tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48415058782520859382024-03-19T09:49:11.019+00:00Fil's Songs and StoriesThe Music, Makes and Musings of Irish folk singer/songwriter Fil Campbell on the road and at homeFilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.comBlogger510125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-16112968130681330382024-01-27T18:17:00.000+00:002024-01-27T18:17:51.458+00:00Monument to the Unknown Women Workers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Up in Belfast a while back there was time for a proper look at this bronze sculpture outside the train station. It is by Louise Walsh and was put up in 1992 beside the Europa Hotel. </div>
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The Monument to the Unknown Women Workers apparently had a lot of controversy around it - I always thought it was a tribute to the Millies - Belfast was built on the mills and all the women who worked there - Belfast girls are still - called Millies - but apparently this was intended to be a tribute to the ladies of the night who congregated at Amelia Street across the road, but the artist decided that a wider tribute to the unpaid women workers was more appropriate and the original planners decided against it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crown Bar beside Amelia Street, the former red light district of Belfast</td></tr>
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The statue stands across the road from the Crown Bar, one of Belfast's most iconic places of interest - an original gin palace which still serves great food. Inside, the bar is laid out in booths which would have been used by the ladies who congregated in Amelia Street on the corner. </div>
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One of the women is an office worker with quotes about equal pay and various office acroutements attached to her<br />
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The second is a mother with the trappings of motherhood, babyhood and the home. <br />
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<br />There's a real mixed bag of comments on Trip Advisor which, apart from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Unknown_Woman_Worker">Wikipedia</a>, was the only place I could find any information about this - some people thought they were ugly and in the wrong place.<br />
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I think they're fabulous. <br />
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The sculpture was commissioned in the late 80s by the Department of the Environment and after it was dropped a private client recommissioned it in 1992.Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-91171074546745670802024-01-09T16:32:00.003+00:002024-01-09T16:32:46.633+00:00A new year, a new home<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSYa21O4arREka63E4a5l7tw5FpTOSeDZ4HlEwlrtOJb9OBAzYGD0lqJcIISGh08QFKQP8UkvUQVAMedccoxZlpVFqoZbfgXzAxO96QwuCBJFeoaQ2_QN1SJrRqpygsMxu3NpUSh-sPjotWXY2Xk0Js4O3zrTxlhtHtdJ93aDbPzl05DkUr1qo37ywPDw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSYa21O4arREka63E4a5l7tw5FpTOSeDZ4HlEwlrtOJb9OBAzYGD0lqJcIISGh08QFKQP8UkvUQVAMedccoxZlpVFqoZbfgXzAxO96QwuCBJFeoaQ2_QN1SJrRqpygsMxu3NpUSh-sPjotWXY2Xk0Js4O3zrTxlhtHtdJ93aDbPzl05DkUr1qo37ywPDw" width="180" /></a></div>Like the twisted trunk of this old tree Tom and I have re rooted ourselves and moved West to my old home house on the borders of Co. Fermanagh and Co. Donegal - we're a few miles from the Atlantic and in the county full of lakes, bogland and wide open spaces. <p></p><p>It's been a huge move emotionally and spiritually, totally apart from the physical upheaval. We were in our last house for 20 years and in that town for 30. There's a story I heard once<br /><br />, that when a gypsy dies the rest of the tribe burn their caravan and all its contents. That's what I'm going to do if I ever have to move house again - OMG!!!! I'm sure you've all been through it at some point in your lives - where does all the stuff come from! We're here now 4 months and there's still things I can't find. I think that's the hardest part of moving - we lose the familiar - the things you knew exactly where to find them, the shops to go to to get a certain item, the friends to call for a coffee when you're bored or need a break. </p><p>And yet there's a lot that's familiar here - people I went to primary school with still live along the road and have been very kind both to my mother when she was alive and to us as we settle in. I remember faces although I can't always put a name to them yet, and down the years of spending holidays with mum we have kept a foot in this camp which is making the transition a lot easier. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4iD30DDZYGWp4k2h_nHumjYSvaPKDYV8yX3kdLwc3ovdhe2l4RLJq5mPfKMzmvGCv-ccIpYTbwNnbx-Ou75r_SY77y6DGo2oXXjfMfn6k9HRkLLXpDBYoQ7cjMVwRy9UCg18foj5Vjt8fnRGMsgUmc7dhb1L90A6dDCHezj8sSRxpNA-iglb1miOWDig" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4iD30DDZYGWp4k2h_nHumjYSvaPKDYV8yX3kdLwc3ovdhe2l4RLJq5mPfKMzmvGCv-ccIpYTbwNnbx-Ou75r_SY77y6DGo2oXXjfMfn6k9HRkLLXpDBYoQ7cjMVwRy9UCg18foj5Vjt8fnRGMsgUmc7dhb1L90A6dDCHezj8sSRxpNA-iglb1miOWDig" width="180" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some brave souls going for a New Year's Dip on Lough Erne.</i> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><br /></p><p>So it's time now to get back into some old rhythms. I"m back to tour planning and have started work on a very long overdue songbook and I hope to start doing the occasional blog again. Tom is enjoying doing renovations to the house and we're both enjoying not driving anywhere for a while - the 210 mile round trip that we were doing sometimes twice a week in the last months of Mum's life, we are definitely not missing those. And the new will become familiar in time. </p><p>I hope you are all well - although I've not been posting, I have been popping in from time to time to read your blogs and catch up with you. </p><p>Mostly our lives have been led on Facebook and YouTube so if you fancy popping in there to say hello I'll be glad to see you. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA2RnYxKSseIhacG670LRram-G_qX8QQVbD_kHbF-aNAtxzV6jBFfhWfw0q0Nr_HR6FBk2NJu4C0NCHg2NMJX143ceIH72u-uWydqHz3xieyEJPJZATRZW5yrdfz5JByaSsmQneHeZh_CPw9PpilubuPZHXYRW2NZv2zFRMRlyEWIrl8hG_U150BYbHoA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA2RnYxKSseIhacG670LRram-G_qX8QQVbD_kHbF-aNAtxzV6jBFfhWfw0q0Nr_HR6FBk2NJu4C0NCHg2NMJX143ceIH72u-uWydqHz3xieyEJPJZATRZW5yrdfz5JByaSsmQneHeZh_CPw9PpilubuPZHXYRW2NZv2zFRMRlyEWIrl8hG_U150BYbHoA" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year - may this one bring a little bit of peace to the world. </p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-26285446343147943912022-11-07T16:11:00.005+00:002022-11-07T16:11:54.251+00:00Hello,<p>Gosh it's been ages since I've checked in here and I thought it was time to come by and reassure everyone that I'm still here - thanks <a href="http://grannysmithquilting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Susan</a> for the nudge. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg70XixdqPm3Vq_sUtQVuh4Buuku1hWA31wkzHhY3lpXyF9L10Zq1O_LyYYEd4qUVV2YVCkturfIAbxAw5CToVKuRepXlws5zYCxZOUd4A-aPL3zvgtPrx9VBmv74HAv9qWnt0c8-HTF9nV33WlIXIN77BCeApMV8r242hIDrly2dZIL8-fYSD_Cuxj" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg70XixdqPm3Vq_sUtQVuh4Buuku1hWA31wkzHhY3lpXyF9L10Zq1O_LyYYEd4qUVV2YVCkturfIAbxAw5CToVKuRepXlws5zYCxZOUd4A-aPL3zvgtPrx9VBmv74HAv9qWnt0c8-HTF9nV33WlIXIN77BCeApMV8r242hIDrly2dZIL8-fYSD_Cuxj=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Under the beech tree on the garage roof<br />They're all in hiding now</i></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It's a miserable day here and I've nailed myself to the desk to do some catching up and start getting work stuff ready for Christmas. I have a real love hate relationship with Christmas preparations - as soon as I see things in the shops in October I want the biscuits and puddings and then I turn into Scrooge and don't want to hear a carol or see a decoration until Christmas week. That all being said I made my cake at the weekend and start the choir on Christmas songs tomorrow - eek! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We've been running between two houses since Mum passed away and for several months before that, and our own house was looking kind of unloved and unlived-in for a while. We needed a concerted offensive on spiders - where are they all coming from! - and now it's just taking a day to feel like home again each time we come back. <p></p><p>A lot of clearing out has been done and if this rain ever stops I have a gardener waiting to help me make her garden more manageable when we're not living there full time. The penalty for living so close to the Atlantic is rain 90% of the time according to the builder who'd been doing some fixing up for us. It dumps on Donegal and Fermanagh first so that by the time it gets to us here in Co. Down it has tamed down a bit. I think people in Cornwall and Devon are the same. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_tlIhw3k1OyGzr4lMyE48sw2yF2LCVvM2XSDf3FwR-7PLwX6Fx9OBqSaOwOoazHF2cY6WlvDfnRR187XQ32v7gpk01x1VufwKarthV-XypaLe83mNQvwK1QohOurac6scNzS4js5VUMeXHH7xLs-w1Utap3I5Ujf1KNTpsGjSZ9rqdIWss59Lr2aP" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_tlIhw3k1OyGzr4lMyE48sw2yF2LCVvM2XSDf3FwR-7PLwX6Fx9OBqSaOwOoazHF2cY6WlvDfnRR187XQ32v7gpk01x1VufwKarthV-XypaLe83mNQvwK1QohOurac6scNzS4js5VUMeXHH7xLs-w1Utap3I5Ujf1KNTpsGjSZ9rqdIWss59Lr2aP=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>My lovely mum Margaret or Marguerite as she was known on one side of the family, <br />who passed away in July. <br />She was 3 weeks away from her 95th birthday. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Mum was a great crafter. A life long member of the ICA (the Irish Countrywomen's Association, the Irish equivalent of the Women's Institute), she knitted and crocheted, made our clothes, embroidered my Irish dancing costumes and tried her hand at every new thing that came along. Right up until a few days before she died she was still asking us to bring her crochet into the hospital to her. And like every crafter she had endless supplies of everything needed - for every new craft! So I have two trunks and two cupboards full of patterns and material and tools dating back to the late 50s and as yet I've not tackled the attic! And that's after giving away enough wool for two or three blankets at least. It's a real treasure trove and although I can hear her asking why I'm poking around in her stuff, I'm enjoying what I find. Problem is I also have those collectors instincts and already have a house full of stuff that'll never be touched again!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEtOEm_mDgMRoNdNo-VVwbRA90-gO6-ZnS0nzOGHbi_PxO9QQkQ2k1k5lXnxfAtGlYx3VtIV7kNFRtx6cWqU2nuSg59PJqlLnsOzLwY1bPM8ktxiKGgwFR5yH_xDhyp8ZeYozUIM815upvIfvKhloemy9mP9aRSvv1mqJQzIZXwNC1EJNI88Q7NPrb" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEtOEm_mDgMRoNdNo-VVwbRA90-gO6-ZnS0nzOGHbi_PxO9QQkQ2k1k5lXnxfAtGlYx3VtIV7kNFRtx6cWqU2nuSg59PJqlLnsOzLwY1bPM8ktxiKGgwFR5yH_xDhyp8ZeYozUIM815upvIfvKhloemy9mP9aRSvv1mqJQzIZXwNC1EJNI88Q7NPrb=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Saxophone on a folk album you ask!!<br />Channelling our inner Van the man band on a couple of songs</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We finally got back to recording over the past couple of weeks, finishing up pieces that we need other people to play on and fingers crossed the album will be totally finished by the end of this month. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLl10sGYHWqFOzOHzsLDYXixTM5i5rh665_6z03s3CWBtbXMjHRApxPFXBHJOLRGcYO3-NdKpLPC_XaJCe3ndssgzahOnB1i2UxPX3jwTUo9_K7uecKtqt79aXtJhm9WKjBDYNhrmGFXkpcbARAmlsD3fcCwiIUth-vBl14lN5rpoIttbfU8_0nTid" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLl10sGYHWqFOzOHzsLDYXixTM5i5rh665_6z03s3CWBtbXMjHRApxPFXBHJOLRGcYO3-NdKpLPC_XaJCe3ndssgzahOnB1i2UxPX3jwTUo9_K7uecKtqt79aXtJhm9WKjBDYNhrmGFXkpcbARAmlsD3fcCwiIUth-vBl14lN5rpoIttbfU8_0nTid" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tom at work making everything sound good.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We'll have a song out on digital platforms for Christmas and the album will hopefully have a February launch. So normal service is returning.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm3OJ4PEkKfp0t8thpYPxawxGxTO-uTPceGyZuOkOT_nhlhDlPqGaoc-_L7RgN9SNMdrL1tfyDYds1Jy3nG39psWVXk3W0ueIjpuhf88vTno-uxmJUTuqans7NCqRpavqsbSOsGhBVhntU8IhWbG5hjjR1r4AJ_LH1_YUGfJLBmbsEJElKVFRAcPXX" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm3OJ4PEkKfp0t8thpYPxawxGxTO-uTPceGyZuOkOT_nhlhDlPqGaoc-_L7RgN9SNMdrL1tfyDYds1Jy3nG39psWVXk3W0ueIjpuhf88vTno-uxmJUTuqans7NCqRpavqsbSOsGhBVhntU8IhWbG5hjjR1r4AJ_LH1_YUGfJLBmbsEJElKVFRAcPXX=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ah! concertina! That's more like folk</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>I find it hard to find up beat things to talk about when life isn't going so smoothly and I hate writing doom and gloom - there's enough of that in the world. But I'll be back at some point. </p><p>Thanks for reading. </p><p>Fil x</p><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-7805248284032126372022-06-09T16:14:00.002+01:002022-06-09T16:14:37.720+01:00Updates from here<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSt7CWnlVG035X8PcXWAAQeE8TIUP8Ux36NPMh72KHDDx6uDDq3KlGC5iq8jQbepAMO4iGgnDZFRc8zDxzUT1TOYd7y9JQ0TJacJXk5bBTGhPzGIRO7rm52JpPVMDFeOGINa4ILNmh5dloZGuLcLP37kSTYxz82JX5mBTFJEMijTaqN1Tb5aMDU-D/s5184/IMG_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSt7CWnlVG035X8PcXWAAQeE8TIUP8Ux36NPMh72KHDDx6uDDq3KlGC5iq8jQbepAMO4iGgnDZFRc8zDxzUT1TOYd7y9JQ0TJacJXk5bBTGhPzGIRO7rm52JpPVMDFeOGINa4ILNmh5dloZGuLcLP37kSTYxz82JX5mBTFJEMijTaqN1Tb5aMDU-D/w640-h360/IMG_0056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Things have been a bit manic here and I'm a bit the worse for wear at this stage, but the end is in sight. