Nemo!

What a great day with a great lady.  Today Amy (friend from work) and I went to Hull.  She is heading home to the lake district this week for the last time and before she leaves she wanted to visit the aquarium.  What a gift I have found in her friendship, too bad for me that she found a job closer to her family(in Lancaster).
Only two teaching days left.  This year has gone much faster than I anticipated and a great deal faster than my professors let on.  They prepared us to not have a social life in the first year but thanks to a great department I seldom felt unprepared or stressed.  Perhaps the most difficult part has been missing my family but only 5 more days and I will be home.  Maureen sent me a card a few weeks ago and I think it sums up this year perfectly.  "If your ship hasn't come in - swim out to it."  Being a single parent for 15 yrs has not been easy and my goal of being a teacher had been put on hold for too long.  I really have been blessed this last year with understanding family and friends who supported me in this journey.  I hope they can last another year or two because I love this place and more so, I love my job.

A beautiful glass sculpture of sea anennomies, sea annnennannenommies, you know.....

Made in Canada Eh!

These guys were my favourite to watch.  Just as we ended our visit with them, they began to swim and play or possible fight, we were not sure.  They are so agile and fast.

Where's Nemo?

A kaleidoscope of Moon Jelly fish.

A tunnel under the aquarium.

Amy always wanted one of these.  They are only about a half inch and she had one give her a high five.

The Humber bridge, coming back.

My favourite shot of the day, I love the colours in the background.

Give me a fork

I've had such a great weekend.  I went to a wings and wheels show on Saturday with Graham and I was bored out of my mind with the poor display of wings and wheels.  If I'd had a fork I may have poked my eyes out.  Oh.... and I saw "Thunder Flies".  Sounds like an exciting Aerobatic flying group doesn't it?  Nope these are tiny little flies which swarm in and seemingly are attracted to white.  I know this because I was wearing white.  I was brushing them off for most of our time there.  Yet, I still enjoyed the day as a whole.  Afterwards we went to a seaside town called Skegness.  It's about one and a half hours south of Grimsby.  It was such a gorgeous day and we just walked around and soaked in the atmosphere.  It is a bit like Niagara Falls without the falls of course but with a beach.  Then I came home and spent the evening with Amy.  We baked cupcakes (5 Dozen) and brownies for a party of a co-worker(Laura).  Her daughter turned 3 today and we had such an enjoyable day out in the sun.  I have not done a lot of people photography since being here so I brought my camera and took many pics which I can't show you (other peoples children and all that).  They will be great memories for her when she grows up.

Riley

A kit car/ Alpha Romeo

Triumph Stag

A bit older than the one mom and dad had and then passed on the Steve and I.

I love that all these beaches offer donkey rides.

The Pier in Skegness

Seaside at Skegness

Most towns seem to have a beautiful clock tower, this is Skegness's.

A Selfie with Graham.

Homebound in just 12 days.

Tour de Sheffield

I spent the day today in Sheffield.  I really tried to work up the courage to go tomorrow but I hate crowds and the idea of millions of people going to witness the end of the Tour de France was more than I could bear.  So I went today.  I was wishing while I was there that I had waited but roads would be closed and what are the chances I would get close enough to get a good picture.  I did enjoy the energy that it has brought the city.  Sheffield was great, it has historical architecture with a mix of contemporary city and I was again blessed with a gorgeous day.
Today's adventures kept my mind off the fact that in three weeks I will be home. Yippee!!!!

Sheffield City Hall

Two young guys having some fun.

Large knitted flowers for the tour are all around the city.

Inside the Peace Gardens

The name "Bird of Paridise" finally makes sense.  At least I think this is what it is, if not it should be.

There were many more than this.

Selfie

Just chill'n in a park watching the tour.  This is my idea of getting in on the excitement.

These two were entertaining the crowds on stilts.

This beautiful water fountain is in front of the train station.

Nail polish at Model's Own.

I made a stop on the way home at Meadow Hall shopping centre.  I found a bathing suit for the summer and enjoyed another exceptional soft pretzel.  What a great day, it made up for a very exhausting week at school.  We are working with clay and the prep work is overwhelming.  I can't wait for the summer to begin.