22C - Lovely Day - Little Canal Walk

Just had to put this one first. It's Lake Thun at 8.15am this morning and was taken on John's mobile phone which he sent to me around 8.30am.

Amazing technology and it makes you wonder about the wisdom of expensive cameras. Incidentally they are having a super time in the Camper Van and Alannah is now old enough to be left at home by herself. Hope she doesn't do a 'girl in the papers type rave' which apparently caused £20,000 of damage. I don't think she is likely to do that though she is very sensible. Steve and family have returned from Northumberland, and Debra and family have returned from their New Forest hideaway which is reported to have been idyllic. Very basic but safe and the girls could be allowed to play out and build dens and things.

We've had a lovely day. For main meal I did Roast Chicken with apricot & chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes (King Edwards - loverly and crisp outers, fluffy inside) fresh carrots (just scrubbed not peeled, which kept them juicy) spring greens and Yorkshire puddings. Plus gravy of course. The we had cheese and biccies.

This afternoon with the weather being so great we decided on an outing. We went down to the Nottingham Canal at Langley Mill, only a mile and a half away, and I tackled a little walk along the towpath.

This beautiful scene hove into view but we daren't go any closer for fear of disturbing the nesting swan. It wouldn't have been easy anyway because, as you can tell from the bullrushes, their nest was surrounded by water.

It was also nice to see families on their bicycles and teenage lads doing healthy things like fishing for pike and taking their shirts off and getting very red and sunburnt in the unexpectedly strong sun.

Two Canals, The Nottingham and The Erewash join at the Great Northern Boat Basin at Langley Mill. And unless I have more important pictures I shall regale you with a couple more tomorrow. I'm not sure if you can regale people with pictures. Ah Yes. Merriam-Webster reassures me :-

1 : to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies
2 : to give pleasure or amusement to <regaled us with tall tales>
intransitive verb : to feast oneself :

QM2 has arrived at Tortolla but seems to be moored about 2 miles off shore. Perhaps they have to wait for a propitious tide or something. They are in fact in 'The Offing' of which I spoke recently. No doubt Jill will cast some light......

I'm getting to grips with the 4ooGB external hard drive which I have acquired mainly to store photographs. It has a tendency to want to compress and encrypt everything but I have discovered a method.... If I 'drag and drop' instead of 'send to' it doesn't mess about with them. I've downloaded every photograph I have up to March 07 to it and it tells me there is 98% of its capacity still free. So I guess it will see me out as they say.

Must ring Renishaw Hall tomorrow to ask the state of the bluebells. A few locally are peeping through and we don't want to miss them at Renishaw. Y is Palmers Green bound on Tuesday, till Saturday morning, but they should still be OK the week after.

.........These were at Renishaw 2 years ago. don't see why I can't do me own smileys. Sleep tight everybody.

18C now - Been Hotter - Trip to Mansfield

After a leisurely start, Saturday papers, Telegraph crossword, etc., we decided on a quick raid on Mansfield and with the sun the town glowed. The picture doesn't really convey it because of the amount of shade.

The Country & Western guy was very good indeed. I put the necessary in his guitar case and asked permission for a photograph. He really went along with the idea and raised his head a little so his stetson didn't completely shade his face. I did minor shopping like carrots and mushrooms off the Market and batteries for kid's toys whil Y did important things like jewellry shops and Marks & Spencers.

And while I was standing listening to the music I bumped into a retired colleague and we realised we hadn't seen each other for 30 years. Dave Brown is a smashing bloke and a copper of the old school and we reminisced happily until I noticed Y waiting v. patiently. She said she hadn't liked to interrupt because we were having such a good time. I gave Dave the blog address and when I booted-up to do today's there was his 'comment'. Most welcome and I hope Dave you will become a regular 'reader and commenter'. By the way it isn't that you can't find my e-mail address on the blog in spite of what I said; it's because it isn't there. I decided that to have my e-mail addy universally available would be to ask for even more spam than I now receive.

However I've decided on a strategy. My e-mail address is G****m1186@gmail.c*m. I'm sure you will be able to substitute the correct letters for the asterisks but I suspect that spammers wouldn't go to the trouble. We shall see !

I thought of entitling Picture 2 "Do you come here often?". It's reached that time of year hasn't it? and no doubt Bungus's randy pigeons will be visiting for their annual weekend away.

Like you Anon 1 I keep missing QM2 actually doing anything. The webcam picture changes each minute so we ought to be able to see either a 'docking' or a 'sailing'; I don't think we would mind which.

Thanks Jill for your continued information about the Ship and harbours etc., I would guess that if one is a paying customer it is frustrating to be unceremoniously dumped at a container-terminal some distance from the pretty bits and the shops.

