How do you slove a problem like.........

Maria No I mean Moss with a capital 'M'

Every year we have this very time consuming task to complete at the beginning of the summer. By now I would normally have finished but the wet weather has only served to increase the growth of the dreaded moss that looks like this!!
We have tried lots of moss killers with limited success and it takes a lot of this!!

We used to find it was only the shady areas of our back yard that were affected but it has now spread and we are talking about quite a large area to clear. This is normally a job I do but this year Embee has been helping (could be he has a certain birthday coming up and I said it had to be done before then!!) I wish I'd had someone to take a photo as we look like a couple of old crocks (clapped-out knees and hips which actually make it quite a painful task) on our kneelers scraping away. The only bit of the yard not affected seems to be the spot where my car sits as you can see from the photo. Also it's the only area to have retained some colour in the bricks. The problem seems to have got worst since we last had a professional clean a few years ago (probably coincidence)!!
So my friends any suggests sensible or otherwise to help us solve the problem??????

Fun Monday# 27

This week Amy wants.....
'to see INSIDE our refrigerators. She wants to see them in all their glory without cleaning them out. However empty or full'.

Back in March I actually did a post on the content of my fridge and I could so easily have just left you with this link as nothing much has changed. However, I took fresh photos last week and I did not tidy or clean, I just opened the door and snapped. I'm really such an unimaginative cook and tend to buy the same staple foods each week, this includes a lot of fruit and vegetables. I share my fridge with my mother and she has the shelf with the tins on it. She enjoys her prunes, peaches and custard!!
The white dish contains the Briam I made last week and alongside are Toulouse sausages and bacon, just realised I must use those up today- I will have to make a Sam special
Nothing very exciting in the door the pot of cream has been used to make this dish devised by Cookiecrumb. If you read this Cookiecrumb Embee liked it a lot so I'm sure I will be making it again!!
The more unusual thing I have in the water bottle, alongside the salad dressings, is a culture of Kombucha (Lonevity Tea). You can learn more about this unusual mushroom here. I keep meaning to make a brew!!
This last picture is one of two small fridges we keep in the cellar for drinks and overspill. At the moment this one only contains my bulk buy muesli and almonds. Oh and a few bottles!
I'll be over to snoop into all your fridges soon. By the way I'm hosting again next week so hope you will sign up! SEE BELOW

What me clumsy -never!!

It was not my fault, the new pot of yoghurt just jumped out of my hand honest it did!! Good job it happened as I was about to wash the kitchen floor and not afterwards- now who can I blame!!

I think Embee must have startled me hehe!!!!!!!

Chimney pot update

After seeing my post about the Victorian chimney pots John g over at publog sent me a photo of theirs- I wondered where my spare plants had gone!!

Anyway it got me wondering who else might have an ornimental chimney pot in their garden or any other unusual item to display flowers. So if you have, how about letting us know by posting about it!!

Victorian Chimney pots make attractive garden ornaments!!

When we moved into this house 21 years ago we had to have the roof re-felted and tiled and during this work some of the original chimney pots had to be removed. I gave the builder strict instructions that I wanted them down in one piece and to be fair they only broke one. I had visions of these lovely relics being thrown down and smashed to smithereens (I expect you can see from the picture which one was damaged). I have seen these selling for quite a lot of money in reclamation yards, however I noticed two that were sold on ebay for about £26 and that's a bargain. The history of chimney pots is quite interesting. I think you'll agree I put them to good use each year when they help add a bit of colour to our back yard.

Open letter

Dear Mr A**h*l* Motorist
Yes I am talking to you, the idiot who has just ploughed (at speed) through a very deep puddle that had formed around a storm drain just along the road from my house.

1 If you didn't see the road was flooding then I suggest a trip to the optician pronto.

2 If you don't know how to drive in poor conditions or know how to circumnavigate a puddle I suggest that you give up driving henceforth.

Until you came by I was congratulating myself that although it was bucketing down my large umberella was keeping me relatively dry. I was on the way back from the local monthly market when along you come with contempt for the pedestrian. Having drenched me, and my shopping, you didn't even have the decency to stop and say sorry.

Yours grumpily.


PS I was so wet I had to strip off my trousers (not a pretty sight!) before entering my house. This resulted in a neighbour reporting me for indecent exposure so if you read about this in the local paper you can always seek me out to aplogise!!

By the way I like Thornton chocolates, Freshias and champagne..........

Footnote
I'm sure you realised the postscript was my little joke that is except the bit about stripping off my trousers!!!

