Some more nice pics

I have been inquiring about putting my photos onto disc, which is quite possible, but unfortunately it appears I have lost the negatives. So I have put on a few more photograghed photos because I have a very good collection.

First running in Suffolk.

Second two pics are of Lulworth Cove in Dorset. You can't beat the British coastline when we have the weather, and, on that year, we had. They call this the Jurassic coast, and it looks like there is a stone Nessie coming out of the waters.

Third pic, a picture of my husband Mark.

Fourth pic, a picture of the kids playing air guitar with their nets.

Fifth pic, genuine 'Wind in the Willows' country, messing around in boats, but Eleanor has fallen off her seat.

Sixth pic, around Durdle Door in Dorset. It is beautiful there, and to the bottom right in front of the rocks you can see the kids braving the cold waters in their blow-up hoop. (The burry spec in front of the rocks to the left)

Tessa Photos

John has got me thinking about photos which I have taken, because actually I have always taken a lot of photos. He has given me some advice on digitalising them, which I may take up.

In the meantime, (in my new found enthusiasm I want to start posting pics straight away) here are some old photos which I have taken a picture of on my digital of my dog Tessa when she was a lot younger. In April she will be sixteen. There is a puppy photo of her with outsize ears, which she later grew into, like all puppies do. They always have oversized feet and ears.

Secondly, a picture of her with me in front of some Yorkshire moorland. This was when Tessa was my baby, and I didn't have any real ones. I'm sure she didn't need carrying about that like that, as she is quite a big dog.

Thirdly Tessa has always liked swimming and here is her way in the distance in the middle of a Scottish loch.

When Jack was born you can see that he has usurped Tessa status a bit and here is her trying to get on Mark's knee along with Jack.

Lastly, we read in a book that the best way to introduce a dog to a new baby is to let the dog approach them in their own way. It goes without saying that you need to have the utmost trust in the dog, which we did. This is her on that occasion and it was very nice as she went up to him and licked him.

Two Things Sign/Post

I've done another challenge because the last one was a bit rubbish. (and it wasn't a sign it was a plaque).

This is so typically eccentric and English. You have the door sign (which, as Bobbie has pointed out, is quite an English thing) saying Toad Hall which is from Kenneth Graham's 'Wind in the Willows', so perhaps they have some autocratic Toad figure causing general mayhem in his car and throwing his weight around. It is quite a small terrace house but 'an Englishman's home is his castle' so they have called it the name of a stately home, albeit a fictional one. (and it is jokey, the English sense of humour). They also have a Victorian looking lamppost, which lends the pathway up to the door a bit of gravitas. No need for it, it's quite light round there at nights. But it harks back to the last English golden age, and perhaps we like reminding of this. It's 2007 but I like the way people just do what they want round here, even if it involves a bit of slightly naff Victoriana and toads.

Two Things Challenge Sign/Post

I am getting in the Two Things Challenge quite early this week, partly in response to more helpful if pedantic comments (lol) from Bez today on this blog, implying that I do not know my famous people from Hull, which I most certainly do. I have probably taken (unnecessary) umbrage at your comments because this is my blog and I pride myself on it being factual. Please note Bez, this has been posted on the very day which you made your comment, so I have not had a chance to go out and take a picture.

I was walking down this nondescript street of tiny terrace houses in a rough part of town when I noticed a sign saying that Amy Johnson, the first woman aviator, was born here, so I took a picture. She went a long way from this little house to flying to the Atlantic.

Can't you see the post part? Yes you can!

My Dog Scamp

I am involved in a lot of money-making schemes and homeworking on the internet at the moment, and came upon some poetry competitions. In one you could win £30 for a poem about your pet. It's a bit of a long shot, but worth a try. This is a poem based on Christopher Smart's poem 'My Cat Geoffry' and is written in the same style, but sadly isn't very poetic. It starts off quite poetic but then gets silly in the middle. The last line is in the style of Smart too (I thought it needed a bit of explanation as it sort of comes from nowhere).

