Pine and Gun Metal Ballpoint Twist Pen
A pine is any conifer in the genus Pinus of the family Pinaceae. Pine trees are evergreen coniferous resinous trees growing 3-80 m (10-260 ft) tall, with the majority of the species reaching 14-45 m (50-150 ft) tall. Pines are long-lived, and typically reach ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more.
Pines are among the most commercially important tree species valued for their timber and wood pulp throughout the world. In temperate and tropical regions, they are fast-growing softwoods that will grow in relatively dense stands, their acidic decaying needles inhibiting the sprouting of competing hardwoods. Commercial pines are grown in plantations for timber that is denser, more resinous, and therefore more durable than spruce (Picea). Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors and roofing.
Many pine species make attractive ornamental plantings for parks and larger gardens with a variety of dwarf varieties being suitable for smaller spaces. Pines are also commercially grown and harvested for Christmas trees. Pine cones are craft favourites. Pine boughs are appreciated in wintertime for their pleasant smell and greenery, and are popularly cut for decorations.
Pen #601 was turned on 28th July 2016 at Flecknoe, near Braunston.
It was a bit of a flying visit to Birmingham this time, not to worry though we will be back again at the end of September for a Floating Market and will be here for some of the winter time too. We did manage to meet up with a friend of ours, photographic artist and soon to be follow roving canal Traders Dave Cresswell for an evening in the Flapper pub and we found a rare thing amongst the boating community, someone who like me, limits themselves to only a few pints and not a few gallons! I even managed to take Deb out to the cinema and dinner whilst we were here…. well the last few minutes of Les Miserables at the outside cinema Festival in Brindley Square and a burger and chips from the kebab shop… well it's not all work you know!
We made good time over the next couple of days heading out of town through Bournville back into the countryside and down the very pretty Lapworth flight. We stopped shortly after for a night at one of our favourite spots a lovely wide grassy towpath with far reaching views. We set off before 7 o'clock the next morning to tackle the Hatton flight and were at the top, raring to go just before 8 o'clock just as another boater exited the top lock having completed the whole flight before the sun had started to warm the day; a good plan as the forecast had promised us 32 degrees C by the time we would reach the Saltisford Arm in Warwick in the early afternoon . Luckily just as we were about to enter the top lock volunteer lock Keeper arrived and amazingly saw us down through the whole flight, usually they have to work the locks that are closest to the visitor centre. By the time we had arrived at the bottom of the flight close to Saltisford Junction it was indeed above 30 degrees C outside and a few more degrees C inside, the rest of the day was spent sat around melting.
After a restless night we reversed into the Saltisford Arm moorings and found a spot where would be stopping for a week off the boat. Saltisford Arm is only about quarter of a mile from the train station where would we would be travelling from the next day down to our daughter's house in Poole via a stop off to spend the day with Deb's mum in Mortimer.
We had a fabulous time at our daughter's house and even managed to couple of days to ourselves whilst Jess and Lee were both at work and then had a relaxing long weekend together, we were truly blessed with the weather as well.
Time goes so quickly when you are trying to do all you can to slow it down! It was soon time to take Deb’s mum's car back and get the trains back up to Warwick. The very next morning we extricated ourselves from the muddy corner we'd been moved to and headed out to restock Lois Jane’s larder and then a longish days cruise to the bottom of the Stockton flight.
Another day of locks today but unfortunately we had lost all of that sunny warm weather and it was now blowy and drizzly. We should have left early again but neither of us we're in the mood for a wet cruise so we waited until a brighter time mid morning for the slow ascent of the locks queuing behind all the boats who had left before us. By early evening though we had made it up the hill turned at Napton Junction and moored in an unseasonably quiet spot near Flecknoe, usually at this time of year the moorings are full - where is everybody?
You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here
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