Anyway, for the benefit of new readers who won't have a clue as to what I am rabbiting on about, I have a link to the Queen Mary 2 Bridge webcamera. This is it - please click here and at the moment the Ship is docked at St.Kitts.

Re Jill's and Anon 1's 'chicken casseroles' - sympathy with Jill and congrats to Anon 1 I think. I long ago decided on the following maxim - "If you eat it youselves it's a stew; if you serve it to guests it becomes a casserole". And Y and I agree Jill that it would be lovely if you lived nearer. For you and Ro I would cook an exceptionally fine sausage & mash, with swede in the mash, and I would even go so far as to do a large jug of my signature 'onion sauce' and you could have your sausages floating in the sort of lake I know you like.

For the benefit of new readers - if you want to see an enlargement of a picture just click on it. However the webcam picture won't enlarge much though, as it only started off around 25o pixels wide.

And Bungus is quite right about picture content sometimes being more important than any other factor. The picture he cites in evidence - the napalmed little Vietnamese girl was so powerful , in many people's opinion, it was almost responsible for bringing the Vietnamese War to an end. The sharpness of focus etc., didn't matter a toss.

Early night called for. Although it's only 8.30pm I'm crackered. Been digging dandelions out. I levered with a big-spade and Y pulled. Mostly they snapped halfway down.

If Brinsley pit was still open I could go down and cut 'em off at the bottom. I didn't create that line BTW - wish I had.!!

Cloudy but Warmish - Shopping - Rest Day

Just trying out my newly acquired 'reversing ring' which converts my standard 50mm lens into a close-up lens. The Pieris on the left was taken normally and the petals on the right were close-up. It is interesting because it reveals them for what they actually are i.e. embryonic leaves and not petals. They aren't particularly attractive and I don't aim to specialise.

Last night at the camera club was good fun and Roy chaired it extremely well in the absence of Reg. Most of us took prints for no-holds-barred criticism; which we certainly received. But everyone could give reasons for their comments of approval or otherwise. Everyone I chatted to considered it a great success and informative. I don't think I shall ever agree with the people who want to make a pictorial work of art out of each picture. On one picture for instance, which someone had intended to be the 'view over the city' it was said "You could have made a picture out of that lamp on the wall of the building". Which is rather like someone telling Caneletto in a painting of Venice's Grand Canal, that his real picture should have been the prow of the third gondola on the left.

I know I bang-on about it but I do wish they would concentrate on photographic criteria such as sharpness of focus, correct use of depth of field, controlling highlights and shadow areas etc. and leave what is photographed as a matter for the photographer's own choice.

At last a different view from the Queen Mary 2 webcam. We've arrived at St. Thomas's and it looks quite exciting. I'm publishing the picture because some readers may not have downloaded the link. Jill has told us that the Ship is enormous and this view from the bridge looks as if you are at the top of a tower block.

'Height of buildings' segues me immediately to Bromley House Subscription Library's triumph over the developers who planned an 18 storey building on the old Odeon site next door. The planning dept decided against yesterday and I feel abit involved because as a member of the library I had written to express my dismay. Our building was built in 1752 and is grade 2 listed and, apart from its own beauty, at the rear it has a charmingly secluded walled-garden a hundred yards from Old Market Square. 18 storeys adjacent to it would have ruined it. Let us hope the triumph is not short lived. We all know how steadfast and resilient councillors can be if confronted by brown envelopes.

Sorry to report the death of Kurt Vonnegut who I really rated not only for his writing skill but also for his trenchant and rebellious views. "God bless you Mr Vonnegut" to paraphrase one of his titles. He was 84 which I suppose ain't bad. He carried on with a zest for living and The Telegraph obituary was good.. This always amused me :

"Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops".

- Kurt Vonnegut

I'm cooking sausage and mash with swede/turnip in with the potato, carrots, broccolli ad fine beans. And lashings of gravy. Also I'll probably do a courgette for Y 'cos she loves 'em so. Might also go and pull some rhubarb out of the garden (it's lovely at the moment) and have it with either custard or ice-cream. I shall take menus to the TV room in a few minutes. !

p.s. remember to click on the pictures for enlargements.

BJ Day - EPS - 17C - Bit Cloudy

Just tidying up the Markeaton Park trip with a couple more pictures.

This beautiful building is just at the side of the Ashbourne Road Railway bridge and perhaps our architectural correspondent could add a few words.

To my untrained eye it looks Georgian rather than Victorian which is when the railway bridge was built. If so, and unless the railway company bought it, I would guess the occupants were not best pleased.

With the railway bridge being so massive, the house seems to have the feel of a very expensive doll's house which one might find in the nursery of a stately home.

Picture 2 is the plate on one of the overhead joists/stanchions ? I don't know what they are called sorry. But talk about putting your mark on something - this is about a yard across and 10" high and as heavily cast as it looks. None of yer poncy little plaques in 1878 !

