215/365 New arrivals

This cheeky chappy and his missus have started nest-building in the tree just in front of our house. So so pretty, and also most considerate in that they are very vocal when around, making photos easy!

Much as I love Greedy McBeaky, as feathered neighbours go I don't think theres much of a contest in the beauty stakes, and these new friends also don't wake us at 5am with their mad-cawing.

Fingers-crossed for baby birdies soon.

214/365 Planning

Trip planning sucks. The initial excitement of choosing dates and debating ideas soon fades with the hours spent trawling through websites, on hold to booking agents etc. As we get closer to our next canoe-expedition, P has taken over with his food planning - spreadsheet ahoy!

Hopefully the effort now will result in far more interesting posts and photos later on!

213/365 Holiday Mondays

We had a whole day planned out - walk dog, get in hammocks, only leave hammocks for food.

Well, a slight diversion for pancakes with M and N first - great way to start the day....then a whole two minutes in the hammocks before a text comes in and the whole day swings round from concentrated relaxation to messing about on boats!

P was up first, and disappeared up the river with his intrepid guide Rune. Apparently he was a natural and threw himseld in with gusto, trapezing with grace and even filling R with enough confidence for him to get the Spinniker out and up the speed.

Sadly I am a girl. And at a distance those boats all look fairly similar, and I took photos (and video!) of the wrong one! Anyway, here is a piccie of them closer to shore:



I was up next and surprised myself by really enjoying the trapezing - loving it in fact. I was a little concerned that it would feel much like the worst bits of abseiling, where you lean backwards and feel like you'll just keep going into nothingness. In reality I actually felt more connected to the boat standing on the side leaning out backwards than I did sat down!

Paul did a much better job of spectatoring than I, and you can jsut about make me out in this one...


Honestly - it is me!

And one final shot, just to show off the shiny sail.



A fab day all round, thanks Rune!

212/365 Farms and scrabble

Off to the Agriculture Museum for the annual knit-out this afternoon. Apparently it is the 6th year its been going, but the first time I've made it. Worked on the crazy cabled sweater for an hour or so, and had a brief wander round to see the animals....



....from there on to dinner, ice-cream and then coffee and scrabble before the evenings concert. My scrabble performance was very sad, not on my game at all.....although I did get 'bacon' and 'egg' on consecutive turns, which I still argue should be worth bonus points!

211/365 Ambient noise....

(Saturday.....so far behind yet again!)

A relaxing afternoon on the Island, reading books, eating cheese and listening to the sounds of summer....chipmunks squeaking and the wind in the trees....

The ambient noise in the evening was masterfully incorporated into the percussion performance at the Remic Rapids. Goose calls, the flow of the river, all mixed in with the music and atmosphere. Some memorable pieces - rhythms played on stones and the magic of wind wands. (Including the big plastic tubes we used to muck about with as children, making a horrendous wailing. Strangely they seemed so much more tuneful played this evening, by professionals!).

210/365 Trollhunter

Off again on the bikes, this time to the cinema for a troll film - and what a corker. Part Blair Witch, part Where the Wild Things Are, mostly just itself - Troll Hunter was definitely a hit with us. Even accounting for my attack of motion sickness part way through due to the wobbly camera work. A good year for films this year, particularly films at The Mayfair.

(Oh, and Karen - our friend went to see Rubber for the second time last week!)

209/365 Have bike will travel

This summer has been beautiful (ignoring the 41 degree day that is!). Slightly on the humid side for my liking on occasion, but now that I have accepted that its cooler to be out cycling than to lie on the sofa, things have improved dramatically....

...tonight our jaunt was back to the Sandy Hill Bar for a relaxing evening with friends before everyone jets off in different directions for summer adventures. Looking forward to adding to my burgeoning wall of postcards (hint hint) and also to enjoying some trips myself. Not so many postcard buying options in the middle of lakes however, maybe I'll make my own....hmmm....there's an idea. Changes of clothes may be optional on the camping-packing list, but Crayons and felt-tips are essential don't you think?!