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| Monday, 3-May-2004 00:00 |
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Cornwall - Port Quin
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This was a Bank Holiday weekend, so I drove down to Cornwall with my grand-daughter to see my dad. On sunday we went to Port Quin, a tiny fishing village on the north coast. When we used to go there years ago, when the cottages were all deserted ... the story is that all the menfolk were drowned at sea in a terrible storm. The cottages have all now been restored and seem to be holiday cottages. The bay is a natural harbour and very quiet and peaceful - no shops, not even a pub! If ever you are down that way, i thoroughly recommend the coastal walk from Port Isaac round to Polzeath via Pentire Point - stunning views and quite a slog but worth it.
we walked on the rocks and looked in the rock pools as it was a it too cold to paddle.
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| Sunday, 25-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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our blackbirds
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on 18th march, our pair of blackbirds produced three eggs in the nest just under our bedroom window - i kept trying to get a photo of the eggs at times when neither of the parents were sitting on the nest, but it was impossible to focus through the tangle of jasmine and honeysuckle.
they were very diligent parents, and right on cue (according to my bird book) at least two of the eggs hatched on 1st april (couldn't see clearly). both parents took it in turns to sit on the nest and fetch worms and insects from dawn to dusk ... i could see them on the lawn, chopping the worms up into small pieces in the first few days - later the bits got bigger.
and again, just as the bird book predicted, 14 days later the nest was empty and we spotted the fledglings in the shrubs at the bottom of the garden - with mum and dad still feeding them continuously.
at long last, they have emerged from the shrubs and started pecking for worms on the lawn - they look huge next to dad, who is still feeding them!
and mum is back on the nest, sitting on some new eggs, but i am rather fearful for this lot as a magpie keeps swooping down to the nest - so far the male blackbird has fended the magpie off with lots of squawking, i am standing by to shout at the magpie!
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| Saturday, 24-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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appleblossom
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| Friday, 23-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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more MOVEMENT
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and here's another moving image ...
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| Thursday, 22-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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endless movement
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here is my entry for this week's photochallenge
you can see all the others and enter yourself at:
http://discuss.fotopages.com/viewtopic.php?t=295
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| Wednesday, 21-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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down the garden path
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| Sunday, 11-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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Climping
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My parents used to bring me here when i was a very small child, the drive from london took hours in dad's little vauxhall, and we often used to arrange to meet up with other families or cousins ... and we always had our picnic on the beach, with my dad making tea on the primus stove (now who remembers them??), sand in the sandwiches (my mum told me that's why they were called sandwiches) and several changes of clothes because i always managed to paddle a bit too enthusiastically.
when we drove there on friday, i really was astonished to find it exactly the same as it had been all those years ago, the only change (thankfully!) was that they have built loos in the car park and there is a small cafe there too. but even though it was a lovely day and a bank holiday too, there were only a few cars there and we had the beach almost to ourselves. (perhaps i shouldn't be telling anyone about this place??)
grand-daughter rosie-jo loved it too (she took #6).. shame we didn't take max!
LATER ...
typing the above reminded me that in my box of (still unsorted) old photos, there were sure to be some of this place, and look what i found!
photo #7 shows my best friend wendy bartlett (with bunches) with her brother jeffrey and their parents, my cousin barbara and me with my mum ...sitting in almost exactly the same spot as we were on friday! the last two photos are of little me, aged about 18 months also taken at climping.
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| Saturday, 10-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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pebbles
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it was a lovely day yesterday, so we drove to Climping in West Sussex, and i took a few photos (for a change!)
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| Sunday, 4-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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frog update
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Aren't we clever chappies??
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| Saturday, 3-Apr-2004 00:00 |
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Hearst Castle
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tower over one of the celestial suites
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the neptune pool - ancient greek columns and friezes
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one of the guest villas
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Quote:
"Hearst Castle perches on a hill above the village of San Simeon. The private playground and museum of media tycoon Wiliam Randolph Hearst is today one of California's top tourist attractions. Its three guest houses are superb buildings in their own right, but the highlight of the tour is the twin-towered Casa Grande. Designed by the Paris-trained architect Julia Morgan and built in stages from 1922 to 1947, its 115 rooms hold many artworks and epitomize the glamour of the 1930s and 1940s."
Source Eyewitness Travel Guide to California
we did Tour One (for beginners) which took us through two of the guest villas, the ground floor of the Casa Grande, indoor and outdoor pools, cinema, assembly room and refectory - it was brilliant! this huge pile of reinforced concrete has been constructed with the sole aim of incorporating a vast array of architectural treasures and art work from all over the world: greek and roman columns and masonry, medieval and renaissence ceilings, wood panelling, fireplaces, tapestries, etc from europe and asia, all skilfully put together by a very imaginative architect at colossal expense.
unfortunately it was raining (still) so the outdoor pictures are dull and you are not allowed to use flash indoors where the light levels are deliberately kept low to avoid light damage to the valuable tapestries and fabrics. i think you can get the idea from these photos though.
if you get the opportunity to visit this amazing place, it is worth every penny (sorry cent) of the entrance fee - i will certainly try to get back to do the tours of the upper floors.
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great place to visit!!