Andrew Handyside could have built me a bridge anytime. I wonder if he was the original 'Handy Andy' ?

It is a truism that some people are good at some things. I was very good at chucking people out of pubs. Ray (OurStanley) however is remarkably good at tracking things down which elude others. Pete (Manxislander) has a favourite verse of poetry from over a door in a pub he frequents and, knowing my interest in poetry asked me to try to trace it. I couldn't but asked Bungus who suggested it had the feel of a song lyric. Eventually I thought a ha! I know who is good with song lyrics and indeed has won prizes - Ray. I e-mailed it to him first thing and just after 9am back he came with the answer ! It was The Goodnight Song by Blue Murder and he had traced the entire song and even from which album !!

I dropped Y at the tram as the start of her journey to Burton Joyce and then spent a leisurely day messing-about with some pictures for my camera club this evening. It is another informal get-together and we are taking prints and things for us all to discuss. Lovely evening for photographers, the pits for anyone else. BTW this keyboard is becoming increasingly fragile. Being a self-taught thumper on manual typewriters I tend to hammer on a little. And this machine regularly misses letters out. For instance if you see 'ave' instead of 'have' it isn't that I'm dropping my aitches - it is the achine. Case in point - I typed 'machine' honest.

Apart from Radio 4 I listen to OneWord quite often and some weeks ago I started to listen to Kenneth Branagh reading Chekhov. This will be good I thought. Not so. Dull and tiresome. Y says she has always considered him 'over-rated'. On the other hand, each Sunday on BBC 7 there is a Garrison Keilor hour. Last Sunday he read 'Easter in Lake Wobegone' and it was brilliant. Not many writers have the gift to make me chuckle aloud while I'm reading/listening. He has, and Auberon Waugh had - such a pity he died so early.

Going to have my tea now even though it's only 4.30pm. I can't have yet another cheese & lettuce sandwich. Maybe something on toast.

Not Marmite though. I prefer Vegemite, and I've never been to Australia.

Nails Day - 17C - Frantini's - Flowers

As always when we go to Carlton Hill for Y's 'nail service' the weather is lovely and today was no exception. Blue sky, little puffy clouds and 17C and at most, a gentle breeze.

While Y was in the chinese place having stilted conversations but excellent attention I went to our favourite Italian Bistro for coffee. When I said we would be returning for lunch he was more than willing for me to run a tab. I sat outside and my coffee was 'supremo' well worth driving 15 miles for.

Then I did my usual close examination of the 3 charity shops but came away empty handed. In the DIY shop a chap tried to charge me £6.95 for a pack of 4 rechargeable AAA batteries (for Sky's camera) but I declined. They aren't more than a fiver in Currys. I'm not a mean man but the price seemed excessive. Y found it difficult to believe that I hadn't bought a single thing when she joined me. We both plumped for salad. They plate-up a delightful italian salad and you pick your protein from an attractive bar. Boringly, in an Italian Restaurant, we both selected the coronation chicken. It was delicious though. Although Picture 1 shows it empty by 12noon it was full.

When we returned home the garden looked so attractive I nipped round and took enough pictures for this collage. They are so easy to do in Picasa - so don't think I've been really clever.

Last night, before Y's 'Life on Mars' we watched the show I mentioned "Never mind about the full stops". It was great again. Simon Hoggart and a very sharp young lady whose name escapes me versus Angela Ripon and Stuart Hall who has mch more about him than I expected from a sports-commentator. I apologise for sounding patronising but he is 'erudite' and quick.

As you would expect Julian Fellowes chaired it with charm.

They knew that the "Offing" was something to do with the sea but they didn't know the full meaning which made me feel suitably pompous.

The QM2 has left New York for St. Thomas and we are back to boring old seascapes. It would be nice if you could see the skyline but you can't quite. And the Moon has gone through "Waning Gibbous" to "Waning Crescent 41% of full". I think I now have as much information as I am likely to need about the Moon, perhaps even too much. And I'm going to 'delete' and substitute something more exciting.

Picnic on Monday, Italian Restaurant today, got to be a cheese and lettuce sandwich for tea I think. Be healthy and go for a walk this evening.

Cloudy - Nottingham - 13C but feels Colder

This is a view of yesterday's Bridge looking upwards from under it and I hope it conveys a feeling of the strength. It was built in 1878 when they built things to last.

My Gran would have been 11 that year. We go back a long way we radiogandys but, strangely enough, the current popular interest in genealogy does nothing for me. My love of life is all about 'now' and 'the future'. I know about the past of people I can remember but distant ancestors are entitled to RIP.

Picture 2 is of some graffiti/mural/fresco? which has appeared on the side of a house on Wilkinson Street, Sherwood which is en route to Tracy's. She is always at pains to stress that she doesn't live on Wilkinson Street but on an avenue off, at the posh end. I added the last bit by the way not TJ.