Niagara on the Lake

I feel a bit guilty posting about a holiday when so many people in this country are suffering the terrible effects of all the recent flooding. I cannot begin to imagine what it's like to have your home full of filthy water and be struggling to find clean water and fresh food. My thoughts are with everyone in the affected areas and I hope we will see some sun soon so that people can begin to assess, clean up and regain some normality.

Niagara on the lake is a very pretty little place. We visited on Canada Day which also happens to be my friend Tina's birthday. It was a gloriously hot sunny day, just right for celebrating and the whole place was packed with people enjoying a day out. We strolled along the lake, browsing the many craft stall that had been set up along the way. There were beautiful paintings, photos, jewellery, clothes, wood carvings amongst the items on display but everything was quite expensive.
On a clear day (and it was) you can see the CN tower in Toronto. I think you will just be able to make out the skyline in this photo. When we visited the CN Tower the visibility was poor and we could not see Niagara.
This is the view across to the old fort.
It's a popular area for sailing.
We spent some time in the park listening to a group singing and then we saw a small parade. This was followed by a huge cake on a trailer.

Carriage rides could be taken from outside the Prince of Wales Hotel.
There are plenty of shops , boutiques and cafes to suit everyone. We did quite a bit of shopping and we had a tea in an Irish Tea Shop. We reckoned they might serve a good cup of tea and they certainly has some lovely cakes (I did not actually indulge in case you are wondering).

A view of the clock tower situated in Queen Street.
I would really like to return and explore Niagara on Lake when it is a little less crowded.

Witty Wednesday # 14

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine.

This was serious and written for male supervisors of women in the workforce during World War II, a mere 63 years ago!
Obviously, the intent was not to be "funny," but by today's standards, this is hilarious!

For those of you with efficiency issues, pay attention to #8 !

Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees:

There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones that have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls, those who are just a little on the heavy side, are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination, one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but also reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses that would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time; the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule ! of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do.Never ridicule a woman, it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women.Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

This sums up what has happened to our society more concisely than anything else I have seen.........

In the year 2007, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in England and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans."

He gave Noah the CAD drawings, saying, "You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard but no Ark. "Noah!" He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark ?" "Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed. I needed Building Regulations Approval. I've been arguing with the Fire Brigade about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbours claim that I should have obtained planning permission for building the Ark in my garden because it is development of the site even though in my view it is a temporary structure. We had to go to appeal to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Then the Department of Transport demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it. Getting the wood was another problem.

All the decent trees have Tree Preservation Orders on them and we live in a Site of Special Scientific Interest set up in order to protect the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go! When I started gathering the animals, the RSPCA sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Then the County Council, the Environment Agency and the Rivers Authority ruled that I could not build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood. I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission on how many MBAs I'm supposed to hire for my building team. The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only unionised workers with Ark-building credentials.

To make matters worse, Customs and Excise seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark."

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"

"No," said the Lord. "The government beat me to it."

Have a happy day- I'm meeting a friend for lunch.

Briam

You may remember that on Sunday I was invited to a house warming party and wanted to take a Greek dish. Why Greek in particular you may ask. Many of the people attending are companions on regular bi-annual holiday trips to Greece and Corfu so when they meet up the food has a Greek theme. Part of this event was to share photos and videos of the group's last trip back in May. Anna, the hostess, is trying to get me interested in going on one of these trips in the future.
I've never cooked a Greek dish and after a quick trawl via google I decided to go for simplicity and make my own version of Briam. This is the end result- but was it a success I hear you ask- well let's put it this way I brought home an empty bowl!! Oh and I cooked it again yesterday so that Embee can try it and because I rather liked it myself and I had lots of vegetable to use up. I think it would probably freeze quite well but I haven't tried that this time.


Method:
Chop up the veg. (I chopped smaller that was recommended) I won't put quantities because you can vary to suit yourself.
I used:

Aubergines (Eggplant)
Courgettes (Zucchini)
Green Pepper
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions (red and white)
Bunch parsley (chopped) + some to garnish
Garlic (4 cloves could probably have put a few more)
Salt and pepper (seasoning)
Cup of stock
Half cup of Greek Olive oil (vary to quantity of veg).

Place the chopped vegetables in baking dish add stock and oil (I actually used a large baking tin- But I think the idea is to cook in dish and serve)
Bake in a moderate oven (170) for 1-1.5 hours. Will need gentle turning.

Am I planning to visit Greece well I've never been and seeing all the photos made it very tempting but my next big trip is more likely to be San Fransisco!

I had intended to post about my visit to Niagara on the Lake but that will come later in the week.

