No Words Needed

Devon Trip. Pt 3.

Have I saved the best until last? Well, you tell me!

Day 3 Dartmoor National Park

The entire area is to be explored.  You really don’t have to go far to find something that takes your breath away, a view, architecture, countryside…

First stop was at Postbridge to see the old Clapper Bridge.  I have been here five or six times, the first time I had no children and over the years we have taken one child to play pooh sticks on the bridge, then two…

A road between Postbridge and Two Bridges is where the legend of the Hairy Hands comes from.  Did we drive on that road on a night? You bet we did!

Once we had walked over the bridges and taken in all the surrounding beauty we high tailed it out of there to find breakfast.  After carefully negotiating and navigating the precarious roads on the moor we arrived at Widecombe  in the Moor.

Widecombe is wonderful and Andrea and I were especially impressed by the public toilets, namely the all in one, sink, soap dispenser and hand dryer! We want one for our house but judging by how long it has taken for my husband to do the staircase, (unfinished incidentally!) we reckon installation my be a long wait…. hands would dry on their own!

All of the times we have been to Dartmoor there has always been one thing that has eluded us.  The famous Jays Grave.  We knew the tale, of Kitty jay and we knew it was there somewhere but we had never been able to find it.  Until this time when we found it by accident!  I know it may seem a little macabre as  it is a very sad story but it is also a very interesting story.

The views you find on the moor just literally take your breath away…

You have to climb a tor! Or you at least have to watch someone climb a tor! Or, they could watch you while they climb the tor!

We climbed Hound Tor. (I use the term ‘we’ loosely)

It’s like being on the top of the world!

The Medieval Settlement is very close to Hound Tor so we walked all the way down the hill to it.

and then we walked all the way back up again! (I am not fit!)

That was pretty much the whole trip.  I’ve missed a few bits out but I’m sure I can revisit sometime, in my mind and I will take you all with me.

 

Devon Trip. Pt 2.

Ok. Where was I?  Ahhh yes… I remember now.

Day 2 Clovelly

Clovelly is a quaint and picturesque fishing village built into a cleft of a cliff.  It’s beauty is breathtaking.  I’m always surprised to find it very warm there.  Almost tropical when you compare it to outside of the village. 

That was the day I wasn’t star mam and I was the one who wore ’stupid shoes’. 2 inch high heeled brown leather ankle boots are not what you want on your feet when you are walking down (or up)  a steep cobbled hill!

Despite the  stupid footwear I still managed to make it down to the harbour, to feast on cray fish tails, crab and welks. ( I had a bit of a tummy ache later I can tell you!)

The village of Clovelly is said to have been the inspiration for The  Water Babies, written by Charles Kingsley.

Lovely isn’t it!

I never managed to get all the way to the waterfall.  I let my two travellers go ahead without me.

I did however, manage to get tired, emotional and a little less elegant than ever whilst making my way down to the harbour!

(Stupid shoes 0 – Pebbly Beach 1)

The Donkeys that live in the village all work very hard.  They are used to get goods back up the hills after they have been taken down on sledges… (snow optional…sledges still work!)

“Hey! Share your bucket you grumpy donkey!”

After Clovelly it was off to Bude, a lovely seaside town famous for it’s surfing! The waves are certainly high enough!

Dusk… still time for a visit though and this time it was off to Tintagel!  Famous for King Arthur, his round table and Merlin! Andrea caught up with Merlin and had a chat…

A funny chap that Merlin!

That was Day 2!

I think I have left the best til last so you have Part 3 and Day three to look forward to! That was Dartmoor Day!

LOOK! Sensible shoes!

Devon Trip. Pt 1

The few days we were away were so much fun! I really enjoyed them! The weather played a big part in our enjoyment and we were lucky! One day of rain…

We travelled down to Manchester on Saturday.  A leisurely drive… you know… husband swearing at traffic, daughter with a face as long as a fiddle… Oh Joy!

Finally arriving at Manchester we discovered that the Travel Lodge was next to a sewage farm! Fresh!

Trying not to let it matter we readied ourselves for the P!nk concert…

F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

Sunday morning we set off on our journey to Devon.  We were in no hurry, we had all day.  Driving along we started to see signs for the Slimbridge Wildfowl Park.  My husband said, “I bet you don’t have our membership cards!”

I dug deeply into my handbag and right next to the greenhouse were the membership cards.