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxzIjYT6_NpNM0gb5ymMD_Uzv5D-FSiWoi4k9g04bY0JAhiVMbDgwTyWwvKjRj9_4YwJxWxn67vFvH9IeYWl5ZT8m7_IlES9CmjPu31rmR4GUafTUcxVjj8-c08fX1H4b0XpG6D9ZICXlAi7kUQS_8mZs-v0UWrjWICz7q65ay13G455hkpAGlZ1yd" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxzIjYT6_NpNM0gb5ymMD_Uzv5D-FSiWoi4k9g04bY0JAhiVMbDgwTyWwvKjRj9_4YwJxWxn67vFvH9IeYWl5ZT8m7_IlES9CmjPu31rmR4GUafTUcxVjj8-c08fX1H4b0XpG6D9ZICXlAi7kUQS_8mZs-v0UWrjWICz7q65ay13G455hkpAGlZ1yd" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>summer colour in spite of the cold</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>My brother arrived home from Australia on Sunday for a month long visit to stay with Mum, which has freed our time a bit for a few weeks to let the end of term run out, get choir performances done and get the album finished. Unfortunately new medicine I've been on has not agreed with me and I'm struggling putting one foot in front of the other at the minute - isn't that always the way - never feel poorly when you've loads of time to be sick in ... humph. Anyway, this too shall pass as some wise person once said. </p><p><b><i>Break out the champagne ... </i></b>We had a successful crowdfunding project on Kickstarter - hit our target a few days ago and the time isn't up until tonight at midnight so we're delighted with that. A couple of very generous friends asked us to do special concerts which we are only to happy to do and they lifted the total well up between them. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgfa1EY4WHmCoJs9R32WBwnaMd7piGWaGmQdz8DJ50xxGEtMJgkP6wDAW2zemxXRYHbFTyiWvFgmHKfHJSGc7vAVIUGhoCGZgs-akGFProsH3sUup9jqPRjNYccwYry2NoTs_vtPUvnJq8zvT8ywkVwGadndejTRffwuxqgNrM8WD_JrPCOcN1AkxZ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgfa1EY4WHmCoJs9R32WBwnaMd7piGWaGmQdz8DJ50xxGEtMJgkP6wDAW2zemxXRYHbFTyiWvFgmHKfHJSGc7vAVIUGhoCGZgs-akGFProsH3sUup9jqPRjNYccwYry2NoTs_vtPUvnJq8zvT8ywkVwGadndejTRffwuxqgNrM8WD_JrPCOcN1AkxZ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Terrible photo but drum set up in the living room</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Now we're finishing up our bits of recording. I have to say this has been a most enjoyable experience. Every room in the house has been used and as if by magic it all disappears in the evening. <p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2O1t-uAzOtmI_baOTC5Mn8lvL9WUXeCgdpNf-RyaQ5dTs7rSlA9P0VD2nWgmEFiWllP_zAsKVnOuzJLC9VmXehQjFc3ZgVDybPwa8U6jzUXxAKkpj0d5y98awHzgHiYe3sr_S89N92DtHW7-f_ek9YPtUKvtlJkesaKbdGmttTkCKiGx_KZvOhlPc" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2O1t-uAzOtmI_baOTC5Mn8lvL9WUXeCgdpNf-RyaQ5dTs7rSlA9P0VD2nWgmEFiWllP_zAsKVnOuzJLC9VmXehQjFc3ZgVDybPwa8U6jzUXxAKkpj0d5y98awHzgHiYe3sr_S89N92DtHW7-f_ek9YPtUKvtlJkesaKbdGmttTkCKiGx_KZvOhlPc=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>guitar studio in the bedroom</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> Yesterday and today I've been engineering for Tom to add his percussion parts and I'm getting to grips with all the technical terms - I am now someone who knows that a bus is not only a means of transport!! Mind you I can't explain it much beyond that but it's something to do with sound recording lol. </p><p>For the next few days now we'll do backing vocals and final vocals while other musicians are adding parts to songs remotely. On previous recordings we brought a musician in for a day to add their instrument to several tracks, but now most musicians have the facility to record in their own studio and send the parts back. So there's bass, fiddle and keyboards going on to some songs and we've a few minor things to add then - perhaps an harmonica on one or two songs and we're looking for a nice wooden flute player. I've never gotten around to buying my wooden flute but I will do that over the winter - mind you my wish list of instruments never seems to get smaller - let me see: I need another guitar, a ukulele (even though I'm not a fan of the instrument, but it may have uses in recording ), a wooden flute and a shruti box. I think I'll have to keep doing the lottery. As you can see my annoyance with music has diminished - the rest over covid has really done me good - that and constant playing with paints and papers. Now to get the medicines sorted, get a wee break and hope that my mum keeps improving. She'll be 95 next month so we'll look forward to that. </p><p>And of course, I can't go without the squirrel updates :) Our morning entertainment ... </p><p><b>Count the tails!!!</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwiJzAQyrq14i2m00e1DIIIKSSER_RnkfnLSqUSexN41D4sBhviBp20NqoLQ_P0gkA6vkXSGvvIMgHD1yokdxGcQ-TajQMZBA250vsKZuHKV8E7LtGoyb5RHlFwwYZ70wlEw2Lf68Q2VJNqotEEu_G0RX5F8inwa8p4QzPAXoPPLm7xPj85vnRoOdE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwiJzAQyrq14i2m00e1DIIIKSSER_RnkfnLSqUSexN41D4sBhviBp20NqoLQ_P0gkA6vkXSGvvIMgHD1yokdxGcQ-TajQMZBA250vsKZuHKV8E7LtGoyb5RHlFwwYZ70wlEw2Lf68Q2VJNqotEEu_G0RX5F8inwa8p4QzPAXoPPLm7xPj85vnRoOdE=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5fy8qJ9CRo0H2G9r_cTiJ8ci7WFIKTz6V0gYsJvtNb3zDsGX5cQRuLfDT42rqapdK2xGdY1Lr7SVsZa4TfUhYVin4mG9bkAxcGmAFFmiY0Jyi1aFMNEJ6oAKVW3Mju9bZ9akV2kW0b0B96Q64HtC5NbHjcJhBlN79-IkLVeRpKB6C-Pj6KxZr7M3d" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5fy8qJ9CRo0H2G9r_cTiJ8ci7WFIKTz6V0gYsJvtNb3zDsGX5cQRuLfDT42rqapdK2xGdY1Lr7SVsZa4TfUhYVin4mG9bkAxcGmAFFmiY0Jyi1aFMNEJ6oAKVW3Mju9bZ9akV2kW0b0B96Q64HtC5NbHjcJhBlN79-IkLVeRpKB6C-Pj6KxZr7M3d=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimXz5Wv8oByhlX_lhd3zhs7nfMpf9R1cBEaNnO5uKjbkJx6R4RcmjZ9izkcTwND3rGRx3Aju6wTHdQIynOTfwlvmBK8IqBv7WHgX1mM9yxeh7GFm7psIE2drJJOkOvKXSFvfmgxm5Zw0EuHZuIpbVBnsvmqGU811ULgaQxAe1dmtrPtXOgLjnhzV9W" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimXz5Wv8oByhlX_lhd3zhs7nfMpf9R1cBEaNnO5uKjbkJx6R4RcmjZ9izkcTwND3rGRx3Aju6wTHdQIynOTfwlvmBK8IqBv7WHgX1mM9yxeh7GFm7psIE2drJJOkOvKXSFvfmgxm5Zw0EuHZuIpbVBnsvmqGU811ULgaQxAe1dmtrPtXOgLjnhzV9W=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>there was another one on the ground</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>... if the sun is shining they are really red but if it's dull they seem much browner. I really must learn to take better photos but the wee brats won't sit still long enough for a good pose - they need training :)</p><p>Til the next time, stay well and safe. </p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-62637499028741149592022-05-20T22:58:00.003+01:002022-08-18T12:01:09.632+01:00World Bee Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>Today marked World Bee Day according to Positive News Magazine. Is there a day to celebrate everything now? Mind you the bees need celebrating. </p><p>Our neighbour John keeps bees so our garden is full of them at the minute. The cotoneaster is starting to bloom and they're all over it and we left a lot of dandelions until their blooms had disappeared. The bluebells though don't seem to attract them in the same way. I've also seen quite a few bumble bees around - they're really fun to watch, just getting on with their business and burrowing into the ground. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>And then I've become addicted to the Spelling Bee - another NYTimes puzzle alongside Wordle - are you on the Wordle fad yet? Apart from the really annoying American spelling of words it's a good brain challenge. I've reach Queen Bee status a couple of times on the Spelling Bee and they have absolutely beautiful bee pictures - a couple of which I have appropriated here. </p><p><br /></p><p>In other news we are progressing well with recording on the new album which we now have a working title for - Shoreline. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yu899pun">Our fundraiser on Kickstarter</a> got off to a good start and we're on schedule to have all the guide tracks finished in another 10 days or so, barring more hospital appointments for mum. We're down with her every weekend now so the week and our brains are split - I keep trying to walk through a window to get to the loo in the middle of the night - it's very disorientating moving between two beds on a regular basis. It's around now that I wish that I'd got a 'proper job' with a pension and paid sick leave when I had the chance and when petrol didn't administer heart failure every time you went to fill up the car. A bit late now. But all will work out. </p><p><br /></p><p>So once the guide tracks, or the skeleton tracks as I like to call them, are done, then it's time to add the little bits of other instruments. Nowadays that's mostly done remotely - we send tracks to a keyboard player or guitarist or fiddle player and they add their bits and send it back for finishing. So then when all the songs are completed to our satisfaction we put final vocals and harmonies on the tracks and start mixing - that's when the fun really begins. </p><p>We hope to have a sample of one of the songs in a basic form shortly. </p><p><br /></p><p>Images removed due to copyright infringement ... </p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-2051908623249974252022-05-17T16:24:00.001+01:002022-05-17T16:24:06.823+01:00The Squirrels babies are here ... <p> I just had to share this ... </p><p>In the middle of the recording this afternoon I looked out the window and we had four feeding together ... how fabulous. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAh2w9GEWq4PrFBBQ9iUAGEYzFL3MCSGpFc5ekNPGRPmg5jhWzOFpfiFxCEArGErJGjXVsigDPVTQIbYEoe9sc3GZmV-jy1nJsUbKvj6-WuPjAwZroaTPJDZO32aLLZoqux_xtQXZd_xBaqDuz2a98GlrBGpLinUC3Lit_-VqRqpbRAjRANFzFxli/s2592/IMG_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAh2w9GEWq4PrFBBQ9iUAGEYzFL3MCSGpFc5ekNPGRPmg5jhWzOFpfiFxCEArGErJGjXVsigDPVTQIbYEoe9sc3GZmV-jy1nJsUbKvj6-WuPjAwZroaTPJDZO32aLLZoqux_xtQXZd_xBaqDuz2a98GlrBGpLinUC3Lit_-VqRqpbRAjRANFzFxli/w640-h480/IMG_0025.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Thank you for all your comments the other day - much appreciated :) xx</p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-57514033696267952812022-05-10T14:40:00.000+01:002022-05-10T14:40:23.808+01:00Too much<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-8Uh5eBI-H-_vTLRxM3XWlYIUYK4lc-rLL0wW7jtzd2RWs3cFFPMsuscQy-vCUGjP-bYcToqGAYBzehy7v-5u-F7gT2aXI5EFRQP03Fo0xxwGZJwdWf6PTxlANLfrgHyjvo4TI3rOPOOmarqV-WfZ5bidMBDwGqqInS3IYRZYmOnxAixt_yquWHC/s1040/Earth%20day.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1040" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-8Uh5eBI-H-_vTLRxM3XWlYIUYK4lc-rLL0wW7jtzd2RWs3cFFPMsuscQy-vCUGjP-bYcToqGAYBzehy7v-5u-F7gT2aXI5EFRQP03Fo0xxwGZJwdWf6PTxlANLfrgHyjvo4TI3rOPOOmarqV-WfZ5bidMBDwGqqInS3IYRZYmOnxAixt_yquWHC/w400-h225/Earth%20day.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sing for Earth Day Rostrevor <br />singing in the forest after a morning workshop learning songs to praise the Earth.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's been such a long time since I posted here - nearly three months - that I hardly know how to start writing. It's not that there's been anything overly dramatic happening that has kept me away, just an accumulation of too much. Too much distraction, too much general illness, too much tiredness, just too much. Anyway, I'm back for now - not promising anything more than that, just to say hello and let you know we're all still alive here! <p></p><p><br /></p><p>So what have I been up to? </p><p>We had a first trip of the year over to Scotland to do a couple of folk club gigs last month - it was harder than usual to get ourselves wound up and started, but by the third gig we were back in our stride again and the fourth gig of the week, when we got back home again, was superb. Great energy. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnDeD6qlX_DlAjgPhDA2kOOSM2RRVUTtavM6a2rDnTDJFWnih_-STVIq456C1MkyBRwKtij0mg-K3jF7CiRtSQFIu1cbHcSWTsHQu-SVito1g5H8voHAUK53-3Ln7-YoLXgl6NTHsvlJItgE9BK2YO4QO94ntLTkaCuzZ6riISJeQKl3Z0iNyTo4e/s4032/IMG_0627.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnDeD6qlX_DlAjgPhDA2kOOSM2RRVUTtavM6a2rDnTDJFWnih_-STVIq456C1MkyBRwKtij0mg-K3jF7CiRtSQFIu1cbHcSWTsHQu-SVito1g5H8voHAUK53-3Ln7-YoLXgl6NTHsvlJItgE9BK2YO4QO94ntLTkaCuzZ6riISJeQKl3Z0iNyTo4e/s320/IMG_0627.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">crossing bridges in Scotland</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>My extra two new choirs have been enjoyable but I'm finding it hard to keep my energy up for three nights a week, especially during the dark months, driving on country roads and leaving a roaring fire after an early dinner. Now with the brighter evenings it's not quite as bad. But the one off workshops I've been doing -for International Women's Day and for Earth Day, have been very enjoyable. I think I'd like to do more of those. <div><p></p><p>Recording wise we're making good progress, finishing songs and getting guide tracks completed, ready for other musicians to add sparkle to them. We are launching a crowdfunding campaign to presell that CD and get people involved with the process. <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/99736297/fil-and-tom-new-cd">Here's the link if you're interested in contributing.</a> You can hear one of the songs which will be a single - People - in the background of the video. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6s0Z1jCifYmAPLKlBrIoLEEXY6-1qFQ90izQVjRakgSPgKeXNgZnwQMoVgF2LUULg-wgONnaqqupPWGIe3pv6qcFHI7of_neI8lN0Pz2OCHI0z6c5FWA7qRJEZGbwiUQsO8pyXcvWrs8XWeizkHQWLjuHg8M1RN5LXBdFhdVFg0TjStRQ-ojEQ4Ne" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6s0Z1jCifYmAPLKlBrIoLEEXY6-1qFQ90izQVjRakgSPgKeXNgZnwQMoVgF2LUULg-wgONnaqqupPWGIe3pv6qcFHI7of_neI8lN0Pz2OCHI0z6c5FWA7qRJEZGbwiUQsO8pyXcvWrs8XWeizkHQWLjuHg8M1RN5LXBdFhdVFg0TjStRQ-ojEQ4Ne=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The view from Carrick Cottage Cafe in the Mournes on a sunny Easter Tuesday - heavenly.<br />The Isle of Man was visible in the distance and the place was absolutely packed. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXMSeXyIT74Ci8ZVgVUeppJWUYAAsGf89oBdBzcdG_brqRqJQkIBt3vtg8a8BlZypskMUaNvqzN8vtiPHyabyV517sMA1d4k-PmR-fAFTaXS2HR5O2iNR5esb5Oztn9JK06T2md3vgefqbaQZxSg1q0wr1i-lHyDrMu1kxe0EX459HNNJF2izXgqX/s4032/IMG_0755.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXMSeXyIT74Ci8ZVgVUeppJWUYAAsGf89oBdBzcdG_brqRqJQkIBt3vtg8a8BlZypskMUaNvqzN8vtiPHyabyV517sMA1d4k-PmR-fAFTaXS2HR5O2iNR5esb5Oztn9JK06T2md3vgefqbaQZxSg1q0wr1i-lHyDrMu1kxe0EX459HNNJF2izXgqX/s320/IMG_0755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The garden is starting to perk up and I'm so excited to see that my wisteria has finally bloomed - I've always loved seeing very old wisteria after being in a house once on Orkney where the conservatory was just full of blooms and from there the whole house was filled with the heady smell. I think I planted this one 5 years ago and patience has finally won out. <div><br /></div><div>Over Covid I've had more time to play with paper and paints and have dabbled with junk journalling which I really enjoy - it's great not to have to be brilliant at something and just enjoy sticking things in a book with glue. