THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

14 August 2013

ARE WE THERE YET?

  

Whilst driving one of Origami Boy's friends home last night, gritting my teeth as they repeated the same ditty for the fiftieth time, I was reminded of a summer holiday in 1981 when my Mother and step-father drove myself and a friend up to the rather bizarre location of Newark in Nottinghamshire. Not that there's anything wrong with Newark - it's a fabulous place, just not the obvious holiday choice for two hormonal teenage girls. Anyway, for the ENTIRE length of the A1, every time we passed a house with a green door, my friend and I piped up with the chorus of the current number one single, which we were very sniffy about: Shakin' Stevens' 'Green Door'. There were many of them and how we made it there without being kicked out onto the verge, I'll never know. My Mother is not known for her tolerance so it really was a miracle. I wonder what annoying things you said or did on holiday car journeys of the past?

What with Jack training and the endless ferrying and overseeing what now seem to be called 'play dates', I haven't a lot to show you other than the delightful chalk work from OB and his friend Lily in the picture above and the following meagre offerings:


Our patrolling toad slacking again


Peacock


Some kind of White....oh for the time to scour the books to find out!


And another...


Red Admiral; the first I've seen up here in five years (on a towel by the way)


This Oriental Poppy appeared very unexpectedly. I threw seed around two years ago to no avail but that hot spell was miraculous


Can't remember the name of this Hardy geranium; it's a shade lover with red stems. Hopeless - sorry!


Hover Fly on the Self Heal


More of the miracle Californian Poppies. I never expect to see them again

So tomorrow is Chagford Show. I really will try and produce a decent post about it. OB is at an Athletics thing today in Okehampton so, having done my Mum's shopping, I actually managed a decent training walk with the dogs. Jack will now come to the whistle straight away and is making real progress with sheep/cow/pony ignoring. All we really need him to do here. Until next time, apologies for being so rubbish, have a good rest of the week and here are Snippet and Jack in our filthy porch.....oops.....not a huge amount of hoovering going on here either. 


43 comments:

  1. lovely chalking-is it still treading into the house ?;) may see you at the show in my new raincoat-perfect for summer! x

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    1. I'll look forward to that....I think you're going to need it.

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    2. wasn't the weather fab! x

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  2. You have my sympathies for the Summer hols ferrying kids about!...I always used to rejoice when it was back to school time and head for the shops to celebrate, lol. I have to admit though, OB and his friend have made a splendid job on the path...I'd be tempted to get some paint and make that permanent...but perhaps that's just my crazy art side, lol.

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    1. You'd think with just the one it would be easy but, being an only child means he wants to be out with friends more and my lack of interest in computer games makes me so uncool apparently.

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  3. Snippet makes a delightful chalk path model. Rain coming..

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    1. Rain has pretty much done for the coloured path sadly.

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  4. sounds like a wonderful life for a little dog :-)

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  5. Love that toad photo!!
    I like the different colored stepping stones.
    I was an only child so when we traveled I just talked too much!! : )

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    1. Talking too much sounds acceptable and potentially varied, unlike "Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?' hundreds of times.

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  6. Hi Em Love the shot at the end, I wonder what he is saying in her ear. I am just learning about butterflies and have purchased an ipad last week and today have put an app on but butterflies to see if I can improve my ID skills!! I will study your our of interest.

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    1. Something naughty no doubt! I like the sound of that app, although I have no device that would support them. Will look forward to hearing how it goes.

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  7. Dont worry about hovering.........anybody who says they have a clean home and a dog, is a liar..........or they DONT have a dog..Great post.


    peter

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    1. Thanks Peter; I'll try not to feel guilty about it!

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  8. OK, 1980 camping holiday with parents and best friend.A person had 'absconded' from some kind of detention centre and the radio news was full of sightings,possible sightings etc. Every time the person's name was mentioned, my friend and I sang out a chorus of Dexy's Midnight Runners "Oh Gino"..the absconders name was Gino. My parents got sick of that song pretty quickly.
    Jane x

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  9. That Hover Fly photo has amazingly shallow depth of field and is very beautiful! The Peacock photo is lovely also.

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    1. For once that shallow d of f worked. It's only a bridge camera and can struggle in the macro department!

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  10. Sidewalk chalk is the best.
    Love the last photo of the boys !

    cheers, parsnip

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  11. I had to grin thinking about trips with my parents--There were 5 of us, and our time spent in the car usually focused around someone touching the other or looking at them--My parents weren't known for their tolerance either, it's a wonder they didn't stop the car and kick us out either! :-)

    Great photos today--Butterflies are another one of my favorites to photograph!

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    1. I wonder if my Mother was secretly wearing ear-plugs?

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  12. I love the way Snippet appears to be giving his new pal instructions before allowing him over the threshhold.
    That is the best peacock butteryfly photo I have seen this year!

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  13. Sorry about the extra y in the middle of butterfly - but actually I rather like it.

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  14. Gorgeous photos as ever Em. Do sympathise about the constant car ferrying - I still seem to do the same but mine left school years ago!!!!! When my two were really tiny we used to have a box of tapes of children's stories and nursery rhymes/songs. The latter tape was the favourite and I can never hear "The Wheels on the Bus....." these days without wanting to scream!!!

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  15. I love the chalky path. I just remember long car journeys as always being dull, although we travelled on A roads then (not motorways) so there was a bit more variety through the car window! Terrific photos of the flowers and butterflies and your wonderful toad. And I love the two dogs in the porch - it almost looks like there is a conversation taking place there.

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    1. I think he was about to get Jack's ear in his mouth and drag him out into the garden. Quite a lot of that is going on....in a good humoured way of course.

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  16. Beautiful pics! Especially love the one of the boys together, looks like happy doggy families!

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  17. Lovely photos of the boys together!

    I'm lucking to have survived childhood! Mother had little tolerance and my sister and I used to sing the train song every time we would come to a train crossing. There were many crossings in the area of Ohio where we lived at the time and also in Japan where our "train song" continued on. My poor parents.

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    1. Everyone who's commented about their experience has said their Mothers were intolerant!

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  18. Tose butterfly photos are lovely
    I am sooo happy that we seem to be having a butterfly summer

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    1. I don't think I've ever seen so many. Sorry not to hear of your irritating car stories!

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  19. Well Em this is a lovely post, great pics of the toad and beautiful butterflies. I had a Comma land on me yesterday as the weather was glorious here I had so many butterflies in the garden I lost count. My parents didn't have a car so no stories to tell. We went everywhere by train and loved it-so much space to move around. My mum was very patient when we travelled and seemed to have everything under control-including us!

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    1. You were obviously very lucky with your mother. I think we would have been too self conscious to sing on a train so obviously that's the key!

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  20. Peacock Butterfly picture! Major ((((((Like)))))). Hope you are having a good summer Em. Your pictures say it is so!

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    1. I hanker after a beach holiday somewhere hot, but we can't afford it. Living somewhere other people come on their holidays helps! Hope you're having a good one too Mark.

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