curiouswombat: (notes from a small island)
curiouswombat ([personal profile] curiouswombat) wrote2011-01-09 08:29 pm
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Sunday Pics and this and that.

It seems like a long time since Christmas and New Year - D-d flew back to York on Monday, I went back to work on Tuesday, and now things are so much back to normal that that could have been a month ago!

It was my mother's 84th birthday on Wednesday - we bought her a new, sensible, watch as her old one was becoming unreliable. This was obviously a hit because when my sister was up on Saturday she was actually wearing it, rather than keeping it in the box!

D-d has just been on the phone - she is planning her 'gap trip' for the summer - she has 11 weeks between finishing at college and starting her training contract and intends to spend much of it in Australia, not only visiting her grandparents and aunt, but having a look at the rest of the country too. She is going to go to buy her main air ticket on Wednesday - so her mind is well into summer whilst I am still deep in winter, still putting the Christmas decorations away. I think this might be a reflection of our different ages.

Talking of putting away the decorations - and there is a picture of me doing just that under the cut (how exciting!) - I also took a picture of my glass vase of baubles and lights as [livejournal.com profile] melegyrn was asking about it.

Most of the pictures, though, are of the walk I took before lunch in one of our local glens.



So, firstly, for Melegyrn, this is the big glass vase filled with red and gold baubles and some LED lights

Baubles and lights

I would be inclined to leave them there all winter - but D-d insists that they really are Christmas decorations and must be taken down.

One of the very important jobs, but one I rather like, when putting away the decorations, is carefully wrapping all the glass tree ornaments. Here they all are on the coffee table waiting to be bubble-wrapped and packed into their box -

putting away the tree decorations

There are 20+ assorted crystal twists and drops in that pile on the right, honestly, including the 6 in the separate box (a gift from [livejournal.com profile] dougalsservant) - all bought one or two at a time, or given by friends. I didn't get around to counting the assorted glass angels, snowmen, nativity scenes and so on - but I think they, too must be running into their 20s - again all bought in different places, at different times, or gifts - then there are the golden angels, the crystal and gold wire snowflakes - and Archbishop Sentamu! All now packed away for 11 months.

So - it is still cold, but the only snow for the past two weeks has been up on the hills. Down at sea level it is bright and clear -

groudle seascape

I decided, after church, to work up an appetite for lunch - so I went for a walk in Groudle Glen and took a few pictures. The glen is quite steep, with a very busy little river running through it.

groudle glen 1

groudle glen 3

groudle glen 4

groudle glen 5

I liked this tree root - perhaps a bit small to be a hobbit hole...

groudle glen 7

It is quite a steep glen, which is why it is easy to take pictures of tree roots. I left the car on the roadside and the road, in a very short distance, is a long way above the glen although the road is level. It goes across the arches you can see in this picture.

groudle glen 2

This is taken at the bottom of that path -

groudle glen 6

Yes, it really does say to the trains! If you look in this picture, that I took from the road about 1/4 mile away from the glen, you can just make out the rail-lines -

groudle glen railway from the King Edward Road

The glen runs steeply from left to right of that picture, down to the sea. The railway is the Groudle Glen Railway - miniature trains that go from a point half way along the glen out onto the cliff side and along to place where a natural pool was, in the 1920s and 30s, adapted to house captive performing sea-lions! People went on the train to save them walking.

The trains have been restored and now run along the track purely for the joy of going on the train. But I didn't bother going to the 'station' as they don't run in January. Maybe in the summer...



Oh - and in other news, Shaka wasn't very well after Christmas; he had a nasty cough and a wheeze, and was very sleepy. So I took him to the vet who diagnosed bronchitis and gave him a couple of injections. The cat has perked up well - but I took him back for his follow-up appointment a couple of days ago and Edric (our vet) declared Shaka to be in very good condition for a 16 year old cat, but still a little wheezy, therefore he will need to take oral medicine for a further 10 days.

Edric laughed when I told him my plan to make sure the cat took the medicine - but it works very well... Well, if you were a cat and someone kept giving you small portions of smoked salmon you'd eat it without question too, wouldn't you?
shirebound: (Piglet ornament)

[personal profile] shirebound 2011-01-09 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Smoked salmon! That cat must be in heaven. I'm glad he's feeling better.

That glen is really lovely, and oh so hobbity. And that vase of ornaments and lights... gorgeous!

[identity profile] bogwitch.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Get well soon Shaka! Enjoy the salmon.
jerusha: (Default)

[personal profile] jerusha 2011-01-09 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Mmm...I do love smoked salmon. I'm glad you have a trick to get him to take his medicine.

Those pictures are absolutely beautiful. You have a gorgeous island.

[identity profile] petzipellepingo.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
You certainly do live in a lovely part of the world. Sending along good vibes to Shaka.

[identity profile] empresspatti.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
You live in such a beautiful place. I'm lucky to live near a lot of family, and have a great house,but it is highway and strip malls etc. I'd love to live someplace so lovely.

I love the vase filled with babbles and led lights - what a great idea. My family room always looks so dark and gloomy after the Christmas tree comes down. I think I'm going to do that just to banish the winter blahs!

Happy Sunday - I LOVE your Sunday pixspam...

[identity profile] inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
It doesn't take long to get back into the swing of work, does it!

Your decorations are beautiful and that looks a lovely walk beside the brook.

Hope Shaka is fully recovered soon or it could get expensive!

[identity profile] zanthinegirl.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd eat it with the smoked salmon, and I'm not even a cat. Just a fan of smoked salmon. Mmm! And there's none in my house at the moment.

[identity profile] dougalsservant.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I looked at those decorations and thought "I've got a set just like that, I wonder......" I think they might have been from Lakeland.

