Showing posts with label sand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sand. Show all posts

Thursday, 8 October 2009

Squirrels and Sand

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Angie


Photos are copyright of Maggie May

We started back at school following the summer holidays, on a Thursday and during the following week, there were two inset days that fell on the Thursday and Friday. This meant no school for the children and non for me on the first of the two days.
The childrens' dad had an offer of a few weeks work, so Granddad and I decided to take the girls to Weston Super Mare on the bus.


I think it must have seemed a long drawn out journey for them as they are used to going in the car everywhere much more quickly. However they were quite excited about going on the top deck of a bus and being able to see over all the hedge rows.
It was a beautiful day and we took a picnic and spent a long time making sand castles and paddling. The water was warm and shoals of little fish came into the very shallow water of the safe paddling area that has just been reconstructed for children. Within a short time seagulls began swooping down and eating the fish.


We made a lovely building and a moat but while we were eating lunch, some children jumped on it so this is all that was left, much to the annoyance of the girls.

The following day, I had to go into work for the first half of the day, for training. We asked Amber and Millie what they would like to do in the afternoon after I got back and they asked to go to Brandon Hill to feed the squirrels. This is a very lovely spot, high on a hill in Bristol. This beautiful part of the city is in the central area near the University and museum.
Granddad and I are obviously feeling our age when we climb up the very steep hills. Come to think of it, Bristol is all hills! Anyway, there are lots of seats to sit on while we catch our breath.


The squirrels were very tame and came out in threes and fours, taking the peanuts that we had brought, though this proved to be very difficult when the pigeons arrived. It was then a competition as to who could get a nut to a squirrel and not a pigeon.


This picture was very weird because the squirrel was shrieking in a very loud and strange voice. I had never come across that sound before, so whether it was a mating cry or a cry of anguish, I do not know. It was like a bad distress call. Maybe some reader would know?


At the time of the trip, Bristol had several dozen pianos left in unusual places around the city and this one was on a hill with a view for miles around, behind it. The girl who was playing fairly well gave permission for me to snap her from the back.
The pianos were part of a project to promote music and give ordinary folk a chance to play in public. In some areas one or two pianos had been vandalised but on the whole this was a very popular idea and most of them were left alone.
Of course the girls had to have a go too.






Photostory Friday is hosted by Cecily. Why not drop in and some some really good photo stories.

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Minehead

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek



Our visit to Minehead really follows my recent post about Dunster Castle, as we went there directly after wards.
Minehead in Somerset, is on the Bristol Channel, just before it opens up into the Atlantic Ocean and starts getting really rough.



Minehead takes me back to when our children were young and we had several family holidays there. A small rather old fashioned town with it's own steam trains and a holiday camp.



The sea goes out quite a long way, all along the Bristol Channel coastline, but the tides are high, rapid and treacherous. Not good for bathing, but the children enjoy the sand.



After Minehead, we visited the lovely little town of Watchet very nearby. This is the lovely little harbour with it's own light house.



I love to see the little boats taking refuge there.



Now here is the *Ancient Mariner* himself, holding his albatross. Do you remember the poem by Coleridge?
If not, go here.



And this man...... well I really do not know who he is, but he seemed a friendly sailor. I even had a photograph taken of me sitting on his knee, but you are not seeing that one! Too cheeky!



As usual, the ordinary things in life seem to grab my granddaughter's attention and this little cat was no exception!


Photostory Friday is hosted by Cicely and MamaGeek. Look them up for more photos and stories.

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Lonely Beach





There is not much to say about this outlet of fresh water bubbling out into the sea. All the beaches along the Bristol Channel have beaches where the tide goes out a long way. However it does move fairly rapidly.
Not sure what that little black blob was though. Any ideas?



Watery Wednesday is hosted by 2sweetnsaxy. Why not look her up?

Tuesday, 5 May 2009

Mud-bath Anyone?



Or Sandie Shaw?

Meet the local seagulls preening themselves and bathing in the sea! The water isn't dirty. It's just a very muddy area. It's always brown.

I remember when I went to the former Yugoslavia for a holiday, where the Adriatic Sea was so crystal clear and blue, feeling almost despair when I came home to our muddy sea. Everything looked a mess.
Funny how easy it is to get used to things again.