London Evening/(I Could Have Danced All Night!)

Hey! We really did go to London in September, honest we did!
Do you remember the post that I did when I was so happy that we arrived just in time to walk across Waterloo Bridge and see the sunset over the Thames?  After that, we walked along the South Bank and then walked back over the Thames on the very lovely Westminster Bridge, which of course, has the magnificent Houses of Parliament on the other side!

The London Eye is lit up in red at night and the building beside it, why you would never guess this...when the famous chimes from Big Ben are sounded on the quarter hour, the lights on the building  changes from...let's see, I think it was red and then blue and was there a bit of purple? (Maybe as it is changing, I don't know...anyway, it was beautiful to glance over my shoulder and notice the color change!) The building beside the London Eye used to be the seat of the Greater London Council but now...it is the place where you buy tickets for the London Eye!  (It is used for other things also, after all it is a very big building but it is funny just to say that is where you buy tickets for the London Eye, don't you think ?) We have been on the London Eye before and I do recommend it!  You will see the London Eye described as a Ferris Wheel but that is not really true. It is more like a wheel of a bicycle, with the compartments as if they are at the end of the spokes of a bike, can you see what I mean?

Look! Richard got a photo of me looking up at the famous tower. now called Elizabeth Tower, after Queen Elizabeth.  I know that Big Ben is really the bell but I will always think of it as Big Ben myself!  It should be on the same par as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it is that beautiful.

At night, this can look like the face of an owl, the two sides of the clock looking like big eyes...you can see this better if you go back and look at the first photo on this post.

Richard took this great shot of a pub...there were so many out and about, having a good time!

Lovely to see this framed art poster of the exquisite Audrey Hepburn in the hotel lounge! I have written of my admiration of her before, she was not only a beautiful actress but a truly noble human being.  She had her songs dubbed by Marni Nixon in the movie, "My Fair Lady" but I found a video of her singing the song herself. I love to hear her sing this in her own voice.

(By the way, folks, I have a new computer, and I hit something and it underlined bits of this in red, can anyone tell me what I have done?)

Wish me luck, I am getting set in my ways and find it difficult to learn new things! 

Ovenbird...Migrating Through Georgia!

Georgia is experiencing a drought, one of the worst we have ever had.  The birds, in particular, are noticeable to us in their search for water.  The small trays of water that we have out on our tiny patio must be advertised on the bird highway as the cleanest, most perfect water for miles around!

We saw a bird yesterday drinking water that we have never seen before. We believe that it was an ovenbird. (It is called this because the bird nests on the ground, in a nest that looks like...you guessed it, an oven!)

You can look back on an earlier post and see that it somewhat resembles the state bird of Georgia, the Brown Thrasher...but the ovenbird is much smaller and the brown thrasher is more of a chestnut brown, and the eyes of the brown thrasher are not as rounded and the beak on the brown thrasher is longer. (I really do know the Brown Thrasher!)

Now, there is also a wood thrush...it looks similar but it is...well, it is the wood thrush, look it up! We heard it singing when we were walking on the trail at Stone Mountain one time, and the song of that bird was outstandingly beautiful.

Don't believe me?  Listen, this is Henry David Thoreau had to say about the song of the wood thrush...

Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.

May I just say...if you don't have close access to birds. these birds might look all the same to you, just brown birds.  However, if you look at them closely and if you are lucky enough to observe them from just a few feet away, you will see that the color of brown is strikingly beautiful and the streaky pattern on the feathers is as distinctive as the stripes on a tiger! Ah, there I go again, showing my love for birds!  These creatures are free for anyone to enjoy.  You only have to have the eyes to see them!
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Hey! Guess what! We have had computer problems, so for a while, I won't be able to put many photos on here.  Hope to get it sorted it out soon!  I know it is popular to say computer "issues" but it feels more like "problems" to me! 