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgenGwUoOYmtL-T6Gb8RqL1PkSawWEmiI4A_eVLdph9w48i2w2cMO-eG46V72eNicR7dY23Cu4CeGDM3wOv6oGmeC86Bn3Xsl4FlkNdYha1zWR_wS-NDM68twUtB35iypc9s15T4izR6XUaQTJo48aCdCFOuZTBypwf90XdmzvolfVoxJP-vPtTivkO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgenGwUoOYmtL-T6Gb8RqL1PkSawWEmiI4A_eVLdph9w48i2w2cMO-eG46V72eNicR7dY23Cu4CeGDM3wOv6oGmeC86Bn3Xsl4FlkNdYha1zWR_wS-NDM68twUtB35iypc9s15T4izR6XUaQTJo48aCdCFOuZTBypwf90XdmzvolfVoxJP-vPtTivkO=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and playing with found poetry </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg2bFWifY8DTiZBF1DAZzcMv7nKkjpTzEqP5_kJMd-b5Hf6oxt-TSFIUeh1KURVDpOBGZDzifOIr2cdngo7MocUhr0DEMXCrb63KvqOL2ZzB19SPc9783d3PbyiN1F6nRRkMWsglPgrfv5egGrk5vFzr_4ExvTU-bu2B2_71Tx9HTQIO7F3GgAXos/s4032/IMG_0697.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg2bFWifY8DTiZBF1DAZzcMv7nKkjpTzEqP5_kJMd-b5Hf6oxt-TSFIUeh1KURVDpOBGZDzifOIr2cdngo7MocUhr0DEMXCrb63KvqOL2ZzB19SPc9783d3PbyiN1F6nRRkMWsglPgrfv5egGrk5vFzr_4ExvTU-bu2B2_71Tx9HTQIO7F3GgAXos/w300-h400/IMG_0697.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think the best part of this pastime is all the bits to be bought - sweetie shop for grown ups lol. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have been dropping in from time to time to catch up with your writings and I was very grateful to Susan for getting in touch a while back to see if we were ok - I appreciated it so much Susan and hope I didn't scare you off with my ranting - it wasn't the best day when I wrote back !</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Take care everyone and belated Bealtaine greetings. </div></div><br /><p></p></div></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-64917112712845507122022-02-01T00:00:00.006+00:002022-02-01T00:00:00.236+00:00Blessings of Brigid's Day <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgASpotVMx0OJ99d6vnFn4nXT9cSS5QEzI_70PlP8gHHTSXDWrhSXE5Bb50aq3a1cUxdsbxIg0KR9lCaCPIGA1KuaRF1ZzpMiLeEqND48c9V2CWYjFjhS1uUH0W14rQX4HLeFgK_l_tr7ng-c58K3F5Bq8kpVtiuP_GeYbMIvHlu3GG7WGQGf2wnAsZ=s1038" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1038" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgASpotVMx0OJ99d6vnFn4nXT9cSS5QEzI_70PlP8gHHTSXDWrhSXE5Bb50aq3a1cUxdsbxIg0KR9lCaCPIGA1KuaRF1ZzpMiLeEqND48c9V2CWYjFjhS1uUH0W14rQX4HLeFgK_l_tr7ng-c58K3F5Bq8kpVtiuP_GeYbMIvHlu3GG7WGQGf2wnAsZ=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Beannachtai lá Féile Bhríde Ort</i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Blessings of Brigid's Day to you and yours</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>1st February, Imbolc, Brigid's Day, the start of Spring</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I hope you are all keeping well. We've had a lovely start to the year in this part of the world - bright skies and mild days.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Now the days are getting noticeably longer and there are the first signs of Spring. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>We've been busy in our recording studio finishing a new song to mark the day</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://youtu.be/dUeDvsp2IPw">Check out First of February here on YouTube</a></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://youtu.be/dUeDvsp2IPw"></a></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I had my first go at making a Brigid's cross with rushes I collected near my home house in Belleek. You'll spot a little clip of me making it in the video of the song. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5KWFkv81ASy6T4JgeM0bo_nylUwOb4fBV3TV4sKeQ-Yknr9V0pIXdR_1A_h6GtB8MLCzILIWfwvL79zt5WCg_ZkSzJMR5_OUQoZ0RNgQVBSxzp7fU9StQp8U2VYGRdPB9D11Z9-U8aiRvkVFrpQwwTqAdNwdwx7W2tCGpPxNNGL60Q_X3liGlyjFS=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5KWFkv81ASy6T4JgeM0bo_nylUwOb4fBV3TV4sKeQ-Yknr9V0pIXdR_1A_h6GtB8MLCzILIWfwvL79zt5WCg_ZkSzJMR5_OUQoZ0RNgQVBSxzp7fU9StQp8U2VYGRdPB9D11Z9-U8aiRvkVFrpQwwTqAdNwdwx7W2tCGpPxNNGL60Q_X3liGlyjFS=s320" width="240" /></a></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><i>Take care and enjoy the coming spring.<br /> </i></span></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-9684053136108308022021-12-31T22:18:00.002+00:002021-12-31T22:18:08.625+00:00Happy New Year<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmT6Pqgi78Voy1-DbQtl5z35OcXI7Jb9f2eBLYTQyd3mIQ5SmcP3VmPKTvDKFLq52vf5pzjDmt9rLO5Dz8UIi5zgT8-v_P0SQ4WEtiXix7LHhWTcq7hOMVrzqX9NhbCNewzBEDJhSlltRGwCK5_P64fm1ZNTMm4cuSxLz0pKf7CAFD2n_0Dox68tDF=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmT6Pqgi78Voy1-DbQtl5z35OcXI7Jb9f2eBLYTQyd3mIQ5SmcP3VmPKTvDKFLq52vf5pzjDmt9rLO5Dz8UIi5zgT8-v_P0SQ4WEtiXix7LHhWTcq7hOMVrzqX9NhbCNewzBEDJhSlltRGwCK5_P64fm1ZNTMm4cuSxLz0pKf7CAFD2n_0Dox68tDF=w640-h480" title="From the Mournes to the Cooleys - winter sunshine" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Mourne to the Cooleys - winter sunshine</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Happy New Year dear blogger friends. May 2022 be kind to us all. </p><p>Lots of love and blessings</p><p>Fil </p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-75660317111772920632021-12-23T19:08:00.002+00:002021-12-23T19:08:28.625+00:00Winter Blessings<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg68tqnEskml5tD62qhEbtmR6bUQMBYPVC3yyGEVcPHlXDMPfSVhwg5_Yb2bdIv6tbPrX7d6-aKynde0EWm7N1KvmzYktlqH714GcN-OR-UG34ZOKVBP5bbWbqLji6Hf-q2nL9kzWeEV4NCh6u-uVXQpuqxCcYYqYVg6sPhhAaNpEOOGkMUSiOiTPV1=s3264" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg68tqnEskml5tD62qhEbtmR6bUQMBYPVC3yyGEVcPHlXDMPfSVhwg5_Yb2bdIv6tbPrX7d6-aKynde0EWm7N1KvmzYktlqH714GcN-OR-UG34ZOKVBP5bbWbqLji6Hf-q2nL9kzWeEV4NCh6u-uVXQpuqxCcYYqYVg6sPhhAaNpEOOGkMUSiOiTPV1=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">From our house to yours</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wishing you blessings of the season on these short days. </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wherever you are in the world and however or whether you celebrate this winter holiday, I wish you peace, joy and good health for the coming days and months. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-27665883391077438072021-11-30T13:34:00.002+00:002021-11-30T13:34:53.249+00:00Gorgeous Autumn walk<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6N3_SRA8nONjkf0aR7rmw_8UP4Fgg_ejjL0aITG06VjGcAZmgpmXHT2GDzGCveUEc414Id067BGCGx09otkmjTTqXOcCK3KrQ54a_8kqHlijqTDSwUGM7kuBqxDO4oT_zqre3zDYcgA/s5184/IMG_9564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6N3_SRA8nONjkf0aR7rmw_8UP4Fgg_ejjL0aITG06VjGcAZmgpmXHT2GDzGCveUEc414Id067BGCGx09otkmjTTqXOcCK3KrQ54a_8kqHlijqTDSwUGM7kuBqxDO4oT_zqre3zDYcgA/w640-h360/IMG_9564.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>It takes me ages to get photos organised and get around to writing about outings but as Autumn turns to winter I was looking through some photos and thought I'd share a trip we took a couple of weekends ago when the leaves were still holding on to the branches and those that were lying on the ground were begging to be rustled through and kicked in the air. </p><p>We took the caravan out for the last trip of the year, thinking we'd be the only ones mad enough to go at the end of November. But boy were we wrong. We went to CastleWard in Co. Down and the park was full - so we're not the only nutters lol. But the van was so cosy and comfortable and we were blessed with the most perfect Autumn weather. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MUorerl7CsljT_RZyXUkLahf-BAVaVIHn2fp9-0aZO4EZqokvdPPKw5KQXDEoehTasrIkthisBMuMbaw0Q_m3WrgxfckeY7bedZRKc-4rPW66FThEoBn6lpnVY_dNlZxAywnnewMqDI/s2592/IMG_9593.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MUorerl7CsljT_RZyXUkLahf-BAVaVIHn2fp9-0aZO4EZqokvdPPKw5KQXDEoehTasrIkthisBMuMbaw0Q_m3WrgxfckeY7bedZRKc-4rPW66FThEoBn6lpnVY_dNlZxAywnnewMqDI/w400-h300/IMG_9593.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">CastleWard is a stately home and estate, one of the few run by the National Trust here in Ireland, and it is a fabulous estate. We couldn't go into the house itself, and in truth it didn't look that inviting, but the park is situated on the shores of Strangford Lough and it really is magnificent. The last time I was there, many moons ago, was to see NI Opera doing a traditional opera performance - tradional in that there was a 90 minute interval where we all headed outside to enjoy a champagne picnic on the lawns - a really memorable experience (couldn't tell you what the opera was though lol)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are lots of walks mapped out and as one couple we met said, it's much easier to get out for walks when you're away from home and it's planned out for you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the way from the caravan park to the main house ... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIHTuvukRb7Ns22-VNoMRaNCOlDrJg4AZC__b4Ux7L6dERYy7mD87md7XkMqsoBxwfbrqGHTCNgNcoo8MVZhlwp20jaSoxQClRbJhsHPe7BNRqzrKJwM21u6Togn3KNidsJ_dXqm_A7c/s5184/IMG_9523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIHTuvukRb7Ns22-VNoMRaNCOlDrJg4AZC__b4Ux7L6dERYy7mD87md7XkMqsoBxwfbrqGHTCNgNcoo8MVZhlwp20jaSoxQClRbJhsHPe7BNRqzrKJwM21u6Togn3KNidsJ_dXqm_A7c/w400-h225/IMG_9523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">crisp leaves waiting to be kicked up </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGQTKOgNKQPZAfoGJgGpDFMZ-m0XSoLG0AFWTeBucBD_hK2e9Q0_r5nRfCbcNvHZ89e20NndvQTekRYT6lJNG5N4U0c58AVPTL8zCYajlmF7g7QBMPhEGYDHZebI6dNrc8p2yR11qpjM/s5184/IMG_9525.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGQTKOgNKQPZAfoGJgGpDFMZ-m0XSoLG0AFWTeBucBD_hK2e9Q0_r5nRfCbcNvHZ89e20NndvQTekRYT6lJNG5N4U0c58AVPTL8zCYajlmF7g7QBMPhEGYDHZebI6dNrc8p2yR11qpjM/w400-h225/IMG_9525.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Playing in the shadows </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAPC9TtaFBm9zWKsGRNDMRkdOf2nEX06oK9jwkDIP1_ieqAyz8INs4GVNmlmMuaOn4R5i_5GcVrpuVj2r-eJoeSmrd2a5H6RHbBBgUG2hQgTWd4ZWuApzcj9QNGgQEbOjJIhvseRduiY/s5184/IMG_9527.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAPC9TtaFBm9zWKsGRNDMRkdOf2nEX06oK9jwkDIP1_ieqAyz8INs4GVNmlmMuaOn4R5i_5GcVrpuVj2r-eJoeSmrd2a5H6RHbBBgUG2hQgTWd4ZWuApzcj9QNGgQEbOjJIhvseRduiY/w400-h225/IMG_9527.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lots of knobbly trees </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4VBmiYVANy4dY3pGgQWoHnuxk7W1NN4dQ5nrt4TDh0nmuNGjPkc90Os2w27ya_l1J9OeQ3jkV1pppHie-OQGN5WBG5CpAH7KhftmIwRSD10QxRbffzSqhiFaLrgGrp2EtDngd6FVn_U/s5184/IMG_9583.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4VBmiYVANy4dY3pGgQWoHnuxk7W1NN4dQ5nrt4TDh0nmuNGjPkc90Os2w27ya_l1J9OeQ3jkV1pppHie-OQGN5WBG5CpAH7KhftmIwRSD10QxRbffzSqhiFaLrgGrp2EtDngd6FVn_U/w400-h225/IMG_9583.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">this one was a fabulous shape</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPTTcJPgSYdRmSKMUBuk9ZJq4DIQ72tthhhnd7fPNyoyqA5kI5H0to0P5HtLDAeYc_rLPGgxX_osZdGcvKdrqLiIc0H4FsNvsAfCovfjyoLgtG670b9RzkUBgOXV9qBIO7K8PhunVItM/s5184/IMG_9530.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPTTcJPgSYdRmSKMUBuk9ZJq4DIQ72tthhhnd7fPNyoyqA5kI5H0to0P5HtLDAeYc_rLPGgxX_osZdGcvKdrqLiIc0H4FsNvsAfCovfjyoLgtG670b9RzkUBgOXV9qBIO7K8PhunVItM/w400-h225/IMG_9530.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and enticing views of the water</div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A really cute, full man size bug hotel and lots of activity spaces for children - very well managed.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq6UF3XyUx1YWb3n-w6tFz46-ZLM4QAipMs-3JO19dQ0OE7mE5QgZwfNw9D1zuKb2yUteuXUR-GbqWrkYOs85bdiFozFSzwcQWLALnS3VzFlCsjIM8rGZLhBSlSE3ipg5CeamOJQhiH4/s5184/IMG_9554.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq6UF3XyUx1YWb3n-w6tFz46-ZLM4QAipMs-3JO19dQ0OE7mE5QgZwfNw9D1zuKb2yUteuXUR-GbqWrkYOs85bdiFozFSzwcQWLALnS3VzFlCsjIM8rGZLhBSlSE3ipg5CeamOJQhiH4/w400-h225/IMG_9554.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4VBmiYVANy4dY3pGgQWoHnuxk7W1NN4dQ5nrt4TDh0nmuNGjPkc90Os2w27ya_l1J9OeQ3jkV1pppHie-OQGN5WBG5CpAH7KhftmIwRSD10QxRbffzSqhiFaLrgGrp2EtDngd6FVn_U/s5184/IMG_9583.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arriving at the old stables that was used as the set for Winterfell in Game of Thrones </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0SKFK8CT1NqThykc4RGGaUPIw_WIDhOIKtsuxGwSWa-BIOeVUsMzwnFsXmGyc_l6_mXezrk4ybes5sgF1WUUWQqn5bkpDFb1eUkNafliUhoXIPKv-A49iAQ7eFQGc7V97apWsyvI4j0/s5184/IMG_9572.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0SKFK8CT1NqThykc4RGGaUPIw_WIDhOIKtsuxGwSWa-BIOeVUsMzwnFsXmGyc_l6_mXezrk4ybes5sgF1WUUWQqn5bkpDFb1eUkNafliUhoXIPKv-A49iAQ7eFQGc7V97apWsyvI4j0/w400-h225/IMG_9572.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcL4y94MqHMbIXaK90L0BG1Bj5OZcUCxiqlIC46WIYK0hntjuYk5W3wENJRn9BfcGiPjUkl4QOWXZ0ok0D064gso6H5oZeLN3wbkhzPEsPuYIbfZXVfoEfYhdqOzWMccBTvwNQ-bCwL8/s5184/IMG_9570.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcL4y94MqHMbIXaK90L0BG1Bj5OZcUCxiqlIC46WIYK0hntjuYk5W3wENJRn9BfcGiPjUkl4QOWXZ0ok0D064gso6H5oZeLN3wbkhzPEsPuYIbfZXVfoEfYhdqOzWMccBTvwNQ-bCwL8/w400-h225/IMG_9570.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PpFHpV0gktOPj1Nig8J_X3lRR80Ebu-4FwaldXc4J7NQvAuakuIpmBPKeqPMypQlHulE80njvqoMAWWPEb1np3ZDUK6VIcYhIW7Hxm0pecWrrkET9FQRTnBN6iY8sHpwaUlaqLe-i2U/s5184/IMG_9574.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PpFHpV0gktOPj1Nig8J_X3lRR80Ebu-4FwaldXc4J7NQvAuakuIpmBPKeqPMypQlHulE80njvqoMAWWPEb1np3ZDUK6VIcYhIW7Hxm0pecWrrkET9FQRTnBN6iY8sHpwaUlaqLe-i2U/w400-h225/IMG_9574.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And on to the big house .... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view to Strangford Lough from the front of the main house - it was very windswept standing at the front of the house looking down, (probably the reason the door is at the back). The family have a fascinating history - the couple who built the house had totally opposing tastes and apparently the house is a mad mix of styles. I look forward to going back someday to get a look around inside. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaRSDPuHQoVnr_0Dd4QfGh1Gqz4Qrp64ZPOUYrofEEjad5LFdYDZwfs18LRmC7w1FC-PtZv-5_DudaMDpaoBfrcW-Am9_Emmx0MFRIjAES1YpP6ocK0zEuE5L9QcdFM0rmFOII6t3gns/s5184/IMG_9591.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaRSDPuHQoVnr_0Dd4QfGh1Gqz4Qrp64ZPOUYrofEEjad5LFdYDZwfs18LRmC7w1FC-PtZv-5_DudaMDpaoBfrcW-Am9_Emmx0MFRIjAES1YpP6ocK0zEuE5L9QcdFM0rmFOII6t3gns/w400-h225/IMG_9591.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are lots of different gardens beautifully maintained including a pristine sunken garden </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-qGc9_2JQKK9FMazV2e3o7ECmRXpANw8Ajl7w3HGRNuc_V_WAT4sDQstLpK1Q_bTqaHfeZF11eQzGmxyuNCfKl-elT9BcG6Z8uuEMq1kDyu56J3xLxV3U9uc_TLKVxFXh-cHtP_O6ns/s2592/IMG_9607.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-qGc9_2JQKK9FMazV2e3o7ECmRXpANw8Ajl7w3HGRNuc_V_WAT4sDQstLpK1Q_bTqaHfeZF11eQzGmxyuNCfKl-elT9BcG6Z8uuEMq1kDyu56J3xLxV3U9uc_TLKVxFXh-cHtP_O6ns/w400-h300/IMG_9607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and amazingly for the middle of November there was lots of colour still around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvrH_vC4_AxnpKhCUrTwLb41NK9_I0sMqCj9Xqtz_vCq-GjlTN6Xl1MyZWfjSk4SX0b3VH0PRyN5LTvZbyJd8JGeSoYtuJxHiiAF_69glaIDaCwLJFZR3u5KFwL10JIFhqAvMoCrV-n4/s2592/IMG_9606.