Birds of a Lamington

An unusual start to the day today. I walked out to the garage to get my bike, and realised that I hadn't yet refilled the water bottles. Figuring I'd be no more than 30 seconds, I left the door open while I walked back inside for my water. On returning, I found that two birds had managed to fly inside the garage and weren't keen on coming out.

Eventually I removed them by throwing an old towel onto the door and standing back -- basically giving them no option but to fly out, at which point I closed the door very quickly and got on my way. I was later told they'd hung around outside for a while -- perhaps they were looking for a place to nest. Perhaps it's best if they found somewhere else.
Today's destination was Binna Burra -- Eastern gateway to Lamington National Park. I needed to do a decent walk before going to Wilson's Promontory. The previous visit was the Coomera Circuit back in the wet season (http://life-cycle.blogspot.com/2004/09/flashback.html), today was the Dave's Creek track, better suited to the dry season, which is what we are now approaching the end of (I hope). Also known for wildflowers and spectacular views.







The rainforest areas are still there along the way. These provide the variety for a walk like this one.

Somehow it never quite dawned on me that this could possibly be the last time I ever do this walk. My long term plans basically don't involve living on the Gold Coast forever, and I don't often get up to this one these days, given the number of other walks in Lamington, and indeed the number of other places I spend weekends. This walk was actually very kind to me during the three year drought, which basically dimished the qualities of all the other walks up there.
Still, it's all in the future, maybe, somewhere deep down, I instinctively expect to have one more visit to Dave's Creek in the future. I was occupied with other things on the ride back in anycase.


Something else that was typified by all of this was the changing priorities of certain things in my own life in recent years. Tonight was the night of the National Rugby League Grand Final. A few years ago, there's no way I would have been gone for much of the day and miss the build up to "the big game". Even tonight I didn't bother to watch the presentation after the game. I guess the bike and the places I've been on it have taught me that there are far more important things in life. It's a lesson well learned.

Ice Mountain

Another shot of the ice piles that were lining Grand Portage Bay before last weekend's winter storm. This pile of ice was maybe 4 or 5 feet tall, and I was laying on the ground on my side to get as low of a perspective as possible in order to make the ice pile look as large as possible. It would have been nice to have a blue sky or some more interesting clouds for a background, but this is what the sky looked like on the only day the ice was there before the winter storm hit. After the storm, the ice piles were diminished considerably thanks to the pounding waves from Lake Superior.

Bird tunnels

I'm not sure how these curious little tunnels form. I don't know if birds actually make them. But they sure know how to put them to good use.
We've seen wrens hopping along the paths, jumping up every now and then to grab a bug from the underside of the lip.

These are along the edge of an old logging road on our property. I've only seen them at the higher altitudes, where the ground is rockier.
If you know any more about how they're made, I'd love to hear it.
-----
I'd planned that this post would describe a local political rally from the weekend, when we had not one, but two, presidential contenders in Birmingham. I'd have shown you lots of pictures, and related every little thrill. But I got sick, and can only relate how thrilling it was to watch it all on tv.
I have to say thanks to WBRC6, our local Fox channel, for showing both live. You can see the raw video of either appearance (Huckabee or Obama) by clicking on that link.
Too bad they don't show that huge honking anchor desk that they dragged all the way down to Bartow Arena for the reporters to sit behind.

Rose

A rose picture I took last year.

Rock Chick!

Aunt Lillian

Aged ninety-one and one third.

Meet Aunt Lillian - this photograph was taken yesterday morning.Unfortunately, her enjoyment of the Stones concert at Glastonbury has already faded,sunk under the surface, and is now less easy to access.

She barely remembered watching them. Such a shame.



I shall have to try playing some of their music next week,see whether it stimulates her memory.

If nothing else it will help me to whizz around the place

as I do her housework.

borrowed from allthingsroyal blogspot

When I left her she was happily pondering over what food would be served

on Thursday, when she will be taken out for a luncheon

with Age UK.

Her outfit is already hanging on the wardrobe door

and we have selected a colourful necklace

to go with it.

It is the highlight of her week.

She doesn't mind how long the journey takes,

in fact she loves being the first person on the mini-bus

because then she gets to enjoy seeing where

everyone else lives.

I wonder what would happen if the volunteer mini-bus driver

played some 'golden oldies' music..

x

Owl Wood Nursery

Our little Owl Wood is home to lots of birds, but the most exciting of them all were delivered by the stork, two years ago. Triplets. Three Tawny Owlets.

The handling was done by specially trained 'Ringers' when they came to check out the box. They have all been doing it for years, but they were as delighted as we were to see the young. This is when they were very young.





Then a few weeks later they turned into these beauties, almost ready to fledge. All three survived, although we don't know what happened to them once they left.





Unfortunately the owl box has been inhabited since then by squirrels, then earlier this year it was home to some very noisy jackdaws.





We still hear a pair of Tawny Owls hunting at night, so who knows, perhaps one day we will have another surprise delivery.





The Owl Wood still has three official residents - Billie-the-Beak, Little Red Hen and Sick-Chick. Our hens. They roam free and have a fabulous time just enjoying doing chicken things.





They are rescue hens (ex battery) and spent the first year of their life in horrible conditions - we had to gradually introduce them to the world outside their official compound, first the gardens, then the wood.

