Friday 27 May 2016

Spring is Here!

Why haven't I been blogging in the last month or so? I think it's because I've been enjoying the outdoors as much as I can - this is my favourite time of year.    Here are a few snapshots of what I've been up to while getting out and about.


Everyone has been posting photos of bluebells this year, it must be a good year for them. Mine was taken in beechwoods near Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. Got up very early and so those long shadows are early ones.  It was wonderful to be out at the start of a promising new day.

We had the chance to stay at a friend's cottage in Suffolk for a week, and collected stones on the beach at Dunwich.  The stones on the shore are always interesting and I have collected a few eye catching ones in my time. I live in hope of finding one whose markings look exactly like Elvis's face, so I can sell it for a fortune on eBay.



Dunwich is very interesting because most of it has been swallowed up by the sea.  If you ever go, there is a first rate little museum which gives the curious history of the place.   Here's a picture of what it used to look like.   At the bottom is an aerial view of Dunwich today. Above that is the beach, and above that is medieval Dunwich, before it was consumed  I suspect that some of the stones we now find on the beach are originally part of medieval houses, worn into smoothness by the sea.

Just across the border in Norfolk I came across one of the fascinating stained glass windows I ever saw, made of fragments of glass of different ages and styles.  Assembling the glass was a kind of hobby for the original owner, an eighteenth century archdeacon, and the result is in the local church.. Here is just a part of the window, and if you can enlarge you'll see the detail. If you are a glass buff,  you might notice just from the look of it that some of the class is many centuries old.



Back in London a beautiful cycle ride through Hyde Park took us to the V & A Museum. They're having an Art and Engineering season,  and this surprisingly beautiful canopy was in fact created entirely by a robot, which is stored in the plastic enclosure in the centre. The project is called the Elytra Filament Pavilion, and you can see the robot building more filaments on 17th and 18th June - just check out the V & A's website.



We also saw their show about Botticelli, which had some arresting images, particularly those by Andy Warhol.  You can see one in the background of the picture below, with a dress fabric in the foreground and an Asian style Venus further away.


Thankfully it is now nice weather for cycling, so we headed along the Grand Union Canal and saw this house extension (below). I love the idea of a glass extension, but everyone passing on the towpath could see everything inside, except in the rooms where the owner had completely pulled down the blinds.  I was tempted to take a closer picture, actually, but didn't because he was sitting at his desk, looking out of the window right at me..  A charming location, though.



A little further along the canal I spotted some horses drinking, I thought what a peaceful scene it was, the like of which you could probably have seen centuries ago.



Always fun looking at the residential canal boats, which are often occupied by individualists, artists and craftsmen..  How is this for a guard dog? Although actually it looks quite friendly to me.



I had a lovely birthday picnic


But we lost our teapot when someone decided to see what happens when you throw teapots over the edge of the balcony. 



Out and about in London, I passed a shiny golden Maserati parked in the street.  What I specially like are the L plates. When the kid has passed his driving test in this old thing, he can graduate to something more expensive, I suppose.....


 I even went to the theatre. We're lucky to have the Tricycle Theatre near us in Kilburn.  Although it is only small it punches way above its weight and I've seen so many good plays there.  The current one is called "The Invisible Hand" which at first I thought sounded like a Sherlock Holmes story, full of London fogs and middle class Victorians.  It couldn't have been more different. It was an astonishingly gripping and well acted look at how a talented banker held hostage by Pakistani militants offers to invest his way to amassing a $10 million ransom.  You could watch the play on several levels.  It was extremely gripping, and I had no idea how it would work out, but it was full of twists, turns and shocks, and ended up making me think very hard.   The play's writer, Ayad Akhtar, has won a Pulitzer Prize and you can see why. 

At home, I have spent too much time obsessing about the Brexit debate. This will probably be of most interest to UK readers, although Americans (and the rest of us) also have to think about the big political decisions in the US before too many months have passed.  Recently many countries have swung to what would once have been seen as extreme views. I've found this disturbing, and I think it is dangerous, so I've been wondering why. 

I'll spare you my thoughts on this, though, and instead will finish this post with a hopeful picture. 


 Yes! I found the end of the rainbow! Please keep your fingers crossed that a pot of gold will now appear in my life  - in fact, if the picture is correct, there might be two pots of gold.    If it does, I'll share it with everyone who has commented on my posts so far this year.  Maybe it's a sign I should go and buy a lottery ticket.....  

