Here the ripples in a puddle left behind by the retreating tide are dancing in the breeze
Ripples
For others in this week’s challenge, click here.
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Seeds, Eggs and Peace
We bought our first seeds today. I love Night Scented Stocks. Their flowers are quite insignificant in the daytime but the scent at night is glorious! 
This time of year we sometimes treat ourselves to mini eggs!
mini eggs
I have posted this poem before and today is another day when it is needed. My heart goes out to all those affected in Brussels. We were very relieved to hear from our nephew who lives and works in that city.
Peace Comes To You Poem Translated Into Arabic By Nancy Emad
Barry Hines, Rainbow and Spring Border
It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Barry Hines, the author of ‘A Kestrel for a Knave”. My copy is well thumbed and well loved and I have read it many, many times with classes of fifteen year olds who loved it as much as I did. The story spoke to my teenagers in Yorkshire and their eyes, like mine, would be full of tears when Billy finds that his beloved kestrel, Kes, has been murdered by his bullying big brother. If you have never read it, then I suggest you do. It is a remarkable piece of writing and made an excellent film, Kes, too.
A Kestrel For a Knave by Barry Hines
My treasures in the print case were lit up by rainbows from my Rainbow Maker today and I managed to catch a moment when the rainbow passed over my three wise monkeys. In the same shot you will see a heart stone. I was given this by a complete stranger when shopping in a mall in America. She came up to me saying, ‘My name is Sally and I feel a connection between us. I would like to give you this heart in remembrance of our fleeting friendship.” We chatted for a few moments and then she was gone……
Three Wise Monkeys caught in a flash of rainbow. I like how one doesn’t want to smell the colours and the next seems almost blinded by the brightness!
There is also a half-crown from the year that we were married and a little Mevagissey fisherman (one of a pair) that my Dad gave me when I was five or six and I have treasured ever since.
It has been a glorious day and the border outside our kitchen is looking lovely.
Fritillaria, Tete a Tete and Muscari
Walking and Singing Together
Dylan Thomas once said of Mousehole (pronounced Mowzel) that it was the prettiest village in England and it was here that we started our walk today with singers from two Cornish choirs, Levow an Bys and Dawn Chorus, in aid of Freedom from Torture. Join us all on this chilly walk as we make our way through Mousehole into Newlyn and thence to Penzance stopping at various points along the way to sing. What a splendid afternoon. Thank you P for inviting us along. Click on any photo for detail and the caption which will tell you what we sang at each point. Sorry I don’t have any recordings for you. Stopping to take photos was quite tricky in the midst of fifty walkers!
Scarecrow in an allotment along the coastal path
Passing allotments along the coastal path
Love the blue bottles and the white shells
Stopping to sing “Remember Me, Remember Me’ at The Penlee Lifeboat station, now closed, with St Michael’s Mount in the distance
Singing at the life boat station
On the cliffside
Being conducted by the sea
Singing ‘Te Aroha, Te Fakapono’ by the sea before Newlyn and with Penzance in the distance.
The basses
Pretty window box
Spring colour
Newlyn comes into view
Fascinating bit of history remembered on this plaque high up on the wall
Outside St Peter’s Church, Newlyn, getting ready to sing ‘May This Space be Filled With Joy and Harmony’
Walking along the front from Newlyn to Penzance
Just after our Flashmob in Lidl where we sang ‘Bambalela’
The Little Wonder Cafe on the prom in Penzance
Singing ‘Cornish Lads’ by Roger Bryant on the Prom in Penzance. The lovely Mr S was watching dolphins playing while we were singing with our backs to the water!
St Michael’s Mount from the prom
Earth Hour, Fritillaria and A Simple Supper
From Spain to Australia, America to India, Cornwall to Canada and all over the world – millions of people will be switching off their lights at 8:30pm (UK time), to show that they care about the future of our incredible planet. Earth Hour is all about celebrating our natural world and shining a spotlight on the threats it’s facing such as climate change, deforestation and illegal wildlife trade. We will be having a candle-lit evening and hoping that the clouds clear and that we can go out and look at the stars.