Fun Monday# 26

Willowtree is our host this week and he asked us:

"Tell us about your best friend. Particularly things like: where you first met, how long you've been friends and why you think you are best friends"

OR

"Who is the TV character that most makes you want to put your foot through the screen (it must be a character, not a person in reality TV). And why."

When I first read this I thought I don't think I can play this week because I don't really have a best friend.
I could, however, just write one sentance and say I have always felt that my daughters are my best friends as they are the ones who love me no matter what but I didn't think I could get away with that!!

Anyway it got me thinking!! How do you define a 'best' friend. For me it's a confidente, someone with whom you can share your innermost thoughts, someone who will laugh and cry with you and be there in your hour of need. You feel comfortable with them and you know they won't judge you because your house is untidy and your life is a mess. If you call a friend just as (s)he are settling down to a favourite TV programme they turn if off to listen rather than say I'll call you back (days later!). A friend may have traits that you don't like and they may enjoy different interests but you can speak your mind, disagree and debate on issues without fear of being judged and found wanting. A true friend is someone you may not see for a long time but when you meet it's like you only met yesterday.
At different stages in my life I have enjoyed some very good friendships. I am still in contact with several (but now only at Christmas when we catch up on the past year). I have one friend I met back in the early 50's at Junior school. I have many stories I could tell from our teenage years (hmm I might tell sometime!), oh and I was her bridesmaid which was a great thrill.

Another friend I met the day I started at Secondary School (aged 11) remained a close friend until she moved away when our children were toddlers but I'm still in touch with her, more recently we have started emailing which is lovely.
When I was a nursing student seven of us became good friends. Six of us eventually shared a flat and the other person lived at home which was only over the road so she spent a lot of time at or flat. We all went our separate ways after completing our training but I still kept in touch mainly through my one friend. She made her home in South Africa and is Godmother to Sam. A few years ago we (all 7 of us) had a reunion and it was just like turning the clock back.

When my first marriage failed, not long after we had moved house, I was surprised that it was two new friends (who moved to the area not long after me) who supported me and listened to me feeling sorry for myself and helping with the girls (between us we had 7 girls). It was a very sad time for us when these friends moved to different parts of the country. I will be forever grateful to them for all their love and friendship, sadly one of them lost her daughter in a riding accident a few years later.

All through my working life I didn't really have time to forge, what I would call a 'best' friendship, life was too hectic caring for the family and any spare time was spent playing tennis which was my big passion. During this time my dog Tamsie was my best friend, she loved going to the Tennis club with me. She was always there welcoming me home, comforting me if I was sad, slinking away when I was cross with her but really delighted when I forgave her. So I think I will leave you with a photo of Tamsie reclining in the dining room. I should just add Tamsie is no longer with us but I still miss her even after 14 years.

I don't think this is quite what Willowtree had in mind but heho it's the best I could do! I'm now off to visit everyone else.

My 300th Post

I suddenly realised that this is my 300th post so I thought it was worth a mention. It seems not long ago I was reaching the 200 mark.
Today I have been invited to a housewarming and have to take a Greek dish. Now I've never done any Greek cooking so I wanted something simple. My first thought was salad but Tina, my travelling buddy, is taking a Greek Salad so with a little help from Google I am going to make Briam which looked very easy as all you do is bake the vegetables. Hope it turns out as it should I have actually combined two recipes- maybe not the most intelligent thing when you won't have time to make anything else if it doesn't work. Actually I don't think much can go wrong- famous last words well we shall see. I meant to take a photo before I put it in the oven and forgot if I remember I will take an after shot and do another post.

I don't know about anyone else but I have had trouble with blogger this weekend. Yesterday I could not get into many comment boxes including my own. I could not even get to connect to a lot of my usual blogs. Today it took ages to connect and now it won't let me upload an image I created especially for this post. I can see they have been making changes and whenever this happens there are problems!!

I WILL ADD THE IMAGE LATER IF BLOGGER COOPERATES!!
Hoorah at last!!

Beautiful Painting

You may recall Beccy featured this painting back in May. Beccy's mother-in-law is a very talented artist and she had very kindly agreed to paint a beach scene with all the family in it for me. I had seen the painting in progress when I visited and once it was finished Beccy was looking after it until I could collect it.
So you can imagine my surprised when I met her from the airport on Monday to see her come out carrying the painting. As soon as Embee arrived home from work we he set about hanging the painting above the fireplace in the sitting room. I love it and along with all my other pictures, I now have another that will be greatly treasured.

This post is to say a very big thank you to Marie who, I'm sure you will agree, has captured the girls and grandchildren (when they were younger) so beautifully and to Beccy for making sure it reached me safely.

