http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/Life and landscape, from Uplyme, in East Devon.en-UKhttp://backend.userland.com/rss092http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/86/596d162d65ae049353f4cd044b3269_160x200.jpg <p>Today has special meaning for me as for many people - I always prefer to remember on the real Armistice Day rather than Remembrance Sunday. In the past, my thoughts have mostly turned to my maternal grandfather who was an ambulance driver and stretcher bearer in WWI in Flanders, but this year, the present is very much in my mind, as war takes its toll on today's generation rather than past generations. How sad that, so many years later, we are still mourning the loss of British life in foreign lands.</p> <blockquote><p><strong>In Flanders Fields</strong></p> <p><em>written by John McCrae in May 1915</em></p> <p>In Flanders fields the poppies blow<br> Between the crosses, row on row,<br> That mark our place; and in the sky<br> The larks, still bravely singing, fly<br> Scarce heard amid the guns below.</p> <p>We are the Dead. Short days ago<br> We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,<br> Loved and were loved, and now we lie<br> In Flanders fields.</p> <p>Take up our quarrel with the foe:<br> To you from failing hands we throw<br> The torch; be yours to hold it high.<br> If ye break faith with us who die<br> We shall not sleep, though poppies grow<br> In Flanders fields.</p> <p><img src="http://data6.blog.de/media/075/4099075_2d8eaf2b02_m.jpeg" alt="poppies"></p></blockquote> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/armistice-day-7351674/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/armistice-day-7351674/Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:33:29 +0100 <p><em>A poem I wrote this time last year and never got round to posting...</em></p> <p>Last night, I burnt a thousand peacock feathers,<br> cast-offs from the feather factory,<br> ten tidy bundles of a hundred each.<br> Brown string noosed them in a sheaf<br> of glorious indigo, green and gold<br> tapering into pearly quills.</p> <p>What bounty for a budding writer -<br> material for a thousand pens.<br> But oh! what disappointment to discover<br> the moth within, shredding all<br> to scattered coloured slivers.</p> <p>Bonfire Night the perfect time<br> to consign them to the flames.<br> See how the vanes just crisp and curl,<br> the iridescence fades to black,<br> all beauty lost in smoke.</p> <p class="center"> <img src="http://data6.blog.de/media/009/4079009_5bff372d2d_m.jpeg" alt="bonfire"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/11/05/bonfire-night-7312754/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/11/05/bonfire-night-7312754/Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:37:08 +0100 <p><a href="http://www.blogactionday.org"><img src="http://www.blogactionday.org/imgs/badges/bad-88-31.jpg" border="0"></a>It is easy to worry about climate change desertifying Africa, flooding Bangladesh and melting the polar ice ? but very hard for us ordinary mortals to actually do anything other than be as careful as we can with our energy use. And when I go into the supermarket and almost freeze by the chiller cabinets, then overcook near the bakery, I feel that my little efforts are rather negated by this profligate squandering of energy over which I have no control.</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data6.blog.de/media/302/4008302_a59dd8c5e8_m.jpeg" alt="blackberry picking"></p> <p>So, for this blog post, I want to concentrate on something a bit more homely. Last Sunday, I walked down the lane and picked what will probably be my last bowl of blackberries for this year. Traditionally, we aren't supposed to pick them after Michaelmas (29th September), as the Devil spits on them - a busy man, obviously. I suspect the belief dates from colder times when blackberries would have been very pippy and bitter at the end of the season - but here we are well into October and they are still sweet and juicy, if a bit fly-blown in places.</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data6.blog.de/media/303/4008303_8a22f496dd_m.jpeg" alt="swallows"></p> <p>And what about swallows? Until recently, I used to time the swallows by family dates: they always left for Africa around the time of my Dad's birthday (early September), and arrived again on the anniversary of his death (early April). Although I don't think they were early arriving, they were certainly late leaving this year. Mr W even saw a family of swallows (with young in the nest) at the Axminster farmers' store only three weeks ago. I do hope they were strong enough to fly south for the winter, though I fear not.</p> <p>So, there is a snapshot of how climate change is affecting me. I am so lucky it isn't going to starve, bake or drown my native land.