A Tale of Two Sisters - An' The Adverb's a Cissy!

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS:

I haven't blogged here for such a long time and I apologise, dear readers.  But there's a reason - a good reason, honest!
My sister Barbara came to visit from the hot deserty salty air of Karratha in the North West of Australia for six weeks, armed with a Brit Rail pass for two - and we travelled the length and breadth of England, trekked hither and thither, investigated every bit of woodland, moorland and craggy landscape we could find. We saw wildlife galore in the strangest places, doing the strangest things!

Seagull eating chips in St Ives

Squirrel in Sefton Park, Liverpool

Red Robin, Red Lion, Dittisham, Devon

Hareshaw Linn, Northumberland

Bunny on Northumbria University Campus, Newcastle

St Bees nr. Whitehaven, Cumbria

Preening Swan at Windermere

Digitalis Overdose in Durham!

  

Heron up a Weeping Willow, St James's Park, London

Moorhen makes a nest in Dover

Family of Ducks in Calais

We flew to Corfu for a week of wonderful wild scenery awash with birds, butterflies and beautiful critters.

Beautiful Butterfly settles on Ground

Stunning Bird in Treetops

Tortoise Crossing the Road

 

Yellow Butterfly in the Pink (Orange?)

Cheekiest Parrot EVER!

Window-Box Wild Cat?

We rediscovered our roots in LOVERLY LIVERPOOL.

Back to my street in Liverpool 1

My Nanna's house in Liverpool 15

In short, we had a BALL and I'll blog each trip in GLORIOUS DETAIL - so - WATCH THIS SPACE!

WRITE ON:

On 16th June, I was published FOR THE SECOND TIME by the fabulous FLASH FICTION CHRONICLES with a tongue-in-cheek, 'about writing', piece about the ADVERB.

 Here's the link:

Flash Fiction Chronicles: Adverb: Amigo or Adversary

http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/adverb-amigo-or-adversary-2/#comments

...and if you go to the 'Little Leaf Guesthouse' Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/littleleafguesthouse

you'll find 'Adverb' posted there too!!  Thank you Little Leaf - the best B and B not only in St Ives, Cornwall, but in the whole country too!!

 My commissioned article about GORGEOUS LA GREZE and the stunning countryside and hilltop villages of the MIDI-PYRENEES in Southern France has been published online by TRIFTER.  Here's the link:

Gorgeous La Greze of the Tarn

http://trifter.com/practical-travel/gorgeous-la-greze-of-the-tarn/

John and Judi of La Greze

So...thank you for your patience constant readers...

...And I'll talk to you soon

Leeds, Long-ago Liverpool and a Love of Language

LEEDS

We met up at the Travelodge, Leeds Central, to spend a night and a day taking in the atmosphere of Leeds.  There was just me and my best friend, Dawn, and we had a ball (except that I snored all night -allegedly!)

We wined and dined in 'La Tasca' - a great Spanish restaurant that served us perfect paella - and at  Wagamama.  Wikapedia says of Wagamama, 'a British headquartered restaurant chain, serving pan-Asian food in the style of a modern Japanese Ramen Bar'. And that's just about right. The food, in 'get it when it's ready' style, comes at you fast and furious, in bowls with chopsticks.  It was a huge treat.  I'll have to try out the one in Eldon Square, Newcastle, near to where I live.

We had breakfast in a super greasy spoon in the indoor market.  We strolled around the 'tat' stalls where I found a bag and a couple of bling watches.

 We wandered into so many arcades with cascading fountains, they all looked alike, blurring into one, except for the designer gear and jewellery in the shop windows. We strolled, mesmerised by the retro clothes shops until we came to the arts and crafts market - here every second Saturday apparently - where I found myself drawn to beautiful amber rings and things - and I bought one (a ring, that is!).
Dawn bought a hand-made framed clutch of hens in recycled metals (she'll correct me if I'm wrong in my description - but she won't dispute that it's simply gorgeous!)

Around the town hall were stunning statues and a tree of shoes (yes, you read it correctly!)


 Inside the art gallery were the amazing works of Henry Moore.  The Henry Moore institute, a collaboration between the Tate Gallery and Leeds Art Gallery, houses marvelous must-see sculptures.  I was enthralled.  This was a great week-end.  We'll do an away week-end again, for sure - and so should you, dear readers!  

WRITE ON

Love of Language:
Thanks a million to my writing buddies (and tutor, Kathleen Kenny, who introduced the activity) of the Wednesday writing group at Mea House Newcastle, for their involvement in the writing exercise that fuelled my 'about writing' article for - 

FLASH FICTION CHRONICLES

It was published on 24th March, entitled 'Waltzing with the Word'.  You might want to try out this great activity for yourselves.  Here's the link:

Flash Fiction Chronicles: Waltzing with the Word

http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/



Ghosts and Games of Long-Ago Liverpool

My manuscript for the 'Forget-me-Nots'section in 'This England'- a quarterly glossy magazine about life in England - has been retained.

How fantastic to be considered worthy by such a magazine.  I'm honoured!  Everything's coming up roses - a great big crimson bunch of 'em!       

That's all, constant readers, until next time...

...and next time, I'm likely to be giving my garden some much-needed attention!