"I bear a charmed life"

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

I had the most incredible day this past Sunday.  Graham and I went to Stratford on Avon via a vintage steam train.  The travel time was over 4 hours each way and worth every minute.  It was a great way to take my mind off the fact that home is just a week away.  Once again I brought the "Canadian Factor", it was pouring rain when we left Grimsby but cleared by the time we got to Stratford.  There were tourists everywhere despite what you might think when you see the pictures, buses and buses of tourists.

Birmingham train station.

Steam train that brought us.

Beautiful Tudor style buildings.

Shakespeare's birthplace from the front.

Library

One of only 200 original portfolio's by Shakespeare.

Inside Shakespeare's birthplace.  There was something about knowing that Shakspeare actually touched the floor/walls that you were now touching.  One woman actually lay down on the floor.  Only the flagstones in the sitting room were original but the walls/windows…… all 450+ yrs worth of history.  I had my own moment, I had to call Maureen(fellow teacher of english) while I was there, I was bursting with excitement.

In the tannery his father used.

The boy's bedroom.

The parent's bedroom, the children would stay with the parents until 5 years of age.

The back of the house and gardens.

Actors throughout the gardens.

Inside Harvard House.

Over the door of HSBC bank.

Shakespeare's "new home" was closed for renovations.

Back of Hall's Croft, Shakespeare's daughter Suzanna lived here.

Inside of the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare and his family are buried.

The park.  Being here was just like being at Stratford Ontario.

Back we go.

Only 5 days to go.

Summer Has Finally Arrived

This has been the hottest week.  The temperature only rose to about 25 degrees but the humidity is out of this world.
Friday I went out with the camera club again and we went to the boating lake in Cleethorpes.  This time I was trying to find blue things to take images of (for another competition) but all I could find was geese. Hundreds of geese. And yesterday my colleges Morgan and Cath took me on a walk through the Yarborough Estate near Kealby.  Then we had lunch at a beautiful tea house called Lillie's followed by a 1940's fair.  And then we had a catch up while soaking up the sun in the garden.  What a fantastic morning, I am so thankful for the friendships I have found here.

A small sample of the vast about of geese.

Watch'ya looking at?

Maureen was the closest thing to blue that I could find.

I like these ones, they were not at all aggressive.

Beauty in the details.

This bike had a V8 Jaguar engine on the back.  It was part of a scooter rally that was taking place next to the lake.

The start of the walk on Yarbourough Estate.

The home on Yarborough Estate.  I did not realize till this moment that we were trespassing. 

Gate house to the estate

Church on the estate.

Beauty in the detail….

Thanks so much Cath and Morgan!!!!

3 Weeks...

Club Stuff

Last night our camera club spent the evening at Cleethorpe's pier.  Our mission was to photograph for an upcoming competition titled "Beauty in the Details".  I was reluctant to go because of the extreme heat and humidity we are experiencing right now.  It turns out that England does have a summer.  On top of everything else my students are working with clay right now so that means added humidity and heat in my room.  I can't wait till we start running the kilns next week which by the way are also in my room. (behind a door but still in my room)
Last week our club had a competition called same photo.  Everyone was given the same image and they could do whatever they wanted, no rules.  Some just cropped, others added a filter and a few of us got carried away.  I did the latter.  I did not even come close to winning but I had fun.

The original.

My interpretation,  welcome to England Mandy and Eric.  LOL  You are the only people on my computer and I needed to make a story…. you are recently engaged and Eric has proposed to you under the Northern Lights as a light house is directing those on land to the sea a pirate ship leaves with it's bounty of tourists near the Scarbourough cliff.  It's a story of fiction I guess.

Here is beauty in the details.

Under the pier.

This is one of those moments where you realize that you know better but can't be bothered to walk over and remove the rubbish.  That's a lie, they pointed it out to me when we reviewed our work back at the club.

Seaweed

Bike tracks in the sand.

I love this one but it caused me anxiety immediately following the preview of the image on the back of the camera.  I wondered what those tiny streaks were and realized they are grains of sand as they blew away and then thought " did they get into the lens of my new camera".  I tested it after and I think it's good".

Awning over a sweet shop.

The moon over the beach tonight, not a dust spot on the lens.

Rain, Rain go away….

Not much going on right now.  Suffice it to say that I am sick of rain.  Right now I'd take burnt grass over lush green scrumptuous lawns and roses beyond imagination.  Last year it was beautiful in the spring, this year it rains about 5 days out of 7 and usually on the weekends.
Our school's art students were part of a Regional Rotary club art competition and we did very well.  I am so proud of my kids, their work was head and shoulders above the competition.

My class entries are the four perspective works in the centre.  I am in awe of these guys they are only 13 years old (grade 8/ year 9).

I might as well take advantage of the rain.

6 WEEKS