Mentioning Shaka & the smoked salmon reminded me of my mother - I think you met her a couple of times. If there was smoked salmon at Christmas humans were served first but there was a plate for cats, on the table, ready for them. My mother would be furtively (in the way that a cat can be furtive, that is to say totally obvious) feeding them her smoked salmon under the table. I did try saying that if she had too much she could just add it to the cats plate....... In the end I decided she thought she was Grannie to the cats and so was allowed to undermine me! But probably my only cat rule is no scrounging at table while the humans are eating. Oh well....

And of course furfles to Shaka

[identity profile] brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
The glen is beautiful, but I think my favourites are those two pictures where you have both trees and sea. Such a blue contrast to the wintry woodlands.

[identity profile] dougalsservant.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
And I totally forgot to say how much I enjoyed your pictures of Groudle Glen - especially all the purply colours. I have decided I am rather into purple, although I haven't yet bought a red hat!

[identity profile] nutmeg3.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I swear, I want to retire to your island and spend all my time taking pictures of the non-stop beauty. The sea, that glen, a road that runs across stone arches...all so gorgeous. And I'm very glad to hear Shaka is doing better, though I suspect he faked that residual wheeze just to keep on getting his daily ration of smoked salmon. I mean, he is a cat after all. *g*

[identity profile] estelcontar1.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, if I were a cat, I would most definitely smoked salmon without thinking a second about it. I'm sure the 10 days will soon be over and Shaska will be as good as a few months old kitten. He doesn't look 16.

You live in a very beautiful place. The pictures of the glens are glorious.
Edited 2011-01-09 21:47 (UTC)

[identity profile] cairistiona7.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Your cat eats better than I do! LOL But that's a good way to get the meds in him.

What a beautiful glen. I love the hobbity-hole tree root. :)

[identity profile] keswindhover.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I like all your bubbling white water in the glen. I live on gravel and chalk, so no little becks for me. The plus side is some lovely chalk streams.

Glad to hear Shaka is doing well.

[identity profile] slaymesoftly.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Lovely pictures. The glen looks like a little hidden treasure tucked down there.
I hope Shaka does well on the extra meds. :)

[identity profile] manoah.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
You truly live in a most wonderous place, cold weather aside. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

[identity profile] clodia-metelli.livejournal.com 2011-01-09 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
If someone kept giving me small portions of smoked salmon, I'd probably eat it. I hope he gets better soon!

And: lovely pictures! I love the purple on those river snaps and your beautiful ornaments. I don't think anything so delicate would last for many Christmases in my house. And that's such a heartening vase of ornaments and lights, I'm not surprised you'd want to leave it up all winter!

[identity profile] just-ann-now.livejournal.com 2011-01-10 12:42 am (UTC)(link)
How tall is that glass vase in the first picture? I'm thinking something like that in blue and gold would be awesome as table centerpieces at my daughter's wedding.

[identity profile] melegyrn.livejournal.com 2011-01-10 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you! That vase is truly awesome!
I'm with you--I'd want to have it around all the time. I've plenty of ornaments I could use, but would need to find some led lights. Hmmmmm....

Do you have any idea how Groudle Glen got its name? I'm curious about groudle... It's quite a wonderful place! I wonder, if not a hobbit, who does live down that hole?

I love pairing winter branches with blue water or sky--and that is awesomely blue ocean.

But my favorite pic is...besides the vase...the one of the train. I love the view of that piece of land.

I'd better not let my Misty get wind of how Shaka's pills are being delivered. We just finished a course of pills--mainly by me poking them down her throat. The salmon method is much more civilized...and tasty for both!

But I am glad to hear that Shaka is improving. He does not look his age at all!

[identity profile] ukamikanasi.livejournal.com 2011-01-10 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
Pretty shinies! I love the vase! :)

[identity profile] gamiila.livejournal.com 2011-01-10 10:02 am (UTC)(link)
Smoked salmon! I'll have to try that next time one of mine need medicating!

Lovely pictures, as always.

[identity profile] hesadevil.livejournal.com 2011-01-10 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
D-d insists that they really are Christmas decorations and must be taken down.
I leave a set of white led lights in a Waterford crystal vase (given me by my Ma-in-Law many years ago) all through the year and switch them on when it's gloomy no matter what season.

Smoked salmon is used as an illness indicator in this house. We knew all our GSDs were ready to go when they refused tempting tidbits. Sixteen is a good age for a cat but I wish Shaka many more years of smoked salmon dinners.

Thank you for the lovely photos of the fairy glen. I can hear the gurgling of the water and feel the icy coldness.

[identity profile] bojojoti.livejournal.com 2011-01-11 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
I can just imagine your daughter giving you a reproving look and saying, "Mum!" in reference to leaving out your bauble vase. Bojoette does it to me all the time (except she raises a brow and says "Mom!"). She is now my self-appointed arbiter of good taste.

I didn't realize Shaka was so old; Trophy is 15 1/2. You are fortunate that salmon works for him. Trophy doesn't fall for such tricks. I used to have a kitty that would wolf down his pills if I smooshed cheese around them, but I haven't found anything that works for Trophy. I can trick him into ingesting ointments by placing them on his paw, but he isn't pleased with me!

[identity profile] lindahoyland.livejournal.com 2011-01-11 10:13 am (UTC)(link)
Your glens are so beautiful!I hope Shaka is soon better.I crush pills in premium cat food that they don't usually have.
Edited 2011-01-11 10:14 (UTC)

[identity profile] wormwood-7.livejournal.com 2011-01-11 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I especially like the picture with the "viaduct" between the trees. Very evocative.