Ladies who lunch -Wells

You know how easy it is for the days to pick up speed and before you know it, all your good intentions of being with mates and catching up with each other's lives, just seem to never happen...well, after this happened a few times, measures needed to be taken....So, now most months I meet up with a friend, having decided in advance (sometimes " in advance" is only descriptive by the skin of it's teeth!) We try and leave Yeovil at some point in the morning, find a town, do some exploring, have some lunch, do some more wandering around, find a tea shop, all the while chatting and thinking our own little thoughts! At about 5 we head for home feeling all pleased with ourselves! I recommend it heartily!

April's explore was Wells, the smallest city in England!


The writing on the wall


L with the map, so where shall we go, the long walk or the short one....





The Cathedral from without! I loved the frontals inside, the cloths displaying different images of the Christian festivals throughout the year. The Lenten one (?)with the Crown of Thorns was particularly evocative. There was also a round room where all the Prebendaries sat on stone ledges in a circle with the names of their areas of responsibilities written above their heads and made the church decisions of the day ...a little Lord of the Rings ish!

I need to talk to some of my Anglican friends about Cathedral designs sometime...so many questions!!!


I didn't expect to see these in the city by the moat behind the Bishop's Palace...

Go Mary!!!!
Flippin' heck Mary!!!!
)
And now for lunch, definitely a good choice! Food delicious and very good value, highly recommended.

Vicar's Row, originally for the choir....not a satellite dish in sight!


A brilliant little holiday home/retreat...

complete with idiot dog who chased my shadow until he found some children to entertain with his jumping!


Photographing doors/gates keeps me happy!


and door knockers....


The famous chiming Cathedral clock from outside, but you need to go and see it from inside too.


One of areas where you can find springs, which made Wells so popular originally.


Ye olde, closed by the time we walked past, sweet shoppe.


Where to in June? Maybe Bath...but before that will come the 10 day Magical mystery tour of May. Watch this space as I plan to blog daily on the adventure as it unfolds! But first I need to get me informed on all things dongle.....oh, I love my little Netbook :)

Walk to Limington,final destination the Lamb and Lark!

A motley crew we were, some sensible, with welllies, others, like me, fabric covered trainers...set off at 10:30 chez Hogbens, eight in number plus dog, to walk across the fields to a village 3 miles away, chatting and enjoying the beautiful spring morning. The plan was to meet the guys at 12:00 for lunch at the Lamb and Lark, a reciprocal arrangement, the boys having "been there, done that" a fortnight before. However the girls "got the T shirt", the weather being perfect!


Had a gander at the geese on the way



Pauline and I brought our cameras, the others wait until we catch up!



What is it with Pauline and horses? She blows on their noses and they go all unecessary and hypnotic on her...









Free range chickens amongst the daffodils...






Practising the macro setting, getting there, now to master super macro.....is it a bird, is it a plane?


I'm liking the lichen....


Not a great picture but tells the story of the poor baby badger crying in distress for it's mother (nowhere to be seen). After tracking down the source of the cries, some our number found their way into the adjoining field to try to find whatever it was that apppeared to be in such distress... A baby badger was found in a waterlogged ditch, weak and obviously alone. The area was home to badgers as there were at least three tunnels near to where we were standing. L was ready for action, a fleece was offered to wrap the badger in in order to place in on the bank away from the ditch. How old was it? No idea, but it looked about eighteen inches long (old money, I know!) and it would have teeth, I guess!!! Talk ensured about human scent on the jacket...decided that either the creature died in the ditch or we gave it a chance...where was the mother, dead in the road, watching from afar...seemed unlikely... We all walked away with our different thoughts...Do badgers abandon their young, was it weak anyway, where were the others, the cries had been piercing, surely the mother would have come if she could...all the mothers thinking mother thoughts!


But all too soon it became evident that another challenged loomed ahead! The is where the P girls came in their own as "the only ones who thought to wear wellies...." Now the adventure went up a level and I remembered the shall I wear long sleeves/short sleeve dilemma a couple of hours earlier....too late, can't turn back the clock. My left arm bears the weals and scratches where I bravely battled on, wincing ever so slightly but refusing to be beaten by the thorny hedge to which I clung in preference to flinging myself into the puddle/lake........ I almost took off my socks and just waded in, but couldn't quite bring myself o do it, imagining shards of glass and twisted metal rising up to greet me...



Wet socks drying on the fence in the Pub garden, feel the grass spongy beneath your feet, bliss!


and to finish it off, the best cider I've tasted in a long while!
,

Forgot to photo the end bit! A delicious lunch, with lovely friends agreeing to repeat the experience....so guys, where shall we go next?

A pome what I liked!

Last Night I Dreamed of Chickens

Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.

They were on the chairs and tables,
they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see...
when I woke today, I noticed
there were eggs on top of me.

Jack Prelutsky

http://www.poemhunter.com/

Slowing Down

W. H. Davies Leisure WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?— No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep and cows: No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass: No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night: No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance: No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began? A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. It is so easy to rush through the day and miss the beauty of a tree coming into bud, a tulip about to open, a ladybird on a leaf. Each season brings a beauty of its own and I can so easily allow these moments to pass me by with a mere cursory glance. This Spring I am going to open my eyes to see and wonder and linger, sometimes I will switch to macro and marvel.... Tomorrow I am going for a morning walk with friends, camera in hand, I hope to bring you a flavour in pictures!

A bit of Easter in pictures

Eggs!

Had a surprise package from my Mum in Greece, this week! Last year when we visited her we couldn't find any left in the shops. Thankfully, it's not all written in Greek, so here is the process, in pictures! I had never seen "sleeves" before and was quite dubious until I tried them...Now I shall be requesting them every Easter!


The eggs below have been hardboiled and drained on the kitchen paper.


Add the sleeves



Place back in COLD water and bring to the boil slowly

The sleeves gradually pucker up and adhere to the egg


The finished result!



First boil the eggs for 8 minutes


Cover eggs with hot or cold water and add 250ml vinegar

Remove after 6 minutes







Thanks Mum, I had a lot of fun!!!