"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"  !!