Sunday, June 26, 2022

Mosaic Monday #182: Bluebells, Tulips, Wisteria - oh my!

 

Lengthy vacations deliver many blessings, including dozens of photos!  This will be my fourth post about our April trip to the UK, and I calculate three more will be required to cover the subject thoroughly!  So, let's stop dithering and get right to it!

One of the numerous aspects I enjoy about the home of my in-laws is the proximity to farm fields and woods.  I often go for a walk, and can always find something to photograph.  I believe the plant at left is a type of Lamium, and it carpeted the woods with its soft foliage and purple flowers peeking out.  Here are just a couple of the other blooming plants.


Birds twittered from the hedgerows, and I was tickled to catch this European Robin in song.  Check out the video.


On May 15, I wrote about my raptor experience.  The post on May 22 covered our visit to Broughton Castle.  Both of these excursions were made from a rented cottage in Long Compton (a village in the Cotswolds).  On the day we arrived, this cake greeted us, a delicacy home-made by the landlady.  Apparently, this is one of her specialties - every guest who made an entry in the guest book lauded her baking!!!


The same day as the raptor experience, we stopped in Stow-on-the-Wold (Holy Place on the Hill).  We popped into a few shops, including a bottle shop.  Just reading the labels of the beers was entertainment, such as the Marshmallow Porter shown below.  Seeing the Tiny Rebel beer was especially amusing since Man with Hat had dressed up as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man for the Winter Carnival Parade this year!  (No, we didn't buy it; we slaked our thirst with coffee and cake at a nearby tea shop.)
 
Wisteria bloomed everywhere we went; some of these vines must be nearing their 100th birthday (or more).

Sometimes (ok, almost always) the choice of our lodging hinges upon a pub within walking distance that sports a reputation for good beer and delicious food.  In the case of Long Compton, the Red Lion fit the bill - less than 5 minutes to walk there, and we savored the meals (and the beer!) enough that we went two nights in a row!



England is a photographer's paradise; the Cotswolds are particularly picturesque.  A profusion of spring flowers (especially coming from monochromatic Montana in April) doesn't hurt!





I have written before about church kneelers - 
January 19, 2018 and July 12, 2018.  It is hard to resist taking a picture of every one in a church - and we visit A LOT of churches!


Spousal Unit knows I love a good garden, and it is a favorite activity for my in-laws as well.  So, no surprise that Kiftsgate Court Gardens appeared on our itinerary.  As you can see on the brochure cover, "3 generations of women gardeners" is part of its marketing campaign.  "Our garden was created by my grandmother Heather Muir in the twenties, continued by my mother Diany Binny from 1950 and now looked after by myself and my husband.

"The gardens are a delight for all the senses and there is always something of interest to bring you back time and again.  The upper gardens around the house are planted to give harmonious colour schemes while the sheltered lower gardens recreate the atmosphere of warmer countries.

(I was surprised and delighted to see a whole field of Camas (left in collage above), since I have only rarely seen this plant in the wild in Montana.  Camas provided one of the most prized root crops, and many tribes fought for the right to collect in certain meadows.) 

"The newest addition is a contemporary water garden providing tranquility and order in contrast to the exuberance of the flower gardens."  Anne Chambers   


The Gardens had more than one reflecting pool!!!  Only the idea of keeping my family waiting tore me away from photo after photo!

It is quite common for people to visit gardens for a particular feature; on this day, the Bluebells were the main attraction.  Maybe the few pictures below can give you a taste of their motivation!  Mother Nature bestows such spectacular gifts!



**** I will be out of town for the Fourth of July weekend; Mosaic Monday will return on July 10.  If you live in the US, I wish you a classic holiday with parades, fireworks and a picnic!  

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."  Nelson Mandela

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Mosaic Monday #181: A Bigger Boat

As the family planned our vacation to Grand Cayman, the men finalized the details of a deep-sea fishing trip.  8 hours on a boat.  Hmmm. Not my cup of tea!!!

But they seemed to have a good time!  They all had plenty of turns in the "fighting chair".

And came back with enough tuna for more than two meals!

Check out the videos - the men also pulled in some barracuda, but they are not recommended by the locals for eating.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat." BRODY, JAWS 




So, what are the ladies to do?  Go to the spa, of course!  And enjoy the tuna!  (with plantains, and rice and beans)

December 2012 treated our family to Grand Cayman diving for the first time, and Man with Snorkel booked our dives through Living the Dream Divers.  It's hard to grasp that we have known the owners, Gary and Liz, for 10 years.  We felt an immediate affinity for them, since they are originally from the UK.  But it goes beyond that, to the way they treat their clients, like family!  They have watched our kids grow up, and we have witnessed the growth of their business.  I will write a little more about that in a future post!

