This picture from John is one of his v.g. pictures of water.Good decision John to have the tower break the skyline of the middle-distance hill. It makes the picture.
Reminiscent of Scotland's much photographed Eilean Donan Castle. Too much photographed some would say, a bit like the Taj Mahal.
John tells me they are 'tearing themselves away' from the Cote d'Azur because the weather is getting hotter and hotter. They aim to head up through Switzerland on their way to the UK and should arrive home sometime in July. ....... What a holiday?
Here, back at base, we have had a very pleasant day. Peter and Joan came over quite early and we went to IKEA for one of their fabled breakfsasts. It all worked out well and they enjoyed their meal. The four breakfasts and free coffee came to the exorbitant total of £3.96p.But IKEA aren't daft are they ? After breakfast we all went for a browse round the store. We bought several things and P & J actually bought a table !
The Iris picture on the left was taken yesterday evening in the light of the setting sun. The light was only like this for a few minutes but fortunately I had my camera handy.
This afternoon, after a nap I was inspired to carry on gardening and continued to de-weed the circular bed in the front. Then I planted some petunias to go with the already planted geraniums, but I still have vacant places. The tomato plants are still thriving and I have replanted basil seed. Next job is to clear a bed where Y can plant some coriander. If that sounds as if I'm delegating, it is only because Y always seems successful with coriander and this afternoon I noticed in my seed box an envelope of our own seed !
It has just started raining. To water in my petunias !
My replies to your comments
Bob ..... I remember Retford quite well although I was never actually stationed there. Very oldie-worldie. As you know I feel there should be bye-laws requiring Town Centres to have a Wilco.
You certainly did well to find a pint of Ruddles at £1.29p.
I, like Jill, think you are wrong about the colour to which Lupins revert. I'm sure it is blue. Borne out by those which have gone feral on the motorway verges at the moment. All blue. At least, round here they are.
Jill .... Well done with the Radio 4 newsletter (e-mail refers). I just leave mine in my in-box where it is easy to refer to.
Yvonne ..... Of course you make the important point about buses. I don't use them at all do I? Which makes me completely unqualified to utter about the subject. Mind you, that doesn't usually stop me does it?
Once I would have envied June her Alaska trip. When I was about 14 I read Pierre Berton's book about The Gold rush and was completely captivated. Those place names - Skagway, Anchorage, Dawson City seemed so romantic to a teenage youth.
Just browsing now - Alaska is the only place where you can travel 600 miles in a straight line without encountering a barbed-wire fence.
Debbie .... Thank you for your comment on my post about Watnall Farm Shop on October the 3rd, 2008. I think you must have done a blog-search to trawl for comments about the Shop. Good luck to you. The pies are excellent.
.............................
Quotation time ......
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness"
The island photograph is most effective, it doesn't look like the Cote d'Azure so presumably he is on his way home. What an iris, almost fluorescent.
ReplyDeleteI think Alaska IS romantic and fantastic as well! It was one of the first places we cruised to, went to all the places you mention, plus a few more. One was like being in Russia, an impressive orthodox Russian Church, etc, it was the Russians who used to be in charge of the fur trade. And we went across the Yukon, up into the Gold Rush territory. We saw bears and whales, seals and otters, which is more than you do now, there are so many cruise ships visiting that most of the wild life has gone. We had the best of it....
I watched Sheila Hancock's programme of poetry that had changed her life on bbc/iplayer, enjoyed it, not all of it worked but most of it did.
Jill’s right.
ReplyDeleteFully agree excellent composition/colour/water of John’s photo.
Stunning iris too.
I’ve always had great success using culinary coriander seed (and saved seed thereafter).
Buses vary from uncomfortable to extremely uncomfortable (company thereon likewise) but you do get good views from the top deck.
Observed:
Retford Bus Station, in spite of kitsch design, most impressive.
And, in this weather, do horses need to wear hats and coats?
Overheard:
“...We went to Beth Shalom (Laxton Holocaust Centre); it was ever-so good... Had my car hand-washed by those Poles (Albanians?) on the Industrial Estate; they’re brilliant... Oh yes, I voted – BNP.”
Jill:
Daltonism Rules!
I realised you are probably right about lupins until I Googled Wikipedia which suggests that they’re pinky-blue (except the yellow ones).
A lot of people don’t realise Alaska is only 7 miles from Russia.
Yvonne:
I don’t know...
but Alaska (boom-boom).