FOOTLOOSE AND BUZZING

The two of us got out together for a walk late Sunday morning. A few people had the same idea, some walking, others checking things in little  boats which were tied up in harbour.  To avoid  constantly tramping on tarmac roads, we worked out a route that took us a little  'off piste'. 

The last occupants of the estate workers homes decanted about fifteen years ago, the other cottages were already well decayed and open to the weather. The chimney breast in the picture is what is left of one of those ruins.   The field, now gone wild, in which the couple are strolling, would have been used by the estate employees.

Country-Sea -Sand-Dunes

The estate house is  long gone, a fire engulfed the ruins. There are still the very thick enclosing walls in which there are arches which serve a double purpose. Though you can't see them in the picture, there are rough overgrown steps that lead you to a road.  You can just make out the harbour wall.  And yes, the darker shade of light blue you see through the wall arch is the sea. 

However, the arch  has a dual purpose, the picture above doesn't show it.

There is an inner arch wall, (dark) and an outer one. It's not a trick of the camera.  The thickness of  the walls allow for two substantial recesses either side of the arches. These are being used by some fishermen as store places for low value kit they do not want to constantly cart back and forth. This is an informal harbour mostly used for leisure by local people.  Expensive equipment would be stored more securely elsewhere. If you look through the arch across to the far side of the harbour, you'll see a guy putting a red buoy into the boot of his car, which would have been attached to creels. His boat is out of view.

This year, this area was one of those chosen to release bees into in an attempt to boost the bee stocks in the U.K.  I saw a lot of busy buzzing bees out and about. Let's hope it is a successful enterprise.  This one obviously likes the Scottish Thistle.

You can espy one delicate gossamer bee wing

....And there was plenty blooming thistle flower for a bee to enjoy.

We left this natural wild place to cut through the ruins of the cottages.  In the grass  was this; how long could it have been there?

Footloose

It looked as if it had stepped and stopped in its track.....  We left the sandal where it was wondering if anyone would retrieve it. Hubby commented "soul-less". 

Returning via the harbour I was struck by this little cheeky touch of  capstan/bollard artistry. Lavender, it seems, will grow in any conditions, anywhere!

ALMOST BEACH COMBING AND VERY MUCH PEOPLE- WATCHING

Sunday, it being a bit dull and overcast, we headed for a beach, it's what you do when distracting yourself from missing the good few days that recently passed through.  We ambled along a short  path through some of the sand dunes, which, led to the expansive golden three miles of sand.  No sooner had we trod on the sands,  the sun came out.  It turned into a gloriously, bright walk. We did not pass anyone as we walked for about a mile and a half.  In the distance though, there were two or three people exploring rocks. 

There remain dragons' teeth left over from the defences of the last World War. These are concrete conical blocks, flattened off at the top now, originally placed at the shore lines to make it difficult for sea craft to land. They sit, and some lie, like fading  monuments, their original purpose forgotten.  Here, we turned, and saw that many more people had arrived on the beach.  However, more interestingly for us at this stage of the return walk, there was much to be seen at our feet.

High tide had just receded leaving behind many little treasures. A stone with calcified  sea life forming a fantastical design like an intricate cameo brooch. The stories those sea creatures might have told could only be imagined.

Broken and whole Clam shells were scattered around.  Some, I was told, could be eighty years old.  Apart from the size, Conchologists check the   rings that indicate the bivalve's age, ( much like Dendrochronologists with the study of tree rings ).  Here is one shell still resting in fresh spume, one of the tell-tale clues that it had not long been deposited by the tidal waters in that spot.

Large dark brown/green clumps of seaweed were plentiful.   On the damp sand, some distance from the thick mass, was this elegant, delicate 'balletic' form, totally enhanced by still being wet and glistening in the moistness of the sand on which it came to rest.  In this, I could visualise the movement of the branch in the  sway of the sea and its waves, landing in mid movement here, where I found it.

Nearing the end of our beach walk, we saw a rider edge out from the dunes onto the sandy beach, where, she allowed the horse  to break into a canter then a run. 

Being able to Watch the horse running along the sands and  having the bonus of meeting up with other children in this great big bright outdoor nursery play space for kids, and dogs, was all very good fun.  These are the idyllic outdoor days that make for the  great memories of childhood.

It looks like the dogs have all been to the same doggy socialising school.  The two big fluffy black ones are not in the least bit phased by the outsider, nor for that matter is the outsider bothered by them.

MEMORABLE GOLDEN MOMENTS

I was not much interested in the pre-Olympic hype.  It switched me off.  Once the Games started, I switched on the T.V.  in the evenings and settled down to be a happy spectator.  I was at my most content when athletic feats of all kinds were being shown.  There were many events that I did not see, but what there was shown, was beyond any superlatives in our language I can add to those that have already been used.

As a rule, I don't give much heed to pugilism.  This week, I have watched a women's boxing semi -final, which I thought was very agile and faster moving than the men's boxing bouts. The most recent semi-final boxing match I saw between two men did not change my mind.  Never having seen Taekwondo, I was overtaken by curiosity. The leg kicks and turns were fluid and I reckon a ballet dancer would have been delighted with those moves.  Even more curious was the excited trainer's comments, when his protegee, Jade Jones, (GB) won her gold Olympic medal. "She fought like a man in the female department. "

As the temperatures were staying low prior to the Olympic beach games set up in London, the women volley ball teams were given permission to wear shorts and sweat shirts instead of their bikinis, if the weather did not warm up.  Having returned from seeing the Beach Volley Ball, a relative was asked, (not by me) if the players had worn bikinis. "It would have been worrying if they had, " she replied,  "We had tickets for two of the men's games."