Just up the road from me, by the bridge, there has sprung up a small impromptu Sunday market, with fruits and veggies for sale, a craft booth, and an outdoor restaurant with a barbeque and a sound system playing cumbia and salsa music. All very jolly.


I had the kebabs, a corn pancake, an empanada and rice pudding, all of which was yummy delicious. I probably will try the corn, the chayote stew and the coconuts cakes next time I go.

The only people still wandering around from then used to be the teachers, but they're all retired now as you'd expect.

This is Putney Heath, and not a trace of snow.

I went trekking to a nearby city for the weekend. Here's a photo taken on the way down.

Stunning view, zorba, well worth the climb, I'm sure.

This fellow showed up at the market with a snake in a sack. It is a boa constrictor, about 1.5 metres long (5ft)

He soon had a crowd around him, wanting to see and pet the snake. I've never petted a boa constrictor, and hope to keep it that way.

I feel the same way about the boa, Mags.

The entrance to one of the temples on the way to Nashik.

As snakes go boa constrictors are quite harmless and make popular pets, I used to go and see them in my local aquarium shop. And unlike spiders they can't chase you round the room.

This is the A3 as it goes through Coombe.

Early morning dew on tendril

This is my friend's new Boston Terrier, Sky, and the first time I'd met her.

Where is everybody? Another local landmark, this used to be the Ionic cinema in Golders Green, one of three, now the nearest one is a few miles away. There were also three more in Hendon down the road, none there either.

Great shots, Mags and Satguru.

Another view of the temple.

Love the dew, the doggie and the temple!

Here's what the river looked like on Tuesday when I was walking by it.

Wow, that river looks awfully cold, Liz. Is that broken up ice? Awww, Sky is a cutie!

No disrespect intended, zorba_scank, your photo of the temple entrance reminded me of this one of the boardwalk entrance to the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

That is indeed broken up ice It has been quite mild (relatively speaking) for the last little while, that's why it is broken up.

We stayed in this lovely hotel in Canberra last December. This is the view from just outside the door of our room looking down into the atrium. I wish I could get my garden to look like this. The plants are all real.

Thanks zorba, I will have to apologise for the focus but can't always get it 100%

Here are some interesting houses I just discovered in Stanmore, which has more of these from the 60s and 70s than just about anywhere else I know.

Another of the photos from my trip to Italy. This was taken at a waterfall, a couple of miles from the hotel. Sadly, most of the pictures I took there didn't come out as well as I'd hoped but this one isn't too bad. (It's only looking at it now that I can see what appears to be face in the rock. To me it looks like a bat. Can anyone else see it & provide a better idea of what it looks like?)

Looks like a bat to me too, Martin. The entrance looks quite grand, ClaraSue.

The Pandavleni Buddhist caves that were carved between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD.

I think it's a long beaked bird, with a 'bump' on it's nose...

The tables look like flowers with (chairs) petals! Great photo!

These birds were taking advantage of a sunny day today! I did too, and went for a long walk by the river.

Some lovely photos have been posted while I've been away. Here is one of the beach near where my sister lives (that's where I've been).

This is one of the few pale roads around now, in Stanmore, many out on the edges of town used to be like this but gradually more and more are being tarmaced over. Some also had bitumen sealing the blocks so had black stripes but this didn't have them.

Martin: I've never been willing to take a Rorschach test (am afraid of being locked up in a padded cell lol), so if you say it's a bat, that's ok by me : )

Zorba: you are SO lucky to have so many fascinating things to take pictures of! Where I live, January just means a whole bunch of white stuff nobody wants to shovel or drive in.

I COULD post pictures of snow day after day, but MadMags reminded me of this experience... "Jake and a Snake"...



Pretty fella. A gold Ball Python (sometimes called a "Royal" python). Smooth (absolutely NOT slimy), warm (as he'd been in the sun) and a perfect gentleman (heavier than I thought he'd be though!)

Thanks, Jake. I never realised others would find these sights interesting until I joined this forum. And I do admire you for carrying that guy. Nothing would make me get close to it.

Another photo of the caves, there were 24 in all. The view of the city from the top was beautiful too.

While we are on the subject ...

this is Maynooth on our recent behind-the-scenes zoo tour. Unfortunately, I don't remember what type of snake this is.