Watching (more properly listening) to 'Countryfile' this morning one of the items was on photographing wildlife. It wasn't so much a good camera as the location which I envied, the wonderful Peak District just outside the Chatsworth estate. With a car, brilliant. By public transport, the least said the better. But I do have a special little spot for taking photographs of the sky, not beautiful but reasonably well shaded from light pollution. With patience, just that special moment, and a little bit of imagination, you can imagine you are in the Swiss Alps!
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There's something magical when nature takes a hand. Walking across the car park in the fog, Stella happily pulling along sniffing, suddenly, without any warning, one of the most beautiful sights in the world. A raptor suddenly appeared just beyond what I took to be the cliff edge, hovering, talons open, seemingly having spotted its dinner.
When we left Bridlington this morning it was soooo sunny and warm. Mistress wanted to go to a place called North Landing but when we got there I couldn't see why she was so upset and disappointed. I couldn't actually see anything; it was all grey and damp. But I ought to have known mistress wouldn't give up that easily.
I am sooooo excited. I loved walking (and sniffing!) round the Harbour when we went for a walk yesterday. There were so many new smells (and some titbits, though those big, cheeky birds ate it before I can!)
Well this is a surprise. I was just thinking of settling down for my post-breakfast beauty sleep when mistress puts my collar and lead on and walks down the hall. I knew mistress had packed a case but this time it seemed different. Mistress kept telling me we were going on our 'holidays'.
I have a new garden pond. I am very proud of my new garden pond, which a wonderfully kind neighbour sorted for me earlier in the summer. I had dug a little 1 metre square pond some years ago but it really wasn't deep enough. I now have one which has shelves and different depths and a lovely little 'bay'.
Maybe Montmorency did enjoy messing about in boats and getting wet, but I don't. And I most certainly don't like all that sandy stuff in my paws. It took me a long time to sit and wash it off. But what I really didn't like was that funny long concrete thing with all sharp bits sticking out. Mistress says they're called 'limpets'
It was a bright idea at the time. A few days away with Stella to Bridlington. With the weather forecast decidedly 'iffy' and the lovely little Guest House which delightfully takes dogs being full at the weekends, this has turned into a marathon somewhat equivalent to a PhD. This morning was just a little extra.
Deciding it would be much easier to pre-book the train tickets, a trip to the station (in the pouring rain) semed the best choice. I can do it online but ... I don't have to pay until Wolverhampton (or whichever equivalent station is the last in the West Midlands), thetrainline.com have Wales Bus Passes but not the West Midlands! So. £10.00 is £10.00. I braved the rain. That was silly. In fact the whole idea was silly. Virgin internet had (apparently) gone down last night and was still down. No credit or debit cards, no advance bookings. So no advance ticket. The staff were lovely but still no ticket. Just hope its up and running tomorrow. Will she appreciate all the effort? That's debateable. Way back in April the Wildlife Trusts advertised '30 Days Wild', an attempt to help folk re-connect with nature. As 're-connecting' with nature isn't a problem for me I thought I'd give it a slight twist and have '30 (Doggy) Days Wild'. Unfortunately the blog had different ideas. With the blog now happy to behave I thought I'd try an autumn '30 Days Wild'. Autumn is so beautiful with the harvest and the golden colours its a wonderful time to be outside. So ... '30 Doggy Days Wild' (autumn).
Why does it always end up in the one place most holiday makers would want avoid at any cost? In Egypt students could (genuinely) tell their offspring and husbands they had had a visit to a brick factory. Here it's the smelliest, smokey fishing 'port'. I use 'port' in the loosest possible way. It's the place where the piroques land their catch so its full of fish heads, smoking tables, squabbling gulls and people, the women sometimes with a baby on their backs, poking at fish until they eventually buy the ones they want. Hotels, institutions, housewives all jostling for the best of the catch. The reason for this visit, and a cold, breezy hour on a balcony overlooking the mayhem below, was down to the tour company rep at the hotel. She happily decided I was better qualified to sort out birding trips (fine) and promptly pointed a lovely couple in my direction. As I say, birding trips - fine, but the husband wanted to see where they brought the catch and as I wanted the bookshop in the same general direction I ended up tagging along to share the taxi. I only hope the photos were worth it!
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Angela TorpeyI have taught Egyptology for nearly 25 years, for 21 years with the Centre for Lifelong Learning, the University of Warwick and for just over 10 years on the internationally recognised Certificate of Egyptology (Distance Learning by e-Learning) with the University of Manchester led by Professor Rosalie David.
Because of changes to the lifelong learning programme at Warwick I now teach independently, although I also teach dayschools for the university. For nearly 20 years I have led Study Tours to Egypt both independently and as guest lecturer with Ancient World Tours. Archives
December 2018
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