Gifts from France

Just thought you might like to see the delicacies that Beccy brought us back from France.
The honey for my mother and I to share was beautifully wrapped in staw with a few walnuts and looked so pretty. I know we will enjoy the different flavour from the flowers and chestnuts (hope I've translated correctly)!!
Embee will enjoy trying the Foie Gras De Canard Entier Du Sud-Ouest. Maybe we need to keep it until Sam and Fred visit in September!! Oh yes-this particular 'Godard Foie Gras' is a medal winner so it should be good! I also have some Cassoulet au Confit De Canard and I'll let you know what it's like in due course.

Thank You Beccy.

The other surprise she brought with her I will post about tomorrow!!!

Enjoying good company!

I have just returned from dropping BECCY and Ben off at the airport. You will notice that I emphasise the BECCY since it was pointed out to me by the infamous Willowtree that I've hardly mentioned my daughter these last few days and Barbara was also wondering about her. I therefore decided that I'd better rectify that immediately.
Luckily for us Ben chose to go shopping one of the day's they were here - now he does not really like shopping but he does like spending his money and he knew he could go to the Disney Shop and the bear shop if we visited the local Mall. This meant that Beccy and I were able to look at a few shops (and buy a few things in between bribes, because once Ben had completed his purchases, like the typical male shopper he was ready to go!!). However the lure of eating out and then going to see the new Harry Potter Film did give us a little leverage!! I know it is not everyone's cup of tea but I have to say I enjoyed the film and I am eagerly anticipating the next book.
This morning we took a walk to our local park and as I sat in the sun unbeknown to Beccy I took this photo so you could all see her enjoying herself on the seesaw (she's in her second childhood). Then just in case you didn't recognise her rear view I
called her to take a second shot!!

Beccy and Ben I've so enjoyed the last few days and I hope you have a safe and uneventful journey home- I'm just off to tidy up and then collapse in a chair to watch 'Home and Away' for half an hour to recover (only joking)!! Love to everyone and looking forward to seeing you again in August. xx

We're all going to the Zoo today

We're going to the zoo today,
Going to the zoo
To see lots of animals,
That's what we're gonna do! (song)

Well actually we went yesterday and had a lovely day as it was really warm and sunny. I haven't been to Bristol Zoo for years even though it's on my doorstep ( well a couple of miles away) so it was nice to see how they have altered their emphasis away from big animals. It was not too crowded and there were lots of children really enjoying school trips as here in England the school year is drawing to a close.

Ben decided to take his new bear " Fluffy' with him to enjoy the fun.
Fluffy was very safe in his car seat.
Before anyone comments Ben was also strapped in.
Ben found this to be great fun. He was learning how the loin marked his territory!! You can't see the water spraying out in this photo!!
There were lots of photo opportunities for Ben and Fluffy.
Of course 'someone' had to touch the Monkey Puzzle tree!!
No he's not in agony just roaring like a lion.
Not sure what we are doing this morning and Beccy and Ben are off home later today.

Witty Wednesday # 13

Two enginneering students are walking accross the campus, one says to the other "where did you get that new bike?" "Well I was walking through the woods the other day and this woman rode up to me, jumped off the bike tore all her clothes off and said take what you like. So I took the Bike" The other replied " you did right, I expect her clothes probably would not have fitted you".



Business Opportunity - (This is supposed to be a genuine letter but I doubt it is!!)

Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State,
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

16 May 2007


Dear Secretary of State,

My friend, who is in farming at the moment, recently received a cheque for £3,000 from the Rural Payments Agency for not rearing pigs. I would now like to join the "not rearing pigs" business.

In your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to rear pigs on, and which is the best breed of pigs not to rear? I want to be sure I approach this endeavour in keeping with all government policies, as dictated by the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy.

I would prefer not to rear bacon pigs, but if this is not the type you want not rearing, I will just as gladly not rear porkers. Are there any advantages in not rearing rare breeds such as Saddlebacks or Gloucester Old Spots, or are there too many people already not rearing these?

As I see it, the hardest part of this programme will be keeping an accurate record of how many pigs I haven't reared. Are there any Government or Local Authority courses on this?

My friend is very satisfied with this business. He has been rearing pigs for forty years or so, and the best he ever made on them was £1,422 in 1968.

That is - until this year, when he received a cheque for not rearing any.

If I get £3,000 for not rearing 50 pigs, will I get £6,000 for not rearing 100?

I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 pigs not raised, which will mean about £240,000 for the first year. As I become more expert in not rearing pigs, I plan to be more ambitious, perhaps increasing to, say, 40,000 pigs not reared in my second year, for which I should expect about £2.4 million from your department. Incidentally, I wonder if I would be eligible to receive tradable carbon credits for all these pigs not producing harmful and polluting methane gases?