I couldn't find anywhere convenient to park for a better photograph but again, it should convey the idea. Whether the occupants are pleased or furious I've no idea. It probably isn't destined for The National Gallery but I like it. It's cheerful, colourful and more pleasing than bare brick.

It doesn't 'fork any lightning' as Dylan Thomas put it but it has involved careful work and planning. Which reminds me - I haven't had any luck with tracking down Pete (Manxislander)'s poem - but I haven't given up yet!

After collecting Y we went to Sainsburys for essential supplies and then met Bungus in the Vale. Talk about serendipity! We pulled up outside Daybrook Laundry which is an example of 1930s architecture that Bob has long admired, just as a chap was letting himself in through the padlocked front gates. Bob nipped out to find that the chap had worked there for 40yrs and was happy to let Bob take photographs inside the compound. He also told him lots of stuff about the building and that an archive is to be set up in the old Home Brewery building across the road. One family owed both apparently.

The we went down to Old Market Square and Bob found himself in the Y camp i.e. distinctly under-whelmed. The light was poor but the kids were fooling around happily in the water features and the square itself was extremely busy. Jacobs were able to sell me a 'reversing ring' for my 50mm lens which will enable me to do close-up close ups. Examples will surely follow. Then eventually we took Bob to the Hucknall Tram terminal because he fancied 'tramming' back into Nottingham to catch his bus back to Ollerton.

Y is keen to watch the finale of 'Life on Mars' and I know Jill won't be missing it. Before that we might watch 'Never mind the full-stop' I think is its title, chaired by Julian Fellows. Fortunately it's at 8.30pm so no clashes are foreseen. We still haven't sussed how to video the digital channels - we can only do terrestrial. I suspect it is that well-known computer phenomenon, a DRTFM fault. (Didn't Read The Flipping Manual) for those who don't know it. That has been made suitable for family readers.

Catch you tomorrow. Sleep tight.

p.s. the QM2 webcam is quite interesting. She looks to be moored about a 100yards from the Harbour wall.

Markeaton Park - Picnic - Willows - Ducks

I think a proper title for this is "Photographer at Work". It is of course Sky taking the Iron Bridge pictures, one of which I 'blogged' and the grandad with the tripod is about halfway up on the left. Not sure if David or Helen took it but it is a jolly good photograph.

And it is now stored in Picasa Web Albums who automatically store online anything I publish in my blog. So they are all safely in the big google computer up there in cyberspace.

The proposed photography jaunt fell through but I joined David & everybody at Markeaton Park for a few hours. It's in Derby and I used to motorcycle past each day on my BSA Bantam when I worked for Barclays. It has changed a lot, but for the better and the weather was great, bright and sunny. I parked myself outside a cafe with a mug of tea till they found me, all of us having arrived around the same time. Super presents for grandad - a colourful model of the peacock, a green frog and chickens and cholcolate eggs etc. The place soon filled up and there were thousands of children; all well-behaved and having a good time. Playgrounds, golf, a lake with ducks and willow trees, working little steam-trains, a train-bus - I'm sure I've missed smething but I'm sure you have a picture. And Helen brought a picnic - my love of a picnic is known, and we all enjoyed it. In fact things don't come much better for Grandads

This bridge is across Ashbourne Road and it used to be quite remarkable. All bright and shiny and immaculate paintwork. Nearly everything you can see is cast-iron. There's only the bridge now the railway being defunct and it has been allowed to deteriorate quite badly. Such a shame.

Sorry about the blogger glitch yesterday. When the duplication of part was pointed out to me I checked my 'master copy' and it was duplicated there too. So I've just deleted it. I can't think of an explanation and recently there have been far fewer glitches than there used to be.

Tomorrow morning I collect Y from TJ's and I hope Millicent's party was a success. Then we are meeting Bungus who wants to photograph DayBrook Laundry before it is demolished then we are to have an in-depth look at The Market Square while Y trams it down to the Station to book her next ticket. It's all go 'innit?

The sun was so bright today it's caught my nose. Hope nobody else got burnt - you don't really expect it in April.

I think a pot of tea, the crossword, some radio and a general mess-about now, before bedtime.

I thought I would share the 'bovine sheep-dog' with you again. A bit bigger this time for better scrutiny and jumping the other way.

Noisy Wind - 16C - TJ for Lunch -

I seem to remember that I half-promised 'ducks' from Rufford so here they are. On close examination there seems to be a shark approaching immediately to the rear of the centre Swan. But I'm sure if there was one living in Rufford Lake I would have heard about it.