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvrH_vC4_AxnpKhCUrTwLb41NK9_I0sMqCj9Xqtz_vCq-GjlTN6Xl1MyZWfjSk4SX0b3VH0PRyN5LTvZbyJd8JGeSoYtuJxHiiAF_69glaIDaCwLJFZR3u5KFwL10JIFhqAvMoCrV-n4/w400-h300/IMG_9606.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As I said, this is one of the few National Trust properties over here and while it is beautifully managed and cared for it was disappointing to find no local crafts or art on sale in their shop - except for Game of Thrones memorabilia and a few items from very big producers in Belfast or down south - and the craft village has been reduced from 18 to 2 crafters. I did manage to find a really nice ornament for my garden though (something for my Spend Local gift) and it was a total delight to find a really good second hand bookshop with an honour system of paying. Poor Tom got to carry a pile of stuff back to the van. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So looking forward to the next trip away once the festive season eases off. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><p></p><div><br /></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-19602147923042638882021-11-12T12:16:00.001+00:002021-11-12T12:16:33.632+00:00A walk around and about today<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIr4iihp6Skyx3WZwxL2PN4UU4O-GkoGv6fP0Rl4s3iqKfgUlaarp2G0u49PC3xWmUIZ2-Rw58iH_QwrWJOn8y8RXWeYGScEO-OGOsg8B-Lk9tW5FQLbv5P9RWKPCZbu6GangZexEaro/s1826/IMG_0294+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1826" data-original-width="1393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIr4iihp6Skyx3WZwxL2PN4UU4O-GkoGv6fP0Rl4s3iqKfgUlaarp2G0u49PC3xWmUIZ2-Rw58iH_QwrWJOn8y8RXWeYGScEO-OGOsg8B-Lk9tW5FQLbv5P9RWKPCZbu6GangZexEaro/s320/IMG_0294+2.JPG" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjsTN2WkCLOexTmxYLVNSFI3yuqkcyPYXX2_Mob0sNKgDB-WeYWucwLrvochun6uPVWK02_QspAtGq9APLeljW0acauM7KEMQsiITMSqZLhsqIekKxMB8RSb8p0WkdIKjdoxOEWlV9nc/s815/IMG_0291+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="815" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjsTN2WkCLOexTmxYLVNSFI3yuqkcyPYXX2_Mob0sNKgDB-WeYWucwLrvochun6uPVWK02_QspAtGq9APLeljW0acauM7KEMQsiITMSqZLhsqIekKxMB8RSb8p0WkdIKjdoxOEWlV9nc/s320/IMG_0291+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hello friends, it's been a while. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Life has been picking up again and there are so many excuses for not keeping up with blogging and social media-ing (is that a word yet?). And Autumn has been so lovely. There's not been too much wind yet to scatter the leaves and the colours have been spectacular. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgx6MxMZ4nRnDDXB1t_QHQ6Jb1nl45YZN-4hyphenhyphen3Mc0wvli6l8gDbkyG7Ox_Im_8tYJFWqC4Wl65m6ANHAqDZiDRGB2OGFHfdPQmPfTZfipYBuVEDHnVfAzzJbOB2dY2gO94yt8qTsiXBg/s2048/IMG_0292+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2012" data-original-width="2048" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgx6MxMZ4nRnDDXB1t_QHQ6Jb1nl45YZN-4hyphenhyphen3Mc0wvli6l8gDbkyG7Ox_Im_8tYJFWqC4Wl65m6ANHAqDZiDRGB2OGFHfdPQmPfTZfipYBuVEDHnVfAzzJbOB2dY2gO94yt8qTsiXBg/s320/IMG_0292+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUkoVnS4zh5ACl4nChyM6-wtuXUkCOFEVqk78AbFeKLLIXg3JNnWWtWcq7Oiq_hC4O7vVfVAuby40Vm8TKWC0kTHOaklkEGOEUUOQ91U291rW8lhbkqG0Ik1ORKPkENnRD5d_tbyDni0/s2048/IMG_0286+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1713" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUkoVnS4zh5ACl4nChyM6-wtuXUkCOFEVqk78AbFeKLLIXg3JNnWWtWcq7Oiq_hC4O7vVfVAuby40Vm8TKWC0kTHOaklkEGOEUUOQ91U291rW8lhbkqG0Ik1ORKPkENnRD5d_tbyDni0/s320/IMG_0286+2.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Along the beach it's been calm and gradually turning to brown. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMrtlaVSBEhbL2WMTgL8w5UWWekX01drmY1lgZAM4_ij_Emg2FgWfaw9TXCJUtE1JrLWH51zZ3GQ02plP65M2bKCAldX59XJXfjeH8XOLR-34Nw_p4HzMJlicFj6YnTdsb1NcrkxSUD4/s5184/IMG_9475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMrtlaVSBEhbL2WMTgL8w5UWWekX01drmY1lgZAM4_ij_Emg2FgWfaw9TXCJUtE1JrLWH51zZ3GQ02plP65M2bKCAldX59XJXfjeH8XOLR-34Nw_p4HzMJlicFj6YnTdsb1NcrkxSUD4/s320/IMG_9475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBF6oYkCvaJa3KN4FVJ_SovF3iHox5G1N0ygxqOTmUbEJfv9Ocgas5GsOuNzM6nBwDMgY5pt-aZiqpJhNhMg4hyIPfJ-vFVz7v3DWOrTi6h1pO4_85bw_-_VNBe7FyOrPHbO3iYJzQ23E/s5184/IMG_9495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBF6oYkCvaJa3KN4FVJ_SovF3iHox5G1N0ygxqOTmUbEJfv9Ocgas5GsOuNzM6nBwDMgY5pt-aZiqpJhNhMg4hyIPfJ-vFVz7v3DWOrTi6h1pO4_85bw_-_VNBe7FyOrPHbO3iYJzQ23E/s320/IMG_9495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div>Here in NI all adults have been given a £100 voucher to spend locally to help the local economy after all the lockdowns. What a treat! And we've been encouraged to think of it that way ... as a treat. And yesterday I finally spent a bit of it - just on some lovely locally made scents for the house, but it felt like being a child again. You remember the times when you had £1 or £5 to spend and you took forever choosing exactly what to spend it on? Well it was like that - and everyone is the same. While many will be glad of the extra cash for winter fuel or extra foodstuffs, those of us who are a bit luckier have been thinking about shoes, or something for the garden, or money towards a new piece of furniture or a new coat or ..... And lots of places are offering extra if you spend it in their shop. <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNC5GZB_pWVL4bDFrKJKiihCrC4oOv2n1JBfh4CHGZ2kN_P-d7IRnIpzI6uRpNVNRAwQF7ur2K-Siqg8ihfa2jCXydbqnQ3MfDbqKE4cgqLZdP7OZ7NXoo9232Dz162whdgZNL4ViFsG0/s5184/IMG_9505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNC5GZB_pWVL4bDFrKJKiihCrC4oOv2n1JBfh4CHGZ2kN_P-d7IRnIpzI6uRpNVNRAwQF7ur2K-Siqg8ihfa2jCXydbqnQ3MfDbqKE4cgqLZdP7OZ7NXoo9232Dz162whdgZNL4ViFsG0/w400-h225/IMG_9505.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>So what would you spend a treat of £100 on? Not online, not on alcohol or gambling - they're the only exclusions. Lucky us. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKf2u88Z4U9b4ukUwdRKEj1y5anUXcWsVojQVsTBCoCFxByu35kI00dlxXAHvkvwAbDFM9YKN95tAE1Beb53AVOSQNiBysK9YL3pjA9Z9EVuhHMw8GJ0wWK9TInD-SbHZFeqH6riHGoI/s275/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKf2u88Z4U9b4ukUwdRKEj1y5anUXcWsVojQVsTBCoCFxByu35kI00dlxXAHvkvwAbDFM9YKN95tAE1Beb53AVOSQNiBysK9YL3pjA9Z9EVuhHMw8GJ0wWK9TInD-SbHZFeqH6riHGoI/s0/Unknown.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-10109942502998646892021-09-18T11:31:00.001+01:002021-09-18T11:31:21.273+01:00Getting into focus<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZGFag_5SAGKziH7NowVdHxYV2pNIVTVyfZ2YTMnOqK5UPzTrPEJMEZ4bsxfi5IEJIPGJObn83iVIi6O4W_8OD4xB6nR3dGoSmpT4Hqa_xd7tzvXBhVtCo8lQ3tdlQu_G2xssGyXkmzA/s5184/IMG_9313.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZGFag_5SAGKziH7NowVdHxYV2pNIVTVyfZ2YTMnOqK5UPzTrPEJMEZ4bsxfi5IEJIPGJObn83iVIi6O4W_8OD4xB6nR3dGoSmpT4Hqa_xd7tzvXBhVtCo8lQ3tdlQu_G2xssGyXkmzA/w640-h358/IMG_9313.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I love taking photos and I use a very scientific method introduced to me by an American friend years ago - point, snap, take loads and hope that you get one or two decent ones out of every 500 you take!!! Honestly, she had me driving around Pennsylvania one time with the camera out the window not even looking at what she was photographing and miraculously some did come out. Such a laugh. That friend is now battling with the debris of her house after Hurricane Ida - I wish I was closer to help. <p></p><p><br /></p><p>But, back to the photos - I'm not quite up to her standard but it is alarming how many of my snaps are out of focus - and they look perfectly lined up to me when I'm taking them .. Like these sheep above - I was sure I had the next cover of the Countryfile calendar - perfect composition - the sheep was out on the point looking in to the water - but my eyes deceived me. I'll have to wait for my moment of glory some other time. </p><p>But it's a bit like life at the moment - nothing is quite in focus yet - there's the promise of things happening but nothing certain, the queries about things perhaps happening but then nothing. And it is very frustrating. It spills into every part of life - it's like living in prolonged holiday mode where you just can't seem to get moving. </p><p>So I'm still helping Belinda a couple of days a week in her gift shop and we had a lovely last minute run up to the north coast again - this time to Ballycastle and Fair Head - that's one of those places that get mentioned on the shipping forecast. Wow! On the clear day we could see Rathlin, the Mull of Kintyre and Iona. A giant like Finn McCool would have only needed one step to get to any of them:). </p><p>So let's see what next week brings, what might open up and how much more into focus life may become. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-1490806091430754882021-07-28T12:51:00.000+01:002021-07-28T12:51:53.322+01:00Glorious weather, good books and new ventures <p style="text-align: center;">It's been a busy couple of weeks around these parts - my friend Belinda opened her second <a href="http://goodcraicgifts.com/" target="_blank">Good Craic gift</a> shop on very short notice a few weeks ago, and both Tom and I have been helping her until her staffing settles down. Such a leap going from a sole trader to having several staff to manage. She's doing brilliantly, the shop is a joy to be in and the location of the new place, at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Valley_Reservoir">Silent Valley Reservoir,</a> has been simply lovely to go to during this fabulous spell of weather. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhSPzl0mN9SgGNGztD2bGm-jIzubIweOcRXV0NqmHRZHIQOPgMaT8ZlGCaSptoFqJcplicOU540-t5ACDH0cZSkHWqOPcRu-fxeOgPW6s-nuzdIhyphenhyphenI-j_zJVc0UZAqP4cvi2_wS2zKr4/s2048/IMG_9891.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhSPzl0mN9SgGNGztD2bGm-jIzubIweOcRXV0NqmHRZHIQOPgMaT8ZlGCaSptoFqJcplicOU540-t5ACDH0cZSkHWqOPcRu-fxeOgPW6s-nuzdIhyphenhyphenI-j_zJVc0UZAqP4cvi2_wS2zKr4/w400-h300/IMG_9891.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>driving past Slieve Binnian on the way to Silent Valley</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Silent Valley is one of three reservoirs in the Mourne Mountains that feed the greater Belfast area and with people staycationing this year lots of people from all over NI and the South of Ireland have been discovering this beautiful part of the world. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDALBmyDhyGzx73dB248Y4cQ_sFcrxpBfZmM2JwR6Z2GGFncdK2ZHyhC7wvFVR3dROUhbue3OxgurPg0QUpAAZcOOjRgKaNjTeP8nEpeokspkAY8M1w03W0ltRORXqaTW6_3ii2Xg3lY/s264/264px-SilentValley.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDALBmyDhyGzx73dB248Y4cQ_sFcrxpBfZmM2JwR6Z2GGFncdK2ZHyhC7wvFVR3dROUhbue3OxgurPg0QUpAAZcOOjRgKaNjTeP8nEpeokspkAY8M1w03W0ltRORXqaTW6_3ii2Xg3lY/w400-h300/264px-SilentValley.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo from Wikipedia</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Its name is said to come from the notion that the birds all disappeared after the explosions to flood the valley. Before that it was known as Happy Valley because of the singing of the Cornish quarrymen who worked on it. The greatest achievement was the tunnel that was dug by hand by two teams from both sides of the mountain, guided by candles to keep straight lines and arriving just inches out when the two teams met. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In the middle of all that excitement my Mum celebrated her 94th birthday out in her garden picking fruit. We had a gorgeous two days with her - she's still living on her own and managing well. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKJ6KlfAs49HI9IChz38XTfhyphenhyphen6zzehdUZbgFEN7g0uJizvt2vRbimpy_Mg57B0VIczZPCmeAX0nnVaITkpHnvpsfRCGRpsFSAKFzPUlP49auYw2JljiB-LitnQa6F_J0KDCgQ3LQCr9Y/s600/224223585_1521141231566043_2073435519121589194_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKJ6KlfAs49HI9IChz38XTfhyphenhyphen6zzehdUZbgFEN7g0uJizvt2vRbimpy_Mg57B0VIczZPCmeAX0nnVaITkpHnvpsfRCGRpsFSAKFzPUlP49auYw2JljiB-LitnQa6F_J0KDCgQ3LQCr9Y/w400-h225/224223585_1521141231566043_2073435519121589194_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And a few members of my Singmarra singing group got together in the park yesterday for the first time since last March. It was so lovely to hear voices in real life and share a few songs and chat with each other. We could hear thunder across the hills and there were reports of flooding a few miles away, but our singing must have kept the rain away:) Now it's just about time to figure out if and when we can actually sing together in a group indoors and plan things for the Autumn - the government guidelines are so unclear to read and our regulations are different here than in England and different again from the South, so it's all very confusing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * * * * * * *</div><p style="text-align: center;">I am so far behind with<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/4841505878252085938/4266468790701551771" target="_blank"> my round the world book journey</a> and reviews that it'll take me ages to catch up. However, I just had to write about <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31135979-days-without-end" target="_blank">Days Without End</a> and its sequel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53535455-a-thousand-moons" target="_blank">A Thousand Moons</a> written by Sebastien Barry. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Ljufa5DPH2ieQd9rR95p3lT3aRCiiL6SbwJcQzLEgKQ_c6WLFhuh7IfGD3h4YTFMWw3Kyze4EZik0guYwiRasPf22JJFZjRSm3OXXx7aMBEzyg5OCLSFM7d2zY_MHiJi9_acs6HZ8o/s475/31135979._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Ljufa5DPH2ieQd9rR95p3lT3aRCiiL6SbwJcQzLEgKQ_c6WLFhuh7IfGD3h4YTFMWw3Kyze4EZik0guYwiRasPf22JJFZjRSm3OXXx7aMBEzyg5OCLSFM7d2zY_MHiJi9_acs6HZ8o/w130-h200/31135979._SY475_.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"Even when you come out of bloodshed and disaster in the end you have got to learn to live."