a big ragworm.

i found a most unusual worm on the beach today. after going for a walk along the lowest tide point as the tide was out real low, spring tide i guess, i hadn't found anything of interest and then just as i was going to the white wall about a three feet from the it i saw this massive worm on the beach. typical to find something when you've stopped looking but also very wonderful. it was wrapped between a few rocks on the sand and looked dead. i decided to pick it up. using a few rocks i dug into the surrounding sand and picked it up. suddenly, it came to life. a few sickly wriggles but definitely still here. i brought it down to the watery sand that was well out of its reach and put it down in the water. it charged up and began flinging its hundreds of millipede-like flipper/legs. then it calmed down again. figuring it may still be too close to the shore i picked it up once more and brought it further out on the beach. then once setting it down on the shore again i dug out a nice hole in the water filled sand and once it had filled up i placed the worm down in it. not too much movement this time but then it began to get busy. it started slowly digging its head in the sand and by inches and with short rests it began to disappear into the sand. as it was doing this i also noticed that the sand around it was becoming stuck together as if by some sort of snail slime and was leaving a trail as the body dug into the sand.

it was a grennish blue on top and bluish white underneath. with a head like a sea mouse.
as near as i can figure it was a ragworm about a foot long. the only description of one that big and bluish green is this one---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nereis_vexillosa
though it seems to live mostly around america.

so here is a video that i took with my phone just after i had put it in the water the first time.
i also put my hand in the shot to show how big the worm was.

skip diving!

over the past two days i have found some awesome stuff in skips on my street and other stuff that was being junked that i saved. loads of random wood which will mostly be used for fixing up the allotment. or be burnt as firewood. i also got the readymade tabletops from a small table set so an hour adding legs and we have a nice patio area. but by far the best stuff i have found was a watering can that needs a rose but our garden watering can has the same rose so now we don't have to carry the whole can back and forth to the allotment and i'm sure to pick a rose up somewhere. also found a rake that was a little out of shape, now fixed with a hammer. and as good as new but man forged so even better now! RAARRR! and the bestest bestestest thing? a whole picnic box that was left out in the dry weather for a few days after having never been used and lying dormant in a shed. it has knives and forks and spoons and a cheese board with cheesknife and a corkscrew as well as a set of four plates and four wine glasses not to mention the cooler-box for up to four bottles/plenty of food and the dry food area too! did i mention that it was all wrapped up like new? awesome thing! can't wait for picnics! all going in the wash right now.
i do have a sneaking suspicion i'm on the road to this!!!(check out the video below)

how the mask is progressing

just added the brow today. looking good so far. almost don't want to paint it once i add the cheek jowly bit. also real cedar smells lovely!
enjoy my freaky quiet mask update.

what got done today?

i got the eye and mouth brackets cut out and cut the eye holes. was thinking of making little eye covers for the eyes out of black tights dipped in glue. don't think it is needed. eyes deep enough to be blacked out. also got tiny pegs to hold the eyes and mouth on. haven't glued them on yet though!.

hope you like it so far.

princess mononoke mask

it's only a low quality vid of how this is coming along.
i likes it so far.

lots more to do.