My Dog Scamp

I will consider my dog Scamp

For he is a servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him

For he worships God in his own way

For he the first time he saw a bird in the sky

He froze and marvelled at its wonder

For God has blessed him with acute facilities

For he can find a ball in a cornfield

And he has a beard and fringe as scruffy as an unmade bed

Thereupon on occasions he has the appearance of only having one eye

For his eyes are bright and vulpine

But in head of a small furry housetrained vulpine

For he patrols the garden for the cats

For the sneaky felines wind him up through the glass door

So that he departs the back door as a coiled spring

For he can scale a high fence

For this must result from a turbo-charged adrenaline surge

And we are informed of his extra-curricular activities by neighbours ringing the doorbell

Firstly he checks under birdtables for peanuts

Secondly he checks in hedges for cats

Thirdly he checks in the gardens he passes for cats

For he has a cat obsession

But the only time he ever got close to the arched hissing enemy he backed away swiftly

For on the walk to the corner shop he prances with tail erect like a king on his progress

For he is frightened of Jack Russells

But he likes running rings round Alsatians

For he outmanoeurves them by weaving to and fro

For he is supremely proud of this skill

And exercises it whenever possible

But tucks in his behind just for safety's sake

For he is a godly creature

Mick Ronson Research

I don't know whether Bez is still reading this blog but today I did a bit of research about only the fourth famous person who has come from Hull (where I live), after Andrew Marvell, William Wilberforce, and John Prescott - the legendary guitarist Mick Ronson, whose collaborations with David Bowie are legendary. Here is the Mick Ronson stage in the park in the centre of Hull, and it was used recently for a Hull Flood Aid concert. I myself and kids etc. have been past it many times, and did warm up exercises in front of this for a Race For Life once. So although it's not a very impressive looking stage (!) it is in the centre of Hull in these lovely gardens, and is used very often. Bez I did actually look for 'Classic Rock', but the time I got to it in was onto Feb's issue!

Two Things Challenge Footloose

Eleanor and Holly have kindly posed in their Heelies for this photo for 'footloose'. Heelies are all the rage round here and are shoes with little wheels on them so you can whizz along on them or even go in circles instead of just walking along ( in the sense of footloose as 'acting as you please') and of course they are to do with feet, and top is a footloose heelie (groan).

Two Things Challenge Peanuts/Plain

While on the internet this afternoon looking for a job I found my mind inexorably drawn to this week's Two Things Challenge which is Peanuts/Plain. Although at the moment I should really be concentrating on other things I have decided that I will keep my hand in blogging by doing the occasional comment and the Two Things. Fortunately Eleanor's sticker paints were to hand for the sunset, as I had just seen Debi's pictures of the sunset in Texas. Would it stretch the bounds of credibility too much to say that I was coincidentally listening on a CD (among other things)to Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen', which contains the line 'deep in the heart of Texas' (this is entirely true).

Bye For Now

I was going to do the five facts tag because some of the facts about me are quite interesting.

Twenty years ago I had a serious nervous breakdown while at university. I thought my life was over and it probably was but for the intervention of a school friend Bez (occasional commentator on this blog and, I'm sure he won't mind the plug, member of the band DOG based in Scunthorpe. Buy his great album 'Year of The Dog', out now) who actually got me back on my feet, or as much on my feet as I am ever likely to be. I went on to get married and have kids.

After that dramatic statement, because I need to concentrate on my family at the moment I am going to take a brief sabbatical from blogging. Have enjoyed the experience very much last year and enjoyed watching all your great blogs take off!

Two Things Challenge Home/Health

It's the third pic and was our New Year's dinner. It could have been the second, but as you can see, the subjects aren't taking this seriously or cooperating, although it appears that Jack is making an imaginary toast in a silly way. I think they are making their feeling plain about me taking endless photos over Christmas. (Famous i-pod recharging on the windowsill after much use.) There are some pictures of bits of logs (which we normally use for our fire) which the kids have been decorating in an Xmasy way. Fourth pic shows the back of the famous Holly (with the pony tail) - I won't take a pic from the front as it's not fair putting pics of other people's kids on the net. First pic, I'm just pleased with as my camera has a second delay but I got this picture from our backdoorstep just at the very moment of cascade.

I don't think you can beat a sit-down family meal as a symbol of home, and neither can you a beat a traditional meat and two veg roast dinner for health.