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/10/16/spit-and-swallows-it-is-easy-to-worry-about-climate-7179756/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/10/16/spit-and-swallows-it-is-easy-to-worry-about-climate-7179756/Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:39:23 +0200 <p>Today I went to the Axminster Guildhall to donate blood (my 17th - blimey!)</p> <p>Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall - of River Cottage fame - was giving his portion of celebrity blood as I arrived and it was funny watching people at the session covertly eyeing him up and deciding whether to pretend they knew him or not. </p> <p>My chum Paula actually got to occupy his couch after he had finished - after a hygienic wipe down of course ( the couch, not Paula). Round here, that is probably a tale to dine out on for several weeks.</p> <p>I wonder who the lucky recipient of that free range organic blood will be?</p> <p>Good on yer Hugh, anyway.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/10/15/celebrity-spotting-in-axminster-7176065/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/10/15/celebrity-spotting-in-axminster-7176065/Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:24:55 +0200 <p>All my chums have blogged about snow, so here am I late to the party!</p> <p>I made heroic efforts this morning before breakfast to struggle though 2-3cms of snow, and to take some pictures as I went. It was nicely sunny just after sunrise, and I was pleased with this one of my favourite oak tree - a magnificent specimen growing in a sunken lane just down the hill from my house.</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/983/3200983_75d05d6d7e_l.jpeg" alt="Cannington oak in the snow" vspace="5" hspace="5"></p> <p>(This is my first experiment with "HDR" - combining two exposures so you don't get white highlights and black shadows.) </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/02/03/more-snow-tales-5498821/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/02/03/more-snow-tales-5498821/Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:45:51 +0100 <p>After a very cold spell and then rain and wind, I was fortunate to have a cool, cloudy but dry morning to spend my hour counting garden birds.</p> <p>Blackbirds: 4<br> Robins: 3<br> Coal tits: 1<br> Blue tits: 3<br> Great tits: 2<br> Greenfinches: 2<br> Dunnocks: 3<br> Magpies: 1<br> Pheasants: 5<br> Nuthatches: 1<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1<br> Goldfinches: 1</p> <p>I could hear chaffinches "pinking" to each other, but no matter how carefully I scanned the trees, couldn't see them. (And I was glad there were pheasants - a big shoot down the valley yesterday had unnerved them and they looked very wary.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/">http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/results/">Results</a> of this year's count will be published on the web site in March. My last year's results are<a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/01/26/big_garden_birdwatch_results~3634376/"> here </a>- some interesting, but not significant, differences. Which brings me onto my related project for this year (as hinted to you, EllieGant!) I spend a few minutes each morning after I've put food out seeing what comes into the garden, and thought just how random my sightings are. So, for the Twelve Days of Christmas, I took 5-10 minutes each morning and wrote down what I saw - as I thought it would be interesting to see how varied the visitors were. I shall be boring you with post-dated blog entries for each day over the next few days! Starting <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/25/the-first-day-of-christmas-25th-december-5467951/">here with Christmas Day</a>.</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/298/3179298_5a5b3797c0_m.jpeg" alt="pheasants" vspace="5" hspace="5"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/25/big-garden-birdwatch-results-2009-after-a-very-cold-spell-5455291/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/25/big-garden-birdwatch-results-2009-after-a-very-cold-spell-5455291/Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:27:37 +0100 <p>It has been perishing cold for the last week, and going outside the back door is like being an extra in a low-budget remake of <em>The Birds</em>.</p> <p>All along the rooftops and in the trees are a softly chirping gang of hopeful blackbirds, waiting for me to come out armed with my twice-daily ration of corn, porridge oats and sultanas to stoke their reptilian heat. Spooky.... </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/08/the-birds-5344744/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/08/the-birds-5344744/Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:14:32 +0100 <p>OK, OK - I know I have now gone through the 12 days of Christmas- but it was hard to stop! But I promise this is the last one.