I am in need of something cheerful, how about Glen Campbell singing (and playing the bagpipes!) to "Mull of Kintyre".  Hope you will like this as much as I do.  Glen Campbell should be honored much more than he has been.  I know he is very ill just now, he is in the last stages of Alzheimer's.  So sad.  All the more reason for more people to know his great talent, I think.
(I loved his show on TV which ran from 1969 until 1972...The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour.)
I have had this video on here before, but it is worth watching again and again!  The song "Mull of Kintyre" was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in 1977.  It was not a hit in the USA but it SHOULD have been!

Take care everyone! Look out for birds...and bagpipes!

October Days- Special

Oct. 22, 2012. - Sunset At Arabia Mountain

Oct. 22, 2013...Blue Heron at Lake Alexander, Panola Mountain State Park

Cheesy Corn Muffins - Oct. 22, 2014

Eastbourne, England - Oct. 22, 2015

October!  It has always been a special month, the weather here in Georgia starts to cool down and the leaves change into gorgeous yellows, reds and browns. (Last year, we were in England in October...and it was lovely there too!)  I thought it would be fun to show you the photos from the same date in October.  

Sending best wishes to Scriptor Senex (John) who not only had a birthday this weekend, but also celebrated the arrival of TWO grandchildren! Talk about October being a special month!
  You may send your best wishes to Scriptor and you may find his blog just here!  Cheers, John! I am very happy for you and Jo and all your family!

Walking on the Rockdale River Trail...Oct. 22, 2016

Birds And Butterflies

Monarch butterfly! This is the only one we have seen this year and it was in our backyard. (For all we know, there might have been dozens of them, but maybe they came down when we were at work!)

Have you seen any?

We only see the rose breasted grosbeak as it migrates in the Spring and Fall.  Richard was able to get a photo of the female as it was drinking water from our small bird dish on our patio this week. (It has the top of the watering can in front of it.)   I tried very hard to get a photo of this bird myself but when I saw it, it was eating the berries off the beauty berry bush and it just would not hold still long enough for me to photograph it! 


Have you seen any birds that you don't normally see? Chances are that they might be migrating! 

Above is a a photo of the postcard that I mailed to my Dad...I sent him another one that he never received.  It was reported on the news tonight that a postal employee had dumped several batches of mail on the side of the road in Atlanta!  (There was the postcard that my Dad never got, I bet!)  Oh well, good thing I thought to send him two, so at least he got one! 

Have you ever had mail to go astray and you have no idea what happened to it?

My friends, I have been a bit under the weather this week...nothing serious but I hope to be better soon. 

Keep looking for birds and butterflies...and I will ask my Dad to keep looking for that other postcard!

Tell America It's Great (Right Back At Ya, Canada)

"All the warm lighted windows below in the town"...

   When we fly to England, we fly from Atlanta and so, the plane goes along the Eastern part of the country. Recently, when we visited, it was clear and I was able to make out the rivers of Pittsburgh, the Capitol in Washington D.C. and in New York City, the tall skyscrapers.  When those giant buildings came into my view, I marveled at the beauty of it all, even from such a distance.

America! You have been through so much lately.  I am thinking that this country could use a little love.  Well, guess what, our neighbors to the north are doing just that.  Have you seen this video that Canadians have made for Americans?  After I watched this, it made me think...when someone does something for you and you say, "That was so NICE", instead we should say, "That was so CANADIAN"!

Oh Canada!  May I say for my country, thank you! We needed that!





  

At The Beach (In Art and In Person)

The Beach at Eastbourne. September 2016

My in-laws, Joan and Peter admired a painting at a friend's house.  It reminded them very much of myself and Christopher when we took them to Florida when C. was a little boy!  Joan always commented on it when she visited. The kind friend had a copy of it made and Joan and  Peter have it in their lounge! (I would say living room but there you are, they call it a lounge in England!  And it is behind the settee but in America, I would say "sofa" or "couch"!)

Anyway, before I got distracted there by my amusement at the different words we use while we have the same language, I wanted to ask you this question: 

Can you make out the name of the artist on this painting?

