View from our boat

This is the view from our boat as per yesterday's posting. Note the whereabouts of my scope.

In case you think I've given up on everyday life at home, I found and photographed some suitable garden  pots today. My unusual garden centre behaviour didn't go unnoticed, but led to a very pleasant chat with my interrogator - about many subjects not concerning gardening. 

Coloured pots at last - just what I've been looking for!

A small film for a small bird

I've had problems coordinating my patience with the length of time it takes to upload films on this blog, which is the reason for the lack of moving pictures. However... I came across this weeny film, misfiled amongst the non-movers, and it appears to have uploaded due to its compact size. It stood a better chance of successful arrival due to me popping out to clear some dishes during the process. The bird in question is a Small Pratincole filmed at the beginning of the Nepal trip, when we took to inflatable boats on the Kosi River. I wrote a very brief diary at the time, and the following is what I wrote for that morning.

Wed 16th March
"First night in tent, and I had forgotten that I said I would never camp again, after our long African trip. The bed in the tented room, under a thatched protective roof, was as hard as a butcher's block. There were plenty of torches and candles and room to move about. The ablution block was out back and not too far. Just far enough to check out the wildlife in the night. Night noises were a plenty, with noisy drumming background music - apparently wedding related and which carried on for what seemed like hours. For once, my travelling companion was sound asleep and totally silent. I didn't see any night creatures, except hundreds of flying ant types during the cold showing process. It is very hot, so the cold was welcome. Was wide awake at 5.00am and my back was keen to leave the butcher's block. Spent a long morning on the shallow Kosi River, the group split between two boats. It became very hot later. Had a picnic breakfast. Some of the highlights were Small Pratincole which I managed to digi-scope, Sand Lark, Wild Buffalo, Elephants, Loads of Ruddy Shelduck and 30 Bar-headed Geese. "

Action on the Kosi River

Spacious tents housing butchers' blocks

Pots and crops

I popped out to a garden centre to check out pots in which to plant and grow flowers to adorn my new front porch. I'll show you a picture when the aforementioned flowers, not yet purchased/planted, are in bloom. I wasn't inspired but took photos, which was much easier (and cheaper) than making a purchase.

The flower and plant arrangements at the garden centre were very impressive and I nearly took pictures but felt that by then my behaviour could have been construed as suspicious. You'll therefore have to make do with the gardencentre-esque line up at the front of the Hotel Marshyangdi, Kathmadu http://www.hotelmarshyangdi.com/ , photographed because there were no other subjects/objects at the time, during the recent visit. If you want good Nepalise food (not plants!), this is the place to go.

Crops growing in a rural Nepali garden.

More cycling

The weather is unusually hot, sunny and summery for April and I am making the most of it.

Cycle-stopping cattle by the track

Seaside as the sun goes down

Cycling buddy

Exe Estuary cycling is a world away from Nepalise family transport

On my bike

Glorious spring day and a dusting off of the bike.  Adjustments made to accommodate a new handlebar bag (Miss Marple style) last winter resulted in major clunking and grinding and general engineering problems. Probably more importantly, apart from alarming other cyclists, walkers and dogs, the gears were particularly uncooperative when travelling uphill.

With all this still haunting my recollections of last year's estuarine cycling experiences, off came the bag this morning. A quick poke of the gear-related bits and pieces in an attempt to put them back where they probably should have been, a lot of complaining about the bike, lack of bag, and my probable inability to ride it after a break of a few months, and I was off.

The long-awaited Ebford link is now open and today I would be able to cycle all the way from Ebford to Exmouth, without having to risk death by riding on any major roads. Just in case, I was wore my new flourescent yellow cycling jacket - another reason for feeling somewhat reluctant to take off with enthusiasm this morning. Yellow has never been a favourite colour.

View from the Ebford stretch of cycle track

Gulls that didn't get my sandwich!

The seaside at Exmouth

A washing line to add to my collection - on the Lympstone foreshore



Birds and branches

Digi-scoping did not quite work out as planned and consequently you need to relish this Brown Fish Owl, which I was determined to add to my owl collection. Please excuse the branches.

Water and washing lines

Newly returned from Nepal, I'll never again take tap water for granted - or complain about its taste; hardness; softness; over-chlorination; lack of pressure; too much pressure; leakiness (..well, maybe); occasional brownness, and the rest. It's unfortunate that we have to pay for it, but... at the moment, I'm even grateful for that privilege.

Nepal's lack of available clean water reflects its position as one of the poorest countries in the world. It made a big impact on us as fleeting visitors. The Nepali Times http://www.nepalitimes.com/ is compulsory daily reading for the time being.

I couldn't help but home in on all things water-related during our travels and as a result, established a natural interest in washing lines. Here is one of many.

Most rural households have to make do with a pump to provide all their watery needs - for people and animals.

Cattle and washing lines...