</p> <p>Cold, sunny, hard frost</p> <p>Pheasants: 12<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 2<br> Greenfinches : 1<br> Robins: 1<br> Blackbirds: 5<br> Dunnocks: 1 </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/06/epiphany-6th-january-5456225/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/06/epiphany-6th-january-5456225/Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Cold, breezy, overcast. No frost</p> <p>Pheasants: 2<br> Great tits: 1<br> Chaffinches : 1<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 6<br> Dunnocks: 3</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/06/epiphany-6th-january-5456225/">Last day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/05/the-twelfth-day-of-christmas-5th-january-5456229/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/05/the-twelfth-day-of-christmas-5th-january-5456229/Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Frost, cloudy, cold</p> <p>Pheasants: 2<br> Bluetits: 2<br> Chaffinches: 2<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 12<br> Dunnocks: 2</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/05/the-twelfth-day-of-christmas-5th-january-5456229/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/04/the-eleventh-day-of-christmas-4th-january-5456242/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/04/the-eleventh-day-of-christmas-4th-january-5456242/Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Hard frost, clear and sunny</p> <p>Pheasants: 10<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 2<br> Chaffinches: 2<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 4<br> Dunnocks: 2<br> Crows: 2</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/04/the-eleventh-day-of-christmas-4th-january-5456242/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/03/the-tenth-day-of-christmas-3rd-january-5456246/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/03/the-tenth-day-of-christmas-3rd-january-5456246/Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Cold, high overcast, frost</p> <p>Pheasants: 8<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 1<br> Greenfinches: 6<br> Chaffinches: 1<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 5<br> Dunnocks: 2<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/03/the-tenth-day-of-christmas-3rd-january-5456246/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/02/the-ninth-day-of-christmas-2nd-january-5456281/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/02/the-ninth-day-of-christmas-2nd-january-5456281/Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Overcast, calm, frost melting</p> <p>Pheasants: 5<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 1<br> Greenfinches: 6<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 6<br> Dunnocks: 2<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/02/the-ninth-day-of-christmas-2nd-january-5456281/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/01/the-eighth-day-of-christmas-1st-january-5456286/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/01/the-eighth-day-of-christmas-1st-january-5456286/Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Hard frost, misty and sunny</p> <p>Pheasants: 1<br> Great tits: 1<br> Greenfinches: 6<br> Robins: 1<br> Blackbirds: 4<br> Dunnocks: 2</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/01/the-eighth-day-of-christmas-1st-january-5456286/">Next day</a> (and next year!)</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/31/the-seventh-day-of-christmas-31st-december-5467863/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/31/the-seventh-day-of-christmas-31st-december-5467863/Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Cold, misty and sunny</p> <p>Pheasants: 4<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 2<br> Chaffinches: 5<br> Greenfinches: 5<br> Robins: 1<br> Blackbirds: 9<br> Dunnocks: 2<br> Wood pigeons: 1<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/31/the-seventh-day-of-christmas-31st-december-5467863/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/the-sixth-day-of-christmas-30th-december-5467873/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/the-sixth-day-of-christmas-30th-december-5467873/Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>High overcast, frosty, East wind</p> <p>Pheasants: 8<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 1<br> Chaffinches: 3<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 4<br> Nuthatches: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/the-sixth-day-of-christmas-30th-december-5467873/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/29/the-fifth-day-of-christmas-29th-december-5467901/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/29/the-fifth-day-of-christmas-29th-december-5467901/Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Frosty, sunny, cold East wind</p> <p>Pheasants: 8<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 1<br> Chaffinches: 2<br> Greenfinches: 1<br> Robins: 1<br> Blackbirds: 6<br> Crows: 1<br> Nuthatches: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/the-fifth-day-of-christmas-29th-december-5467901/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/28/the-fourth-day-of-christmas-28th-december-5467905/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/28/the-fourth-day-of-christmas-28th-december-5467905/Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Sunny