"Maxi" Christmas Decorations

We have minimal storage in our house - so this is the best I can do!!  Happy Christmas one and all.

Wintry Landscape and Source of the Thames

After a night of freezing fog and very low temperatures I was out in the early morning taking photos of these lovely scenes.  We live near the source of The Thames and river is flowing well after much rainfall this autumn.

Into The Wrecking Bay!

We visit AV8 cafe on Kemble Airfield fairly frequently and keep an eye on the planes that arrive for salvaging.  These steel birds will never flap again!  There have been some weird and wonderful worn out fliers arriving here including two inaptly named "Lucky Air" !!!!

Weather Photos

A few of my blogging friends have commented on the lack of photos in this sporadic blog - especially the ones living in Hong Kong and Australia.   Well - here you are - enjoy these if you can!  We have monsoon conditions today but I braved the weather to go swimming (ironic?). I came across a large flood on the way and would not have had the nerve to drive through but for the car in front that blazed the trail.  Whew - I made it!

It looks as if the farmer's grain store will be flooded yet again.

JUST FOR JANE

Sorry - no frosty pictures yet.  Today had lunch with Maris and Madge at AV8!

DORSET

We visited Dorset for a few days and enjoyed lovely sunny weather.  We like steam trains so journeyed from Corfe Castle to Swanage and back.  We were lucky enough to sit in the observation car and on the way back were close up and personal with the steam engine.  The lovely chuff chuff noise reminded us of a panting dog!

We used the chain link ferry between Poole and Studland to visit some old haunts including waving "hello" to The Old Malthouse School (now closed) where my brother went to school.

Corfe Castle

The sea was a lovely blue and this view is of Chapman's Pool.

Apologies to all Australians

My brother lives in Australia and we sometimes tease him about the Aussie twang.  As a child I used to call my brother "an overproud lion with greasy fangs" (in a fit of pique).  The story about the supposed sightings of a lion near Clacton therefore has a double meaning for us!

I sent an email to my brother about the "lion".  I ended by saying that perhaps a rumour about a lion was started by a holidaying Australian talking about the "loyn".  We have often wondered how Australian children learn to spell if "loyn" could mean lion, loin or indeed line!!!

PS:  My brother replied "I loike it"  !!

A Narrow Squeak!

I have been looking forward to watching the Olympics.  We have put up with a TV that has a horrible brown smear over a third of the screen for about nine months. Yesterday we passed the TV shop in Cirencester and somehow we just drifted in - as you do!!  We came out with a brand new TV - so we were looking forward to watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Disaster - this morning we had a power cut.  According to our electricity supplier there had been a nasty emergency with power lines catching fire at a farm near us.  The chap I spoke to was rather gloomy about reconnection times.   I urged them to "hurry up" and fix it before tonight.   I received a slapped wrist for not worrying about potential injuries -  quite right too.   Happily the power is now back on - phew!

I had a little chuckle

I am always awake very early in the morning and usually turn on Radio 4 until it is time to get up.  Yesterday I was very amused to hear during the horse racing results that "Usain Colt" had been successful!!!

Different Tastes!

Husband and I are thinking ahead to our village street party.  The instructions are "to wear something red, white and blue and bring a plate of food".  A plate of food to Husband means peanut butter and banana sandwiches and marmite sandwiches.   URGGGGH!!!!!   Just the smell is disgusting.   I shall be eating hard-boiled egg and cress sandwiches and cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches.  Which combination would you prefer?

One of my blog followers is urging me on to post more often - well done to that guy!!!

AN AMUSING SIGHT


From our kitchen window which overlooks the village street we often espy unusual passing traffic.  Yesterday a freshly painted gypsy caravan pulled by the usual piebald type horse plodded through.  The horse was led by an oldish man in a very smart big black hat.   Today we did our usual Waitrose shop and found the caravan parked in the disabled bays with the horse tied up to a hedge which was quickly becoming demolished!   We bought some carrots for the horse and discovered from the owner that they had travelled from Cornwall and were slowly making their way to Appleby.  The horse was called Tarantino!

Also this morning, whilst doing the breakfast washing up, through the kitchen window we saw a cyclist labouring along towing an enormously long canoe which had warning flags front and aft!    I must keep my camera on the kitchen window sill!!

HAVE NOT GOT A CLUE ABOUT NEW FORMAT