Having savoured the delights of Wisley, this week we’re in Kent having spent time there at the weekend.
First stop was an overdue visit to some friends. They have an amazing garden, part of which includes a wonderful ancient wall, which I couldn’t resist taking photographs of.
After missing out on capturing a bee inside a Lily recently, the temptation proved to great. I found some fabulous flowers to photograph, capturing a bee and a butterfly in the process.
We then headed to an idyllic cottage with a magnificent garden in the village of Sissinghurst. POD was delighted to discover a slide and swing set, among other things, and experienced a trampoline for the first time.
The garden was beautifully kept and again I found myself drawn to the flowers the bees were most attracted to. Nature photography fascinates me and I’m definitely on a quest to better my close-ups! I couldn’t begin to tell you the names of the flowers I took photographs of but some great varieties all the same.
We’re linking this post up with How does your garden grow? at Mammasaurus. Click on the badge below to join in or just have a nose round some other pretty gardens.
Thank you to everyone that joined in with What’s The Story? last week. There were so many brilliant posts, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories behind your photographs. It was great to see this Linky, There and Back Again and Mummy Endeavors getting recognition in the BritMums Newbie round-up too.
If you’re coming here for the first time, the What’s The Story? Linky was created so you can share the story behind some of your well-loved photographs. All you need to do is share a photograph and describe what the story is behind it. You can say as little or as much as you like about your photograph.
You can select a photo taken at ANY time – there are no restrictions on when it must have been taken. You might choose a photo you took recently or an oldie. It would be great if your post is new but you can also link up your old favourites. What’s The Story? is open from 6.30am every Monday until the following Sunday.
You’ll find the What’s The Story? badge and blog hop below. Please do share some Linky love by commenting on your fellow bloggers posts.
This photograph was taken in 2007 behind the Hacha Falls waterfall in Venezuela. The ferocity of the water meant it was dangerous to take a photograph anywhere else. It was difficult to see and slippery underfoot too so standing behind a curtain of water was terrifying initially. Incredible once your legs became less jelly-like though even if you did only have wet rocks for support.
Our trip to Venezuela was scheduled from start to finish. It had been recommended we change our money on the black market though to get a better rate. In a complete contrast to Bureau de Change, our exchange took place in a car park at Caracas airport. Afterwards we went by taxi to a guarded hotel in the city where we enjoyed a good night’s sleep before heading to the Venezuelan jungle the following day.
The Canaima National Park is located in the Bolivar State of Venezuela. It’s occupied by plateaus of rock called tepuis – a kind of plateau that is millions of years old with vertical walls and almost flat tops. The cliffs and waterfalls result in spectacular landscapes although the park is relatively remote. Transport there is via light plane, foot or canoe.
The 12,000 sq mile park is home to the indigenous Pemon Indians. The Pemon camp we stayed in was basic but we did secure a hut with bunk beds next to the jungle. Although still open to the elements, I was thankful for not having to sleep in a hammock. We took ear plugs with us too so we couldn’t hear what was going on around us at night.
Although located in an isolated jungle, Angel Falls is one of Venezuela’s top tourist attractions. It is the World’s highest uninterrupted waterfall at 3211ft. The trek to the lookout point took some time in seriously hot temperatures but we did it with a Chilean family and our Pemon guide. All of whom we’d got to know fairly well.
As well as Hacha Falls above and Angel Falls, we also got to walk behind the immense Sapo Falls. This is the photograph in the What’s The Story? linky post. It was exhilarating and yet utterly petrifying, I thought I was going to slip off the ledge and die on several occasions. It is thought this is the waterfall Daniel Day-Lewis walked behind in Last of the Mohicans though and that is pretty special.
We’re linking this post up with What’s The Story? which takes place on this blog and Magic Moments at The Oliver’s Madhouse.
The flagship garden of the RHS is located in Wisley, Surrey. Even with a toddler in tow, it oozes peace and tranquility. Set in 240 acres, you can expect to lose hours while you take in its immense gardens, loggia and canal of waterlilies.
