Captain Traves - Pissed as a Newt (again!)

Here is a delightful snap of my Pa (mid voyage) sent to me by my Uncle Paul. The large bottle on the right is in fact a magnum of BRANDY! Maybe they'll let me go with them next year?

Thank you Mrs Webber!

My pal Anastasia (who is SAINT because she keeps the Transatlantic Welshman out of trouble) - has sent me a link to a really fun blog.

I want a cayote...

Hurrah - Two Sleeps 'til Holiday!

On Friday The Boy and I are off to visit Christopher and André for a week or so. As Christopher loves all piggie kind, here is a one we saw in a park in the New Forest last year.

[PS I think The Boy took this picture - but I can't remember.]

Raindrops on Roses....

...in the Bannisters' front garden a few days ago.

Miss T Runs Again

As 'Race for Life' was such a triumph - I've signed up for the Blenheim 10k at the beginning of October.

I throw down the 'techo-gauntlet' -who's going to join me? This event is open to men as well as ladies.

I am DETERMINED to get fit and raise some more money for Cancer Research UK - I'd love it if as many of you as possible could do the same.

[PS David darling - I had HONESTLY totally forgottten that I'd dared you to enter the Eynsham pram race with me this year, that's not why we booked to go away on holiday. There's always next year babe!]

Kitty in a Basket....

...daft cat (or is that a tautology?).

Dinosaurs, Dodos and Sadie

My friend Sadie is down from Scotland for a college reunion - we took the opportunity to go to one of my favourite places, The University Museum of Natural History (OUM). If like me, you're a great lover of Victorian Gothic, the building alone is worth a visit.

I absolutely ADORE the roof - Victorian engineering at it's finest.

No trip to the OUM is complete without a dash into the Pitt Rivers to have a look at the shrunken heads. I didn't take my camera with me, and snaps I took on my 'phone haven't come out all that well. We noticed that the museum is going to be closed from 7th July 2008 until Spring 2009.

The talk of refurbishment was a bit of a worry, as one of the joys of the Pitt Rivers is it's untouched nature. However, it turns out that the plan is to dismantle the 1960s exhibition gallery - full details can be found at this URL : http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/hlf.html.

How to describe Eynsham?

I've just finished writing a letter to the child we sponsor in Sri Lanka. Plan UK suggest that you include pictures of where you live. I have sent local post-cards, including one of Eynsham Morris - I hope the poor child isn't scared out of his wits!

SHOES...!?!

Here are some SHOES that I picked up for £1.50 on E-Bay.

Rosalie and Truffle - Truffle and Rosalie

Adam found this lovely book in a shop in Burford. It tells a porcine love story from the perspective of both protagonists - and has a happy ending. What more do you want?

Presents from Japan

I am a very lucky girl - my friend Ben has been on holiday in Japan and has brought me back some green tea. It's extra special, as it was grown on a farm that he worked on.

Ben has been learning Japanese for a while, but he wasn't able to translate the instructions on the back. However, as Mark points out, the fourth stage is to pour the tea over a digital watch!

Ben also gave me these beautiful geisha bookmarks.

An Audience of One...

Now talking to the plants (or swearing in my case) is one thing...but playing the guitar?!? Here is Uncle Paul retuning The Boy's guitar to some obscure key.

Maisie seemed to be enjoying it. I thought this fuzzy, saturated pic. looked rather 'painterly'.

Pottering in the Garden

One of my joys at this time of year, is to potter round the garden clad in only my dressing gown (and yes, Auntie Lorna, sensible footwear).

I'm not the only one enjoying the garden. At the suggestion of my good friend Mick, when I remember I bring some of the house plants outside, for a 'Summer holiday'.

When I look at my hostas (note evil slug free), I always think of Bren and Mick's garden - as they have some lovely ones. In fact, their whole garden is lovely. Someone once asked Mick what the secret was to having such a fantastic garden - "carefully cultivating it for 40 years" was the reply.

Mick thinks this is why folks tend to come to gardening as they grow older. The appreciation that things that are important tend to take time, need to be nurtured and there's always next year. And that the price of slug free hostas is eternal vigilance!

The Boy has companion planted some marigolds in amongst the cavolo nero. On the right, you can see the marigold that turned up on my doorstep as a present a few weeks ago. I'd love to know the sweet, kind person responsible.

I love the contrast between the purple and red - the red plant is from my parent's garden (another joy of gardening - the bits and pieces you have from family and friends), whereas the purple one was very sad and sorry for itself in a sale bin a couple of years ago.

When we moved in to no 29, we found out that the previous owner, Colin Broad, was a professional gardener, so we had lots of interesting plants and shrubs. This beautiful wild rose is one of his legacies.

In contrast, these sweet, little aliums came up this year for the first time, and I have no memory of planting them!

Finally, here is a sour puss!

Fresh from the Garden

Yum - I'd been very jealous, when our near neighbour, Marmaladekiss, was showing off her broad bean (note singular!) on her blog. On Tuesday, we ate our first garden produce - these baby broad beans, raw as a salad with shaved parmesan.

After the Rain

I went up to the Technogarret to check my email, and was taken by the fresh beauty after the rain. I couldn't resist taking some snaps with my 'phone. I love Elsie and Freida's gardens - they are redolent of time when a garden was about growing produce. I guess, the circle turns, and we're all going back to it now.

I wish these pictures could give you an idea of how fresh and green everything is.

All the trees on the Queen St side are wonderfully lush and verdent.

The clouds looked fantastic.

I'm not sure if they're better in black and white or not.

Eynsham Morris and Friends

On Saturday evening we had a treat - Eynsham Morris were dancing with two visiting troupes outside The Queen's Head.

Morris Men come in all shapes and sizes. Here is a 'Morris Minor' - a result of the Eynsham Morris captive breeding programme.

One troupe were from Brighton - and I have to admit not my cup of tea. They just didn't have the macho vigour that Eynsham have.

The other troupe, were the FANTASTIC Armaleggan from Cumnor. They came and danced at Carnival a couple of years ago and absolutely blew us away.

Their musicians move in sync, like a soul band.

I LOVED this lady in pink - her make up made her look like a member of KISS...

...even this monkey is in on the act!

This chap is also a mean banjo player...

...and this accordion player was plain MAGNIFICENT in her plumage.

Here is The Boy trying to explain what's going on to our French neighbour Steph (while the lovely Jo Grieve looks on).
Jo was taken with Robin's 'glad to be grey' badge.

Steph couldn't believe here eyes, when she saw the Morris' 'watering' can.

As you can see from Mick's posture, it'd been rather a long day.

"Hmmm - women dancing in Eynsham...it's not right I tell you!?!"

Race for Life - Oxford Parks 7th July 2008

On Saturday, I took part in one of the 'Race for Life' events in Oxford. Many thanks to everyone who sponsored me and SueC.


After all the rain we've had, it was great have have a sunny day - with a cooling wind. The race took place in The University Parks - so here is a gratuitous shot of Keble.

As this was an event organised for women, by women, there were plenty of bogs.

As I was under the weather earlier this year, the event wasn't a kick start to motivate me into running again. However, I did jog some of the way (this action shot blurred due to my speed) - and it was a great reminder of why I enjoyed running so much. So, I think it will stand as the START of a new fitness programme.

One of the nicest things about 'Race for Life' is it's inter-generational nature. Lots of families taking part together.

Here I am at the FINISH!

SueC and I show off our medals.

Sadly, I ended up with some HUGE blisters - here is the face of pain!

[Many thanks to The Boy who acted as guest photographer - although the bogs pic. was mine!]