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">These stories are set in the run up to and during the American Civil War - a soldier called Thomas McNulty is the narrator in the first one, and Winona, the Indian girl he rescues is the narrator of the second. And I can honestly say I've never come across such exquisite writing. I could almost feel the scratchiness of his uniform and smell the dirt and experience his guilt and disgust at what he was being asked to do. And Winona walking through nature celebrates such detail of the ordinary. I normally race through books, following the story, but in Days Without End you have to wait and hear Thomas speaking - his colloquialisms, his pace of speech, his observations - he says once that the sky looked like someone had drawn it with a paint brush and that's what the language is like - a slow, luxurious painting. For sure, the wider subject matter is not jolly, but rather than a grand depiction of the epic proportions of war, it's about living - the feelings and thoughts of one man, or girl. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">100% a 5* from me. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQu-zSLaKZp35TFn4N9x4cT5rF-w-PyLNbyx8QwuLK64wA3NEXYlyMUGjru2XCW2HTacOkBFVw2Jw3DJ577_0uGbcmSbP0laGxEuAJv8JbAu0Hd2Ek78l1PfbMydSCU4G9Lf7dL9bhSI/s475/53535455._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQu-zSLaKZp35TFn4N9x4cT5rF-w-PyLNbyx8QwuLK64wA3NEXYlyMUGjru2XCW2HTacOkBFVw2Jw3DJ577_0uGbcmSbP0laGxEuAJv8JbAu0Hd2Ek78l1PfbMydSCU4G9Lf7dL9bhSI/w130-h200/53535455._SY475_.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">* * * * * * * * * *</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And in other happenings, the squirrels are still coming back to feed from time to time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYjkShvSobrGZvv7XTWLsz-JO2IV09cdRy8tkO7rhMyzuXX7yA3ovR9OsPXIPZ-RNHgx_FjC9-HER8Tij-5FS8JkCHyslXnfx5qwTg_iuON7n2kVm_GLX5er9oYUAtjYMvk7cgQ5RvAY/s5184/IMG_9205.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYjkShvSobrGZvv7XTWLsz-JO2IV09cdRy8tkO7rhMyzuXX7yA3ovR9OsPXIPZ-RNHgx_FjC9-HER8Tij-5FS8JkCHyslXnfx5qwTg_iuON7n2kVm_GLX5er9oYUAtjYMvk7cgQ5RvAY/w640-h360/IMG_9205.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A new mural has appeared in Rostrevor - lovely work - on the wall of one of our restaurants which is unfortunately closed again due to a bad Covid outbreak in the area - but that will hopefully pass soon. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8R7PpUGnzMAFiinL27kVd-uMcieaUau9LFWd2igwWK6YFawOFA53gAlPc3H4OThF8EGwhEPm6O1xstNZr9qbO2MOnjiueyicooQW9M4LVfJJpQcaASoqNgZRRT6rRJd5myhfo2j77Xw/s2048/IMG_9962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8R7PpUGnzMAFiinL27kVd-uMcieaUau9LFWd2igwWK6YFawOFA53gAlPc3H4OThF8EGwhEPm6O1xstNZr9qbO2MOnjiueyicooQW9M4LVfJJpQcaASoqNgZRRT6rRJd5myhfo2j77Xw/w300-h400/IMG_9962.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've had the most exquisite sunsets </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWAKT3vRJQuj4SHiUIB6du6N4iLe2HgWYo_vG7x0Qcf3zSh5PXvd6iVc5yzNZCZ6_kigNevvSoZaDdmKWnVC7l1I-xJuVlRpcpYjpvchJvdpx00i_yWQ3-ZL0yB0p6sphb2e-aRxwiQY/s2048/IMG_9938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWAKT3vRJQuj4SHiUIB6du6N4iLe2HgWYo_vG7x0Qcf3zSh5PXvd6iVc5yzNZCZ6_kigNevvSoZaDdmKWnVC7l1I-xJuVlRpcpYjpvchJvdpx00i_yWQ3-ZL0yB0p6sphb2e-aRxwiQY/w300-h400/IMG_9938.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and I've been enjoying playing with paints and plants</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWKInxWuM4q8QKznIc58IldPD4tDszmnKmCYM3QtjC5hlh0yIXTYG6Nv2YAYi2gcH2pCmsAqW1zPhfRRxr0hu29Qg9tAmrooJcaRYhrCK5xd7q_QBFTAqaqerXFgm1oz1pBAZvi3hOCE/s2048/IMG_9894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1909" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWKInxWuM4q8QKznIc58IldPD4tDszmnKmCYM3QtjC5hlh0yIXTYG6Nv2YAYi2gcH2pCmsAqW1zPhfRRxr0hu29Qg9tAmrooJcaRYhrCK5xd7q_QBFTAqaqerXFgm1oz1pBAZvi3hOCE/s320/IMG_9894.JPG" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've been popping in to keep up to date with how you all are but regular blogging is still not top of my list at the minute - this slower pace is great and I have to say I'm getting a lot more done than before, but there are a few things still needing to get back onto the regular list. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you are well and staying safe. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-73351680781164254612021-07-03T17:23:00.003+01:002021-07-03T17:23:59.510+01:00Good news - a date for the diary and other updates<p>After deleting several blogs I sort of followed at one time, the spam problem went away and Hurrah I can see your blogs again. Just in case, I've changed my password and am slowly working my way through all my password protected things - how did we end up with so many passwords!</p><p>So on to the good news ...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdZ-4d0dM8JZC8vOcMCEYPOl86m_N0gS95BsCSLUVo29lws1IYgVBNl4hfULbSVIF5rmEUzSYOuzv3fzjz9o8AYwEcN7_ekLun9e8ZHne0dtEJ2hr34WdHJ5ivWqCyT0dk8DEt6xl_Hc/s250/Unknown.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdZ-4d0dM8JZC8vOcMCEYPOl86m_N0gS95BsCSLUVo29lws1IYgVBNl4hfULbSVIF5rmEUzSYOuzv3fzjz9o8AYwEcN7_ekLun9e8ZHne0dtEJ2hr34WdHJ5ivWqCyT0dk8DEt6xl_Hc/s0/Unknown.png" /></a></div><br />For the first time in 15 months I received an email during the week asking if we can still do our concert in October! In Glenfarg Folk Club in Fife. Woooohhhooooooo - I was expecting yet another, "sorry, but we're going to postpone again". <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85lpFVkE7ANlDfQ_J790HMGILVTozY2rPhVd30lEu2MWxbT6r-vFO5OyBZfDjwOuxd2YWzAFIP0W-4hngfSI07A3uE50SBCAW7A12O98EMjwQUuINy3JjW1ymuPRNcIg_o0NmkypFVcU/s381/logo03.jpg.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85lpFVkE7ANlDfQ_J790HMGILVTozY2rPhVd30lEu2MWxbT6r-vFO5OyBZfDjwOuxd2YWzAFIP0W-4hngfSI07A3uE50SBCAW7A12O98EMjwQUuINy3JjW1ymuPRNcIg_o0NmkypFVcU/s320/logo03.jpg.gif" /></a></div>All of a sudden there's a bit of focus and I'm beyond delighted. <div><br /></div><div>We've no indications yet of how group singing will work indoors, so planning for choirs is still up in the air - very frustrating for someone who is used to planning well ahead - so I'm contenting myself for another month or so to leave that side of things alone. This not working lark is very contagious - I could do it forever lol. <div><p>* * * * * * </p><p>In one of my very rare cleaning spurts I came across some old envelopes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjDFLseWCX0rbqQLBkAhyGn5jX_OdiYBtd9a9FlRboPnjMfym9w7vW3m_ZiJiNccErsm2j3_jAkqNf0EcBkBfvy2rp1QMZ6niuSLbHdsgE6j5_XK02F6gQnK8vtDza-Fk0fKjnzJhOkc/s2048/IMG_9811.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjDFLseWCX0rbqQLBkAhyGn5jX_OdiYBtd9a9FlRboPnjMfym9w7vW3m_ZiJiNccErsm2j3_jAkqNf0EcBkBfvy2rp1QMZ6niuSLbHdsgE6j5_XK02F6gQnK8vtDza-Fk0fKjnzJhOkc/s320/IMG_9811.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /> This was how we used to copyright our new songs. Put them on cassette, write out the lyrics, then post it to yourself and don't open it - the postmark confirmed the date. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyoFttTxyWzRaqAl5D76iXT8qDzHx0Vfr3hhwVUJyb58unxGoKU6JRQAuTEsItNptTBNJBp_Q6DnTuxwxvFHBKy_9ne_fafymdoTg5-FWeA5ntHMmjhmU4NVUI7jYvfUWBCU8sWQmL_c/s2048/IMG_9815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyoFttTxyWzRaqAl5D76iXT8qDzHx0Vfr3hhwVUJyb58unxGoKU6JRQAuTEsItNptTBNJBp_Q6DnTuxwxvFHBKy_9ne_fafymdoTg5-FWeA5ntHMmjhmU4NVUI7jYvfUWBCU8sWQmL_c/s320/IMG_9815.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p>This one is Dreaming, one of the first songs I wrote - during one of our first trips to Germany when we were based for 6 weeks out in a tiny village in the country with limited German language knowledge and "You eat someone" and "What you think about a whiskey!" the limits of our host's English. I got very homesick, thankfully the only time that has happened to me and this song came out in actual dreams. We still sing the song in our set - probably the only one we do that reflects the idiocy of life here in NI and I was surprised to find an extra verse in it that I'd forgotten about. not sure why it wasn't included at the time but maybe I'll relearn it now.</p><p>With life being a bit lopsided it's lovely to be moving in to summer mode - the garden AND sport on the tele. Brilliant. We're good armchair sports coaches in this house! Andy coped well at Wimbledon, Lewis is struggling a bit in the Grand Prix and I'm looking forward to seeing the Women's Formula One, Rory needs a good talking to in the golf and who knows what we have to look forward to once the Olympics start. Of course there's always cricket if we get really fed up - that's still a mystery to me much to the frustration of my Australian friends. Football is the only no-no. </p><p>I hope you're all well and enjoying little bits of freedom - the joy of having coffee or lunch with friends is fabulous - things still aren't open in the south yet so we can't take my mum out much but that'll come soon, fingers crossed. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-4353643202634100302021-06-30T20:17:00.003+01:002021-06-30T20:17:45.420+01:00My Green (and Blue) Garden House<p style="text-align: center;">Tom has been busy building in the garden ... </p><p style="text-align: center;">and here I can reveal </p><p style="text-align: center;">my Green House :)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY0kPHLJ6PLA_U9MfGvTLRrhku0WrRYqrVJ91tj2f2H9JGBxRHY9ahyphenhyphenx_taexKKpZiWc1TQRTvK1hCOFQuTbb0LKv3biU7swck70357RXBOtZoFt0feGhxCC3OYEdDofbdg-EtPBM78M/s2048/IMG_9828.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY0kPHLJ6PLA_U9MfGvTLRrhku0WrRYqrVJ91tj2f2H9JGBxRHY9ahyphenhyphenx_taexKKpZiWc1TQRTvK1hCOFQuTbb0LKv3biU7swck70357RXBOtZoFt0feGhxCC3OYEdDofbdg-EtPBM78M/w300-h400/IMG_9828.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Made from recycled windows and wood - I am so pleased. He has done a brilliant job. It's warm enough to sit in and bring a small table in to, but I've high hopes for the tomatoes and lettuce and chilli I've planted. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've thought of umpteen names for it, the Tardis coming up tops, but as my office already has that nickname it can't be used twice lol so I've opted for the Green House :) </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm gradually working on this wee area, the raspberry patch is swamped with ivy - and the raised bed has peas and onions coming on if we ever get enough heat for them to grow. So this will eventually be a wee secret garden and a great sun trap. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyMZlB-DT82RNiZBA9WIygbQo0wbZ310ShUO6btXJkSdZ6ys4g5IK-7WmphU72p9YTLIEO8IXlxgctbQkaTWlPdLM8xmgCgNSu7DBG3B3FFQUoqIM6i3Qc0dFTUEYWyhKZ8iJs27pOJU/s2048/IMG_9840.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1718" data-original-width="2048" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyMZlB-DT82RNiZBA9WIygbQo0wbZ310ShUO6btXJkSdZ6ys4g5IK-7WmphU72p9YTLIEO8IXlxgctbQkaTWlPdLM8xmgCgNSu7DBG3B3FFQUoqIM6i3Qc0dFTUEYWyhKZ8iJs27pOJU/w400-h335/IMG_9840.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">He also made this cracker trellis substitute from driftwood - my idea I have to boast, but he did the putting together - absolutely love it :) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnUIyGhZ8YCTPZemXRN7d1igyIY76d7ceWpluhxyjk7d8nPgUhDtG6TzX6XPQULtM82BLHFDNe8-0pSGabkOQOPz_5I72BxJrPtHpCWQ9nCPhqoH952em65JD6mABqFog4OhADucgU7k/s2048/IMG_9852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnUIyGhZ8YCTPZemXRN7d1igyIY76d7ceWpluhxyjk7d8nPgUhDtG6TzX6XPQULtM82BLHFDNe8-0pSGabkOQOPz_5I72BxJrPtHpCWQ9nCPhqoH952em65JD6mABqFog4OhADucgU7k/w300-h400/IMG_9852.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgcb2C0HAFMy1Y8pJgaqKcf-3LjkLnGlvebtolWsYTWAiHoth5mFfBihjCXyGgyaYXFm_-dVeWdxFVq8cd0NA2LabGLzeMelzELR15rVR85Is4Wgh4M8_Ynq8m-Szfu_oQ9rQipd05-c/s2048/IMG_9854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgcb2C0HAFMy1Y8pJgaqKcf-3LjkLnGlvebtolWsYTWAiHoth5mFfBihjCXyGgyaYXFm_-dVeWdxFVq8cd0NA2LabGLzeMelzELR15rVR85Is4Wgh4M8_Ynq8m-Szfu_oQ9rQipd05-c/s320/IMG_9854.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rose looks a wee bit windswept - we're having fierce winds here at the moment and it gets very cold the minute your out of the sun - but the horse's head looks soooo good - he makes me smile every time I go past. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ0lBGTUu98A1cqBewiM806lpmIXBZXCYmF6AoGXM0t0B8t07RwRjri98k2q-Lb2w7VghODFAo-wW-SBF3MK6oGMl1PGiVjHAfTikr6iMGjRJG7atzu9En2e6xNfALJqSsv9urdMQes0/s2048/IMG_9857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ0lBGTUu98A1cqBewiM806lpmIXBZXCYmF6AoGXM0t0B8t07RwRjri98k2q-Lb2w7VghODFAo-wW-SBF3MK6oGMl1PGiVjHAfTikr6iMGjRJG7atzu9En2e6xNfALJqSsv9urdMQes0/s320/IMG_9857.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">Scratching my head now to see what's next on my list :) ... mwah haw haw ... </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-6831794549976854792021-06-29T20:55:00.003+01:002021-06-30T20:26:53.196+01:00Spam posts<p>I've just been bombarded with dozens of blogs from Blender Ukraine and can't see any of your blogs for the past couple of days - already gone back 4 or 5 pages!!! Grrrrr. Anyone know how to delete blogs from the reader? Not sure if it's safe to post. Just using this to test.</p><p><br /></p><p>It looks like somebody I'm following has been hacked ... I don't know a lot about this but I've changed my password, perhaps it might be worth checking and changing yours. So annoying. </p><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-43103805939282371522021-06-21T18:01:00.000+01:002021-06-21T18:01:01.903+01:00Happy Solstice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">I can hardly believe it's Midyear's Day - and it still feels like the summer has to come. How are you doing? I wish you all the joy of the Solstice, whether winter or summer, and a continued happy and healthy rest of year to come.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X5p2LLp6e4qsdrsCP-LcG_d5JiH64SK1G58ZOI6PgyuK9JpmcZIYZRF8F_4PCG7yC1nJMUahfrUVkxbWksCtJ3Yu_KZTe7gcneYgp3-wpf13phM5MY9e8jzbNcQ6xZ67woOcGKhafE0/s5184/IMG_9164.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X5p2LLp6e4qsdrsCP-LcG_d5JiH64SK1G58ZOI6PgyuK9JpmcZIYZRF8F_4PCG7yC1nJMUahfrUVkxbWksCtJ3Yu_KZTe7gcneYgp3-wpf13phM5MY9e8jzbNcQ6xZ67woOcGKhafE0/w640-h360/IMG_9164.JPG" width="640" /></a>We spent a week at the start of June up on the north coast of Co. Antrim, an area I absolutely love and which is gloriously unfamiliar to me - growing up in the west our summers were spent on the Donegal or Sligo coast. It's part of the Wild Atlantic Way tourist route. The photo above was taken at White Park Bay just around the corner from the Giant's Causeway - there were only two other people walking there when we visited this 2 mile stretch of sandy beach. </span>Beautiful. In a way it's a blessing at the moment not being able to travel far - we're getting to see parts of our own country with fresh eyes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">From there it's 20 miles west to Donegal and 11 miles east to Scotland.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbouwQZyu0AL-8sFAhe84D4RNSEMa2eWStXw1Q0Dsa2yV_hyphenhyphenkGvsIHnMulWBlfCcRm_rnqKLLeAivmx-PawWFdKt5_-5ENwMcSUIBjnia7W-SFAU641YlcOv_23mCY9czg3pmJR1VBe8/s5184/IMG_9141.