The nearby walled garden is the perfect place to stop and take it all in amidst a sea of purple and white flowers. The Jubilee and Bowes Lyon Rose Gardens are in full bloom and up to Battleston Hill is the towering Henry Moore sculpture ‘The Arch’.
A state-of-the-art Glasshouse is like a magical jungle with palms, creepers and a waterfall. Three climatic zones provide the perfect a haven for difficult to grow, rare and endangered species and Orchids. You can read more in this post.
We sat outside the nearby restaurant in the sunshine with a lolly to take it all in. POD loves a good lolly!
Wisley has varying events on throughout the year – one of which is The Scarecrow Trail. Designed by local Women’s Institute members, 100 uniquely designed scarecrows are dotted around seven acres.
With the theme ‘Strictly Scarecrows’, mostly were based on the TV programme although there were a couple made of straws and bubble wrap. There was even a crow created from bin bags, cut into strips like feathers. Our favourite scarecrow was Mary Poppins although POD insisted on introducing “Rabbit” to nearly all of them.
Also at Wisley over the summer is the Great Garden Adventure where you an build your own den, watch falconry displays or take part in a real puppet show. The child in me says we need to go back soon to build a den!
We’re linking this post up with Country Kids at Coombe Mill. If you’ve been having some outdoor fun with your kids, click on the badge to join in
We focused on the wonderful Wisley for last week’s post. There we discovered a picturesque bridge almost consumed by Wisteria, a striking walled garden that led to a loggia and canal of water lilies. Not forgetting a state-of-the-art Glasshouse with its a mind-blowing collection of plants.
RHS Wisley set out to capture the imagination and it certainly did. Which is why we’re back again this week!
We wandered down the path down to the Arboretum and Fruit Field where we saw ripening grapes and an orchard has apples and pears being harvested. The crab apples and berries also looked rather tempting!
The best view seemed to be from the top of the Glasshouse borders down to the Glasshouse. Up the hill from there we arrived at the broadwalk on Battleston Hill where we found Hydrangeas with large pointy heads. The Trials Fields a bit further up showcased award winning Dahlias, Blackberries and Clematis.
The Bowes-Lyon Rose garden featured hundreds of roses with the nearby top terrace offering views of the mixed borders. Incredible that some of the combinations were put together by the team at Wisley and the team that worked at the Olympic Park. The scenery is just spectacular wherever you turn.
The Glasshouse is a bit like walking into a jungle with all the palms and creepers everywhere. We saw beautiful and exotic plants as well as an impressive Fuchsia collection just near a waterfall.
I love the Glasshouse, could have stayed there all day!
We’re linking up with How Does Your Garden Grow? at Mammasausus. To join in or have a nose round some other fabulous gardens, simply click on the badge below.
Thank you to One Dad 3 Girls for tagging me in his Ultimate Summer Driving Playlist post. If you’ve not heard about the meme The Boy And Me created, you can read about it and join in here.
To me an ultimate summer driving playlist has to include music with a feel good factor. You know exactly what the song is as soon as you hear the first chord. You’ve already upped the volume. You’re smiling from ear to ear and you’d be singing into your hairbrush if you had one.
My choice of music varies depending on the time of day and my mood. The Eighties was an influential era for me but I also love most musical genres. Below is my ultimate summer driving playlist – just five songs from a long list of many!
This meme is open until the end of August. I’d like to tag the following people to get involved:
The Ramblings of a Formerly Rock N’ Roll Mum
Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’Mine
I met Axl Rose after the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. All the artists came to a bar I was working in. It was an incredible night.
Train – Drops of Jupiter
Prince – Purple Rain
I saw Prince in concert in the Eighties. He came in via a zip wire from the back of Wembley Arena much to the surprise of the audience. We thought he was on stage but it was in fact a body double in the shape of a beautiful woman!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYOLEF-N3oQ
POD has a fondness for books so we get through a lot of stories – often coerced into reading more than we intended. Usually there’s the favourite, requested nightly for weeks, and a varied selection around that.