The first name is William (I think so anyway) but can you tell the last name? (Sorry, it is so dark, you must know I took the photo and not Richard!) I tried to research it on the internet while we were in England.  We thought it could be William Burns.  What do you think?

View From The Eastbourne Pier

Wish I was on the pier right now, enjoying a nice sea breeze! It is predicted that we will have record breaking heat again this week.
My car said 90 degrees this afternoon! What is it like in your part of the world? Cool and comfortable? Ah, that's sounds more like it!

Happy Birthday, Peter! (Hearts A Busting!)

Today (Oct. 14th) is the birthday of my father-in-law in England. Happy birthday, Peter! (It is still your birthday here, but you must be fast asleep in England as I type this post!) 
I told you that my stepmom had been in hospital recently. (There, I typed it "in hospital", the English way!) This has made me think...stepmom, father-in-law...there really should be better words to describe these people who are so dear to me.  

Years ago, I had a photo of a native plant here in Georgia and it is sometimes called a strawberry bush but for me,this name is even better...it is the "hearts a busting with love " bush, often shortened to "hearts a bustin'"  This week began with time spent in a hospital with my stepmom and today, I spoke with my father-in-law on the phone during my lunch hour.  
My heart is busting with love!

Hearts A Bustin' (With Love)  ...photo from Panola Mountain State Park, Georgia


Unfortunately, some overzealous person at the park cut back most of the plants on the side of the trail and cut down this beautiful bush! I saw Elaine Nash recently (I have written of her before, if I can find it, I will add a link here!)  Anyway, when I told her this, she said, "Don't worry, it is a perennial, it'll be back".  That made me smile..."Hearts A Busting with love"...yes, that is a perennial!   

Fuchsia  (In England)

When we were in England, I asked Richard to take a photo of this lovely fuchsia.  The colors remind me of the berry of the "hearts a bustin" bush.  You know I had to find an English connection, didn't you?  Oh and by the way, you can see rain dripping off this flower but this was the only day we had any rain in England and we were there for two weeks!  

Take care everyone, hope you have a great weekend!

Been Busy- I Am Not LION! (Lion Movie)

Hello! Once again, I have not been able to write a post for a while! My Dad called me at work on Monday and said he was taking my step mom to the doctor...and then, he called back and said she was being admitted to the hospital, and surgery was possible!  (Note, in England, they would say...admitted to hospital, we say admitted to THE hospital, why is that, can anyone tell me?)
Anyway, she is much better now and was sent home today, thank goodness! (No surgery!) Here's the thing, my Dad is a diabetic and requires insulin shots and my stepmom is the one who always gave them, and also made sure he took the proper medication.  So... I went to my Dad's and my stepmom gave me the instructions of how to do everything over the phone.  Beside giving shots, I can also help with feeding a calf, feeding chickens, and basically trying to keep up with my Dad who wants to do lots of things even though he is now 89 years of age!  Whew!  So you see, I have not had time to even look at a computer! It was back to work today though and thankfully, one of my co-workers had done a lot of my paperwork, for which I am very thankful! (So much to be thankful for!)

Okay my friends, I just have time to tell you something that I saw on the BBC...it is a movie called "Lion".  I have the trailer for you...and I have no idea why it is called "Lion" but I have a photo of a lion from the British Museum.  The film says it is based on a true story and if you have read my blog before, you know that is the best kind of story for me.  (Besides, I really like the young actor in this film, Dev Patel. He somehow reminds me of my son, not sure why, they just look handsome but also kind and gentle.)

Here's the video...tell me, don't you think it looks good? It should come out in the USA at Thanksgiving. 

Simple Pleasures

Hello! How are you all doing? What have I been doing? Well, nothing exciting but very busy nonetheless.

Yellow daisies growing in a pot in my own back yard! I planted them from seed! Our good friend, Mary watered them for us while we were in England, and they have been very beautiful!

 I will even pose with a giant flower at a bus stop in London! (This was a poster to advertise the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at the Tate Modern.)  For Pete's sake, I just had to go back and correct the spelling of her name ...and the name is right there on the dang poster! 

