I left San Francisco at 10pm at night on a Friday, went down to LA with an hour stopover, then west to Phoenix and north to Flagstaff before west again into New Mexico and Texas. Spent 2 nights on the bus though we stopped at some places in the early hours for 5 to 60 minutes. Arrived in Lubbock just after 1pm on the Sunday. Just try to sleep on the bus in between stops.

Congrats Howie (I'm a bird fan too.. um the kind with wings lol).

Santana: fabulous photo and would make a great jigsaw puzzle!

This is a farm near Reigate, the camera packed up on the next photo but as it's doing it regularly I now carry a spare memory card, and although it took four more bad photos before alerting me I swapped it over and got 46 more. I may have to get a new camera now as it can't keep doing that and get away with it every time. It actually finds a way of mixing the new photo with another one before stopping altogether and need to wipe the card every time it does. If anyone knows what's happening or had it as well it would help.

It was my mum's 80th birthday yesterday & her granddaughter made this cake for
her party. She was up until 2 am trying to get it finished in time.

Wow! Well done to your granddaughter, Martincube, she did a fantastic job! I love the teal shade of those sugar roses!

Yes that is my favourite colour. I want that for my 80th cake!

Looks good enough to eat Martin

Indeed it was. It was far too big for the number of guests who turned up so if anyone happens to be in the Bristol area in the next few days then let me know & I'll save you some.

Happy birthday Mrs Cube! I think both our mothers were the same age when we were born as you are both two years older than me and mine.

One of my usual road pictures next to Gatwick Airport

The first of two monarch butterfly photos.

The pond at Trent Park in Enfield

Every time these pigeons tried to rest on their owner's roof he clapped his hands and they started off on another circle. The exercise regime. Brilliant to watch.

I had to go here to complete my first 10km square on the photo map website, it was about a quarter mile walk and I did have an umbrella but no raincoat and had to change all my clothes when I got home as there was no sign of rain when I left.

The other monarch butterfly photo.

Gasp! Stunning. I could look at that all day.

The traditional Victoria sponge birthday cake for a very special three year old

Has anyone seen our sledge?

Howie, that butterfly picture is beautiful

Trent Park teachers training college's original building, now part of Middlesex University

One of the first things that greets you at the RAF museum at Hendon is this Hurricane (and the
Spitfire behind it):

Tower to black-backed seagull flight number BBS01, you are cleared to land on rock74....

Lol. It should be careful, there's a Hawker Hurricane on its tail...

You see the oddest things for sale at country shows every so often. This head is actually a carving. Very good but I don't think I could live with it.

Competed in the Tom Na Bat hill race this weekend (part of the 171st Tomintoul Highland Games). This is the point where I got to the lowest part of the route, before climbing almost to the top again. You can see the line of the path (there was not much path on the course, straight through the heather) on the top right. Two people were behind me at this point, and I got past another at the finish (Out of 45 I think).

After jumping over the ditch to get back onto the road, after the second decent of Tom na Bat, I was met with this view.
The river you see is the River Avon (pronounced "arn").

Mugaboo: The pictures are lovely (but I got tired just thinking about the "run" lol!)

Christina: Good Lord. Unless one had a ranch with Scottish Highland cattle (or whatever that's supposed to depict) I can't imagine wanting anything THAT big! Love the huskies - they look ready to pull that car, never mind a dogsled lol.

Martin: cool plane pix!!

Howie: who couldn't fall in love with that flutterby? And the gull pic would have been equally as beautiful without the bird at all but nice capture (you apparently live in "God's country") : )

The weather here since spring has been stormy (to say the least). So clever critters like wasps seek sheltered areas to build their nests. This one (only 4 days work - at that point - for the wasps) was found in the back corner of our greenhouse:


(yes we destroyed it - I don't mind them visiting, but if they're going to live here, then they have to pay rent lol)

Wow, makes you wonder just how big it would have got if you'd left it. I think I'd rather not know the answer to that.

No, nasty. But it makes a really gorgeous photo.

More on the flight theme (well, it's Amelia's birthday after all):



Airshow participants on their way home, I think. So I got a private performance of formation flying.

One of the ducks at the Timaru Botanical Gardens.