72 comments:

  1. First of all, happy belated birthday! :)
    I could never live in a glass house--unless it was in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors.
    Love the horses drinking! Such a peaceful scene.
    The metal dog looks friendly to me, too. After all, he's got a stick in its mouth so it looks like it wants to play.
    What is with all the extreme (and negative) views all over the world?! Disturbing and dangerous--yes! I wonder why, too. I've wondered about overpopulation, too.
    I'm pulling for you to find the pots of gold, though. Have a delicious weekend! :)

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    1. Thanks, Rita! Yes, I like the metal dog too, I thought it was such a good sculpture!

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  2. Beautiful photos!! I love the horses especially.

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  3. Happy Birthday!
    Beautiful photos.
    As for the teapot...I see a budding Newton. :)

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    1. Well, he was certainly interested in the result! :)

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  4. Lovely photographs....how I wish i could persuade our 'guard' dogs to bring in a tray of drinks...

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  5. Another fascinating post! Spring has definitely arrived - with a surplus of rain here in Tennessee. I've never seen any bluebells around here, but I miss the lovely blue bonnets in Texas.

    I hope Elvis shows up on one of your beach stones....and why not? He seems to be everywhere. I love those stained glass windows - they are spectacular. The glass house is unique - but I value my privacy. And it would be annoying to clean all that glass.

    Your birthday picnic looks delightful but I'm sorry about the flying teapot (happy birthday!).
    The double rainbow is fantastic - - and if you find any pots of gold, send one to me!

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  6. Love the double rainbow, and the bluebells! We had the end of a rainbow in our own back yard once. It made our ugly old back shed look beautiful, which it never has before or since.

    The glass extension might be more appealing to me, perhaps, if the glass were tinted so that people inside could see out, but others couldn't see in.

    And i wish you many happy returns of your birthday! With no loss of teapots next time, but when you have children around, you never know.

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    1. Yes, I think it is possible to get two way glass. I guess he likes the feeling of being in the centre of things. And I guess there were full length blinds for anything too private !

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  7. Hi Jenny,

    As per usual, you delight us with such amazing photos. Getting out and about during spring is good for the spirit. Thank you for this.

    I've been to Henley-on-Thames. I shall never forget that place as I proceeded to fall of a cabin cruiser and right into the Thames.

    I shall skilfully avoid any mention of a certain referendum!

    Enjoy the long weekend.

    Gary

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    1. I've never fallen into the river, although I have seen some people dive into it and swim around. Bit too much waterweed and duck poo for my taste though. By the way I enjoyed the interview with you and left a comment. :)

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  8. What a great post. So many wonderful photos. That art piece created by the Robot was fascinating. I also liked the Guard Dog piece. Loved your rainbow.

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  9. Nice to know you have enjoyed such eventful springtime, Jenny. Your photos are awesome. Bluebell carpet in the beechwoods is one of my favorite British landscape, I like the perspective of the image of stones collected at the beach, but my favorite is the horses. They looks like emerging from one page of a fairytale, beautifully and nobly standing in parallel. How gorgeous the double rainbows! I think you already have a pot of gold, like the ones shown in the image 10 and 11, the loved and loving family, especially the little ones who keep you feel amazed and entertained. Anyway, I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Have happy days ahead.

    Yoko

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    1. Thank you Yoko. So many things in life that are worth more than gold. Although in this case I must admit that the gold has not appeared so all of it is theoretical! :D I'm glad you liked the horse picture. To me, it looked like a scene from an old painting - once so familiar in our countryside, now hardly ever seen. I wrote about a similar scene on another blog a long time ago in connection with Alice in Wonderland. http://www.jabberwock.co.uk/blog/index.php?itemid=453 I hardly write that blog any more now but I remember that river trip with pleasure....

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  10. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you, Jenny! Thank you for having taken the time to go through my recent blog posts and commenting on them.
    Your birthday picnic looks lovely; I've never had one, as March is generally too cold to do that. But I can't complain - my cocktail parties are very nice, too.

    Interesting exhibitions and trips there, and so much I could say about the Brexit debate and the US Presidential election... But this is neither the time nor place for it.

