick. It’s been sunk into the ground vertically as part of a dead hedge. Candle snuff fungi, little strands of black turning to white at the tip, growing out of the end of a stick. Some parasol shaped mushrooms growing from leaf litter. Lots of frilly orange fungus on a dead log.
November 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
This morning’s walk took in a local heathland nature reserve, ancient woodland, forestry plantation and fields. Archie loved it and is now recovering 😴
A tree stump which is about 1m tall with layers of frilly fungus growing all up one side. The fungus is brown on top and white below. There’s also some ivy growing up the stump. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel stood still briefly to allow me to take a photo. He’s a bit damp and has his mouth open, panting. Beautiful shiny beech leaves in a mix of shades from green through yellow to brown. They really contrast with the dark green foliage behind. Archie again, this time on a footpath between birch trees which has been covered in golden leaves.
November 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s #parkrun pics. A very busy event, with 134 participants including a group of Coleford Army Cadets, the last post for #Remembrance and a course diversion.
Hugely grateful to all those who gave their lives so we have the freedom to parkrun in the beautiful Forest of Dean
Me, in green vest and navy shorts, walking alongside a lady in a pink shirt and patterned leggings. A group of 17 army cadets with their adult leaders, stood by the Forest of Dean parkrun pop up sign. They are wearing army green T-shirts with poppies on the sleeve. A man in a navy fleece, running shorts and trail shoes playing the last post on a brass cornet. He’s stood in the woods and in the background are golden autumn leaves. The start, going in the opposite direction to normal due to the course diversion. Runners, cadets and dogs setting off across a carpet of beech leaves through the woods. In the background the sun is catching golden autumn leaves.
November 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Archie says goodnight 😴
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel curled up asleep. His nose is tucked away behind his paws, a sure sign that he’s really tired and doesn’t want to be disturbed.
November 4, 2025 at 10:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
It’s been a beautiful morning, here’s the view over the gate.
The view over gate. It’s a perfect autumn day, lots of sunshine and some fluffy white clouds. Some of the trees in the distance are starting to turn.
November 2, 2025 at 1:59 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Gorgeous! This is mine
An acer (tree) with rusty red leaves against a vibrant clear blue sky.
November 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Oh no! Posted without photos 🤦‍♀️ #parkrun
The offending hanging branch, suspended in golden beech leaves, high above the parkrun course. No way anyone was running under this today! And they’re off! Runners setting off the wrong way from the start line at Forest of Dean, framed by orange chestnut leaves. One of our volunteers looking incredibly scary (and unrecognisable!) dressed all in black as a witch. Me and a friend walking through the forest in our orange tail walker jackets, flanking a lady dressed as a witch and pulled along by Archie the brown and white springer spaniel.
November 1, 2025 at 8:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
It is finished. I think he’s pleased as he’s been wearing it around the house 😂
A fluorescent yellow crochet beanie with two black stripes near the brim.
October 31, 2025 at 10:52 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Making a new beanie for D. So far it’s insisting on curling inside out and looking like a frisbee 🧶
A half-made fluorescent yellow crochet beanie.
October 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s walk was the happy spaniel in the rain and in the stream kind 🥰
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel, soaking wet and with one ear inside out, stood by the stream waiting to play stick. A blur of dog and stick running along the stream. The trees over the stream are starting to change colour and there’s a branch with bright gold leaves catching the light. A group of wet fly agaric toadstools. The classic scarlet ones with white flecks and stems.
October 29, 2025 at 5:37 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Off work for half term and the weather was good, so we introduced Archie to the Sugarloaf. He had an excellent time, and is now fast asleep 💤
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel surveying the view from the car park. He’s looking across the valley to the patchwork of fields leading up to the hills around the Blorenge. Archie in full scamper, legs akimbo, part way up the Sugarloaf. He’s on a grassy path, behind him is rust coloured bracken, the peak of the hill and bright blue sky. Archie at the top of the Sugarloaf, looking roughly NE towards moorland, more hills and fields. Me, in a silly woolly hat, taking a selfie with Archie sat by the trig point marking the top of the Sugarloaf.
October 27, 2025 at 8:08 PM