This one is Billie-the-Beak - she came with a criss-crossed beak, but she feeds well enough.

Dusty

I'm still getting used to the new camera. There are a lot of buttons.

And the print in the owner's manual is very small.

Last night when I was trying to take a picture of the peppers Hubby had strung up, the camera refused to operate, and kept flashing an odd symbol at me.
About the time I started suspecting that the symbol meant, "You're an idiot," I realized that it was actually telling me, "You took the memory card out of the camera and forgot to put it back." Which I suppose amounts to the same thing, really.
So, which picture of Dusty looks best on your computer? Or can you tell a difference? Does it matter? The first one is straight out of the camera and the other two are lightened a bit.

Lyddington, Seaton, Bisbrooke, Uppingham Lyddington

Led by Mel, 12 of us altogether. Norma, Chris and Marion, Barrie and Vera, Terry, Barry, Eddie, Jill, Ken and me. Fine morning, firm underfoot. About 7 miles in all.

Church of St John the Baptist, Bisbrooke

A gentle walk through grassland and tracks from Lyddington, uphill to Seaton, across to Bisbrooke and into Uppingham.

A well-earned break?

Posing for the paps?

We stopped near the market place for our coffee break, then continued downhill past the community college playing fields and back to Lyddington, before driving to the café in Cottingham for lunch.

Who Do You Look Like?

Momzers wasted part of the day watching football (gasp*!!!) and playing with pitchurs here. Personally, I think she was shilly shallying around with silly photos, but we'd like to know if you've ever been told you look like your (or any other) hooman? Mom thinks that with some of my expressions, I look like Marcia Marcia Marcia. And...

...Dad thinks Avalon looks sorta like his fave movie star, Bridget Bardot.

If you want to try your hand at this, take a tour around this crazy place! At Cheezburger.com, you can find all kinds of fun! Hope you had a great weekend...

Na Clarsairean and Festival Orchestra

With so many harps in Na Clarsairean (the Scottish Harp Orchestra) and participants from all over the world in the Festival Orchestra, it's important to get into position early and start tuning. My daughter is on the extreme right, playing her beautiful new harp by German maker Frank Sievert for the first time in a performance.

Then there's the concentration phase, above (daughter in maroon sweatshirt).

Then the chatting phase (daughter in grey this time - these shots are from the dress rehearsal and the performance).
Then the giggling phase (dress rehearsal only) - but she wasn't the only one - Na Clarsairean are a jolly lot.

And finally well-earned applause for the performance of 'The Sleeping Warrior', a suite of Scottish traditional and contemporary music composed by Isobel Mieras which tells the 'stormy and often tragic history of the nation', as the programme notes describe it. Isobel Mieras is the Artistic Director of the Festival, and my daughter's teacher.

The Art of the Stonemasons and An Endearing Squeeze

I confess I love worked stone, especially old worked stone.





Lincoln Cathedral is a magnificent building, in a spectacular setting, visible for many miles in most directions, but Google can tell you all you need to know about it.





I love the stonework.





Here are a few photographs which George took during our recent visit.

Soaring arches, ribbed and vaulted heights, beautiful windows, magnificence.

The beauty of the choir stalls echo the beautiful sound of the Cathedral Choir.

Soaring arches, columns, patterns and repetitions everywhere. So exciting for a visual junkie like me.

It pays to lift your eyes heavenward occasionally.

One very different look in a side chapel:

all four walls are painted in this style, it was done in the 1950's.





Then comes my very favourite bit...

see the arch on the right-hand side of the photograph! Did the stonemasons suddenly go eek! as they realised they had run out of space and then have to hastily squeeze inthat final arch?





In this undoubtedly beautiful building I just find it so endearing to find this squished in little feature.





Lincolnshire is home to some lovely churches, many of them are tiny and rarely visited. I plan to visit a few of them in the coming months so that I can share them with you.





There is so much beauty in the compact, unadorned buildings. I also know of one 'restored' (by a Victorian architect) church which I really dislike. You will see why, or perhaps you will love it. We'll see.





***





Jonny,





I hope you enjoyed this quick trip around the Cathedral. I must admit I was also thinking about you as we wondered around, remembering your graduation ceremony there.





Don't forget to let us know when you will be available for a Skype call; I know it is your birthday tomorrow so you will be having fun and celebrating, but try to fit us in, if you can.





Have a lovely weekend.





Lots of love,





Mum

xxx

Spot the whisky

They pop up everywhere on Speyside, these distilleries. You go to catch a train in Elgin and look, there's another one. (Hint - look for the roof) No train right at that moment - it was half an hour late because of snow and ice.

No, I didn't miss the train. Our son was going back to Edinburgh ahead of the rest of us at New Year.

X-Stitch: Patchwork USA

This was one of the very first projects I stitched after we moved to the US in 1981. It came as a kit that included light-blue aida cloth as well as the floss.

I consider this project to be the genesis of our plans to someday explore the country in a motor home. Well, we bought the motor home in . Now we just have to retire and get on the road to fulfill our dream.

Here’s Patchwork USA …

By the way, this one has not one single mistake or adjustment to the pattern. Nada ... zip ... zero.