This place was wonderful.  I’ve been to Washington Wildfowl Park so many times and I’ve loved it but Slimbridge makes Washington look like a poor relation. (Unfortunately true in some respects) It was drizzling, the sky looked pretty gloomy and the overflow carpark had only a handful of spaces.  I think the Park has Spring/Autumn Watch/Kate Humble to thank.

We had the best tomato and basil soup there too! Major bonus!

Once back in the car, we took our walking boots and wet coats off… (I was mighty mam! I had all the gear ready… even had antiseptic spray and some tissues!

Back on the road we finished the journey and arrive safely at Dartmoor.

The next three days went by in a blur!

Day 1 Paignton Zoo

Next stop, Still Day 1, Hedgehog Hospital… Prickly Ball Farm.

I have been here three or four times now and I still love to go.  Sadly I have no hedgehog pictures for you although I did get to stroke one. (Flat hand, run firmly down the spines… not away from them, and don’t pat them! )

I did however get to see a duck who thought he was a chicken and the loveliest goat in the world! (Ever!)

Can you see the Chickuck? (Or is it a Ducken?)

Gilbert the Goat having a chin rest and ear scratch! (All part of the service!)

Oh! and there were these stretched out sheep things with funky hair-do’s!

Then it was off to Buckfast Abbey… someone… *coughs* left the camera in the car!

It’s taking so long to upload my photos, (I’m having little power naps between each upload) I’m not going to be able to post all I wanted tonight so we’ll do it slowly… bit by bit… day by day.

Next time on “Devon Trip” Our intrepid travellers face the steep hills of Clovelly, the biting waves of Bude and the home of Magical Merlin and King Arthur at Tintagel! (Yes you eagle-eyed geography buffs! We slipped into Cornwall too!)

It was a bit windy at Bude!

 

 

Happy Birthday Flighty

Over the Beaches by Philip West

More here

Flighty has been my friend for quite a few years now… I’ll say about five years but I’m sure Flighty will correct me if I’m wrong.  He was among the cast of only a remaining few that used to comment on my first blog.  As Feathered Energy back on 20six I decided to give this blogging a go and I must say the rewards have been wonderful.  I’ve ‘met’ some of the loveliest people through this medium.

I had to mark the occasion of his birthday with something…. but as ever, me being me, I have to be a little different.  So, as I am going to be away for the next week or so I decided to bring Flighty’s birthday forward by a day… I feel like the Queen! (I’m sure the Queen is allowed to change things like birthdays! I mean to say, she has two!)

Flighty is 21 (again and again plus VAT) tomorrow, 24th October but I would like to kick the celebrations off a day early!

A BIRTHDAY
Christina Rossetti

My heart is like a singing bird 
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot; 
My heart is like an apple-tree 
Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit; 
My heart is like a rainbow shell 
That paddles in a halcyon sea; 
My heart is gladder than all these, 
Because my love is come to me. 

Raise me a daïs of silk and down; 
Hang it with vair and purple dyes; 
Carve it in doves and pomegranates, 
And peacocks with a hundred eyes; 
Work it in gold and silver grapes, 
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys; 
Because the birthday of my life 
Is come, my love is come to me. 

 

 

Birthstone , Flower,  Star sign.

A very happy birthday to a dear friend!  Fabulous Flighty!

I adore this painting.  It’s  painted by Nancy Lee Moran.

If you get time, please could you call over to see him and take some Birthday wishes with you! Early or Late! I’m sure he won’t mind!

Up (No Spoilers!)

You remember I mentioned how we were now going to the cinema every second Tuesday/Wednesday? 

Last night we decided to travel to a cinema we hadn’t been to before.  It’s a multiplex cinema so we knew we would have plenty of choice of what to watch if we couldn’t see our first choice.

First choice was Up in 3D.

We arrived at the cinema and once we had paid for our tickets and collected our funky plastic specs we made our way to our seats.  We were placed fairly close to the front as the seats behind us, which are on a slope were all full.  Once we had made ourselves comfortable I told Andrea to turn around and look at the audience behind her.  It’s the funniest thing having rows and rows of people all in matching blue palstic 3 D specs! I could have looked that way all night and been highly amused.

Back to the film!

 

Brilliant! Witty! Funny! Ageless! Hilarious! Dazzling! Sharp! Uproarious!

The voice of Carl is done by is Edward Asner and it’s perfect.  (Played Lou Grant… in the 70’s, do you remember?)

Please go and see it!

and don’t forget it’s more fun in 3D…… 

Time in Mind

Time in Mind

Quiet moments as I move through time,

Time to think, too much, it’s a crime.

Time to move ideas around in my head

Things I know or have learned or read.