Another point: These pigs that I plan not to rear will not eat 2,000 tonnes of cereals. I understand that you also pay farmers for not growing crops. Will I qualify for payments for not growing cereals to not feed the pigs I don't rear?

I am also considering the "not milking cows" business, so please send any information you have on that too. Please could you also include the current Defra advice on set aside fields? Can this be done on an e-commerce basis with virtual fields (of which I seem to have several thousand hectares)?

In view of the above you will realise that I will be totally unemployed, and will therefore qualify for unemployment benefits.

I shall of course be voting for your party at the next general election.

Yours faithfully,
Nigel Johnson-Hill

This is just how ridiculous the state of farming is in this country.

We are hoping to visit Bristol Zoo today at Ben's request but the weather is not looking good so keep your fingers crossed for us.

A bomb has hit the house!

My house is turned upside down and I'm loving it. I have a little treasure who is calling me to go and play cars. I have just helped make a parachute for the Moose I brought him back from Canada and it has been flying down the stairs. See the missing teeth I think the tooth fairy will be calling!!!
Yesterday at lunch Ben decided that my omelette was not like his mum's but he did manage to eat quite a lot of it and he loves his raw veggies.
Not sure what we have planned for today we have just had a thunderstorm and the weather forecast is not good for today.

Fun Monday# 25

Tiggerlane is the host this week this is her wish:

"I wanna see your CAR! It can be your current car, the first car you ever had, maybe your first new car with that new-car smell, a car you wrecked once, or even the dream car you would drive - given all the money in the world! Oh - and if you have a truck, SUV, lawnmower, whatever the local authorities allow you to drive, let's see it!"

This is the closest I could find to a picture of my very first car which was a white Renault 4. I bought it back in 1972 from a policeman who was selling it for his son. It was just at the time I was taking my test for the second time. I had first tried and failed ten years earlier (as an 18yr old -long story don't ask actually but it would make a good post -how I landed in a ditch while practicing with my father!). Back to the car- you would think you could trust a policeman, but no when I came to have it serviced after a few months it needed so much doing to it I sold it. If you're wonderig Yes- I did pass my test the second time and I remember the thrill of going for my first drive. Also this meant no more buses with a pushchair or trying to carry a weeks shopping uphill to our house with two children in tow.

I can never stick to the rules so I just had to show you a picture of Embee's Jenson Healey. This was a really great car and he only bought it because I had always wanted a sports car. It was a lovely car but not suitable for a family, however we did go to Cornwall on our first ever holiday (I won't mention the fact that we almost got to the motorway and had to go back for embee's toilet bag). Embee had booked a caravan at Harlyn Bay - I was not keen as I like my comforts but it was a last minute decision during the hot summer of 1976. I know that Sam has mentioned this caravan before but I just wanted to show you how hideous it was. We were driving around the caravan site trying to find out which one was ours and I said ' hope it's not that awful purple one. You've guessed- it was. I can't tell you how relieved I was that we spent so little time in it. That was my first and last caravan holiday and after this I always booked the holidays. We went back to the same area in Cornwall for many years but always rented a flat or house after this.


My visitors are here (plane was late arriving) so I must go and make lunch!! I will get round to visiting everyone but it may take me a little longer than usual.

Butterfly Conservatory Niagara

This is just a quick post as I have a very busy day getting ready for special visitors who arrive tomorrow. No prizes for guessing who is coming to stay!!

The Butterfly Conservatory is a fascinating place to visit. Inside the dome you are surrounded by many really beautiful butterflies. Although you are asked not to touch them they settle on the visitors and there are feeding plates around the dome so you are able to get a really close look. Taking photos is not always so easy -just as you think you have a good shot off they fly. They have lovely names such as Zebra Long Wing, Blue/white Morpho, Red Postman, Giant Swallowtail to name a few in the collage. The picture of the incubation chamber is not that clear but it was interesting to see.

 

The grounds are beautiful and the flowers are chosen to encourage the butterflies. There are vegetable plots and an enclosed garden all well worth a visit. As we were looking at the vegetables I suddenly heard a peacock and we found this lonely guy in a cage. It would have been nice to see his tail spread but he clearly didn't feel like struting his stuff for us!!
Close by is the Floral clock and we just stopped off to take a photo.

Happy Birthday Fred.

Fred (my daughter Sam's partner) rather aptly shares his birthday with Bastille Day. I found this rather nice photo of them taken a few years ago possibly at Tahoe but I'm not certain.

So Fred have a very HAPPY double celebration xx