I am beginning to sort out some of the photographs from our sojourn to the Yorkshire Dales. We stayed at a converted Wesleyan chapel. Apparently the deeds stated that it could still be called upon to provide a space for Wesleyan worship should the need arise.
The sun shone on ripening corn as we arrived .
We went off to Leyburn on the Sunday and enjoyed an alfresco coffee at the Tourist information and texted my mother to check up on what Fat Rascals were. I had this idea that my Grandma used to make them, and this was confirmed, together with a recipe. Then the rain started ...
The metal peacocks in the garden provided plenty of photo opportunities, as did the garden furniture.
Recently, as I have looked at the blog, the time since the last posting becomes more daunting and off putting. Today, I have decided to cast caution to the wind and start writing and stop the gap. It will probably be a bit of flit about like the dragonflies we saw on Sunday. They were not the iridescent blue ones we saw at Leighton Moss earlier in the year; these ones seemed to have much more cumbersome bodies, possible Hawkers. Constantly on the move, it was impossible to take a photo of them as they dashed and dived among the reeds. Somehow, none of their wings seemed to beat in synchrony as they provided the action while the ducks and coots swam calmly about their business in the background. On our last visit the black headed gulls were in full nesting and breeding swing, raucous and noisy, Sunday's visit was much quieter.
Sunday was sunny, typical really, as it was the last day of our fortnight's holiday and the first full day's sun we had seen during that time. Wales, camping and current recent weather did not seem the ideal combo for a holiday idea so we had a change of plan and booked a converted Wesleyan Chapel in the Yorkshire Dales for a week. So, although it did rain, we didn't get too wet apart from getting spectacularly soaked at Bedale. The drenching was certainly more memorable than the place.
Stop start videos. I've been doing a bit of experimenting of late. Videos through the microscope, both time lapse and conventional, and then some playing around with a whizzy little app on the Ipad that will do time lapse/stop motion stuff..
Drops of water from the trays the sundew and pitcher plants sit in have shown there is a hive of activity going on in there with all manner of things whizzing and whirring around. The difficulty is in getting it all in focus, and trying to follow them around is almost a none starter.
The ferns seem to be getting settled in the new raised bed and are beginning to spore. I brought some fronds in and managed to get some time lapse of sporangia exploding out their spores. Who can say plants are boring?
The stop motion app is providing plenty of displacement activity!
That opening ceremony was something else, no wonder the queen had that "we are not amused look" throughout the proceedings. I have a sneaky feeling it was because they didn't let her do the helicopter parachute jump. (Or else she thought she was being asked to play the role of M in the next Bond film and realised as the stuntman jumped out in The Same Dress as Hers that this, alas, wasn't the case).As for the rest .... all very spectacular, but what did it all mean??
So now we have wall to wall Olympics, how is it possible not to get involved with things such as the most highly decorated fingernails manicure event?
Family and friends will confirm that I am not the most coordinated or sporty of individuals, however, I have become rather taken up with the archery and fencing. Neither demands a long concentration span, and the archery has the added advantage of having scoring rules which are easy to understand, (as well as some rather nice hats). The fencing rules are rather more beyond comprehension and the flashing red and green lights do little to lessen my confusion, but all that thrust and parrying is very balletic, even if you can't tell which competitor is which.
I look forward to the Synchronised Swimming, though having attended three aquatrim classes recently it has dawned on me that I don't have the necessary skills for this event either. Despite my best attempts to push the extremely buoyant noodle (see left) underwater and then stand on it, and then raise both feet up and down at the same time, I failed miserably; not least because I couldn't even get it sufficiently underwater to reach knee level, let alone foot level. I fared little better when trying to sit on the damned thing while waving arms and legs in several and opposite directions. While all around me were balancing their actions perfectly, I was the only one spluttering and floundering upside down in the water.
It's been 14 months since I started posting on Shutterchance, pretty much a picture a day and as I look through the archive I am surprised at what a good memory jogger it all is.
Most of the time I do not put titles to the pictures, though the date of posting is there. Many weeks have a rough theme; these are interspersed with random pictures from my chaotic cataloguing.
The sample above includes trips away to Edinburgh, Somerset and the Lake district; rainy day microscopy; walks on Wharton Crags and around Lancaster; a tulip from my mother's garden; close-up practice.
The dreich and dismal weather is not conducive to getting out and about, so the consensus was that we join a gym. It has to be said that the "gym" bit did not appeal to me at all, but when I was told that there was a swimming pool the concept of a new exercise regime did become more appealing as I realised I could factor it into my jacuzzi and sauna combo scenario. So we have already been a few times and while my co aquaphile powers her way through length upon length, I dabble about with my apology to the crawl and do approximately two lengths and one jacuzzi session to every 20 lengths of hers. Younger daughter has however pointed out that this HAS to stand me in better stead should the river flood and I need to get to the other side.
Well it didn't start out as a rainy day activity (because at that point it hadn't started raining); it started out as "I must get a few more miles on the odometer so that when that nice man at the bike shop does the 6 week check up he doesn't think I am using my bike as an expensive garden ornament". I set off along the river for Woody's snack bar; an elevenses mug of tea and a spicy beanburger while enjoying the view seemed a good incentive. However, when I got to the aqueduct I noticed that a ramp had been built, so a quick change of plan and destination was made. Getting bike and self onto the canal tow path meant that I did not require the medical attention that would have been essential had I gone for the carrying of bike up the steep steps option.
As it was an overcast day (no rain yet), there were few people around which was good as it does take a little time to get into narrow canal tow path cycling mode, especially when the canal looks rather full. There were a few dog walkers around but most seemed to be of owner in charge of dog sort, rather than the rampant dog in charge of owner sort. Luckily no dogs or owners of any sort were encountered as I negotiated the many bridges. Said bridges are preceded by the tow path equivalent of a speed bump which is followed by cobblestones under the (low) bridge. Also, why is it that all bridges seem to be on a curve so that it is impossible to see ahead? Slow pedalling techniques on a slippery cobblestoned curved path seem to me to be recipe for disaster. I realised that perhaps I should be ringing the bicycle bell while doing these manoevres, but that seemed too much of a multitasking demand.
A decision had to be made once I reached the sign indicating Morecambe or Carnforth. I opted for Carnforth as it would add more miles to the clock. I continued, and cheerily acknowledged a fellow tow path user by saying it was good it was still dry, she informed me that she was walking into the wind AND rain. Unperturbed I cycled on and once in Carnforth made my way to the station and its coffee shop (cue in music from Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto No. 2).
I had been remiss in not taking my camera, though did take a picture using my phone.
Having been suitably refreshed I stepped outside into the pouring rain. It looked set for the duration, so I had no choice but to brave the elements and cycle back. The good thing was that there were very few other feckless dauntless canal path users, the down side was that within a very short time I was totally droukit. However ..... importantly, by the time I got home, another 20 miles had been added to the odometer.
I am beginning to sort out some of the photographs from our sojourn to the Yorkshire Dales. We stayed at a converted Wesleyan chapel. Apparently the deeds stated that it could still be called upon to provide a space for Wesleyan worship should the need arise.
The sun shone on ripening corn as we arrived .
