Sharing pictures

A snapshot of Nepal, taken earlier in the year. This is the closest I could get to adventure today, having had to spend most of it inside. 

Playing with pics

That's just what I did.

This was a long way in the distance, on the other side of the estuary - thanks to my new super-camera.

And another one

Typical picnic sky - under which I ate mine

Summer snapshots

Although I was dressed for rain (!), it didn't. It started off cloudy and ended windy, which resulted in strenuous cycling in the rain gear. There was lots  happening, in the usual windy/windswept way and I haven't worked out the best way to manage the wind on my new camera. These are some of the managed pictures.

The wind was as much of a challenge to me as the surfer and after several tries, I captured person and sail in the same picture.

Another one 

It is difficult to believe it's mid-summer

Two hardy souls 

Disinterested donkeys

First flower

This isn't just the first long awaited sweet pea flower, but my first long-awaited decent flower picture.

I took many pictures today, whilst out on my bike in the pouring rain. I was disappointed that I didn't make it as far as the beach and rode home in the wet, minus my glasses. Fortunately I knew the route well. 

Camera play

These innocent little pansies were victims of me and my new camera. I have been trying out various settings and these are now 'wide' pansies.

These are 'narrow' pansies. Can't wait to try this out on human victims.

I tried out different 'night' settings and prowling round the garden in the dark wasn't too productive. However, Coldplay belting out their stuff at Glastonbury on tv provided just what I needed. 

I definitely didn't find anything like this in the garden at midnight - thankfully.

Or this!

Just this

Walk on the Windy Side

Took to the coast at Thurlestone near Kingsbridge. I couldn't resist photographing the following on the way to the coastal path.

The wind break would have struggled today.. but the spades look good

The beaches were empty and at times it felt more like Australia than South Devon

Only the bravest ventured into the sea

South Milton Ley - a favourite stopping off spot for small migrating birds

Colourful day

Bunch of munchers

It's been raining and the grass is growing. This trio of rabbit lawn mowers were seen advancing towards the house this evening.  

Showery Saturday

Went for a walk on another blustery June day. 

Passed a circus

A tranquil River Clyst with Bridge Inn, visited by the Queen about five years ago

Ducks on the quayside were very thirsty for rainwater

Rain and shine

Potted plants huddled together, sheltering from the rain 

From old stone to shiny stainless steel - new lamp to shine its light on the plants 

Old stone

I have walked passed this door many times on my way past Exeter Cathedral and not noticed it, until it was open today, and the greenery within caught my attention. They don't make them like this anymore. 

View opposite the open door

The Cathedral was looking particularly majestic today

Gloomy day

It has been one of those out of body experience days, with no sun, no proper rain, no warmth and no proper cold. However, the sun decided to make an appearance on its way down, when the television seemed to be the preferred option. 

Glimpses of sun as it was going down 

Flaming June

Having spent so much time book sorting, it was time to go outside and dip into summer. To cover as large an area as possible, I hopped on my bike.  I was prepared for anything, wearing mostly florescent yellow, a dabbing of factor 50 and sunglasses - just in case the sun was out. As usual, there was also a stash of food, which adds to the general sense of adventure. 

First impressions

It was blustery, with a strong wind batting at the water, clouds, growing things and cyclist. It wasn't particularly warm, as the wind was playing ping-pong with the clouds, in an attempt to cover the sun.

A good day for kite surfers

Except that today's local paper reports, 'Kitesurfer tells of his dramatic coast rescue'. Not necessarily the one above, but one who 'thought he was going to die after he got into difficulty when his arm became tangled in the lines of his kite which dragged him through the water for 300 metres'. It was a story with a happy ending, thanks to the RNLI. 

Empty beach

It definitely wasn't bucket and spade weather and the beach was understandably deserted. Cycling into the wind was challenging and exhilarating. I was grateful for the factor 50 for added wind protection. 

Red flags flying 

It was by no means all gloom and doom, so long as one was well wrapped and wasn't on holiday. There were certainly many cheery sights to be seen.

Appropriately attired 

A tranquil scene 

Big book sort

I have just begun a big book sort, to literally clear the shelves of dead wood. No longer or never read, out-of-date text books are particularly vulnerable. It isn't as difficult as it should be, disposing of these shelf-like companions which have played some sort of role in my life over the last few years. 


I have found some very trying and inaccessible, for a variety of reasons. I prefer to read without having to look up every other technical word and for the pages to have the right look and layout. The feel of a book is very important and I don't particularly like stiff pages with a slightly rough texture. 


As text books generally need to be in their prime to be of any use, date of publication is a major criteria for disposal/re-cycling. Amongst solemn weighty works on subjects ranging from linguistics and phonetics and the politics of writing, to language and the mind and how the brain learns to read, I re-discovered one of my favourite little gems of all time. 

This is a sixty four page 'pamphlet', which was available free from The Stork Company sometime during the Second World War (1940-45). Although it advertises Stork Margarine on the cover, it is laid out in the style of a cookery book but with unique helpful hints and chapter titles.

The picture below, from the first page of chapter 1, sets the scene for 'Cooking in Times of Emergency - How to save your dinner if air-raids come'.

                                                                                                                                                                        
I'm not sure how easy it is to read the extract, but 'Housewives', 'air-raid warnings' and 'accidents' are key themes. Because the pamphlet is so at odds with modern day cooks, cook books and approaches to cooking, I can't resist including a flavour from the introduction, as follows:

 INTRODUCTION

     This is a time of changing conditions, of different habits and different modes of living. Many of the things we have been used to take for granted no longer exist or must be adapted to present-day needs. And because our food is of the utmost importance, we must be prepared to plan our meals not only to suit wartime supplies, but also to economize, in the endeavour to make a pound go as far as it used to go.

     We must adjust ourselves to changed circumstances as well. Some of our households have grown a gread deal: children from other families may be sharing our meals. Some households, on the other hand, that used to provide food for a normal family of five or six, have dwindled to the adults, or even to one harassed father who has to cook his own meals, and even to do his own washing-up.

     This is the time, then, to write a book which will help to solve some wartime problems for you.

     In these chapters you will find what you can do if an air-raid warning interrupts cooking, nourishing sandwiches for A.R.P. workers, cakes made without currants and puddings made without sugar. You will find suggestions for feeding familities grown suddenly large, and for catering for families grown temporarily small. Even the forlorn grass-widower will find some things that are useful for him to know. There is a chapter on how to use every scrap of food in the house, and how to make really nice appetizing dishes, too, with these scraps. There is a chapter on how to make the utmost of food in tins. It may be necessary to economize on meat, so there is a chapter on meals without meat. And to provide for days when you can't get to the shops, there is a chapter on emergency cooking....

This is the result of finding one pamphlet, so you can guess how long the whole big book sort is likely to take.

Garden grooming