Crafting at the Cottage: Of pruning, rude awakening and sketch books

What a glorious day, have spent much of it outside pruning like a woman possessed. I thoroughly enjoy cutting and chopping back, it's up there with selecting and stitching fabric and stitching needlepoint, may be it's something about the little bit at a time to complete a whole project that appeals. What ever the reason it is great to be out in the sun.
The day started at about seven when scuffling in the tiny window above our bed woke me up and I sat up just in time to see a very bushy tail disappear and then do a quick u turn and reappear attached to a squirrel. I have never seen a squirrel on the thatch before and neither had our large cat who spotted said rodent through the window and threw himself across the bed and landed rather spectacularly up against the glass. The squirrel took off and Dustin had to pretend he wasn't really interested insquirrels. Time to get up...
I went hunting for some of my old sketch books the other day to show my daughter the sort of things I used to do and also to demonstrate that sketching is a 'Good thing' and something you can't really do too much of. Having said that I rarely sketch these days, although every time I visit the Pitt Rivers Museum, I regret not having a pen and paper with me, so much too inspire and record.
These particular pages come from a diary I made during a trip to Poland. I used to teach film and animation to graphic design and illustration BA students and the trip to Krakow was a field trip. Much drawing expected of everyone and alot of fantastic work as a result.
I also took photographs, this was pre digital, so they were taken on my trusty SLR, which, truth be told I rather miss. I really should make more of an effort in the drawing department, the photography aspect is very healthy thanks to my digital camera and uploading/downloading stuff.