Picture 2 is just a tree in Rufford Park which I thought would look good in B & W. If I knew what tree I would have identified it. Willows, Beech, Oak, Limes and Poplars I'm OK with and Horse/Sweet Chestnut but I'm not sure about this one. Perhaps one of our arboricultural correspondents wouldn't mind suggesting a name. I know that David's Helen loves trees but how she is with IDs I don't know. They have now returned from their caravan holiday and I am promised more pictures, including Blist Hills museum.

Y is over at Burton Joyce tomorrow for Millicent's party and I am going out with some photochums for an hour or two, so I might ring Long Eaton and see if we can arrange a time when it would be convenient for me to pop over and deliver Brooke's 'book-chair'. But it probably won't work out and I have plenty to do here anyway.

It wasn't my intention to copy Bungus's lunch menu but I also cooked a Gammon Joint. However mine was boiled not baked, though I did use a Delia 'foolproof' for 'leeks in white sauce'. The way Delia makes no concessions has always appealed. Sweat the leeks in butter she says, and then right at the end - stir in the remaining ounce of butter. No wonder it was pronounced 'delicious'. I fell for Delia many years ago when she was just a slip of a girl on the telly. She was cooking a cheese dish which involved grating the cheese and when she had done enough she put her hand up inside the grater to get out the remaining shreds. I thought "this lady actually cooks" not like people who recommend a 6lb leg of Spring Lamb in the first week in April!!

As it is TJ's favourite form of potato I did some mashed, with chopped chives therein. Bungus will be relieved to learn that I used 8 chive-leaves. He never lets me forget and I'm sure he will enlighten you all. That will do about the food because TJ will shout 'boring'.

I hope Matt won't mind me using one of his cartoons again. I keep meaning to write and ask him, because my Blog isn't a commercial venture and I don't do it more than a few times a year. But sometimes it's difficult to resist because he just hits the spot. As in this one.

Thanks Jill for the info re the Culture Show but we missed it. Didn't know there was to be a piece about Nottingham. Y also is a keen 'Life on Mars' watcher.

I think that Anon 1 and Bungus are right about 'bound for New York' as against 'bound to' even though Anon's husband makes a good point with 'outward bound to'. There is another meaning as well as 'bound to happen' etc., and that is 'Pythias the slave was bound to Octavia'. And didn't apprentices used to be 'bound to' etc.? Nice discussion anyway, I enjoyed it.

Whatever, the ship is at sea again. More boring water. But apparently many 'cruisers' never look outside anyway - they just 'scoff' all day. Which would'nt suit me at all, at least, not weightwise. The 'Orlistat' seems to be having an effect and I've lost almost a stone. Still plenty to go at though and I don't look as if I'm wasting away. The instructions in the packet say 'One three times a day, with meals and no snacking in between. And no cholcolate, sweets, iscuits etc.' As Lisa astutely pointed out "Well that's a diet, isn't it?"

The sunsets have moved round to the rear of the house, more or less due west, which is fun because they aren't obscured by the large conifers. Pictures will follow....

Photography day tomorrow. Weather forecast reasonable.

Rest Day - 13C- Sculpture - Iron Bridge

Another of Sky's 'Iron Bridge Holiday' photos -published with grandfatherly pride. I had asked for a picture of the actual bridge and I duly received one.

The Grandad figure with his camera and clutching his tripod, in just the right spot for good composition, appeals to me. It wasn't me BTW, I wasn't there, but I know the spot well.

I also like the reflections in the water.

Don't know how many of the museums they managed; there are so many. And of course Blist Hills.

Picture 2 is another Simon Kent sculpture, or rather 2 of them, again charmingly and humorously placed to be visible as one approaches the entrance to the Orangery exhibition area. I know Bungus is pleased that I have backed away from my earlier criticism of Simon Kent the Sculptor.

My regret about this photograph is that the two figures are not 'tack sharp' and they ought to be! I suspect that I committed the absolutely basic error of letting the camera focus on an area in between the 2 because the display case behind them is sharp.

So simple and I didn't think I could still manage photographic howlers like that.

Probably Sky would have got them 'as a razor'.... with her 4mp Praktica. I thought that that would probably be the last of the Rufford Park pictures. But I'd forgotten that I still have some trees, water, and 'duck' photographs which I may well bore you with.

In the Davis Cup tennis it seems that we may have a new doubles star - Jamie Murray, Andy's brother. He played with Ruszedski and they won. Not usual for us in that competition.

Another glorious day, warm and not windy with a bright blue sky with just the odd pretty cloud. Basically a Rest Day so I only intend to write a short blog and then catch up on reading and computer things that need sorting. Y has been in the garden but wisely stopped at first twinge. My only contribution, except for cooking lunch, was to mix-up a pump-up spray of weed-killer.

The QM2 webcam has been quite interesting because they have arrived at St. Kitts. I can't stop being surprised at how high up the bridge-mounted camera actually is. From the harbour wall the ship must look enormous.

