Blown away by the tide

The palace gardens at Blenheim

The view to the lake and beyond. Blenheim.

From the iphoto archives.....

The woodlands at The Vyne. I anticipated Mr Tumnus peeping out from behind a tree with his red brolly, but alas it was just another visitor with a scarlet rucksack. Failing that King Henry and Anne Boleyn on horseback hunting stag. The woods are very atmospheric!

The lake at the Vyne. It has an air of Monet's Giverny, though there lacks a certain water lilly.

Jousting at Blenheim Palace..... A little medieval treat.

On a blazing hot day whilst we  sat and sweltered,  knights attacked trebuchets and each other, and a make believe King Henry looked on , commentating. The plan was for baby to enjoy - he fell asleep as usual.

I'm afraid I can't remember if the blue or  red Knight won!!!! It didn't really matter, it was just more  fun than staying home cutting the lawn. 

Blenheim are doing a brilliant deal this year, on your first visit they exchange your ticket for a free annual pass so that you may visit as often as you wish. I sincerely believe that Blenheim needs more than one visit to see everything! If you have been then I am  sure you love it as much as I do, if you haven't, I highly recommend it.

 It is a beautiful palace, and the grounds are stunning. (See above) It is the kind of place you fall in love with. I first discovered it in the mid 1980's and it wove its magic then. The view from the house to the lake is immortal. The walk is romantic. There is a serenity and spirituality there despite the thousand other visitors. Of course Sir Winston Churchill was also born here, so if the grounds don't move you, the house doesn't inspire you, and the library leaves you cold,(I love that library) then you might get the historical or political buzz. It etches its beauty onto your soul. Well it did mine anyway. Of course now that we are no longer young lovers but parents, we also have to take the mini pleasure train to the playground area and butterfly house, there I'm afraid there is no romance. But it keeps the ankle biters happy.

An escapee from Hogwarts.
 Falcons, kestrels and other feathered creatures, monochrome adds a timeless quality to pictures, doesn't it? 

This is beginning to sound like " a thousand things to do in your free time"blog, but there is only so much to say about a boating pond, so I thought , dear reader, you might appreciate a few diversions. And I just love writing .

"But what about dusting and housework!" I hear you declare. Ahh, shhhh! I have the luxury of a cleaner!

 "But what about your baby?" You whisper, Well honey, he is asleep!! and  I have done the ironing, so it isn't as if I'm playing hooky.

 "It must take you hours to write this stuff!?" you despair, er, actually no, the words just flow and I love taking photos. Anyone who knows me , knows that I can waffle on for hours if left unchecked, once I find a subject that interests me......

Once I asked someone who blogs a lot for advice, as I had a total mental block. My other blog site is on here too. I wrote my first entry, something like "Right I have decided to blog" and then it lay idle for over 2 years. It is probably still there. He told me to just open up and write, write,write, not to think about it but to let the words out, and promised that it would be cathartic. It is. I feel alive, because I am writing. I create, therefore I am.

I don't have time to paint canvass anymore, at the moment at least, as baby needs 100% attention when he is awake. So this is my way of letting the creativity flow. I hope you enjoy reading it. It is not quite Jane Austen, or Evelyn Waugh, but practice makes perfect.

My lovely husband has just popped his head round the door, despite its "do not disturb sign" and asked,"are you blogging again?" Then laughed, he is just glad to see me happy.It makes a change from watching me knit baby outfits!  And he knows that I'm making bread later , for breakfast tomorrow. See I'm not a total internet surfin'slacker!!!

I have to say I do have a Blog addiction, I read "freshness factor five thousand" and eagerly await the next instalment!