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbouwQZyu0AL-8sFAhe84D4RNSEMa2eWStXw1Q0Dsa2yV_hyphenhyphenkGvsIHnMulWBlfCcRm_rnqKLLeAivmx-PawWFdKt5_-5ENwMcSUIBjnia7W-SFAU641YlcOv_23mCY9czg3pmJR1VBe8/w640-h360/IMG_9141.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">White Park Bay from the road above with Tor head in the distance.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: left;">While we were there we spent an afternoon on </span><a href="http://www.rathlincommunity.org" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Rathlin Island</a><span style="text-align: left;"> which is the most northernly part of Ireland, another place I've always wanted to visit. You can see from this map how close we are to Scotland.</span></span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmxiuiRUfkz4Qr05R5sOqFYpc0Ov1C4w-nz7RP7EgNagnK2ODJLaYlmMWoH9mYhcMfy_H0qO1Q3fvaLvsGWjuPkleJ-cShJwY7Kzps1ccsCU9kMzp7nX96n3-yZwNE2o6L4ugudfSKa8/s259/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmxiuiRUfkz4Qr05R5sOqFYpc0Ov1C4w-nz7RP7EgNagnK2ODJLaYlmMWoH9mYhcMfy_H0qO1Q3fvaLvsGWjuPkleJ-cShJwY7Kzps1ccsCU9kMzp7nX96n3-yZwNE2o6L4ugudfSKa8/s0/images-1.jpeg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">There's something really special to me about islands and this place is no different. We were limited in the ferries we could get - lots of people very happy to be allowed back out to the island - so we didn't have a lot of time but it was still worth the few hours we were there and we'll definitely go back. </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: left;">(My photographs were terrible as I couldn't go down to the viewing platform so I've borrowed a few from the tourist board).</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDEwFyPysmVNlsL-5jkn7z9SEggcdRh6Oq8nmic6ydfv4ScAYHncdyQO_LxYjgvtyNC15FwVOmb2n2N5Fh7QyNM7PlXJiLHedPFTqXVf9l2J3RRNlCbDORyjKB8T7VeSYPGS0mCA5rUU/s300/Unknown-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDEwFyPysmVNlsL-5jkn7z9SEggcdRh6Oq8nmic6ydfv4ScAYHncdyQO_LxYjgvtyNC15FwVOmb2n2N5Fh7QyNM7PlXJiLHedPFTqXVf9l2J3RRNlCbDORyjKB8T7VeSYPGS0mCA5rUU/w400-h224/Unknown-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo <a href="http://DiscoverNorthernIreland.com">DiscoverNorthernIreland</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t2Msy1VGXIYEK9b0JnTi7b9dFFZAIAQcRDnxdtLk5OX4QmRG9CD1zv-AKoivtwln0AZRivRaUQPNIEtbtb6_DXCzoVkKRCyJrPyMnB3LoYC1MFPPhXUn8jpeVO73FWJGMqmGHkYhCQ4/s300/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t2Msy1VGXIYEK9b0JnTi7b9dFFZAIAQcRDnxdtLk5OX4QmRG9CD1zv-AKoivtwln0AZRivRaUQPNIEtbtb6_DXCzoVkKRCyJrPyMnB3LoYC1MFPPhXUn8jpeVO73FWJGMqmGHkYhCQ4/w400-h224/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo RSPB<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEc5GRfLVrOsv6vMInqgPda_U3X96BDhUna5Bp7Vc81rFR2S8ox7GUTbpnVW3sIYtnkJRDP3XEi1p56eulMqTABTaVzaROyTyX4nQvmD7Km3cK4pMcL3n5fZXrJBEHXAFIAmuERbm6fzA/s259/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEc5GRfLVrOsv6vMInqgPda_U3X96BDhUna5Bp7Vc81rFR2S8ox7GUTbpnVW3sIYtnkJRDP3XEi1p56eulMqTABTaVzaROyTyX4nQvmD7Km3cK4pMcL3n5fZXrJBEHXAFIAmuERbm6fzA/w200-h150/images.jpeg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyU7Cb1OzwdBH3ADBOOqAs85A5UUPgdhRvnHs55gxm_7wD4DcUyl-XbSycPOc7mPVRIfc6J5MW87Uq56uXETB9JRaLXvV5BzHE7RjbyQeD6cZi2yqGMHloCz_tWmR9_l869rajOg2DTI/s475/WAtch+House.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyU7Cb1OzwdBH3ADBOOqAs85A5UUPgdhRvnHs55gxm_7wD4DcUyl-XbSycPOc7mPVRIfc6J5MW87Uq56uXETB9JRaLXvV5BzHE7RjbyQeD6cZi2yqGMHloCz_tWmR9_l869rajOg2DTI/w130-h200/WAtch+House.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444;">Rathlin is special for many reasons, mainly as a roosting site for puffins and many different seabirds who migrate there each year. The seabird centre, run by the RSPB, gives access to a viewing platform to watch the many nesting sites. It was also the place that Marconi used for his first transmissions across the Atlantic. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">One of our local authors, Bernie McGill, wrote a cracker novel based on Rathlin called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31424839-the-watch-house?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Qucq9HqlIw&rank=2" target="_blank">The Watch House</a>- definitely worth a read (imho) - set at the time of the modern world starting to impinge on island life.</span></p><p></p><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5A7H_3XEau1JwhxkQcQG_QZd4lCV4m8z5IYu8tJXB_0uILm7dB1KXlppQ3JVfqBaDUuCLLUWnKRMss7nad9gV1ipeuMVdwEjN5JphxaYXBpK3ZGeovoTMEHCL0dwIM1FoyFenIa3cD0/s2592/IMG_9139.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5A7H_3XEau1JwhxkQcQG_QZd4lCV4m8z5IYu8tJXB_0uILm7dB1KXlppQ3JVfqBaDUuCLLUWnKRMss7nad9gV1ipeuMVdwEjN5JphxaYXBpK3ZGeovoTMEHCL0dwIM1FoyFenIa3cD0/s320/IMG_9139.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">The supervisor at the Caravan Park:)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">Things otherwise here are fairly routine - I've discovered that I work best to deadlines and without those practising is just a chore. "I sing for other people" someone said recently and it resonated with me. Still no dates for concerts as the arts centres and touring venues have no date to open and will need weeks to get the venues ready for people again. But, there's lots of work getting done in the garden - it's finally taking shape and Tom has just finished building me a garden glass house made from reclaimed windows and wood - I knew there was a reason I married him lol </span></p></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-22446205186635053662021-06-02T23:49:00.003+01:002021-06-02T23:49:15.125+01:00Ne'er cast a clout til the May is out<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwIE5j7oFpVPmygkPMGyB3Y7rJUA_SxcGDcSOyQjIDm4Gwc9xa-_Q44SfXcTkUmpWZlmNN_dlUovEEVuoqDLYJXVyaEeax8VHqm6JwnAa6a912jZHEWuZlRQwwn2gWztTYEuRylalpVc/s5184/IMG_9092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwIE5j7oFpVPmygkPMGyB3Y7rJUA_SxcGDcSOyQjIDm4Gwc9xa-_Q44SfXcTkUmpWZlmNN_dlUovEEVuoqDLYJXVyaEeax8VHqm6JwnAa6a912jZHEWuZlRQwwn2gWztTYEuRylalpVc/w400-h225/IMG_9092.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It's been a while since I posted here ... hello everyone, sorry I've been awol. The flu bug really hit me hard last month and took ages to shift and I just lost interest in everything. So I thought I'd come and say a quick hello. I've lots of catching up to do especially of the scavenger hunt challenges but hopefully I'll catch up with those in the coming week. Thank you Susan for the nudge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNLZwry0hKjMFRCU9vzV07uPpvwyHPKVFtVmTHDdDK_p1OhxmIQins006iVS5SzgRAXJtmQ279hgAWUXQBP2phvfaCPty0CKoj2Z2vkfKehybXHZWbmlnjEh8XEhSkEMFe1XHHr69_d8/s2592/IMG_9091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNLZwry0hKjMFRCU9vzV07uPpvwyHPKVFtVmTHDdDK_p1OhxmIQins006iVS5SzgRAXJtmQ279hgAWUXQBP2phvfaCPty0CKoj2Z2vkfKehybXHZWbmlnjEh8XEhSkEMFe1XHHr69_d8/w400-h300/IMG_9091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've been spending time in the garden now that the freezing cold weather has finally left and there is so much to do. Tom's been building me a greenhouse/garden house which is nearly ready for revealing :) and I've just been pottering with veg and baskets - little bits at a time - and playing with art and mixed media and watching way way way too much tv. However, Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club is dragging me away at the moment - great whodunnit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But this evening I just had to go and take a few pics of the hawthorn blossoms turning pink - the may flower (I can still hear Terry Wogan repeating the old saying) - and it's beens splendid this year, the country clothed in white, but this is my favourite time of it - that pink is so bridal. (pity the photos aren't in focus says you! but you get the idea.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy1y3qs8Ml_INBGScHTEmlp_CrsfJLX7PhAp2N-KM_I9GAGeMHgagIRR1ucY0YblNrI8ovbCfVZJHNQpFZw43EvIli81aaO7XtnBksNglieYJNsIVMZuKM19KvmRFya2n5t9t_uRwVB4/s2592/IMG_9089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWy1y3qs8Ml_INBGScHTEmlp_CrsfJLX7PhAp2N-KM_I9GAGeMHgagIRR1ucY0YblNrI8ovbCfVZJHNQpFZw43EvIli81aaO7XtnBksNglieYJNsIVMZuKM19KvmRFya2n5t9t_uRwVB4/w400-h300/IMG_9089.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And we've been hugely entertained by our squirrel babies. This afternoon I was watering not 10 feet from two of them chasing each other in and out of the feeding box. There were 4 at one point. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUEVyrk6hdtNVzml0giSH0Is37O2MDnT5Le9hL2oRqaS_tW73aCAKT_i0S8f_CKHaaNgZ5ZWvtk4dgrBiehznMIhM7NhoZ1Ix5fQbEF34CdVgaohruqOjVX2RVBr4g5QS4KobmIDGCRQ/s5184/IMG_9085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUEVyrk6hdtNVzml0giSH0Is37O2MDnT5Le9hL2oRqaS_tW73aCAKT_i0S8f_CKHaaNgZ5ZWvtk4dgrBiehznMIhM7NhoZ1Ix5fQbEF34CdVgaohruqOjVX2RVBr4g5QS4KobmIDGCRQ/w400-h225/IMG_9085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They move so fast I couldn't get anything in focus for these two...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5YOWilmEBnVQk0zoINo6AaAQ8IDpwmIdnRBVR4n0-WwCD2Gr94guML1cV0VsSS6nRetSdNFq-CgPbxtqKsPtXjMkTQnh6pxJLCL0CkZ_kfpyDWm9rUwbKhT8SO8li2tfMA8kOxjR7_4/s2592/IMG_9088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5YOWilmEBnVQk0zoINo6AaAQ8IDpwmIdnRBVR4n0-WwCD2Gr94guML1cV0VsSS6nRetSdNFq-CgPbxtqKsPtXjMkTQnh6pxJLCL0CkZ_kfpyDWm9rUwbKhT8SO8li2tfMA8kOxjR7_4/s320/IMG_9088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">But Tom got a couple of crackers ... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This one was the first day we spotted all the kittens</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4pAyEx40AcQ93wnzSQcWSTkFBiL60Bm-xd7WRR73gDOQDP3m7Lh4MSxQqZOHluAW1Qixlm2Zuj2FyHOgMSeA7tCSRjnhKRpMfzOMtXDc8Q_zwBYR6ETjT3Z2g350a5u_kAYYEEj-Otg/s2048/Squirrel+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4pAyEx40AcQ93wnzSQcWSTkFBiL60Bm-xd7WRR73gDOQDP3m7Lh4MSxQqZOHluAW1Qixlm2Zuj2FyHOgMSeA7tCSRjnhKRpMfzOMtXDc8Q_zwBYR6ETjT3Z2g350a5u_kAYYEEj-Otg/w640-h360/Squirrel+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the box is about 6 inches across</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1450942297/videos/10223359130673758/" target="_blank">this video</a> had us laughing - it's only short - watch to the end</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"oh it's so hard to get the place to yourself on a rainy day!" </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">This weird year and a bit has left me wanting to retire and just potter. There's been too much sadness. Bach Flower Remedies are my daily consolation along with Deepak Chopra's lovely meditations and my journals. I stopped my zoom classes temporarily at Easter and have been switching off but it's getting too comfortable - it will soon be time to get moving again. Maybe I can stretch it another few weeks. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile there's so much to see - Mother Nature is getting on with her wonderful show of colour. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGEGYeo9uXXFeL32oAfVyJyUckCnXCUgooBqUvP8zJ2LYcE3lng_GBAOIK9gln-2KS60oB6ycsK8ZrDzo0t1i_bNmsYT2olPwryz5M-UBl5bwYuYLZRGgdVlwydYE5_Mzd8A84a8hBFs/s5184/IMG_9095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGEGYeo9uXXFeL32oAfVyJyUckCnXCUgooBqUvP8zJ2LYcE3lng_GBAOIK9gln-2KS60oB6ycsK8ZrDzo0t1i_bNmsYT2olPwryz5M-UBl5bwYuYLZRGgdVlwydYE5_Mzd8A84a8hBFs/s320/IMG_9095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I hope you are all well, enjoying getting out a bit more and staying safe. </div><p></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-77600745182759195642021-04-24T12:19:00.001+01:002021-04-24T12:19:43.483+01:00Earth<p style="text-align: center;">Happy Earth Week to you all - hasn't it been a beautiful week to celebrate. And our scavenger photos all tie in with that with the prompt quite simply being </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Earth</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Where to start with this one ... when I was going through my photos I came up with a motley selection looking around the wonderful place we call home and all the aspects of Earth I could find.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNQpYX1N39NyXvWm72o79oHGKNDn7mbQhWAWfFDwLXbfKrzCgGDCGULVx8zza7bFfvNGmv9bIctggTA_h9-VhesPBUp8ahUMXJY1lx3RJjdEMvL0X2JRyqcVIO_vXUABlwqTB_Sz0N-w/s2048/IMG_5118.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNQpYX1N39NyXvWm72o79oHGKNDn7mbQhWAWfFDwLXbfKrzCgGDCGULVx8zza7bFfvNGmv9bIctggTA_h9-VhesPBUp8ahUMXJY1lx3RJjdEMvL0X2JRyqcVIO_vXUABlwqTB_Sz0N-w/w640-h360/IMG_5118.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old wood in the Bluebell Wood</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0If84HzbVIgw5V-jK11R0QJa1BMOaf3WNitJdC4lFDsEoVEWTTOoASCL57P0igI76yACuGt-hVGS938YmlE6HuGXCxmGRCGyqsJSpJHCAxW1qLDeMGCGRtG-Bgy4t-yxcJssLyhVuZJo/s2048/IMG_5970.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0If84HzbVIgw5V-jK11R0QJa1BMOaf3WNitJdC4lFDsEoVEWTTOoASCL57P0igI76yACuGt-hVGS938YmlE6HuGXCxmGRCGyqsJSpJHCAxW1qLDeMGCGRtG-Bgy4t-yxcJssLyhVuZJo/w480-h640/IMG_5970.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fired clay - made by my friend Birgit in Germany - I love this lady</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFJ29gBq712mEsGkd4bMzH8C7sdCBwgsPibfHgSk9o54IKBcWGFAWCuy8AzhZPhQ_k5vaiq18p92sKv2xq12FGL_Ic3isOHK1RQzXm74naSin3TTdJv5_bNkNwBchhiMkmepvumGepUQ/s2048/IMG_6131.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFJ29gBq712mEsGkd4bMzH8C7sdCBwgsPibfHgSk9o54IKBcWGFAWCuy8AzhZPhQ_k5vaiq18p92sKv2xq12FGL_Ic3isOHK1RQzXm74naSin3TTdJv5_bNkNwBchhiMkmepvumGepUQ/w640-h480/IMG_6131.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a salt cave in the Loire Valley in France</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4zPAGm8pKi19xupS7cll9d6WOSya3NsF5kpDeBZXjRXo0Z_0W7jjGjTOIR88u3JKWvxlq9tunezuTqpttpaymPMYtRnqkG8ETVmyd6oq1Ah4l3e1adbBo3BLOI5vDtsTFHUdVZ89vZs/s2048/IMG_7211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4zPAGm8pKi19xupS7cll9d6WOSya3NsF5kpDeBZXjRXo0Z_0W7jjGjTOIR88u3JKWvxlq9tunezuTqpttpaymPMYtRnqkG8ETVmyd6oq1Ah4l3e1adbBo3BLOI5vDtsTFHUdVZ89vZs/w640-h360/IMG_7211.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains and Forest and Lakes in Cumbria - how splendid</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xIVFGk99DbPeKrrj9nWIhfiCbIU_D9y7cU8hWYtOZ9MdAMxQqkrfbqPBXChnrz-TmMXce5JrkqVQaXPsvjRzYfPbjLUFaOkAlX3BlFkkm3y1F7gKb1_IVXLixhflH52r2bv7EfnOXJI/s2048/IMG_8317.