Working out problems of family or friend,

Or some of my own I hope to amend.

To put the world right is my main aim.

All of my mistakes I’d like to reclaim.

Too much time,  swirling in my mind.

Solutions nowhere, never defined.

By TC

October Song

October Song

Close all the doors, draw the drapes and turn the lights down low,

Build up the fire to a roaring flame, lighting the room with warm glow.

Light the candles around the room, watch the flames flicker and sway.

Create an atmosphere of tranquillity, to wash away a hard day.

Snuggle down tight on a comfy chair as mellow tunes do play.

Relax, unwind and allow your mind to drift to a place far far away.

 

Morning sunrise; a bright golden glow that burns across the sky.

Silhouettes appear on high as the swift swooping birds fly by.

Crumpled leaves and naked trees bronze the once green view.

Spider webs appear translucent, dotted with the morning dew.

Eyes open wide, soaking the sights as Autumn time does grow.

Savour it all. Memories stored. Soon it will be blanketed in snow!

By TC

My Hero

National Poetry Day is celebrated today.

Today is also the day I lost my dear Mam six years ago.  If National Poetry Day had to fall on the same day as the anniversary of my loss it couldn’t have had a  more inspiring theme.

Heroes And Heroines

 

My Hero.

 

Six years have passed since I had you here,

Memories I hold closely as they are so dear.

Not a day has passed without you in my heart.

That cruel day haunts whence you did depart.

I’m grateful for all of the love you left behind

In my dreams your sweet smile I try to find,

Knowing your love is with me, it lifts my soul.

I bury my heartache to make me feel whole.

Today is the day I miss you the most,

I will see you clearly, but not as my ghost.

We will dance together down memory lane.

I will love you forever and hold you again.

You are my hero, there is no doubt

You are the ‘everything’ I’ll never be without.

 

By TC

I hope you all enjoy the poetry today.

Call over to see Flighty who has found some wonderful and inspirational poems that fit the theme perfectly!

Look here too!

The Oggey Wagon

I have always wanted to jump on here, ‘here ‘being the new post space, and recount an exciting tale.  Unfortunately, very little excitement comes my way. Oh, well, there was that one thing last weekend… No! I can’t share that!! Alright, I will but don’t tell anyone else ok.   My husband was in the kitchen, cooking up a storm of scrambled eggs and bacon.  I was pretending to polish the glass table in the living room. (Detail! I like to give detail!) All of sudden he ran from the kitchen waving his spatula saying he was going to ‘paddle my ass!’

That was very exciting but not the kind of exciting I could share on a regular basis.  

The exciting thing that I have to share is far better than any ass-paddling that may or may not have occurred in my living room last weekend…. this is way beyond normal excitement. I want to bandy words about such as ‘delirious’ and ‘Whoopideedoo’.  Whoopideedoo is a word I would like to use on a daily basis… Now… Well, I think I can!

I was looking for something to excite me, mainly because I needed some happy stuff to bring things into balance.  I mean to say, after reading Dish Lady’s harrowing fish saga yesterday!! I needed, (to pinch a phrase from Gemmak) “A Happy”.

My Happy!

Ok, I know it’s not too clear but this is a mobile burger bar.  We call them ‘Oggey Wagons’.  They sell bacon butties, hot dogs, hot pork sandwiches, burgers with greasy onions… the list is almost endless.   This little beauty has sprung (sprang??)  up over night and if I tell you that I took this photograph from my front door you may get a feel of the excitement knowing how close I am to home cooking without ever lifting the range lid ever again!

I can ‘produce ‘ my family with a hot (almost) home cooked meal at a reasonable cost without breaking a sweat in the kitchen! I know I have to think of the health reasons that should stop me from entertaining this cunning plan but on further investigation I have discovered that lettuce, tomatoes, grated carrot and parsley are served with all main courses! Perfect! A healthy balanced diet!

I think this ‘mobile restaurant, as I like to call it is named  ‘The Bait Box’. I know you are all worried now, because the very thought of my serving my family with bait is toe-curlingly horrid! To most of you, bait, is what we use to entice the fishies (not your fish Dishy, calm down!) on to the end of a wafting rod.  Worms, maggots, flies….

Well in the deep North East of England where the Geordie/pitmatic dialect reigns, we use the word ‘bait’ instead of packed lunch.  I prepare ‘bait’ for my daughter every day to take to school and there isn’t a fat juicy worm in sight!

So there you have it…. I think that once I get over the exciting discovery I may tell you more about the Geordie/ pitmatic dialect.  I think you’d all be very interested!