For the Fiance, this was his first time diving after he achieved his certification - a special moment!  Man with Go Pro did not take any photos the first dive - the emphasis was on making sure the "kids" had a good experience - even for our children, it had been five years since they had been diving!  (Spousal Unit and I, having arrived a couple of days ahead, already had two dives under our "weight" belts!)  So, the photos I share below were taken over two days and several dives.  Enjoy!



Check out the video of the Green Moray.



I am obsessed with Porcupinefish.  Maybe you can see why in this video.


All this hard work (!) diving makes everyone hungry.


And puts big smiles on all the faces!


"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul."  ROBERT WYLAND

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Mosaic Monday #180: Sweat, Tears or the Sea

 

"At the beach, life is different.  Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment.  We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun."  SANDY GRINGAS

This post shares more photos from Grand Cayman.  They are not all from the same day, but they share a common theme: days we whiled away the hours on the beach!

Walks on the beach are soothing and refreshing, especially when that unexpected wave rushes up to nibble your toes.

Perhaps I have become more attuned to flowers, in my retirement, than I was on previous visits.  I certainly don't recall these delicate flowers in bloom on this plant.


This hammock has seen better days!


Seven Mile Beach has several public beaches; Cemetery Beach was less than 10 minutes' walk from our condo.  I love how the white picket fence denotes the boundaries of the public Beach.  Directly off this beach, the natural reef is 165 feet from shore.  With large underwater pinnacles, you will see a wide variety of fish.  On one day of snorkeling, we saw two large loggerhead turtles within 5 minutes.


This sign made me wonder about "Jan's" story ....


One day, we rented a paddleboard.  I spent more time in the water than on the board!  #1 Daughter was pretty adept!


We experimented with several new restaurants during our visit, and Bayside was the standout.  Unique and delicious cocktails.  Staff that were welcoming and gracious.  Great food.  We will be back!


And of course, every beach day worth its salt ends with a gorgeous sunset.






"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea."  ISAK DINESEN

Linking to Wandering Camera

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunday, June 5, 2022

M M #179: The Beach is Cheaper than Therapy

Welcome back to Mosaic Monday, and do I have some treats for you!  If you like tropical flowers, sunsets, summer cocktails and sea creatures, you came to the right place!  The island paradise of Grand Cayman hosted our family for over a week, and what a joy it was.  Throw on your flip-flops, and let's go!





Originally, this trip was planned for May 2020, as a celebration of #1 Son's graduation from The Ohio State University.  We all know why that trip didn't happen!


Well, some things are worth the wait!  I am grateful to Spousal Unit for navigating the complexities of air travel in an (almost) post-pandemic world.  Loads of paperwork, COVID testing during specific time windows before travel, ensuring we had tests for our return, the list goes on!

Everyone tested negative, but the in-bound flights had challenges.  Our checked bag did not make one of our connections, and arrived the next day.  #1 Daughter and her fiance were informed that their first flight would be delayed by two hours, virtually guaranteeing that they would miss their connection.  Fortunately, they heard this the night before, and were able to change the city of departure.  They jumped in the car right then, and got a few hours of sleep at the house of our future in-laws before being driven to the airport early the next morning.  First-world problems!

Spousal Unit and I landed a couple of days before the "kids", and we immediately re-enacted one of our traditions - lunch at Camana Bay.  The name of the restaurant has changed, but the view is still just as spectacular as it was in 2017, the last time we came to the island!


We stocked up on supplies at the grocery store, returning to the condo with enough time to enjoy the white sands of Seven Mile Beach.  Generally, the island was quieter than our past visits; I believe this can be attributed to 1. Time of year - May directly precedes hurricane season - we frequently came in December; our 2017 trip was in March; and 2. Tourists are just starting to travel again.  Whatever the reason, we didn't mind that we practically had the beach to ourselves!



From the rooster at the grocery store, to the lizards sunning themselves on the sand, to the crabs staying just out of reach of the surf, the unchanging critter landscape was reassuringly familiar.


Can anyone identify the bird in the video below?


"Get outside.  Watch the sunrise.  Watch the sunset.  How does that make you feel?  Does it make you feel big or tiny?  Because there's something good about feeling both."  AMY GRANT


Still photos of the sunset are mesmerizing, but I think video captures the movement of the ocean AND the sunset.



"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."  SARAH KAY

Come back next week for more!


Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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