At my Dad's on Saturday, the clouds were the remnants of the outer edge of Hurricane Matthew.  No rain here, just clouds.  

My Dad made two pans of biscuits and they looked so good, I took a picture of them.  They tasted better than you could even imagine!

Daddy has a new calf and she is 8 days old.  Sadly, her mother "Sunshine" died just after giving birth.  She is a pretty calf but do you think she looks sad, or is it just me? 

Not much time for our walks lately but we have been able to walk at the weekends.  Stone Mountain in early morning light should be a subject for artists.

Our son and his girlfriend came over for a visit and I cooked them a meal. Thank goodness, it was a success! (Might not win any prizes but they seemed to like it and appreciate it. Big deal for me, I am NOT the best cook in the world.)

The Atlanta Braves has Timothy Miller sing "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch.  I found a video of him singing this from last year.  Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! 

I will go on record and tell you that my Dad thinks that the Cubs will be in the World Series, we will see!

Eastbourne For Lewis Carroll (And For Us Too)

"We seemed more free and an air of holiday over it all...a perfect dream of delight".

"...to be there stimulated the imagination".

In Eastbourne this summer, they had a "Summer Seaside" Exhibit...1870-1970 at the Redoubt.  (The Redoubt is a fortress which was built in order to defend the area from a possible invasion from Napoleon. Didn't happen of course, but hey, they were ready!)

If you read the sign below, you will see that Lewis Carroll, the author of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland", visited Eastbourne every summer for nineteen years. It is interesting to note that the young woman's words from the late 1890's could very much  describe how we feel when we visit there.  The letter goes on to talk of  Lewis Carroll becoming lost on the Downs in the fog and I can only imagine how scary that could be...

Here are a couple of photos of the desk that was used by Lewis Carroll when he was in Eastbourne!

Just in case you don't know what fog looks like, I have a few photos of that too!

At the Redoubt Museum Gift shop, I noticed that there were quite a few books about Lewis Carroll but not the one by Jenny Woolf, that I have mentioned on my blog before.... Well, you know I had to share the knowledge of this to the woman behind the gift shop counter!

"The Mystery of Lewis Carroll" by Jenny Woolf.

http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk/

Don't worry that we got lost in the fog, we had great walking weather. You may walk on a beautiful promenade along the seafront which extends for a couple of miles. (It is called the seafront.)  Notice that the hotels built during the Victorian era were built ACROSS the street from the beach, so they all have such lovely views!  

  

"We seemed more free and an air of holiday over it all...a perfect dream of delight".

It Was The Best of Times, It Was The Worst of Times

Oh boy, that was some football game! (College football: The University of Georgia vs. University of Tennessee).  When you are behind in the score, you can always throw what is called a "Hail Mary" pass. With four seconds to go, Tennessee threw such a pass...and ended up winning the game, 34-31. The Georgia bulldog fans were stunned....for them, it was the worst of times.

On the same day (yesterday, Oct. 1st), the Atlanta Braves played the Detroit Tigers in an inter-league baseball game. (The Braves are National League and the Tigers are American League.)  The Tigers are hoping for a chance to be a Wild Card contender for the World Series.  The Braves have no such chance, having lost so many games at the beginning of their season. (Although they have had an OUTSTANDING September, having won, I think, 10 of their last 13 games!)  Watching the game on TV was fun but I must admit, it would have been great to have been there...the Braves beat the Tigers, 5-3, in a very exciting and close game!

Our son was there with friends and I just wish I could have been there too!  This would be considered the best of times.

With sincere apologies to Charles Dickens! (A Tale of Two Cities), these games reminded me of this...


. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…

Dansby Swanson, (you gotta love that name!) was one of the heroes from last night's game! I have a clip of him above (in his movie star looks) and it shows him from earlier in September when he hit an inside the park homerun! (Inside park home run- hitter hits the ball and is able to make it to all three bases and then to home plate, it very rarely happens!)
We were in England at the time of this game and my Dad couldn't believe that it didn't make it on the news over there!