WWF Earth Hour
Today we have bought some new Fritillaria flowers as last year’s bulbs have only come up with two flowers so far. They are such remarkable blooms and we both love them.
Fritillaria
A few days ago Arlene posted a recipe for Longanisa which I had never heard of but which sounded delicious and I made them last night for our supper. They are as scrumptious as they sounded. I served them with Leeks in a white sauce and a Sweet Potato mash and we really enjoyed our meal. Looking them up, I discovered that they are a Filipino recipe and are served for breakfast!
Longanisa in the frying pan
Dandelion, Goldfinches and W B Yeats
I just love the goldenness of Dandelions. They may be seen as weeds but I love their brightness.
Dandelion
The bushes and the bird feeder are very busy with Goldfinches. We have also had Chaffinches and Long Tail Tits, Robins and a Wren – all getting ready for Spring.
Two of the Goldfinches
And just because I like this poem…. another by W B Yeats
Where My Books Go
All the words that I utter,
And all the words that I write,
Must spread out their wings untiring,
And never rest in their flight,
Till they come where your sad, sad heart is,
And sing to you in the night,
Beyond where the waters are moving,
Storm-darken’d or starry bright.
Weekly Photo Challenge – One Love
Swans mate for life. These two are on The Penryn River, Cornwall, UK.
Love for life
For others in this Challenge, click here.
Marmalade, Sunset and A Helicopter
When the Seville orange season was on, for just a few weeks in January, we were too busy to make marmalade so I froze the fruit. Yesterday, however, we ran out – something never heard of in our household nor in the household in which I grew up! So, despite the sunshine, I started the process yesterday and we spent the afternoon completing the making so we now have fifteen jars on the shelves with enough fruit for one more batch still in the freezer.
Marmalade
Sunsets at Porthtowan have been lovely this week so we went down to see it. Sadly, though it was rich as we arrived, it faded before it fell into the sea.
Sunset over Porthtowan
Surfers going home at sunset
Just before the sun faded completely as it slipped behind the cloud bank, a helicopter came over and my shot delighted me, looking as it does as if the helicopter is sitting on a pink balloon.
Helicopter sitting on the sun
Walk to Loe Bar on a Spring Afternoon
Join us on our beautiful walk today from Penrose Hill through the woods and on down to the beach at Loe Bar, the longest walk I have done since my hip replacements and it felt like quite an achievement! Click on any photo to see the bigger version and to see the caption.
Chestnut tree beginning to leaf up
Across Loe Pool
Kissing gate along the path
Beautiful bark
Rings on a tree trunk
One of the many ‘Green Gym’ activities
Cormorants on the pool
Cormorants fishing
Lovely view
Primroses
Loe Pool on the left, the sand bar and the sea of Mount’s Bay on the right
The sand bar at Loe Pool and beach
Sand and sea
Waves breaking on the shore
Bar Lodge
Gate post with lichen hair
Gate post and the moon
The garden at Penrose House
Daffodils on the Penrose Estate
A Thrush which entertained us for several minutes
The woods
One of the daffodil fields behind The Fox and Hounds at Comford where we stopped off for our dinner
Primrose Hedge, Window, First Bluebell and P.S.
Our walk into town is beautiful in Spring. I love this primrose hedge.
Primroses on a Cornish hedge
The sun was glinting off a curved window this morning.
Building in Redruth
Walking back up the lane we spotted a lone Bluebell flowering really early.
Bluebell
P.S. This evening, being the third Tuesday of the month, was a Humanist Meeting and it was a treat! We had Hilary Coleman and Sally Burley to tell us about their research into Cornish pub songs. The talk was illustrated by the singing of the Red River Singers and it was, to quote another member, ‘One of the best and most enjoyable meetings we have ever had!’ They have published a book of their research and the songs and it is fascinating.
Shout Kernow