and frosty</p> <p>Pheasants: 1<br> Great tits: 1<br> Bluetits: 2<br> Chaffinches: 2<br> Goldfinches: 1<br> Robins: 2<br> Blackbirds: 11<br> Dunnocks: 1<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/28/the-fourth-day-of-christmas-28th-december-5467905/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/27/the-third-day-of-christmas-27th-december-5467917/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/27/the-third-day-of-christmas-27th-december-5467917/Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>Sunny and cold</p> <p>Pheasants: 3<br> Great tits: 1<br> Chaffinches: 3<br> Robins: 1<br> Blackbirds: 2</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/27/the-third-day-of-christmas-27th-december-5467917/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/26/the-second-day-of-christmas-26th-december-5467939/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/26/the-second-day-of-christmas-26th-december-5467939/Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>The first in a series of posts recording the feathered visitors to my garden over Christmas - a preview for the official <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/25/big-garden-birdwatch-results-2009-after-a-very-cold-spell-5455291/">Big Garden Birdwatch</a>.</p> <p>Dull overcast and cool</p> <p>Pheasants: 13<br> Great tits: 2<br> Bluetits: 1<br> Greenfinches: 1<br> Robins: 1<br> Wrens: 1<br> Blackbirds: 4<br> Dunnocks: 3<br> Spotted woodpeckers: 1</p> <p class="right"><a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/26/the-second-day-of-christmas-26th-december-5467939/">Next day</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/25/the-first-day-of-christmas-25th-december-5467951/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/25/the-first-day-of-christmas-25th-december-5467951/Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0100 <p>My first post for a long while, after being very busy and achieving, it seems, not a lot!</p> <p>Yesterday was good though - my first Christmas invitation. I went to my friend Henriette's house to decorate biscuits. We do this most years - a group of friends dating from when our children all went to the village school. Henriette provides an amazing range of hundreds and thousands, silver dragées, chocolate drops, jelly slices, cherries, angelica and other sugary things whose name I don't know; several bowls of coloured lemon icing, and freshly-baked lemon biscuits in all sorts of shapes. And of course cups of tea!</p> <p>We sit there gossiping and having playschool fun - and here are the results:</p> <p><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/407/3076407_e91ce80de9_m.jpeg" alt="xmas biscuits" vspace="5" hspace="5"></p> <p>There is a preponderance of cows which I made for another cow-mad friend I'm visiting today. My favourite is the pink and white penguin just left of centre in the photo. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/18/the-festivities-begin-5240288/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/18/the-festivities-begin-5240288/Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:35:18 +0100 <p>... behind the rather flattering picture taken some years ago by a proper photographer, I am now revealed as an old boot, in all my glory! </p> <p>If you know my brother Tim, you'd be spooked by our uncanny resemblance to each other - my baby daughter used to scream the place down when he visited - not being able to cope with a male version of Mum, I think.</p> <p>And nice to see all my chums in the flesh, as it were - good idea, Kevin! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/11/21/no-longer-incognito-5076351/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/11/21/no-longer-incognito-5076351/Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:51:37 +0100 <p>Yesterday was a sunny day (hurrah) and I went for a quick ramble through the fields near Morecombelake (passport time - it's in Dorset!) This is part of the National Trust's Golden Cap Estate, so there are lots of interesting things to see. But today I was mostly looking at sheep.</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/255/2999255_c8e80a859f_m.jpeg" alt="sheep" vspace="5" hspace="5"><br> <em>Guarding a stile I wanted to cross, a ewe with half an ear on her lamb.</em></p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/256/2999256_5fe8da8cbc_m.jpeg" alt="sheep" vspace="5" hspace="5"><br> <em>Young lamb with his Mum (#45) - I hope they don't get too miserable in the cold snap we are expecting at the end of the week.</em></p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/257/2999257_3a83267e69_m.jpeg" alt="sheep" vspace="5" hspace="5"><br> <em>No, you aren't in Cumbria - these </em>are <em>Herdwicks (somewhat out of focus - sorry about that)</em>.