Catch you tomorrow.

Beautiful Day - 15C - Sky's E-mail and Photos

Regular readers will know that I bought my 8yr old grandaughter Sky her own 4mp Praktica compact digital camera. She took it with her on their Iron Bridge area caravan holiday.

This morning she e-mailed me with a couple of pictures including this one of a displaying peacock. Didn't she do well? I guess that the caravans across the lake are part of the site.

Where would we be without modern technology and competent young people?

This morning we had potential purchaser come to view the bungalow. He was the son of a former colleague and they live in the area. But both Y and I formed the impression that this perhaps wasn't the house for them. We could be wrong I s'pose - Watch this space..... Viewing at a more propitious time wouldn't have been possible. Beautiful sunny morning, gorgeous view, garden full of burgeoning colour and bird song. Oh well !!

Picture 2 is taken from just outside the doctor's surgery and this lovely blossom tree in the Churchyard is always a picture at this time of year. After the 'viewing' we nipped out to do some shopping. Lidl and Morrisons and then I cooked, by popular request, another crispy beef stirfry. It was extremely pleasant again.

After that a kip for me because I didn't sleep too well and then we enjoyed the rest of our Rest Day. Pete (Manxislander) is trying to get to grips with Picasa, on the recommendation of Bungus and me, and I hope he succeeds because it is such a great little programme and he will enjoy it. The QM2 Webcam has been more interesting of late and Anon 1 enjoined us all to look in around 2.30pm. At the moment the ship has Grenada on the left side or I suppose I should say 'port' and seems likely to dock somewhere soon.

Nothing much planned for tomorrow so we might try an hour in the garden. and then mess-about with pictures and t'internet. TJ is coming for a meal on Sunday and instead of the customary lamb I am cooking a gammon joint. I've often pointed out that I don't think some of these so called 'chefs', who write cookery pages for the weekend press, actually have ever cooked anything. There was a 'classic' last Saturday. After gushing that 'the only thing to cook at Easter is a leg of fresh Spring Lamb' the writer listed in the ingredients ' a 6lb leg of Spring Lamb'. Where one could obtain a 6lb leg of lamb at this time of year is a mystery to me at least. New Zealand perhaps. But British lambs just aren't that big yet and in my opinion one would be lucky to find a 3lb one. If I was entertaining say 8/10 people I would buy two legs.

Not too much Easter Egg choccy now !! You'll be sick......

Lovely Day - 16C - Blossoms everywhere

The above are three separate pictures not a botched panorama. So, if you want to scrutinise them more closely please remember to click each in turn. They are from the Simon Kent exhibition at Rufford which I mentioned briefly yesterday.

Although Picture 1 is a close-up, it is a powerful piece. Picture 2 is a little 'Elizabeth Frink-ish' but still good. And Picture 3 is delightful and in my opinion very humorous. Whether the Sculptor created the female figure specially to peep round the corner and out of the open gates, or whether he just had the brilliant idea when mounting the exhibition. If anyone meets him please ask him for me. I like to know these things.

The QM2 webcam pictures have been more interesting. They have obviously arrived at Bonair please click which we didn't expect till the 10th. I owe Bungus an apology. It was he who sorted out my time-zone/date howler and didn't receive any brownie points for it. So a belated 'Ta'. This isn't in any way to diminish Anon1's stirling QM2 efforts or sandwich advice.

It will be quite a relief when the ship has properly docked; we've all seen it happen, and the Moon stops being 'gibbous' and becomes something more exciting. Then I can redesign my Homepage. That wretched Blake quote has been there for what seems like days and it's supposed to be a new literary quote each day. I sense an attack of grumpiness so I'll stop. My first effort at that resulted in a typo -'grumpoins' - which I quite liked. An amalgam of 'grandpa' 'crampons' and 'irons' and I think I've got a touch of all three.

Camera Club tonight, after I've collected Y from the tram. She has been doing her Thursday 'grannying' at Burton Joyce. The Club meeting is as I think I mentioned, an informal get together, so we can chat about our Rufford jaunt and discuss our toys!

Aren't the lighter evenings a joy?

Lovely Sun. Catch you all tomorrow.

Trip to Rufford - Cloudy then Sun

Last night's National Trust AGM was successful and Peter chaired it excellently. When the Treasurer presented his report there were, as there always is, the usual daft and pedatic points made. Not to worry. The Centre is in excellent fettle and nothing much needs to be changed.

After the meeting we had a very interesting presentation by the chap responsible nationally for NT support groups. So much has been achieved but there is always more to be done. Both Y and I were returned to the committee unopposed and even though I can't do much they can always find me something. Stuffing envelopes at Clumber is probably going to be my first task.

