Jane at Levant: February 2011

Sunday 27 February 2011

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my first attempt at Shadow Shot Sunday - and most of the day I have had my camera at the ready waiting for that opportune moment - believe it or not - this shot was the first one I took today - I have taken pictures of the moving shadows cast by the sun on the Shropshire Hills- gazed at ripples and sun shadows on the River Severn in Shrewsbury - and also marched round the Sunday market looking for something special - but I came back to my first pic - taken of my species streptocarpus wintering happily on the kitchen window -Caulescens Pallescens - the shadows were caught as the sun came round

I have had a great day shadow hunting and will be blogging later about my special day

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Sheer Therapy

Freddy Mercury - what a talent!

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Ellesmere Last Saturday

Saturday was a lovely sunny day the sort of day just begging for a drive out and a long walk - enjoying time out from the usual rush of things - in other words a wind down - so we decided to go out to Ellesmere and take a walk around the mere.

The Mereside area was really busy - lots of activities - that day in the information centre - scopes were in place to view the herons out on the island returning to their nests - just one pair on Saturday - but more are expected - a CCTV screen is in place in readiness to view the nest activities.
Also as we walked alongside the water - we were able to watch a mallard being ringed - this was a first for me - I have always wondered how this was done without harm coming to the bird - the guy was talking to some people and was casually throwing duck food into the mere - and then suddenly out his arm swung and a net plunged into the water and out came a duck .
The guy ( I was so shocked I never asked his name )!! calmly held the duck who remained calm and did not struggle - but he did pooh down the chaps trousers - well would you blame him ! anyway apparently different sized rings are made for each species - the ring was carefully put in place and then checked to see that it moved easily round the leg and was not to tight or to loose to catch up in anything - the ring no was recorded( see book in the corner of the pic) and the duck was then released back onto the mere - there was much quacking from all parties and off he swam.

I really don't want to be here!

My My - thank goodness I put on my best undies

Lets' get out of here!

Thursday 3 February 2011

Out and about on Sunday

Out and about on Sunday - yes we decided we would go out for a drive - so two of us and the dog headed off towards the Wrekin - we have never climbed to the summit yet and so this was an option - but B cried off on that one - saying is back might not be up to it - so we turned off the other side of Atcham - past Wroxeter - another place to visit with its history and onto Ironbridge - fully intent on making a stop there - but anyway due to circumstances - parking etc - I was driving! we came through on the other side and found we were heading towards Much Wenlock.
We have never been to the Abbey - so that is what we did - we parked up and off we went - the Abbey belongs to English Heritage so in we went audiotapes at the ready - it was a bright sunny day so ideal for a few pics.

The abbey according to the records was founded in the seventh century and its first abbess was St Milburga - daughter of King Mercia - it is very impressive - in the summer plays are held in the grounds - that must be magical - we spent quite a long time listening to the tapes and imagining what it must have been like in those times - we looked at the Lavabo - this is where the monks washed - out in the cold - it must have frozen their bits off in the winter!
The plants in the grounds were beginning to come alive and the catkins and snowdrops gave a promise of Spring

On the way to the Abbey we passed the Church of the Holy Trinity - walking through the grounds - we gazed up and saw the owl on the roof - I couldnt resist a pic of that one - well it was the rspb bird count weekend - i somehow think he will be there next year for the bird count!

In the grounds there was a remembrance plaque for Mary Webb - presented by the Mary Webb Society at the Millenium - I came home and searched in my books for the connection - Mary Webb lived locally at Leighton as a child and was confirmed in Holy Trinity Church at Much Wenlock
As a child she was taken out by her father a retired teacher to many places of note - one of them being Wenlock Edge nearby - legend tells of a spot on the Edge called the Majors Leap - where many years ago Major Thomas Smallman was being chased by Cromwells men on horseback he came to the Edge and jumped his horse over - the horse was killed but he managed to grab a bush and was saved - it is said that this story so influenced the young Mary - that the ending in her novel Gone to Earth epitomises this story - I am going to try a link - it probably will go wrong so I will apologise now -
The link should be http://www3.shropshire-cc.gov.uk/etexts/E000284.HTM#X36

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Much Wenlock has many old buildings and much history including the Olympic Trail - many book shops and coffee shops - we shall return another day to explore further - we then started home - we stopped off at Venus Pool - a nature reserve just out side Crosshouses - a lovely spot and well worth a visit -

FAIRY -LED

The fairy people flouted me,
Mocked me ,shouted me
They chased me down the dreamy hill and beat me with a wand
Within the wood they found me ,put spells on me and bound me
And left me at the edge of day in John the miller's pond
Beneath the eerie starlight;
Their hair shone curd -white
Their bodies were all twisted like a lichened apple tree
Feather -light and swift they moved,
And never one they loved,
For all were full of dreams and dark designs on me.

With noise of leafy singing
And white wands swinging
They marched away amid the grass that swayed to let them through.
Between the the yellow tansies
Their eyes,like purple pansies,
Peered back on me before they passed all trackless in the dew.

Mary Webb - from the Spring of Joy

Three softly curved white sepals veined with light,

Three green-lined petals,guarding frugal gold,

And all so strong to fold or to unfold!

Snow thunders from the bending pines.How slight

This frail,sheathed stem! Yet all unbent it springs,

So swift in stoopings and recoverings.

In the pale sunshine,with frail wings unfurled,

Comes to the bending snowdrop the first bee.

She gives her winter honey prudently;

And faint with travel in a bitter world,

The bee makes music, tentative and low,

And spring awakes and laughs across the snow.

Mary Webb

Found on the Web Part One

Short Jokes of the day

Dress Code.

It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

Sick Days

We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days

Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.

Found on the web !! Part 2

Toilet Use
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the "Chronic Offenders category". Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.
Lunch Break
Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure. Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.
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