</p> <p>There were quite a few different breeds on this farm, including, if I was not mistaken, some Scottish Blackfaces </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/11/19/feeling-sheepish-5062269/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/11/19/feeling-sheepish-5062269/Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:24:41 +0100 <p><img align="left" src="http://data5.blog.de/media/118/2942118_69b44c3503_m.jpeg" alt="pumpkin" vspace="5" hspace="10">Tonight it's the local Horticultural Society's last event of the year: a decorated pumpkin competition in the Uplyme village hall. My entry's all ready: I am calling him a punkin. <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>I snaffled a bargain pumpkin at Somerfields in Bridport last weekend - only £1, and just added two old safety pins, cocktail sticks, pine twigs and a few rosehips from the garden for the studs. I'm hoping to recoup the cost by winning a prize - but we shall see what competition I have.</p> <p>Despite trying pumpkin cooked many ways, I have decided it's just yucky vegetable cotton wool, so after the 31st, this fellow will go on the compost heap to scare the cows. However, I have discovered that you can make the seeds into a delicious snack - something to do when you are using the oven anyway or it would be rather wasteful!</p> <p>Slip them out of the pulp into a sieve, and wash well. Shake as dry as poss. (not very), stir in a tsp. or so of vegetable or olive oil, and tip into a roasting tin or tray. Roast for about 30 minutes in a medium oven, shaking occasionally. Once they start going pale brown, remove and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Lovely crunchy nibbles! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/29/bring-on-the-curcurbits-4949403/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/29/bring-on-the-curcurbits-4949403/Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:18:56 +0100 <p>I've recently returned from a blood donor session - just like Hancock, my arm is empty and I am prohibited from heavy lifting. So I spent 5 mins fettling the tomatoes in the greenhouse, and was rather struck by the light shining through the plants. I took my tiny P&S camera just in case of sudden weakness of the limbs!</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/196/2900196_ff7be23e74_m.jpeg" alt="tomato leaves" vspace="5" hspace="5"><br> <em>Gardener's delight</em></p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/197/2900197_b818d9885a_m.jpeg" alt="tomato leaves and fruit" vspace="5" hspace="5"><br> <em>Chutney, anyone?</em></p> <p>It all goes to show that you often don't need to go far to find things to snap, as long as you keep your eyes open. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/16/green-unfriedtomatoesat-the-wakeman-cafe-4881547/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/16/green-unfriedtomatoesat-the-wakeman-cafe-4881547/Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:09:50 +0200 <p>I am one of the poorer people in this country - after a relatively affluent life when we were both earning well, we now manage on less than the national average and pay little tax (the positive aspect of a low income!).</p> <p>It is surprising how well one can live, by cooking from fresh ingredients, eschewing ready-made food and cutting down on meat, by realising that a few second-hand clothes from charity shops will actually do quite well, and not being obsessed by keeping up with everyone else in terms of consumer electronics, new cars, holidays, and general pointless acquisition of stuff. Of course, we are very lucky to have paid off the mortgage some years ago, so council tax is the biggest monthly expenditure, closely followed by fuel.</p> <p>Now to the real point of my post. I am relatively poor compared to many people in this country, and the average Briton is relatively poor compared to all those annoyingly overpaid, over-pensioned and insular politicians who make the policies that have real effects on our lives that they are in no position to understand.</p> <p>But looking in the other direction, everyone in Britain is almost unimaginably wealthy and privileged compared to all the people in the Third World living on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2007/12/071227_dollar_a_day_1.shtml">a dollar a day</a> or less. They <em>really </em>don't know how they are going to eat in the next few days, let alone worrying about education and healthcare for their children, clean water and proper sanitation. All those things that even the poorest UK citizen can take for granted.</p> <p>So, next time I think of opening my mouth and saying it would be nice if I had a bit extra to spend on something I don't actually need to survive, I hope I will recall this entry and close my mouth promptly, counting my very many blessings.</p> <p> <a href="http://blogactionday.org"><img src="http://blogactionday.org/img/6a2a8479962d6ed90aa1b62095395e13c58702e4.