On Wednesdays a small group of camera-club chaps go somewhere to take photographs, usually during a Walk; leading to the informal title of WOW. (walk on wednesday) and this morning I went with them. It is an excellent idea for me to try to walk as much as I can, opting out when I feel I've done enough. For this reason it's best if I take my own car for flexibility. So this morning around 10am we set off for Rufford. Reg came in my car so I didn't feel lonely and Mike and Douglas went with Roy. It was cloudy and poor light when we arrived but such niceties don't deter real photographers and we all snapped away regardless. and eventually the sun came out. Being able to rabbit on about pictures is a treat and we had lots of laughs.

Picture 1 is the path from where the stone sculpture in Picture 2 was, and just leads back towards the house and offices. Just a record-shot but I liked the strong diagonal.

Many interesting new scupltures have appeared and I fell for this chap and the sheep, nicely framed by the gnarled tree trunk. The bench is stone and I sat between them for a few minutes rest. The chainsaw sculpure man who featured on Radio Nottingham has an exhibition there at the moment and much of his stuff is very good. Examples may follow tomorrow. My only criticism would be that he draws heavily from Elizabeth Frink. I wouldn't go so far as to use the word 'plagiarism' - just a strong influence. But what's new? Artists have always been influenced by the work of their predecessors and there's nowt wrong with it.

The others walked round the lake but I opted out at that stage. When we met up again we went to The Bird in Hand at Blidworth for a chip cob and then home.

Just a couple of clear-up points about recent 'comments'. Click here for Tiger Bread. It has qualities which Bungus doesn't mention i.e. it's made with Sesame Oil and glazed with rice-water and many people rate it!

Thanks Anon 1 for the QM2 info. I've posted 'stickies' and other reminders for April 1oth because I'm keen to see something other than sea from their webcam. Re: cheese & tomato sandwiches - over the years I came to quite like that soggy-ness which comes from several hours wrapped in cling-film. Takes all sorts!

Y is at Burton Joyce tomorrow and I have the Camera Club in the evening. But nothing to prepare because it is just an informal get-together. Probably be more fun than last week's exhibition which most people were disappointed with. The words 'formulaic' and 'pot-hunters' etc., were bandied about and some exhibitors were showing images which were from exactly the same mould they were using 15yrs ago. Still, folks do as they see fit but I wouldn't enjoy that approach.

This one is from Clicksmilies which are also good but can't be posted directly into gmail or blog. You have to put them first in a file-hosting site in order to get a URL. Nowhere near as easy.

And a word of warning about downloading things like smiley-sites because they can be riddled with spyware, spam and other unpleasant bits of malware. Everything I point you to is clean but a good idea is to download Macafee Site-Advisor - a freebie which checks sites before you open them. A green tick means clean, a red tick means the opposite and an amber tick means 'make you own mind up. Here's a link to it. Don't want you setting off half-cocked. Catch you tomorrow.

n.b for new blog readers. To see a picture full size just left-click on it. To leave a 'comment' left-click the word 'comments' at the bottom of the post and follow the instructions. If anyone wants to be anonymous, could they please be 'anonymous 2'. We already have an 'anonymous 1'.

Gone chilly again - 6C - National Trust Evening

I couldn't resist sharing this James Turrell work. It was published in my ArtDaily online newspaper so I guess if they've used it it's OK for me to.

It is in one of the new museum/art galleries but together with Bungus we were fortunate enough to see his work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. His medium is 'light' and in the Deer Shelter at YSP the inside of the small building consists of plain walls and a hole in the roof. Luckily when we were there we had a clear sunny day and I blogged a picture at the time.

For Bungus's benefit I am publishing a LINK to my Google Homepage which should convey the general idea. I realise one doesn't spend that much time looking at a Homepage but I find it handy as a source of things I like. But I'm quite willing to let him continue watching the insects. And I don't really classify Branston as a pickle although I know it is. It's those chewy indigestible things which taste of little but vinegar that I object to.

We are both fans of the cheese & lettuce sandwich and will certainly give the addition of marmite a try. The 3 instead of the 2 on the Queen Mary webcam caption is fully accepted. Didn't read it carefully enough. But they are now at sea again bound for Bonaire. And I missed them leaving port and the view is just water again. Research is necessary to find out their ETA at Bonaire so I don't miss the docking process again. It's cheaper than going on a cruise though 'innit?

Picture 2 is only published because I mentioned how good Y is with bulbs. Although they are going-off now, last year these hyacinths were in a bowl indoors but after they've gone to sleep Y always finds somewhere to plant them and they always wake up next spring,triumphantly.

The blog today will necessarily be short because I have lots of things which need doing. I need to ring Roy and work things out for our jaunt tomorrow; pictures to deal with; e-mails crying out for an answer.

Then we must have a sandwich and a pot of tea and leave no later than 6.15pm because it is the National Trust (Mansfield Chapter) AGM and Y will have to be prominent.

