The rain has been non-stop since our thunder-storm and the pictures are both from yesterday.This is the babbling-brook Y fancies a picnic beside and this is the view from the bridge. It reminds me very much of the upper reaches of Ashbourne's Henmore Brook where I learnt to swim and is of course part of the course of the famous Shrovetide Football game where the whole town can take part. If you are born on the north side you are an 'uppards' if on the south side you are a 'downards' - a much inferior type of person!
And by 'groundsquare' I meant a ground sheet or blanket or rug; just something to put on the grass and sit on. As you all know by now, babbling brooks and dappled shade and picnics are special loves of mine. But, in photographs, I do like the water to look like water, rather than candy-floss, which seems all the rage in photographic circles at the moment. I know how to achieve the effect, but choose not to. I can also play the piano accordian - but choose not to. When I saw the enormous chunk of driftwood in the water I thought for a momet that someone had really meant to win at pooh-sticks.
Picture 2 is of 2 of the dragonflies of which I spoke. They are no doubt the common type of dragonfly but I had not noticed their black wings before.It isn't a good photograph and is published for information purposes. My long telephoto zoom was in the car. Where else? So what you see is a result of a close crop where sharpness etc., necessarily suffers. Anyway, if I had had a long lens, by the time I fitted it the dragonflies would have gone. Reg says he has a foolproof method of dealing with the problem of low-flying aircraft. He takes his long lens out of his camera bag and before he's attached it to the camera, the low-flying planes have gone and won't return.
Which reminds me. When we were at Ripley, negotiating about the exhibition pictures, the lady said "Cash is like gold here" I said "Ha Ha! Very witty!" and attracted strange looks. I should know by now that my sense of humour can be a little obscure. And further, on the matter of 'words', it occurred to me this morning that perhaps 'bedraggled' comes from having been 'raggled' in 'bed'. Those were the days. Getting into and out of bed is problem enough these days.
'Radiogandy' will be closed over the weekend for staff holidays. The occasion is our Mansfield Centre, National Trust, thrash to Weston super Mare and including a visit and tour of Headquarters at Heelis en route. And Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire, on the return journey. However, the Radiogandy bike-sheds will be left unlocked should 'commenters' feel the need to exchange pleasantries.
It's the last Springwatch this evening on TV. They very briefly covered the 'Peregrines at Derby Cathedral' last night (see last Wednesday's blog).
As the weather is so awful I've decided to drive over to Burton Joyce to collect Y from her grannying duties and this evening I need to complete my packing.
Catch you on Monday most probably.
Looking forward to the coach trip and peeping into people's gardens.
I think they are May flies....
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend - Snowshill Manor is fascinating, one of my favourites....
Remember to point out those obvious supermarkets to each other. Have a super weekend and could you research "kettle of fish" for us on your return.
ReplyDeleteOr damsel flies?
ReplyDeleteMy wife has always wanted a fish kettle but it hardly seems worth the expense when we only have a whole salmon about once every seven years. They are obtainable from all good kitchen shops.
But if you mean 'a pretty kettle of fish' I can only think it is something very mixed up and confused (bouillabaise?).
Those who watched will know that last night's 'Balderdash & Piffle (X-rated)' was researching the origins of 'merkin', which I thought was already well documented and authenticated back to Shakespeare (Macbeth: as 'malkin' in
"I come Graymalkin" [Act 1, Sc 1, l 9] (a 'grey cat' or 'pussy'), and 'dogging' which, if the description offered by the old fellas on the beach is accepted (ie, surreptitiously watching 'al fresco' love-making), was known in 1940's Mansfield as 'piking'.
You say: “I can also play the piano accordian - but choose not to.” Are we supposed to be grateful?
ReplyDeleteBlue body, black wings and location suggest possibly ‘Broad-bodied Chaser’ (unless they were damselflies or mayflies, not dragonflies at all).
As for your obscure sense of humour, I have no idea what you mean. It’s either funny or it isn’t.
And talking of bed-raggled, I always read ‘child molester’ to rhyme with ‘holster’ and envision a Dickensian young apprentice to a man who catches moles (the apprentice being sent down the holes after the moles, like a human ferret).