    Bluebells! I've never yet managed to be in England at the right time, but I did see some in the wooded parts of our Jersey walks. Just not enough to make a good picture, but they were there :-)

    The glass house by the canal looks great, but I value my privacy, too, and would only go for such a house if there were no neighbours nearby or paths leading past. Also, I wouldn't want to be the one who has to clean the windows... ;-)

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    1. It has been a pleasure reading your posts - as always. You have put your finger on the issue which I always think about when I see those wonderful glass extensions. I think that part of the fantasy (since let's face it, I will never have such an extension myself) has to be a cleaning lady or a once-weekly window cleaner!

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  11. Dear Jenny - so many delightful images here - I do think that the bluebells and in fact all of nature has so much depth of colour to it this spring, much more intense than I have ever seen before.
    It looks a lovely birthday picnic with your family around - the twins are getting very grown up.
    Brexit is on my mind too - one day in the next out. I am totally confused but want my vote to be the right one for our young people in particular.
    You came very near to the pot of gold, perhaps you should buy a lottery ticket.

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    1. Thank you for your additional comment. I hadn't realised till I had clicked "publish" that it was not really meant for publication so have removed it. I am perfectly amazed that you use a point and shoot. I think your additional comment on Brexit is quite right. And yes, I will buy a lottery ticket, making sure to keep the rainbow in mind very carefully as I hand over the money!

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  12. Yes, bluebells have been magnificent this year. My garden was filled with them and I was able to bring some in the house without them affecting the view outside. They made the rooms smell lovely.

    Loved the pictures of the horses and that superb house by the canal. Pity about the teapot!

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    1. Yes, we thought it was rather a pity about the teapot too. The culprit came in next day, looked out at the balcony and said brightly, "goodbye teapot!"

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  13. Well Jenny you have absolutely excelled yourself: every word and every picture had me held. To be honest it had enough material for half a dozen posts. I shall now go back and read it again and see if I can actually find the chap at his desk.

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    1. I was very polite and thoughtful and took it at an angle so that the corner of the house obscures him. He is sitting at a beautiful desk in the room on the right near the bunch of flowers. I admired him for having the house he wanted, a wonderful place that brings the outside in - even if the outside also includes passers by!

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  14. Yes,I understand why you have not been blogging for a while. Spring is the most beautiful time to be out and to enjoy new air in the greenery. Your all photos are full of joy and memories. Those white and brown horses are beautiful. Yes, it looks like an orthodox painting. I hope you have a good day. I wish Good Luck for your lottery ticket!! I am smiling!

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    1. Thank you Tomoko. So far, I haven't found the pot of gold, sad isn't it? :)

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  15. Wonderful photos, don't think I'd much like living in a glass house. Is there a walking path along the Grand Union Canal. Imagine having a Maserati to learn to drive in. I learned in a Volkswagen Beetle.

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    1. Yes, there is a towpath alongside all canals, originally for the horses to walk along and tow the boats in the 18th century. Now, they're mainly used by walkers, and also cyclists, although I am not sure if cyclists are allowed on all towpaths.Some of the paths are paved but most are gravel, etc. They're a lovely way to go for a walk or ride. And no hills!

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  16. What beautiful pictures in this post! The bluebells in the woods look like a fantastic carpet of blue. I love those stones you collected on the beach. I've worked long enough with geologists that I've picked up their habit of bringing back rocks from any place they visit. Ha! The glass addition on the house looks beautiful, but I could never live in such a place - I'd feel too exposed. The birthday picnic looks yummy. Happy belated birthday to you!

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    1. I know almost nothing about geology, but stones do interest me. I can't believe that I brought a piece of rock all the way back from new Zealand via America, when I think how much stuff I already had to carry. But it was so interesting. White rock, with silvery bits in it. I wonder what it is and may get the chance to ask a geologist one day!

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  17. It looks like you've been having a fabulous time!

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  18. oh my, you DO get around, I have not heard of the grand union canal , it looks like it is not within walking distance of Earls Court! Wonderful photos, so sorry about tea over the edge! In answer to your comment, the photos on my blog post were taken by a point and shoot camera and the person who took them works in a charity shop, not a pro photo! Amazing! Thank you for this wonderful post, I feel as though I have been somewhere! The beach stones are gorgeous!

