Thursday, June 25, 2009

A day of rest - Y at BJ 'grannying' - 72F - NE wind at 10mph

.
Rather than spend a lot of time doing a proper panorama of the front garden I decided on a simple 'collage' which conveys the same information. As you can see it's been a lovely sunny afternoon and the 10mph North Easterly wind doesn't spoil it. I managed to get out into the front garden to remove a 'weed' which was growing through a specimen 'Ballerina' rose. Technically I suspect it wasn't a weed - but it was growing in the wrong place which makes it a weed doesn't it?

I suppose that chronology requires me to mention first our Mansfield Centre National Trust Annual Dinner at The Hostess nr Warsop, yesterday evening. The snap on the left shows the entrance. Not a good picture because it was well after 9pm and I had to use ISO 800 which accounts for the graininess.

This is the place where I believe, some time ago, Bob's Sandra got into trouble for smoking a cigarette under the canopy entrance shown. Although outside the building there is now a notice prohibiting smoking there. Even though I'm not a smoker I feel that people who are, are pursued excessively.

Reg and Maureen called in at lunchtime to pick up a basil plant and we all agreed about 'smoking'. They aren't smokers either but no one could see any problem with the idea of a Smoking Room in licensed premises.

Anyway, about last night, the food was good and the company excellent. The after dinner entertainment though, was grim. It would have perhaps suited an old-folks home, provided the residents weren't too bright. I suppose it demonstrates people's perceptions of The National Trust. Because I was suffering a little I went and sat in the car for half-an-hour and Y told me it had been a wise decision. By the way, I have discovered that the driver's seat in the Yaris tilts back to nearly horizontal and, with a cushion, I could very happily have a 'kip' there. My life-style at the moment revolves round 'kips' so this is a useful discovery.

The last picture is by way of an experiment with my Nikon. The camera allows you to take multiple exposures to produce a single frame. The technology takes care of the exposures so as to balance them for brightness etc., and fun results are possible. This shot basically superimposes the rose I have mentioned i.e. Ballerina on top of The Rowan Tree carrying the bird feeders.

With careful forethought some interesting ideas can be experimented with. Perhaps as Steven sometimes says "I ought to get out more ..........."

My responses to your valued comments

Jill ..... I bow to your birding knowledge about the non-siskin. Roy agrees with you and he knows a lot about birds. If Bob has never seen one, his contribution is only of limited value.

The zone system was/is a method of allocating values to the blackness in photographs and was more relevent to black&white. Don't worry about it !

As you will see above, we did enjoy our annual dinner. Re the 'entertainment' - a belly dancer would have been a considerable improvement.

Bob ..... Only 'pulling your leg' below about the siskin.

The Sea Bass is from Lidl and is really good.

My experience in Morrisons this morning mirrors you own, re Lactofree. No cheeses, and no cream. When I succeed in finding either I will surely try them and report back.

Yvonne ..... As you say, Miles would have known straight-away that the little bird was a non-siskin. Millicent too I wouldn't be surprised.

If you had been asked to stand under Lib Dem colours for The Council 10 yrs ago I would have been urging you on. But I think now the commitment would be too much.

Glad you found the Lactofree acceptable.

Roy ..... Thanks for the info about the siskin/goldfinch identification.

I understand from Reg that you are off caravanning either today or tomorrow. Whichever it is, I sincerely hope you both have a good time and that the weather favours you.

......................................

Quotation time ...........

"Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad."

Diogenes The Cynic


Diogenes by John William Waterhouse, depicting his lamp, tub, and diet of onions.

......................................

We have a fairly busy day tomorrow. We need to go shopping. At lunchtime we are going to The Woodend Pub at Huthwaite for Joan's birthday. We've been before and it is good.

"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"


.

3 comments:

bob said...

Not Hostess where Sandra and another smoker plus 4 non-smoking friends removed their custom after ordering, but The Crab & Mussel at Tuxford.
A non-smoker 27 years, I too consider the anti-smoking laws Draconian.
Sandra’s now two months a non-smoker (unless she’s succumbed).

Please describe the ‘entertainment' (I can then avoid it).

I think the new photographic technique requires work!

Not at all put out.
I’ve a book which shows a Siskin and points out it’s nought like a Goldfinch!

Annoying experience in Newark Morrisons.
Needing £2 coin changed for 2x£1 (for trolley), I hied to what’s laughingly called Customer Services.
“You’ll have to wait till she’s back. We can’t open the till.”
“As there are 3 of you I thought one might be able to change it.”
“No we can’t.”
I then watched 2 customers served with lottery tickets while I was ignored.
Another wanted 2 tickets and handed over two £1.
I was “within a finger's breadth of being mad."
“Give me those,“ I said to the counter assistant, “and you have this.” She obviously thought it a con (not coin!) but I didn’t stay to argue.

I don’t think I’d want to share that barrel.

Roy said...

Thanks Graham. Off tomorrow,three nights in Ludlow then the rest of the month at our favourite spot at St Davids.
Sorry I haven't reported back about little Basil but we hve had a few problems. For the first week he was growing fine but then picked up a dose of Suffolk whitefly.Although sprayed with soapy water and with a bug killer since we came home quite a few leaves had already turned black and fallen off. However he's still surviving so we are hoping a dose of Pembrokeshire air will do him good.

Jill said...

The photos look as if you have'grounds' rather than a garden! Lovely - do you or Y have to do a lot of watering, I have been doing just that every day this week.

Why should 'old folks' in a home be suitable recipients of sub-standard entertainment, they are disadvantaged enough by being old and in a Home. One thing my mother hated about her nursing home (where friend Jenny now is) is being sung at - badly - by Anne Zeigler and Webster Booth-type older couples. But there was a very good quartet who did Gilbert and Sullivan and similar!

Both our daughters have had their fathers-in-law die quite suddenly of heart attacks in the last 48 hours, and now Michael Jackson.....

Hope you got a good and enjoyable lunch at the Woodend Pub.