It’s been quite refreshing this week to discover a fairy tale book with the usual classics. There was confusion around the wolf being dead in Red Riding Hood and “anodder” wolf in the Three Little Pigs but I got round that.
Then POD spotted Goldilocks eating the bears porridge…
“Mummy read this story” [I turn pages to beginning of story]
“No Mummy I just want the girl” [POD turns pages back to page 3]
“Mummy. Girl, no bears” The bears are in the story, it’s Goldilocks and the Three Bears [I turn pages to beginning of story]
“No Mummy I do not want bears, I just want Goddy-locks” [POD turns pages back to page 3. Slams hands on book]
“Just Goddy-locks” [Sigh. Starts Goldilocks and the Three Bears from page 3]
So introducing the bears after Goldilocks had eaten Baby Bear’s porridge, broken his chair and slept in his bed proved a success. We just need to master reading it from the beginning.
I’m linking this post up with Wot So Funee? over at Actually Mummy. If you’d like to join in, click on the badge below
Welcome to What’s The Story? and thank you to everyone that joined in last week. It was amazing to see so many of you getting involved and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all your stories.
The posts that particularly stood out last week were from Mum of Three World, Wicked World of Lucas, The Alexander Residence, White Feathers and so much more…, Yummy Mummy Flabby Tummy, Super Busy Mum, Late for Reality, Multi Layer Mummy, The Brick Castle and Instinctive Mum. Other great photographs came from Catch a Single Thought, Mummy Glitzer and Only Best for Baby.
If you’re coming here for the first time, the What’s The Story? Linky was created so you can share the story behind some of your well-loved photographs. It’s open from 6.30am every Monday until the following Sunday.
Joining in is really easy. All you need to do is share a photograph and describe what the story is behind it. You can say as little or as much as you like about your photograph. You can also select a photo taken at ANY time – there are no restrictions on when it must have been taken. You might choose a photo you took recently or an oldie. It would be great if your post is new but you can also link up your old favourites.
Feel free to grab the What’s The Story? badge below. Please do share some Linky love by commenting on your fellow bloggers posts. I look forward to reading your stories.
This is a photograph of POD when I was twelve weeks pregnant. It was our third scan.
We were overjoyed when we found out we were expecting opting to go ahead with a pre-booked game of tennis. Quite possibly the worst game either of us have ever played. We were like two giddy teenagers. Pregnancy had come late to us after all and I was approaching forty.
The feeling of total and utter joy was replaced just two days later. In the hospital words like ‘miscarriage’, ‘eptopic’ and ‘elderly primagravida’ were bandied around.
Our first scan was at five weeks when we saw an amniotic sac. Amazing to think you could see anything at this stage. We then had a further scan at eight weeks when we saw the fetal pole and, most importantly, a heartbeat. It was an incredible moment.
We saw POD looking like a baby for the first time at twelve weeks gestation. I was so apprehensive I thought I might actually vomit. I had a watery feeling in my throat and the voices around me spoke an unfamiliar language. We declined the downs test as it was invasive and there was a risk of miscarriage. I was already high risk.
The nervousness I experienced was due to underlying fear of pregnancy. I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1983 and whilst its been fully controlled since 1996, anti-epileptic drugs (AED’s) are widely documented to cause defects and deformities.
An ultrasound of POD’s brain and heart cavities took place at St Thomas’s in London. It was a nerve wracking yet unimaginable experience. The wonderful, kind lady with us had a genuine love for what she was doing and took great pleasure in showing us POD’s organs. Including her brain in her skull.
We had scans on a regular basis throughout my pregnancy. POD arrived at 10.46am on Christmas Day 2010 after a 47 hour labour. Her appearance was marked by the sound of the Salvation Army singing ‘Good King Wenceslas’ outside the delivery suite. I think I will remember that moment forever.
Linking this post up with What’s The Story? which runs on the PODcast blog and Magic Moments at The Oliver’s Madhouse.