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    1. Believe it or not, one end of it is not an impossible walking distance from Earls Court. You might be a little bit footsore... My goodness, that person must be a photographic genius. It also makes me realise how good cameras have got lately. Maybe it's time for an upgrade of mine.....

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  19. Bluebells, stained glass and rainbows...some of my favorite things! I wonder, will you go and see the new Alice movie? And what would Lewis Carroll think of it?

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    1. Yes, indeed! I have heard that it has very little relationship to the book, it's kind of freewheeling with amazing CGI. That alone should make it worth seeing.

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  20. I wondered where you'd been roaming, Jenny...and now here is the proof!

    A wonderful set of photographs. I love the last one...I hope you do find that pot of gold. And I love the little boy...he found his pot! :)

    The horses are beautiful...lovely photo. As for all that glass in the house...I wouldn't like the world looking in on me; not my cup of tea! I value and like my privacy too much, I guess.

    Collections stones/pebbles is a fun pastime, as is collecting shells.

    Don't stay away too long next time, or we'll have to round a posse and send out a search party!!

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    1. I'll try not to, Lee. I enjoyed your latest tale about meeting your old friends after so many years, though that restaurant sounds more fun than a search party :)

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  21. So many amazing photos! I love the glass extension on that house, wow. The only negative is the lack of privacy I suppose. And the gold car looks fun. My younger daughter is learning to drive at the moment and there is no way I'd let her in a car like that, even after she's passed! Ha.

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    1. Don't think I'd trust myself in it either!

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  22. What a lovely time you have had. I can see why blogging was too difficult.

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  23. What glorious bluebells! That photo was worth getting up early for. :-)
    Those are unusually interesting beach stones. There are plenty of stones on the beaches in Toronto, and I have never seen such a colourful selection.
    The glass window is amazing, and it makes me wish that I knew enough to be able to spot the older glass. I did read a book on the history of glass a while ago, but it just covered the basics.
    The photo of the horses is so pastoral, you could sell it as a postcard.
    There are lots of super-rich 20-something "students" (taking a couple of university courses per term) in my neighbourhood who have cars almost as flashy as the gold Maserati. It's amazing how much money some people have at such a young age, or any age!

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    1. Thanks for your comment. The only other place where I have seen such interesting stones is the island of Raasay, off Skye. I suppose it must be something to do with geology - Britain has a very varied geology.
      With the golden car, the idea of an L driver taking it around London seemed perfectly flabbergasting I wonder if you have seen any shiny gold cars in Toronto? that was a first for me.

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  24. Indeed at this time of year you need to be out and about!
    The results make great blogs from you.
    Dunwich and its fantastic window will also disappear one day, nothing to stop the erosion.
    I think the fellow in the glass house staring at me would have made me take his picture. If he doesn't like it build brick walls I say.
    Parenthood, a time when everything is broken and no-one done it!
    Super picture at the end like the rest!
    Great read! You must get out more!

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    1. Thank you! I am resolved to get out as much as possible on the bike, in the winter I somehow hardly used it and I've realised how much I have been missing it.

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  25. That robot-built canopy reminded me of Barbara Hepworth (she used to like using threads like that). The Hepworth Wakefield gallery is a real cultural highlight up here.

    Brexit worries me, too. I very much hope we vote to stay in. I'm not pro-austerity myself but I don't understand politicians who insist the UK is in such a parlous state it needs a programme of austerity to survive shrugging their shoulders at the possibility of (at the very least)self-induced economic instability.

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    1. I was talking to someone the other day who told me I HAVE to go to the Hepworth Wakefield gallery, and the fact you mentioned it too, sent me to their website. I see that at present they have a Martin Parr photo show about the Rhubarb triangle. I love his photos, but I am really sorry to be missing this, because I did an article once for an American magazine about it, and it was huge fun to research, and really very memorable. Listening to the rhubarb growing inside the shed was was probably the strangest bit. It sounded as if the rhubarb was creeping up on you, like Grandmother's Footsteps!

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    2. And I do agree with your comment about the EU. What alarms me is that so much of it makes so little apparent sense. There's some kind of major social change happening, I suspect.

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    3. You can HEAR rhubarb???? We,'ve got an enormous crown in our front garden. I'll have to go and have a listen.

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    4. You certainly can heard it, but in order to do so it is best to go in the spring to the sheds where they force rhubarb, and politely ask the grower if you can go in and listen. Since the sheds are very dark, the rhubarb grows quickly and all those plants growing and leaves unfurling at top speed make an audible whispering Someone really ought to write some music about it.

