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watching michael phelps do his thing at the olympics.

wow-ee. is he a man or a machine??

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big decisions on the domestic front,

but not for us.

all we can do is decide when to speak,

and when not to speak,

and know that it will all be ok,

soon.

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went to see richard iii at the globe today,

and forgot my camera.

i forgot it! so annoyed with myself.

we stood in the pit, and got pretty wet

but it was worth it.

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attempted to get some work done today but found constant excuses to turn tv on to see what was going on with the olympics .........

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it was quite a picture postcard sort of day today when the sun came out ........ it all looks calm and peaceful but if i had a sound recording with this you would hear hundreds of kids screaming and shouting in the castle courtyard

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there was a "living craft fair" at parham park on sunday - it was all too much for the ducks and chickens who slept it out .......

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saturday morning in chichester and pleased to find that philip jackson's sculpture exhibition still on (it was the final day)

afterwards went to novium, chichester's brand new museum built over an exposed section of the roman town - worth a visit to see state of the art exhibition techniques

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friday was a "do a bit of everything day" made easier by the weather being fine again

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had a brilliant day watching the olympic cycling:

crowds everywhere,

and the olympic rings on box hill!

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a beast of a bee hard at work on our broad beans.

took part in martin creed's bell ringing this morning

in the town square,

to celebrate the start of the olympics.

a great sense of excitement mounting.

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an evening out with friends to celebrate endings,

and new beginnings ...

london has really cranked up a notch over the last few days...

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definitely a Roman sort of day ........ blue sky, summer heat, symmetry, a villa, an unhurried pace to the day .........

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more produce from the garden ...
broad beans really are the taste of summer!
there was the most incredible orange moon tonight, in a sultry yellow sky;
we tried in vain to photograph it, but without success.
sometimes this world just blows my mind.

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oh my, i could really get used to this.

we ate supper in the garden;

it was absolute bliss.

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i sat outside for lunch today and had to retreat out of the sun after 20 minutes ....... scorchio! ......... it was as hot as Cyprus in May!

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phew what a scorcher ........ i spent a good bit of today repainting windows and doors outside to take advantage of the quick drying time.

Here are the cheap lilies i got from B&Q!

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and ... cha-ching! summer has arrived.

i am so pleased for all the kids who have just started their summer break...

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recipe #3:

a nice crust,

but not enough air in it.

plus it looks as though it has got a face.

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probably the best way to spend a sticky, hot saturday afternoon.

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i know it's another castle picture, but what a day after all we've had lately ..... not a trace of a cloud anywhere

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what a fantastic hot day ........ some of it spent doing repairs on my kitchen roof (nearly got burns the tiles were so hot) ........ the rest absorbing vitamin D

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thank goodness for a bit of fine weather ....... had a not so bad half day at work and a bit of time in the garden ....... this pair were not in my garden!

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it felt strange to be home,
everything was familiar,
yet unfamiliar.
it felt like we had been away so much longer.
the garden had grown completely wild,
wasps had colonised the shed,
and everything seemed somehow quiet.
looking forward to a long weekend ...

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york market.

spent the day pottering round the shops,

and walking the city walls,

before heading home.

over two thousand miles covered altogether,

with trusty tent in tow:

quite an adventure.

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it rained all night, and all the next day.

we got back on the road,

heading east, and then south along the amazing roman roads in northumberland.

arrived late in york and found ourselves a place to crash for the night ...

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had the best day,

climbing ben nevis.

such a great feeling!

M at the top, in the snow.

absolutely awesome.

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from loch ness we drove back west, to fort william.

took the cable car up to the top of aonach mor,

which felt like cheating a little,

but the views were spectacular.

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we were sad to leave skye, but there was so much more to see ...

drove east to loch ness,

where we stayed in this 'hobbit' overlooking the shore:

a posh form of camping, and an excellent place from which to look for the monster ...

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drove to the very northernmost peninsular on skye,

stopping to watch the sheepdog trials,

visiting a tannery,

the most remote wool shop i have ever seen (above),

and then the talisker distillery out to the west.

pretty good whisky!

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climbing hills again.

climbed up to the old man of storr, and then on up and up into the clouds,

following the ridge along to the north.

amazing views of great hulking mountains and islands in the distance.

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rain crept up to join us in oban overnight,

so we headed north again until the sun shone.

stopped at eilean donan castle to have a look round and to take the obligatory shortbread tin shot.

then crossed the bridge to the isle of skye...

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took a tiny ferry over to kerrera

and walked round the island;

we were pretty much the only people on it.

stopped for a cup of tea on the beach.

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we had been hoping to do some walking in cumbria

but after waking to pouring rain we packed up and drove north,

crossing dumfries and galloway and heading for brighter skies in oban.

found an amazing campsite overlooking the water and the isle of kerrera.

this is the view from mccaig's tower, 

which we climbed to after fish and chips on the sea front. 

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the smallholding at beatrix potter's house, hill top.

ice creams in the rain: feeling terribly english.

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drove north to keswick in the lake district and set up camp not far from stunning derwent water.

a brief break in the clouds at sunset before the rain began again.

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sunset over the baths in buxton.

visiting old friends and taking a trip down memory lane ...

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my route to the garage to collect my car (from its MOT) took me past this family of swans on the river outside Quay Arts

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taken in the boiler room at Brading ...... there is something oddly interesting about interconnecting pipes

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this is what the great great grandsons of exceptionally famous poets currently wear on their heads these days ......

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had a good day at Ardingly today exploring endless antiques stalls ..... something for everyone here - cases seem to be an in thing

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i nearly needed the services of this supplier to settle an argument ...... but desisted

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Sunday was a nice enough day to venture down Shanklin Chine and on to the beach where we had a picnic lunch. I love the Chine for its greenness ....

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Saturday, and the whole island prepares for the arrival of the Olympic torch ...... here it comes down Newport High Street, and I have the luxury of a view from the first floor window

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Freshwater Bay - rather more dramatic in winter when the breakers crash over the rocks

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it was a beautiful journey to Brading this morning - here we are looking across to Ryde and the Solent.

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jill had lots of visitors today ....... seven coach loads of children and others had arrived by opening time!

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it may look vaguely culinary but is actually a resin cast of a dinosaur egg!

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monday was a busy day with little opportunity to take advantage of the outdoors ....... so i scouted around the house for a photo ......

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Sunday has been an interesting day what with Wimbledon, Silverstone and people in the streets behaving oddly .......

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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ...........

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friday started off ok, then it rained and it rained and it poured