The Adventures of Sammy Slerk Episode 4

“One does not simply walk into Mordor.” said Boromir, but actually one can. Well not into Mordor, but along the path that was used to get there in the movie.

Beginning with a snack

This was going to be a long hike. Sammy wanted to start out right with a snack at the beginning.

Snow on the rocks

It was cold, windy, and snowing when Sammy and his traveling companions hiked into Mordor.

More rocks

The truth being told, Sammy mostly rode in a pocket to get to the other side. Sammy is very small the the wind was quite strong.

Almost there

Only a bit over 3 kilometer left. That’s a bit under 2 miles.

Bushes

Even though it was cold and windy, Sammy thought that everything he saw was wonderful. Cool rocks, steaming vents, beautiful lakes, and cool plants.

Last photo for the road

Sammy was very happy to be able to go on this incredible hike(and that his traveling companions were willing to carry him most of the way). It is not for the faint of heart. There are large elevational changes and it is an active volcanic area. I am assured that it is totally worth it if you have the stamina to do so.

All photos courtesy of Stacy Sandstedt. If you enjoy Sammy and would like to see more of my work, you can do so here www.woodlandwhimsy.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Adventures of Sammy Slerk Episode 3

On the same day that he visited Hobbiton, Sammy also got to stop quickly by Karangahake Gorge at the Crown Battery. This is a gold mining area.

 

Pretty flowers

“These flowers are very pretty, but I can’t see anything else.” exclaimed Sammy

Over looking the gorge

“That is better, thank you. Could you help me get a little bit closer though?” Sammy asked

A closer look

“That is perfect! I can see everything down there now.” Sammy said happily.

Home for the evening

After his adventure filled day at Hobbiton and the Karangahake Gorge, Sammy was ready to rest for the evening.

A bed of his own

Sammy had a regular sized bed all to himself. It was so luxurious. Sammy really needed to get a good night’s sleep. In the morning, he would be walking into Mordor.

I hope you are enjoying Sammy’s New Zealand adventures. All photographs are courtesy of Stacy Sandstedt. If you like Sammy and would like to see more of my work, you can see a lot of it on my facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Woodland-Whimsy/152926771418841

 

 

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Fungus Friday

Good Morning, It is a lovely(although quite cold) morning here at Woodland Whimsy. Do you have any awesome plans for the weekend?

Leathery

I love this type of mushroom. I’m not sure what it is. I really need to invest in a fungus book. It is quite leathery and drys in a cool way.

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The Adventures of Sammy Slerk Episode 2

This day is the day that Sammy was the most excited about! He was on his way to Hobbiton.

Arriving

Here’s Sammy on the fence arriving in Hobbiton. The lichen on this fence is man made. Can you believe it? Sammy was amazed at the quality of the work.

Bag End

Sammy was so excited to see Bag End, he could barely stay balanced on the fence for his photo. He couldn’t be happier to get to see the place where Bilbo and Frodo live.

Sam and Rosie’s Hobbit Hole

Sammy was just as excited to be able to see Sam and Rosie’s home. The garden was beautiful, just as one would expect.

Hobbit Hole

Sammy wasn’t sure who this Hobbit Hole belonged to, but it is pretty. It looks like someone was working in the garden and just stepped away for a bit.

Time for a close up

“Can you please take a close up of me?” asked Sammy.

View

One last view of Hobbiton from Bag End. Sammy was one happy slerk!

Souvenir

Sammy with the best souvenir ever. This is a leaf that had fallen from the oak tree that grows over Bag End. That tree is artificial as well. The artists made it smaller for the filming of The Hobbit as the tree was much younger then.

Traveling companions and tour guide

Here is a photo of Sammy with the tour guide and his traveling companions Stacy and Robert. Sammy was really thankful to be able to have such a great tour.

There will be more of Sammy’s adventures soon. All photos (except the last one that was taken by an innocent bystander) courtesy of Stacy Sandstedt.

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The Adventures of Sammy Slerk Episode 1

Sammy Slerk has gone on a more exotic adventure than any other slerk, or any other house monster for that matter. Sammy flew on a plane for a very long time and landed in New Zealand to begin is grand adventure.

Arriving

Here is Sammy arriving in Auckland at the International Airport.

The rental car

“Look how cool this car is!” exclaimed Sammy.

 

Driving?

Sammy jumped in the car and said, “I want to drive.” Sadly Sammy does not have a drivers license, so he had to be a passenger.

 

Ocean

The very first thing Sammy did was check out the ocean. Then he hopped back in the car with his friends and it was off to Thames  on the Firth of Thames for the first night.

Waiting for dinner

Sammy was tired and hungry, but he waited patiently for dinner.

Fish and Chips

Dinner was fish (fresh red snapper caught that morning) and chips. I am told that it was fantastic. Sammy ate his fill and was ready to go to bed. He was very tired, even though he slept most of the time on the plane.

I hope that you enjoyed this installment of Sammy’s Adventures. Please join us next time when Sammy visits Hobbiton.

All photos were taken by Stacy Sandstedt.

 

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Fungus Friday

Happy Friday! Here’s hoping that your weekend is everything you could want it to be.

Teeny Tiny Shelf Fungus

This is a photo of a very small shelf fungus. I think this must be what they look like when they are just starting out. Isn’t it cute?

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Something New

I’ve been working on something a bit different for the last few days. I have always wanted to learn to make brooms. There really is nothing like a nice handmade broom. I decided to start small and work out any issues I may have. I have made two so far.

Broom One

This is the first broom that I made. It is about eight inches long. It has a corkscrew willow handle that has been hand waxed with bee’s wax. The bristles are attached with a nylon false sinew. I am super happy with the way it turned out.

Broom Two

Broom Two is a bit under seven inches long. The handle is corkscrew willow with an acrylic wash applied before waxing with bee’s wax. I learned a good lesson-take off the rings before rolling the handle between your hands to warm the wax. The bristles are attached with a decorative green wire. While this broom is really cute, I will not be using the wire again. It is much more difficult to work with and does not seem to hold the bristles as tightly as the false sinew.

Making the little brooms has been a lot of fun. I will probably make some more. I also think I am getting close to ready to make full sized decorative brooms.

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