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  26. Hi Jenny!
    You have been busy. I love all the pictures you shared. The guard dinosaur sculpture is great and the glass extension looks like a dolls house. I haven't been to the V and A for ages. That sculpture is interesting. Perhaps I should just give up crafting and buy a robot to do it for me instead!
    You should visit Botany Bay-it is amazing and it was almost like being abroad when the sun came out. Magical place!

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    1. Yes, your blog turned me on to the idea of Botany Bay. I don't know that part of the coast awfully well, which is another reason to go - when the weather improves. It's chucking it down so hard at present that the only place I want to be is inside in the warm.

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  27. You've certainly been busy lately. The bluebells have been wonderful this year, I'm lucky enough to live near to two large ancient woods that have been sheets of blue. As for Suffolk and Norfolk - I love these two counties and since my younger son lives in Suffolk I get to see quite a lot of them. Love the photo of the end of the rainbow - that must a pretty rare thing to see. Hope you found your pot of gold:)

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    1. Erm, not yet... :D I only got to know about ancient woods after joining the Woodland Trust but they seem to do a good job of preserving many old woods. They're so interesting - you're lucky to live near two of them.

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  28. You have such an interesting and beautiful life. I pull weeds.

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  29. Indeed a hopeful photo at the end (but I liked the picnic one better -- belated Happy Birthday wishes!). It sounds like you've been doing fun things -- I'd love to see that play and the stained glass in the Norfolk church sounds remarkable. Nice to get away for a bit of holiday. Oh, and the exhibits!

    We're all pretty panicked about the U.S. election here (well, at least the people I know are) and I'm a bit concerned on the impact of Brexit. Thanks for posting the link -- I've been eager to look into this a little more.

    Happy Summer, Jenny! It's good to see you back and it's lovely to see a photo of the teapot smasher. A twin? Getting big!

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    1. Yes, Jeanie. You can see another little foot to the right. And yes, there is a lot to keep us awake at night about the worldwide situation. I'm just trying to keep calm :)

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  30. One can never see too many bluebell pics. Mine were in Nottingham. Love the canal art.

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    1. Definitely one of the pleasures of the London area canals. Like a sort of gallery of experimental art!

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  31. Like you, I am a spring person (and autumn! :-D). I love this time of the year. You never know what temperature you will get on the day but I would recommend that you get out and about regardless of the weather. Beautiful photos. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. I have to admit I stuck inside and put the heating on during the recent freezing cold rainy spell!

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  32. Interesting aside about Dunwich. I'd never heard of it. Amazing that it was once a thriving port of 4000 people before most of it was swallowed by the sea. I love the robot-created canopy - very beautiful. I love the all-glass house extension and also the guard dog - a most ingenious creation!

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  33. Dunwich Museum is really worth a visit, Nick. A bit far from you though, stuck in East Anglia as it is!

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  34. Wonderful, especially the rainbow! You're right about the evaluation and sorting out...sometimes I get stuck in my head.

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    1. That is a good way of putting it. The head just grinds to a halt inside!

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  35. A late little note from me... Stained glass windows and sea pebbles, two of my favourite things! Jane x

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  36. Ooh, I love double rainbows!

    Happy Birthday - looks like a wonderful picnic. (And who would let a kid drive a Maserati?)

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    1. Thank you for the birthday wishes. The answer to your last question is "someone very rich" !! :)

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  37. I'm sorry I missed this before, Jenny. It's now summer rather than spring! A lovely post as always and I so enjoy your images of London as you cycle around. You are brave. When I was in London in April, I was surprised by the number of cyclists, but I'm not sure I would dare there. I'm so used to the safe cycling in Holland. We too are watching Brexit with baited breath and wondering what the outcome will be. It could make life awkward for me and mine if the UK votes to leave, but I cannot vote and cannot be the judge. it's up to all those who live in England to decide, but yes, I too have been disturbed by the virulence on both sides.

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    1. Yes, Val, cycling in HOlland is much safer for the cyclists. When I was driving in holland though I was a nervous wreck because cyclists just burst out in front of you and there were women with no helmets carrying kids with no helmets wavering around.... I think that many European countries are watching the Brexit thing with anxiety.

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