52 Week Challenge - week by week through 2013

[veggiechicken]

Week 41 Challenge completed
Went to a meeting of the local Archaeological Society, of which I have been a member for over 50 years However, I haven't been to a meeting for nearly 2 years for various reasons mostly being in the wrong place on the right night!
So, with the start of the Winter lectures, I made an effort to go and I'm so pleased that I did. Met up with a lot of old friends, some I've known since school days - and we don't look a day older
The lecture was inspiring, controversial and thought provoking - new discoveries and theories about the construction of Stonehenge.
Will try to go to the next lecture in 2 weeks time - about the excavation and restoration of the Mary Rose Tudor warship More to keep my old grey matter active!!

[Sheneval]

Week 41 Challenge completed
So, with the start of the Winter lectures, I made an effort to go and I'm so pleased that I did. Met up with a lot of old friends, some I've known since school days - and we don't look a day older

Did you miss out 'than we did yesterday' at the end there??

[Sheneval]

VC - my challenge for week 42 is to complete the clearance of the quarter plot I borrowed from another plot holder last year to prevent her giving up. This was before I got my own plot in November last year and long before my daughter got her plot. I am going to transfer all the strawberries from this plot to my grandkid's plot which is just adjacent and try to leave it in perfect condition.

[veggiechicken]

No, we look exactly the same except for the gymslips Mine's a bit too tight now

[Sheneval]

I know what you mean - I never wear mine now either

[veggiechicken]

Week 42 14th-20th October

Slow down Shen, I haven't even posted this Week yet
Hazel's going to have a lot of catching up to do too - hope you're enjoying your hols
OK Folks, let's get Week 42 on the road..........

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

I also have my wk 39, 40 and 41 challenges done. Will update later......

[Sheneval]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

I also have my wk 39, 40 and 41 challenges done. Will update later......

VC - does lounging round the pool drinking pina coladas count as one challenge never mind 3??

[veggiechicken]

It would be a real challenge for me..........especially in this weather

[Sheneval]

Lovely and sunny here with a nice soft breeze to keep cool when digging - have just finished one of my grandkid's small beds - all hand weeded and edged with weed fabric round the outside - need to add some compost as the soil has shrunk below the level of the surrounding boards but I have tokens enough for 3 free bags of the Council compost and I have just checked the bag of leaves collected last November and all but the top few inches has rotted down to lovely leaf mould so think I will have enough and more to top the bed up.

I was going to use it for the strawberries but it is a bit on the small side so I'll use the other kid's beds and use this one for overwintering some more onions - this years crop is all but eaten

Noticed a mouse in the leaf mould but hadn't the heart to kill it - where is that cat - never around when you need her

[Tripmeup]

My challenge for is week is to make chilli jam ( a la Nigella)... another first...

Challenge completed...

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 39 Challenge

Look out from a Vantage Point

I love being high up looking down on the landscape - like a king surveying his kingdom saying 'all this is mine!', and I'm still fascinated by Google Maps and it's bird's eye views.

There's nothing like the real thing, though, so whilst on holiday, I went to investigate a vantage point. Overlooking the town of San Juan, in the south west of Tenerife is a big hill with a sculpture on the top. I've often looked up at the sculpture and wondered what it was, and decided this time to get myself to the top of the hill and have a look.



After a strenuous climb, I reached the sculpture at the top of the hill. Disappointingly there was nothing to tell me what it is - it looks like a snake's head to me, but that does seem unlikely.



However the views back down to the harbour and beach were fabulous, and I spent ages with the binoculars seeing Sunday morning passing by below me.



Excellent fun - and my week 38 Challenge completed!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 40 Challenge

Go Rockpooling

When I was little, I was always puzzled after the summer holidays back at school when my friends would say what a great time they had on holiday; on the beach, in the sea, suncream, sandcastles, ice creams, the lot.

Now we also had a great time on holiday, and went to the seaside, but our experiences in the north of Scotland on the Moray Firth were more in the way of stony beaches, cutting north wind, terrific waves from the angry stormy sea, and - of course - rockpools.

These days, I prefer my beaches sandy, and my seas warm, and if you can conjure up a palm tree or two, so much the better.

But I am still fascinated by rockpools - those micro worlds with their miniature creatures, and here on holiday, the the rocky headland by a favourite beach provided just the thing.



With the light reflecting in the water, it was nearly impossible to take photos of this rocky 6' by 4' world - there was a shoal of fish in the 2' depths, mini clams on the shallow slope, a sea slug which looked like a piece of seaweed marching along the sandy section, and a catfish keeping to the miniature vertical side, darting through the inch high sea grass waving in the ripples.



I was so preoccupied with this microcosm that I nearly missed this chap - 8" toe to toe, but fortunately for me, heading away to the waves.



I love it - my week 40 Challenge, done!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 41 Challenge

Eat Something New

I like to think I have a cosmopolitan view of the world's foodstuffs, and have a varied diet, and am competent - if basic - cook. Having said that, I find that I do cook the same dozen or so meals (with some variations) pretty much all the time.

So one of the joys of being away is to eat things you aren't used to eating at home, and I'm back from my holidays with lots of inspiration of dishes which I would like to try.

But more than eating something cooked a bit differently, or with a different sauce, or accompaniment, being in that different environment also gives you the opportunity of eating something completely new.

I'm up for that - the worst that can happen is that you don't like it, and you might discover an absolute gem. So sitting under the olive tree one lunchtime at a restaurant overlooking the harbour at Los Abrigos, I spotted 'chopitos fritos' on the menu - lightly battered and fried baby squid.



Never had that before, but in for a penny and all that. And I'm so glad I went for it - they are delicious! Although the faint of heart might not want to look too closely at all those squiggly legs.



Yum, yum, yum - my week 41 Challenge, done!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 42 Challenge

Catch a Falling Leaf

Back from holiday, and all of a sudden, it's Autumn! Although I love the crisp mornings, the sunshine, the beautiful colours of the trees, what I DO NOT love is the nights drawing in the cold, and the rain. Pah!

Let's focus on the positives, though - I'm really fortunate to live a five minute jog away from Sutton Park, and it is very beautiful at this time of year, with its ancient woodlands, heaths and lakes. Well, it's lovely at any time of the year, but Autumn is particularly good.



As I know from the forty odd Autumns that I have walked through the woodlands in the park, catching falling leaves is deceptively difficult - those lazy, drifting, golden flakes have a life of their own and skitter away from your outstretched hand and tumble to the floor leaving you snatching at thin air.



I was determined not to be beaten this year, though, and headed this morning in the glorious sunshine to one of my favourite woodlands.



Half an hour later, I moved to a less favourite, but more secluded woodland, as I was starting to look like the local loony and was getting some funny looks from the good folk of Sutton who were out in force enjoying the day.



My tenacity paid off - no action shot of me actually catching it, of course, as I had enough trouble with the damn leaf as it was, but here is the leaf, and it's tree.



And my week 42 Challenge is done!