Sandwichwise we've decided on Cheese & Tomato, unashamedly on Tiger Bread and a large pot of rich orange-coloured tea, brewed 4 minutes minimum. Apparently Cheese and Tomato used to be everyone's second favourite sandwich. But things are more exotic these days n'est ce pas ?

Some readers should avert their eyes at this point because a Smiley follows.

Don't know if Anon 1's children have experienced a dad-type barbeque yet?

Quick sortie to Arnold - 13C - Less wind

After all that lead up - here is the full moon from my bedroom window around 4.20am, looking SouthWest.

I know it's abit fuzzy but what do you expect. Usually around that time I'm awake and making tea and things so it wasn't a particular effort on my part. Once we've been through all the phases and discovered the correct names I intend to delete that add-on and substitute something a little mor exciting. Suggestions please from Google Homepage people.

Re: The Queen Mary 2. I thought they were ahead timewise, but Bungus makes a good point and they may be behind. A crucial point which we weren't told was where they were sailing from - to Florida. Anyway. Thanks Anon1 for telling us they have now docked. And I missed it. I've looked at the WebCam today and aren't they high up?

The smileys are from Smiley Xtra and that is the link to their homepage. It seems that you need to be using Firefox because it is one of their add-ons. Just in case you don't use Firefox I've linked that too. It's a super browser and I wouldn't dream of going back to IE6/7

We decided on a quick trip to Arnold again. to shop at Sainsburys and have a look at the shops in general.

So it would have been rude not to call at Joan's for coffee. Picture 2 is a bit of Joan's conservatory and her elbow is left in to add human interest. She is a great believer in using available space - every corner of it. If one offers her something gardenwise she always says "I'll find room for it somewhere"

Then to Arnold shops and finally to the supermarket and then home for a late lunch. Cornbeef sandwiches with very fresh and crusty Tiger bread, plus of course, the statutory Branston. Jacket potato and salad this evening ! Ho hum! as Ray says

My Camera Club 'subject' for the coming year, you pick one out of a hat, is 'Pairs'. Not easy but it did make me think. Why are underpants, a singular garment surely, called a 'pair' - while a bra, definitely a plural garment if ever I saw one, is in the singular ? This lateral thinking can be a real timewaster sometimes.

For Anon 1's children.....and this, if they like bananas

RAF Cosford and Daffodils - 13C but Windy

The last RAF Cosford shot - I promise! This is a Lincoln, a close sibling of the more famous Lancaster and both were very large aircraft. The people convey a good idea of scale. Less cluttered than other exhibits; I guess it would be difficult to cram much in close proximity.

And I know I have 'chuntered' about the crowding of the exhibits but I loved the day and wouldn't like my grumpiness to deter any potential visitors.

Let me thank people for their kind solicitations about my health and honestly I'm fine. Creaking gates and all that, Y always says. My ankles are more or less back to normal i.e. not good but not stareworthy while out. Sorry to hear Jill that you are a fellow sufferer. At least it's not like toothache; they aren't painful. NHS dentistry is in a right mess isn't it? We are fortunate and registered with a practice in Eastwood who assure us we can remain patients when we move. He has two patients who travel from Cornwall. Not much fun if you have a real humdinger.

Picture 2 is some of Y's daffs. She really is good with bulbs and these actually are this pale and delightful looking.

No jiggerypokery. Just set my lens to a very wide aperture which gave me a very limited depth of field, producing the background shown.

For lunch I did a crispy beef stir fry mainly because I had found Pak Choi in Long Eaton Tesco. They are a joy to cook because you just chuck 'em in at the end and as soon as they wilt the are done. The beef I have the butcher cut an extremely thin slice of rump which I then cut into little ribbons with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. Toss them in seasoned cornflour, in the Wok first, don't over cook but they must be crisp and then throw the rest in. Dash of sesame-seed oil, oyster sauce and then soy to taste. Always a favourite.

Picture 3 is from the WebCam of the Queen Mary 2 which is on its way, slowly, to Florida. The picture is updated every 60 seconds but each day would be enough. This has been the scene for days; except when it's dark.

When I was in the sixth form and careers people came round I quite fancied the idea of the Merchant Navy. The recruitment officer asked if I realised that 7/10ths of the globe is covered in water and that is what one was looking at most of the time. Boring I thought and didn't pursue the idea. The time-zone difference is interesting. They are nearly a day ahead of us.

By the way Jill, the cow is supposed to be a sheep of the variety one is supposed to count to help you drop off to sleep. But, if people would prefer to count cows - I can't see anything fundamentally wrong with the concept. Prolly won't work anyway.

Tomatoes on toast for tea. A seriously slimming meal. Hope David and family are having a nice day and the traffic and weather aren't too bad. I seem to remember it's quite scary towing a caravan in windy conditions.