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xIVFGk99DbPeKrrj9nWIhfiCbIU_D9y7cU8hWYtOZ9MdAMxQqkrfbqPBXChnrz-TmMXce5JrkqVQaXPsvjRzYfPbjLUFaOkAlX3BlFkkm3y1F7gKb1_IVXLixhflH52r2bv7EfnOXJI/w640-h360/IMG_8317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young spinach growing in a rusted wheel rim on the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3A3t3sArH9f95eMGrtWKhP1E5cmI4rlC3qo0EDB-ruWWicPyl5FOCo7EfchSdlKi6U_OViw3vJdnRGFi7KAc_4sqkD1VV5VCp-sGGnbVmBoh9Wmhrz2TvICsEba4Z05rPvy1VLRVtcQ/s2592/IMG_8823.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3A3t3sArH9f95eMGrtWKhP1E5cmI4rlC3qo0EDB-ruWWicPyl5FOCo7EfchSdlKi6U_OViw3vJdnRGFi7KAc_4sqkD1VV5VCp-sGGnbVmBoh9Wmhrz2TvICsEba4Z05rPvy1VLRVtcQ/w640-h480/IMG_8823.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lane beside our house leading to the sea - I imagine hobbits walking through there.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuA7eKGYSOwODN6DcPeL7CjbH0I7nPqj2XuCPT8q-ydewLEBILQ5zWO_4dF4qFy3GwIGSwDEGicZgVx0bLsfy11lQdt5X_VD6MwADnbqVE-NPi3Yhop57uKSZInVsRcWvgKfwcmiOTyM/s2592/IMG_8833.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuA7eKGYSOwODN6DcPeL7CjbH0I7nPqj2XuCPT8q-ydewLEBILQ5zWO_4dF4qFy3GwIGSwDEGicZgVx0bLsfy11lQdt5X_VD6MwADnbqVE-NPi3Yhop57uKSZInVsRcWvgKfwcmiOTyM/w640-h480/IMG_8833.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The earthy smell of mushrooms growing wild</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3p8BkOdI6pghdT6srDAcf1I-9q73aZ7oCurmwowSXB6psDLRYDPVIyQo0452wEljOQxGHlKvsd9440_hW-tgAr4sA784pwmMnlUZkvBct59CYZsg5pqh1wNdbC0KHkJVWkJtUirN6pcc/s2592/IMG_8928.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3p8BkOdI6pghdT6srDAcf1I-9q73aZ7oCurmwowSXB6psDLRYDPVIyQo0452wEljOQxGHlKvsd9440_hW-tgAr4sA784pwmMnlUZkvBct59CYZsg5pqh1wNdbC0KHkJVWkJtUirN6pcc/w640-h480/IMG_8928.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From earth to sky</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOGHhuoBzunAsWIu61j0BJb0ZCuvymUdcI0yAjYAJ6ghiLqAVfEy2cukxEq26SIH-z1tSbGIP7dc3WK14gmAhWYbocGF2y13V0WxrhG0fFHRj24VAnFQtj6zH-XbhBu0Sp83HMufH4Bo/s2048/IMG_8176.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOGHhuoBzunAsWIu61j0BJb0ZCuvymUdcI0yAjYAJ6ghiLqAVfEy2cukxEq26SIH-z1tSbGIP7dc3WK14gmAhWYbocGF2y13V0WxrhG0fFHRj24VAnFQtj6zH-XbhBu0Sp83HMufH4Bo/w640-h360/IMG_8176.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock formations along the beach here - I love the colours. <br /><br />What a magnificent planet we live on - isn't nature marvellous. <br /><br />Thank you to <a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Astrid</a> for the prompts and for nudging me to look through photos. I had had plans to get out with my camera this week and find new shots but had prepared these in advance just in case and I'm so glad I did. For the first week in ages I had several things planned, the main ones being to finish another song, get up to the bluebell wood, get my second jab, finally get outside to meet with some friends for lunch, and in between finish my new veg patch in the garden. Instead .... I've spent the week in bed with some flu virus ..... how is it possible after shielding and cocooning and masking and washing and distancing blah blah blah. oh dear. Anyway I just heard today that it's been doing the rounds which never makes it feel quite so bad when you know someone else has it too and isn't dying - I swear, I had my bag packed in my head to go tot he hospital during the week! my temperature has come down to almost normal and the appetite is slowly coming back and I'm getting a little bit of focus back to be able to write and read a wee bit. I promise I will be 1000 times more careful when I go to the supermarket again and I'm already careful.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">Anyway thank you Astrid for the Photo Hunt - you can check out what the others have been doing <a href="https://astridxstitching.blogspot.com" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </p><div><br /></div>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-16025105182774698812021-04-16T10:40:00.010+01:002021-04-16T10:46:02.634+01:00The Colour Purple<p style="text-align: center;"> Just a selection of photos today to link with <a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt</a> with the subject</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Colour Purple</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">And apart from the fact that it is the title of one of my all time favourite books, it is also one of my favourite colours. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkm9a4161fCQqlvo4Jth11y4aOqhPRv5d3KsR0cHw0TdhW2JaeVD0WgvCsYf5mcCEW_5oS9bcHSF0IICjDBX3WAJbsU939xDY3nepLLDsGmtMAjqcDdrXQHW5ZmTJCS6var_UYWK_1CmA/s2048/IMG_5102.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkm9a4161fCQqlvo4Jth11y4aOqhPRv5d3KsR0cHw0TdhW2JaeVD0WgvCsYf5mcCEW_5oS9bcHSF0IICjDBX3WAJbsU939xDY3nepLLDsGmtMAjqcDdrXQHW5ZmTJCS6var_UYWK_1CmA/w640-h360/IMG_5102.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div><div>While not technically purple, the bluebells at the bottom of our garden are just starting to bloom and in this picture they look purple. We'll be heading up to the bluebell wood shortly - they are divine. I love this time of year.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY2eDgvu27us1VgSQTSIqya-4CKmCeWhsYDqxq7qWto-VUfI395PYAakCHAZTZghZO3wQn2Y5CTawjTqWyAh5V_jPkbROPciqAJdvRdkL4QOIW3lgfZV_jVqItqzjMMLrUPwW8hbFr0o/s2048/IMG_5207.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY2eDgvu27us1VgSQTSIqya-4CKmCeWhsYDqxq7qWto-VUfI395PYAakCHAZTZghZO3wQn2Y5CTawjTqWyAh5V_jPkbROPciqAJdvRdkL4QOIW3lgfZV_jVqItqzjMMLrUPwW8hbFr0o/w640-h360/IMG_5207.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also love getting a chance to see the beach huts along the South East coast of England - we were waiting to board the ferry at Harwich and enjoying fish and chips along the beach when we spotted these - several purple ones in the midst of the others. I always want to know who owns them and what they do there - apart from obviously turning up in murder mysteries :)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfJNO2mI_n99kd0lWtRe3FmTvbDjsfSp393Yu8XJ29GbMqemRWdCLfWixSvkfFfTFE6kBTnghbPSnhKy2GyMvjaxbGO5K_PQrFLVy5xFP27ck-TCnIZ-k_2lWTJLROAqK6YlMDRlTAl0/s2048/IMG_9731.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfJNO2mI_n99kd0lWtRe3FmTvbDjsfSp393Yu8XJ29GbMqemRWdCLfWixSvkfFfTFE6kBTnghbPSnhKy2GyMvjaxbGO5K_PQrFLVy5xFP27ck-TCnIZ-k_2lWTJLROAqK6YlMDRlTAl0/w300-h400/IMG_9731.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Easter flowers are just starting to fade</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRC6lLK4BpC8K1C1xJGLI6d8pTdtHMcbdL-eKm3YjTnsOfWx4WIMUWQen5kgQkrcH-HVXtciHMp5_hAsjp4clKXQEQvAK9q1kvUg0M0ruQOcx-BkcUyTI3B-jAO7TYCVBg6GDIWNt350/s2048/IMG_9725.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRC6lLK4BpC8K1C1xJGLI6d8pTdtHMcbdL-eKm3YjTnsOfWx4WIMUWQen5kgQkrcH-HVXtciHMp5_hAsjp4clKXQEQvAK9q1kvUg0M0ruQOcx-BkcUyTI3B-jAO7TYCVBg6GDIWNt350/w300-h400/IMG_9725.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such an unusual shade for a tulip</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGz8l3dHv3ZBrOFgze6aH1Gc4GMTw4IBftmbV5xsUr_h8hd_ZgyscAeFJuY8lJCoyIpFmEAmfIiQlKczdq06b69e-PK3sHw_PMUR-T7jafcAQCAuffb_tL2x5orC3vsaV4m5FzALT1mc/s2048/IMG_5508.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGz8l3dHv3ZBrOFgze6aH1Gc4GMTw4IBftmbV5xsUr_h8hd_ZgyscAeFJuY8lJCoyIpFmEAmfIiQlKczdq06b69e-PK3sHw_PMUR-T7jafcAQCAuffb_tL2x5orC3vsaV4m5FzALT1mc/w300-h400/IMG_5508.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">This bridge is in the north of Germany </div><div style="text-align: center;">across the Rhine - </div><div style="text-align: center;">I thought it was spectacular lit up in purple</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjuKUGLRgKpC-oN9qkIFme4M0Ou55L0f7IPruqMTFkurZYM8oFLLPzPXX__GN5Dlh8jQhl4fOk3P9Vko1KAV9oGm5xKvJb9juHTnNmMKbz_IkMb-8hLCjr5zFvWXUhyphenhyphenRUl7VpRprtdNI/s2048/IMG_3893.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjuKUGLRgKpC-oN9qkIFme4M0Ou55L0f7IPruqMTFkurZYM8oFLLPzPXX__GN5Dlh8jQhl4fOk3P9Vko1KAV9oGm5xKvJb9juHTnNmMKbz_IkMb-8hLCjr5zFvWXUhyphenhyphenRUl7VpRprtdNI/w300-h400/IMG_3893.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">My friend Doris in Scotland loves purple - she is rarely to be seen wearing anything except it or turquoise when she is on stage. I loved these hydrangeas in her house a few years ago.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And finally my friend Belinda has had her shop painted this week, ready for opening up again at the end of the month. And you guessed it .... it's purple! She's Australian lol. And it will be covered in murals and quotes from Rostrevor Poetic Action which has signs all over the town. I'll show you an update when that's finished. Her shop is called <a href="http://goodcraicgifts.com/" target="_blank">Good Craic Gifts and Souvenirs</a> and showcases local artists with lots of handmade stuff and a small art gallery. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97zzDlHG9DH1hX0SAo-EKTfeaJ9kAsEKZJ7bI9n1C0DdgMZyQir4C9vdwlQX3ejlVgBI7oaY82AmaqhPJAtPR_MACjgNuj6Wn4mO6N7c47-6eC2jiudXxT3f68Mh79jkzOzHysm0cRFo/s600/171957465_2326169107526907_1164669407158317500_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97zzDlHG9DH1hX0SAo-EKTfeaJ9kAsEKZJ7bI9n1C0DdgMZyQir4C9vdwlQX3ejlVgBI7oaY82AmaqhPJAtPR_MACjgNuj6Wn4mO6N7c47-6eC2jiudXxT3f68Mh79jkzOzHysm0cRFo/s320/171957465_2326169107526907_1164669407158317500_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">I'm joining in today with Astrid for the weekly Scavenger Photo Hunt. </span><span>You can go directly to the link to check out the other photos </span><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/2021/04/scavenger-photo-hunt-link-up-party_0357105273.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><span>. </span></div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><p></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-57749216852580258182021-04-13T18:57:00.001+01:002021-04-13T18:57:07.346+01:00Happy Tuesday<p> Hello</p><p>Just popping in for a quick mid week hello. Thank you so much for your lovely comments on last Friday's photo scavenger hunt pics. It has been a great constant all winter when there wasn't so much to blog about. </p><p>We're working on new songs at the minute, getting ready to put a collection together , and we're spending a couple of hours every morning in the studio. But once the heat gets into the day it has been brilliant to be outside. It's good to have a few things to focus on (in between tv, knitting and books lol). I've given myself permission to take a break from teaching and from running my choir for a few months - zoom was getting to me and I must confess my creativity has jumped in the past few weeks since stopping everything. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH46f7RFJNhokxsfmY4QTIMPsItbr1IllS7tPRnUa-wvArEEtMxVmFR43QOK82b4dRwlTeFigDddhnTEaoF_AlB7UHxJODiWEVD6HcEiQnxlMY-Oj3ZOcYVSm2q7jMvdQPrd4J9p2GmtA/s5184/IMG_9043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH46f7RFJNhokxsfmY4QTIMPsItbr1IllS7tPRnUa-wvArEEtMxVmFR43QOK82b4dRwlTeFigDddhnTEaoF_AlB7UHxJODiWEVD6HcEiQnxlMY-Oj3ZOcYVSm2q7jMvdQPrd4J9p2GmtA/w640-h360/IMG_9043.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Spring is blooming everywhere and our lawn is full of old fashioned flowers - a great excuse not to mow:)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYusfSYXImb9ZM1buaN5_BoYXY6c4wZHBXhf5BZNqACSI9gTWGaUVomR51dxqJbSnRRksVyYRax-aazWeg774H6XMEPLfDn6IAuSaFUe2oMBgdvcHp005g6PyF_hH_34sUo0f-Xj1pVU/s5184/IMG_9042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYusfSYXImb9ZM1buaN5_BoYXY6c4wZHBXhf5BZNqACSI9gTWGaUVomR51dxqJbSnRRksVyYRax-aazWeg774H6XMEPLfDn6IAuSaFUe2oMBgdvcHp005g6PyF_hH_34sUo0f-Xj1pVU/w640-h360/IMG_9042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bluebells are just starting to show and they look really healthy this year and have spread all over the place</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOX7PaEaLfpv_6KcIBUz1yxN2O6nXLmJ_GaBuPN-d-DNzVZoDPuuTDArwrD1ja3vttctdOIznDrtga_3K1Ji8K1gSGw8zAwsQbM05VvPnW8qFCZ-E8erQNq5AN-aI961Yrf3jKwMSVTc/s5184/IMG_9039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOX7PaEaLfpv_6KcIBUz1yxN2O6nXLmJ_GaBuPN-d-DNzVZoDPuuTDArwrD1ja3vttctdOIznDrtga_3K1Ji8K1gSGw8zAwsQbM05VvPnW8qFCZ-E8erQNq5AN-aI961Yrf3jKwMSVTc/w640-h360/IMG_9039.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI2t4123rnk5sQs1-DEeW4PXeB0BfRZhcLB_mSVytu46cOZhFNwOtBAWf22EXfX2dJQwFu_edRDO9lGt_qUtuE_MN5Gs6UjYh-y9HQu-JbePX01hjMJoIsTTML6_IqxvVUkOVTHtmxVg/s5184/IMG_9035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI2t4123rnk5sQs1-DEeW4PXeB0BfRZhcLB_mSVytu46cOZhFNwOtBAWf22EXfX2dJQwFu_edRDO9lGt_qUtuE_MN5Gs6UjYh-y9HQu-JbePX01hjMJoIsTTML6_IqxvVUkOVTHtmxVg/w640-h360/IMG_9035.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>We've been cutting out dead branches and clearing an area for a small starter greenhouse at the back. After being at home all spring last year for the first time ever at this house (in 18 years) we made a bit of a start at growing veg and more flowers and this year now we're getting more enthusiastic. Our shops are still not open but the garden centres are and are mobbed of course - everybody is dying to get out and spend some money lol. But I have to wait for the greenhouse until the shops open. Meanwhile it's more cutting, digging and preparing. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjOE5NyAMldbQxq1FnyN1CFy-Vc4voyFk0cWt7g9WkVaPfzzjRhXqjvUCbcejTqGdldheyyq6SBgOf9m6MpvKp7-Y6MMNHznLCI7xWVla2DodkU6G6qAhY3IpAD28yfljb0krsFO7m_A/s5184/IMG_9033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjOE5NyAMldbQxq1FnyN1CFy-Vc4voyFk0cWt7g9WkVaPfzzjRhXqjvUCbcejTqGdldheyyq6SBgOf9m6MpvKp7-Y6MMNHznLCI7xWVla2DodkU6G6qAhY3IpAD28yfljb0krsFO7m_A/w640-h360/IMG_9033.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Have a great week - take care and enjoy yourself. Until the next time xx<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-88812067509603695502021-04-09T17:11:00.007+01:002021-04-09T17:12:40.852+01:00Farm - Childhood Memories<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnSjI2K8zR6IdQuJjVSe1Jt-utLbwvzzLzwbUsH0Fn0GrcKuQnCWErLeWg04zrjBRWEfVLvCfp135CYjycjZmhS4gwL0mJaup5xcrBdpAYfSqQ2LMrGUJufqfbvpL73M78ASA5lJfvno/s2048/IMG_4031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnSjI2K8zR6IdQuJjVSe1Jt-utLbwvzzLzwbUsH0Fn0GrcKuQnCWErLeWg04zrjBRWEfVLvCfp135CYjycjZmhS4gwL0mJaup5xcrBdpAYfSqQ2LMrGUJufqfbvpL73M78ASA5lJfvno/w400-h225/IMG_4031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm sure I've shared this photo before with you but when I was looking around for Farm photos for <a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/2021/04/scavenger-photo-hunt-link-up-party-farm.html" target="_blank">Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt</a>, it kept coming up and making me smile. I'm sure that guy in front is called Joey - "What you looking at!?