He is certainly a bear of character,Jane, and a faithful friend he seems to be indeed.

While travelling around last week, we came across this 'pile of rocks' in Wiltshire, which some absent minded person had left there about 5,000 years ago:)
It is of course Stonehenge, and dates from around 3,100 BC.

The grafitti on those stones is dreadful, at least it was when I was sitting on them some years ago - about thirty five years in fact. Back then you had full access and could sit on the low stones, and write on them if you so wished - I didn't.

Entrance to Stonehenge is now strictly controlled, and it's carefully maintained. The whole site is completely fenced off, and access is via a turnstile and tunnel under the main road. you can of course see the monument, and avoid paying the entrance fee, from the road looking through the chain link fence - or over it if you're tall enough.
You can get right up to the stones, but would have little chance of writing graffiti on them.

When I was 5 we moved from Kingsbury to Hampstead Garden Suburb, where I remained until 28 years later as my parents split up years earlier and had to sell it. Even though I had my own place from 1988 I still spent more time there and had many ups and downs in my life there, but only really apprecuiated it a few years after I left. I'd do anything to get it back now but besides not being for sale I'd need to rob a bank to pay for it. Ours was the second half of the first white pair.

Here is another small temple from the next village (a bit posher than ours)The entrance is hidden by a tree. Next door on the right are the templekeeper's quarters.

I'm glad I got out and took these photos when I did. The weather has been very violent in Manitoba this past weekend. 5 tornadoes touched down doing a lot of damage but fortunately no one was hurt.

These wild flowers were growing in the same area as the photo of the yellow headed blackbird.



Mrs. Argus tells me the purple flowers are Vetch (not sure the spelling is right) but we have no idea what the white one's are.

Click on link below for larger photo of the white flower:

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t84/mrreb/RonsPhotos016.jpg

Hi , Argus, I can't identify this one I can't see the leaf clearly but it might be a wild myrtle of sorts.I have been told I need this book as it is for people like me who need help with what to look for in a plant:
-Botany In A Day-
The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families
The pictures are clear apparently.

Thanks Ren I'll have to do some studying. I just found out Mrs. Argus has a plant book for native Canadian plants. Sometimes you can't find everything on the internet.

I've been lazy about taking my camera with me of late, so I'm really glad I took so many photos in Ottawa!

This is my sister, conversing with one of the guardians of the Sparks Street Mall. Note the Ottawa Senators flags, flanking the Canadian flag. The city was hockey crazy whilst I was there, as the Senators were playing at home, and still hoping to win the Stanley Cup. Alas, it was not to be...

I'm not getting out much at present either, so here's another picture from London. This strangely ornate building in Carter Lane in the City is now a youth hostel: I think it used to be St Paul's Cathedral's choir school.

Yeterday was a very faithful old bear. Today it is a newer bear, but with memories attached to him. Last year, when Dad died, my best friend on the Internet (I met her on a Jigsaw community board) sent me a beautiful boquet of flowers, along with this brown bear. There was no other name for him, but Patrick, after Dad, and he's sat on the bookshelf, looking extremely wise, ever since

Oh dear PF no purple bears?

After much debating with myself did I decide to reveal my secret horde of Purple Stuffed Teddies.

I am forever looking for new ones to add to my collection and I have had very special friends send me ones.

I also have a huge collection of minature bears and yes some of those are purple also.

Took this pic of mountain laurel when I was up in the hills of Pennsylvania last week.

Like the famous zebra crossing outside Abbey Road studios on the Beatles album, here is the less famous one outside my friend's old shop where I worked in Temple Fortune. We still remember when a sports car rammed a car waiting there right outside the shop, no one was hurt but he appeared not to slow down at all from 30mph and hit it at full speed.

The Nelson Tower was built in commemoration of Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It opened in 1812 and not only is it rhe most northerly of all Britain's Nelson monuments, but also the first built to him after his death.

An unusual but attractive visitor to the bird table!

Here's another from my Ottawa trip, though this was taken on the way home, in the town of Perth. I think that's the town hall, with the clock tower.

My younger grandson deciding whether to steal second base or not...

Sue, the two wheeler is still a bit big for him. He can ride it okay but can't stop as it's too heavy for him to hold up. Sort of reminds me of the saying .. "falling doesn't hurt, it's when you stop falling that it hurts"

Kids playing 'What's the time, Mr Wolf.' in our hallway for Conor's party last weekend.

This was the view from my window when I woke up this morning. A lot of the country has had snow and some of the roads in the Cape have been closed due to last nights snow fall. An unusual sight for Africa none the less.

This statue of John Smith, one of the founders of Virginia, stands in Bow Churchyard in London. I'm told it's a copy of one in Jamestown.

Snow in Africa, wow.

picqero what a unexcepted visitor to the bird table - makes a change from the thrushes and blackbirds
Copago what a great kiddie picture - I used to love that game

My first Morning Glory of the year. Self-seeded from some which flowered last year and were originally a gift from PurpleFan.