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/15/poverty-is-relative-4839446/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/15/poverty-is-relative-4839446/Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:50:18 +0200 <p><strong>All work and no play...</strong></p> <p>So, what shall I do on this glorious day?</p> <p>Crouch at my desk, typing and reading,<br> Or walk in the sunshine, scuffing the leaves?</p> <p>No contest really - I'm on my way,<br> On with my wellingtons, lock the back door,<br> Past late blooming flowers and off down the lane.<br> Squinting in sunlight, peering through mist,<br> Admiring the cobwebs all silver with dew,<br> Until it is time to go homewards again.</p> <p>Now back in the office - oh, what shall I do?<br> Skive off a bit longer, and write this for you!</p> <p><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/807/2878807_3fafbcd54a_l.jpeg" alt="cobwebs on dock" vspace="5" hspace="5"></p> <p><a href="http://www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk/">National Poetry Day</a> - although this is more doggerel than poetry. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/09/national-poetry-day-work-4844545/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/09/national-poetry-day-work-4844545/Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:32:23 +0200 <p><img align="left" src="http://data5.blog.de/media/171/2814171_2f1cbdd1f3_m.jpeg" alt="Hardy" vspace="5" hspace="5">I don't normally blog about my personal life in any detail, but I had such a good time at the weekend, I felt I had to commit it to "paper". My Dad died five years ago, and this weekend was the closest to his birthday that the siblings could get together (except for brother Paul, who had a prior engagement). So, <a href="http://www.blog.co.uk/user/faithbretherick/">Faith</a> and Tim came down and stayed with us on Friday night, and we all got together with Mum on Saturday for a fabulous meal at the <a href="http://www.thebullhotel.co.uk/">Bull Hotel</a> in Bridport. Tim and I shared a whole West Bay crab - truly wonderful except for the poor crab of course. </p> <p>Earlier in the afternoon, we went for a walk along the front at West Bay and had a good laugh at some poor chap trying to park his junk in the harbour. Some blokes fishing off the quay kept up a running commentary, of which the most telling comment was "He's driving that thing like a bloody wheelbarrow" - cue sniggers.</p> <p>On Sunday morning - the second sunny day in succession - we went for a walk over the downs to Hardy's Memorial near Portesham. (To Admiral Hardy, rather than the novelist.) I finally worked out how to use the timer on my camera, so here we all are, basking in the sunshine. The perfect end to a perfect occasion!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/09/15/keeping-it-in-the-family-4731371/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/09/15/keeping-it-in-the-family-4731371/Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:45:00 +0200 <p>Yesterday, I went with Pete to deliver some ceramic animals to a new <a href="http://www.pierheadgallery.co.uk/">gallery </a>in Exmouth.</p> <p>Although I only live about 30 miles away, I haven't had a trip there for many years. It's a lovely family seaside resort, with nice Victorian terraces, municipal gardens etc. We were also entertained by a distant view of the <a href="http://www.dawlish.net/carnival/airshow/">Dawlish Carnival airshow</a>: the WWII memorial flight (Lancaster and two Spits), a little plane doing loops and rolls and later (I missed them - chizz) the Red Arrows.</p> <p>But best of all was a wicked but wonderful lunch. We had ham, egg and chips and a mug of tea at the Docks Cafe: one of those un-tarted-up places that is all too rare today, with plain food well cooked and no fripperies. Big bottles of sauce and vinegar on the table, plenty of lively conversation, and two perfectly cooked eggs, home baked ham and real potato chips freshly cooked. Utter heaven.</p> <p>Oh, and a dairy icecream for afters - sugar cone and ginger. Yum! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/15/exmouth-excursion-4592915/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/15/exmouth-excursion-4592915/Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:33:31 +0200 <p>Vodka? - no, Beer.</p> <p>A very pretty fishing village down the coast from me, where I spent a windy 2 hours standing on the cliffs this morning waiting for the sun to come out, to take a commissioned photo. Needless to say, I'll have to go back, as the sun stayed resolutely behind the clouds till I got home again.</p> <p>They were just launching the fishing boats off the beach when I took this:</p> <p class="center"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/444/2718444_42dba152c6_m.jpeg" alt="beer fishing boats" vspace="5" hspace="5"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/08/a-shot-of-4560302/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://devonlife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/08/a-shot-of-4560302/Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:20:51 +0200