Words to live by...

 

I was in the Highlands of Scotland about a year ago. I saw quite a few when I was there. We stayed at a gorgeous place called Blervie House. It was very close to Forres, not too far from Inverness. I saw a few red deer as well. Mostly does and fawns but I did see one small stag. Absolutely gorgeous area. We're heading to Ireland in September if things are opened up again by then....

 

Today, this lifts my spirits...and no it's not spirits...



My wife made a run to Costco to pick up some medications and food, and she asked on a neighbourhood FB group if anyone needed anything. While dropping off to one of 5 older people she picked things up for, they gave her this small bottle of maple syrup that they had from tapping the trees on their property and boiling down the sap...a very Canadian way to say thanks.

 

sunset by the Thames

 

Sometimes,

 

This came from a friend's email years ago, and I don't know its provenance. But every time I see it, my memories of happy childhood come roaring back.

I hope you like it too.

 

https://www.boredpanda.com/meerkat-...oogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

https://www.cesarsway.com/german-shepherds-paternal-instincts-kick-in-to-care-for-orphaned-fawns/

 

And just FYI - maple syrup is not just for pancakes and waffles at breakfast. It goes very well on top of vanilla ice cream:



We use it when we make bacon on a bun...what some call backbacon, but what most Canadians call Peameal bacon:



And when mixed with some soy sauce, it makes a great marinade and glaze for salmon - had this last night:



Our pro tennis players even sometimes drink it on tour at the breaks...

 

The hand stencil is from the Cave of Maltravieso - dated to 64,000 years ago. This cave art is the earliest dated so far and predates, by at least 20 thousand years, the arrival of modern humans in Europe, which implies Neandertal authorship / artistic endeavour.
The Bison is from the Altamira Cave. There the earliest paintings were created by human hands around 36,000 years ago.

Canadian paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger has also created a database of all the signs found in more than 200 caves and other shelters in France and Spain. Those markings appear to be a code that was painted on to rock by the Cro-Magnon people, who lived in Europe 30,000 years ago. The first language maybe.

Our early ancestors and distant cousins were probably a lot brighter and more thoughtful than we give them credit for – which makes me smile - the big wheel keeps on turning (after it was invented of course :0)

Pictures from wonderful wiki...

 

Houses near me celebrate what is practically a national religion in Britain - and I for one have absolutely no problem with that. Someone close to me is frontline, and I'm hearing this sort of thing does get across, and genuinely does help morale. It is a great spirit here - never known anything quite like it.

 

A quiet creek outside Strahan, Tasmania. A great place for self isolation......

 

These images cropped up on the screensaver and reminded me of last summer and this little fella following me round the garden

Sadly not with us this year although we have two new residents who may just eventually prove to be so trusting ?

 

We are avid tennis players, and not being able to play or see all our friends from tennis has been tough. Going from playing 6-8 hours a week to zero for the last month has been a huge decrease in my exercise level, and walking just doesn't replace that.

Canada is known as a hockey nation, so road hockey is a common thing to see in the summer on roads...well now we have road tennis, at least in our neighbourhood:



My wife and I got out on the road and hit the ball back and forth for about 45 minutes yesterday. I snapped this as my wife was about to hit the ball back - decent form, and generating some topspin by coming up under the ball. It was great to swing a racquet again, even if there was no court, net, or score being kept. Only had to call "car!" a couple of times since it so quiet...

 

Same creek ( maybe )

 

Grew up the son of an absolute tennis fanatic. Only somewhat recently have I taken a liking to the sport but more so from the spectator perspective.

I just couldn't NOT love Federer's game. But even beyond that, the level of play we are fortunate enough to be witnessing in the present era is astounding.

Oh, and that Eugenie Bouchard is pretty good too...

 

Proud Mary keeps on burnin', rollin', rollin'......

Sorry, my St. Louis roots took control of me for a sec.

Gotta love Ike and Tina.

 

Cathedral Cove, Coromandel, New Zealand.

 

New life , taken yesterday on our daily hours walk .

 

Yes really,


Who would have thought not so long ago that being able to track down 9L of fence treatment could raise the spirits ?
Crazy perhaps but when your list of tasks is getting smaller by the day and we are enjoying perfect weather for treating the fence
Should add that in our neck of the woods timber treatment is almost like gold dust