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are animals in the fields all around us here, but the big farms are further out the roads I've no big farm photos for you but my mum lives opposite a farm and as a child I grew up in a farming community. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We saved hay in the Summer and like every family near us we had a small piece of bog where we cut and saved turf each year - enough for the winter. The turf was then transported up the back lane (the unapproved road crossing the border between Donegal and Fermanagh) on a donkey and cart and as children the greatest treat for us was to getting sitting on top of the turf for the whole journey up. (Our bog was two fields behind our house, but in the South of Ireland in Co. Donegal and our hayfield was a few hundred yards up the road towards town in the North of Ireland in Co, Fermanagh - plenty of fodder for pirate and treasure hunt games when we were children lol) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found this photograph taken of my Uncle Gerry in 1937 when he was still a young man, driving the cart in front of what is still our house. It's a terrible photograph and was actually on a postcard but that cart was still at our house when we were growing up. The lane was blown up during the Troubles so cars couldn't drive up and down it but the donkey could navigate the crater well. Most of the houses along the road are still there and the one on the right is the home of a good friend who still checks in on my mum every day. Gerry emigrated to America and shortly after arriving there was sent to Korea with the US Army - he survived and had a long life as part of the traditional Irish music scene in New York. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8OqjjgDtNltLfJUa5EPTSZSRfPWcvbLsZygfkdgBXECSxVDLtRzdIwthpvM9KtnSNItMHX20G9fn4K_4J21DcfG78YUi-xl_gtaIZL22YoDNYlKNsNBGknFe0KbDUwG3f1vSMNPc_18/s334/118330445_311034079982882_3190316935197099061_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="334" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8OqjjgDtNltLfJUa5EPTSZSRfPWcvbLsZygfkdgBXECSxVDLtRzdIwthpvM9KtnSNItMHX20G9fn4K_4J21DcfG78YUi-xl_gtaIZL22YoDNYlKNsNBGknFe0KbDUwG3f1vSMNPc_18/w640-h394/118330445_311034079982882_3190316935197099061_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the same batch of photos I found this lovely one of my brother up against a cock of hay - again as children we felt really grown up to be allowed to be on top of the haystack when the hay was being forked up - that usually ended in tears cos we didn't have the know-how to lay it properly so that it wouldn't topple over buy we kept trying. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGxLmdfohXZ0wt-eekY2izXJ6Ki4qMYe9cCrvNJY35f9nZmhlzqyNS_58iVCYqTcXPr105e9J0Y3AFcXHcDzdPx9G-4-4vO_dQBdjAWJO5PNOMAib7vbZpuNam8mvxC1Anu3xOfxopSA/s1997/old+photos+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1997" data-original-width="1308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGxLmdfohXZ0wt-eekY2izXJ6Ki4qMYe9cCrvNJY35f9nZmhlzqyNS_58iVCYqTcXPr105e9J0Y3AFcXHcDzdPx9G-4-4vO_dQBdjAWJO5PNOMAib7vbZpuNam8mvxC1Anu3xOfxopSA/s320/old+photos+2.jpeg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wish I had more photos from those days - the sweetest tea was the tea taken from a can with freshly baked scones dripping in butter in the hay field. My job was to bring the can of tea from the house only a couple of hundred yards away - on the handlebars of my bike - very carefully. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm not quite sure who the people in this photograph are - friends of Dad's I think, but you can see the field was well finished and the hay was fully stacked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVS9jLsL9G5JU4Cbm5N77azhKr6KOMfVPj9jtRfBkoSVTx47NsDWS1D8uNXEbsEFzXA-MyAxY0CKuEruDHyS6VL-XWL_FRNnW7S7Uv_Cyd_OybsTuVXf7Kk40xRP5kQRht3LaqRx3ytg/s2048/old+photos+3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="2048" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVS9jLsL9G5JU4Cbm5N77azhKr6KOMfVPj9jtRfBkoSVTx47NsDWS1D8uNXEbsEFzXA-MyAxY0CKuEruDHyS6VL-XWL_FRNnW7S7Uv_Cyd_OybsTuVXf7Kk40xRP5kQRht3LaqRx3ytg/w400-h244/old+photos+3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wrote a song about these childhood days and just got it finished in time for the filming of The Emigrant Woman - it's called Stories from the Woods and it was such a pleasure to wander back and remember those times. I'll be releasing these songs soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm joining in today with Astrid for the weekly Scavenger Photo Hunt. <span style="text-align: left;">You can go directly to the link to check out the other photos </span><a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/2021/04/scavenger-photo-hunt-link-up-party-farm.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I hope you're all keeping well - we've been enjoying a week's rest and taking advantage of the return to winter by doing very little :) Next week it'll be time to get the head down again but for now I'm heading out to do my own small bit of farming and transplant some seedlings that are doing very nicely. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">And as a postscript, my sincere condolences to all my friends in England in particular, on the death of Prince Philip earlier today. I really feel for the Queen - such a long life together - it will be an incredibly sad time for her and the rest of her family as for any other family at such a time and even more so now during Covid. </span><span style="text-align: left;">We never got to do the Duke of Edinburgh Awards where we lived but he did so much for young people and his many charities. </span><span style="text-align: left;">An extraordinary man - I've often thought he had such a strange role in life, giving up all his own ambitions to walk behind and support his wife. It has been very interesting this afternoon hearing about his life. He will be sadly missed. Rest in Peace Philip. </span></div><p></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-18089766401354569902021-04-02T19:30:00.001+01:002021-04-02T19:30:08.041+01:00Photo Scavenger Hunt: Chocolate<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAeRqF4PODTc1dCu70bo9Y4Ovqm3G7U7_9h3RfWmaa9HA8X8ljQLNeF1XQQMGVZsiq0B4ia6nDVMOH9Ei1pPRMeYlb45AMdgURc9bZ4HYrW4QPwY6oWKUD5ZQdCYXOQn-HDNhxsAZMbk/s2048/IMG_0050.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAeRqF4PODTc1dCu70bo9Y4Ovqm3G7U7_9h3RfWmaa9HA8X8ljQLNeF1XQQMGVZsiq0B4ia6nDVMOH9Ei1pPRMeYlb45AMdgURc9bZ4HYrW4QPwY6oWKUD5ZQdCYXOQn-HDNhxsAZMbk/w400-h300/IMG_0050.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Desserts to finish a festival</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The photo scavenger hunt has a new host this week - <a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Astrid at Dragon Stitches and Stuff</a> has taken over the reins from <a href="https://livelovecraftme.blogspot.co.uk" target="_blank">Kate</a> who hosted it for the past 5 years. Thank you Kate and hello Astrid :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And the first prompt for April is </div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Chocolate</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I have a problem with this one because <span style="text-align: left;">I don't actually like chocolate. I used to - in fact I lived on it in my younger days, but I became ill several years ago and it was chocolate and champagne on a birthday treat that made me really sick and I've associated the two with that since. I persevered with it for several months - trust me, I wasn't about to let that one go, but nope ... I never liked chocolate cake or brownies - coffee cake was always my preference even as a child. So why am I always struggling with my weight I ask myself. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Anyway, this lovely looking dessert was at a meal to wind down from Fiddlers Green Festival a few years back with some of our friends from abroad. Sadly it looks like the festival won't happen again this year but things are definitely looking up and next year the celebrations will be fierce. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The sun is shining here, we've had a glorious couple of days and we've been back in the studio gently working on songs, in between doing some tidying jobs in the garden and trying to keep up with whatever Monty Don tells us needs doing lol. Even managed a socially distanced barbecue for a friend's birthday and it was a treat - just 3 of us, but it was excellent. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKT3FZbS_87BVATf9rYHNmYuqOkxGjISjkJiVInYjIZX2CLO5hcPvmKPlEF4aHscm9LFawjKybLClpcee4I9zcR9xSlt_EECSGDVw3mpXG99eEscFOfFSsdSpVwanYysWhFD_wmCUsiY/s1747/Happy+Easter.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1747" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKT3FZbS_87BVATf9rYHNmYuqOkxGjISjkJiVInYjIZX2CLO5hcPvmKPlEF4aHscm9LFawjKybLClpcee4I9zcR9xSlt_EECSGDVw3mpXG99eEscFOfFSsdSpVwanYysWhFD_wmCUsiY/w320-h227/Happy+Easter.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lovely to see the yellow on the broom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Happy Easter to you all. Take care of yourself and stay safe. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Check out the other Photo Hunt posts <a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/2021/04/scavenger-photo-hunt-link-up-party.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><br /><p><br /></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841505878252085938.post-2988233238931568732021-03-26T14:31:00.002+00:002021-03-26T14:31:25.015+00:00Photo Scavenger Hunt: Light/Dark<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Joining in with </span><a href="http://livelovecraftme.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Kates's weekly photo scavenger hunt</a></span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"> today. </span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITO4jXEjVKbucONULMyJ6oUBhb_SAFjFadTsF2C1-SHVCO9LCLLVmzB1hQh48nojcee-sZC0B_UeuzNthCdt7IGh4nWVBnEqgVeHEtdefWj1gKdu-lEM5oqftialVUtka3QmSfnpDdQY/s2048/IMG_9463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITO4jXEjVKbucONULMyJ6oUBhb_SAFjFadTsF2C1-SHVCO9LCLLVmzB1hQh48nojcee-sZC0B_UeuzNthCdt7IGh4nWVBnEqgVeHEtdefWj1gKdu-lEM5oqftialVUtka3QmSfnpDdQY/w400-h400/IMG_9463.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">This is the last week that Kate is hosting this challenge after 5 years of coming up with prompts. It has been fun Kate, thank you so much for all the time and effort you've put into it. I've enjoyed taking part and seeing what everyone else has come up with for the words. It has been a lovely creative diversion. There will be a new host from next month - </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Astrid of </span><a href="http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #88bb21; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dragon Stitches and Stuff by Astrid</a> <span style="font-size: medium;">and I'm looking forward to following along.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">But for today Kate's last prompt is </span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Light/Dark</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">I had to scratch my head a bit for this one but looked again to the sky and sun</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv5oKyc-pNnk2Vy-arHCGQNaCMQuP6CZb3jlI7YkF1VsxLI4dkozKIcGFQqW945MVNR5xkYzen2M6nIIl6C2h0JfRI4h4Jo8wKEMsA-T_U2TsAxMroU6PtPoECeCrMtCpxppxxFyZLNE/s2048/IMG_9444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv5oKyc-pNnk2Vy-arHCGQNaCMQuP6CZb3jlI7YkF1VsxLI4dkozKIcGFQqW945MVNR5xkYzen2M6nIIl6C2h0JfRI4h4Jo8wKEMsA-T_U2TsAxMroU6PtPoECeCrMtCpxppxxFyZLNE/w300-h400/IMG_9444.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking back over some photos while I was searching for sunsets last week, I came across these pics that I took back in January on a beautiful day even though it stayed dark most of the day. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYlgqGJpWBD2bPYYrMON9f1ZTT8OzGfgein4ZWoiUIqwLATggGovLXB7GtbP_dG_JytcqPW9BQo1kC_7tHA_3iILqsInNhUiK17OeTKkjFExuGbmgr_sTgPR3U8p8cPkwpoURJtGwpLY/s2048/IMG_9446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYlgqGJpWBD2bPYYrMON9f1ZTT8OzGfgein4ZWoiUIqwLATggGovLXB7GtbP_dG_JytcqPW9BQo1kC_7tHA_3iILqsInNhUiK17OeTKkjFExuGbmgr_sTgPR3U8p8cPkwpoURJtGwpLY/w300-h400/IMG_9446.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is at Warrenpoint Shore looking down Carlingford Lough with Finn McCool and the Cooley Mountains on the right and the sun barely up in the sky even though it was nearly midday. </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tuAza3lu755D146-OackO9d1lxWJxa9bfA_7goRB0v3ZFpWRMoqhFjuq3Pu2jmvUzqWRhnHaN_ku82cYKwD5XcY6z4EHZjqbKCCeSMG4j6H1xGA6V67kyOnHqM3wn3XGAT4nsSA8NPo/s2048/IMG_9450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tuAza3lu755D146-OackO9d1lxWJxa9bfA_7goRB0v3ZFpWRMoqhFjuq3Pu2jmvUzqWRhnHaN_ku82cYKwD5XcY6z4EHZjqbKCCeSMG4j6H1xGA6V67kyOnHqM3wn3XGAT4nsSA8NPo/w400-h300/IMG_9450.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>This last one </span><span>was taken on the Boa Island on Lough Erne in Co. Fermanagh at 2pm in the middle of January and again the light had hardly changed. I love the moodiness of those cold days. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbr4Sq21qoHagKyiHkeGQ-R7PntUkjWOozz0VLASuqv0SZjUNDlmokfYQk0XH_0g6Y8X-hFYUQX2jDMCM0aPX3wvJCaO6XkZRZHU-glgYef9OsotXT0ApB_Hzmmlha_SXW0yQoFQXKO_U/s2048/IMG_9425.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbr4Sq21qoHagKyiHkeGQ-R7PntUkjWOozz0VLASuqv0SZjUNDlmokfYQk0XH_0g6Y8X-hFYUQX2jDMCM0aPX3wvJCaO6XkZRZHU-glgYef9OsotXT0ApB_Hzmmlha_SXW0yQoFQXKO_U/w400-h300/IMG_9425.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The clocks change tomorrow</span> </span><span> </span><span>(</span><span>I have to remind myself they Spring Forward not Fall Back!). Already we're having dinner without pulling the curtains - this year has moved so fast and yet it feels like we've hardly moved. But looking back at these photos we can see the movement easily. </span><span>I love the fact that we get brighter now by 2 minutes a day until the Summer Solstice.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We've just cancelled another tour for May so there'll be lots more focussing on the garden and the sky to look forward to and to keep us amused. </span></span></p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Check out the other interpretations of this prompt <a href="http://livelovecraftme.blogspot.com/2021/03/light-and-dark-link-up-party.html">HERE. </a> And thanks once again Kate.</span></p>Filhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027496923235464642noreply@blogger.com10