What`s In The Rainbow?

A couple of weeks ago we had a few thundery storms (due more weekend!).
So as I do, I like to take pix of the rainbows that come out.
Nothing unusual their, you may say, so I took four pictures and all slightly different, especially with the white "blobs" showing up.
Had I caught something unusual entering our rainbow system?
Was it the orbs of people shining through the rainbow?
Or was it simply raining and I had caught the mists of raindrops?
Or could it be reflects of light dancing around the rainbows?
If this is so, why are all the pictures different and only a few seconds apart?
(1), a rainbow, (2) a few "blobs" showing here and there, (3) back to rainbow and (4) more reflective lights and blobs.
What d`you make of them?

I think the mystery may have been solved.......
In pictures 2 and 4 they are considerably brighter, so it is assumed the sun may have played a trick on us, but has it?
Debateable.........
Then it was noticed that a couple of the "orbs" were actually rising (going up) and not coming down, this now intensified our curiosity as also some were considerably brighter than others.
Bugs were debunked, they weren`t but unexplained dances of light which has many a person mystified..........

Have A Morris Dance!

They are a jolly lot,
These men of dancing folk,
`Tis a history that goes way back,
Though no ones sure when,
But enjoy one of the oldest traditions,
These jolly men do joke!

These Rutland Morris Men have been going a fair few years and it brought many a smile to quiet(ish) part of Edith Weston, Rutland and the very damned good Wheatsheaf Inn, where food is good value and drink with entertainment exceptional!
The traditional costumes that now adorns most Morris Men was only brought in at the turn of the 19th century with the bells on the legs added later, before that, The Morris Men didn`t exist as we know them today, they were known by another name and their attire was somewhat different, though there dancing may not have differed all that much, and traditionally, dancing round the maypole was very evident.
But enjoy there jolly dance and the ringing of the bells, for many a tradition to uphold is what we like, so come on lads, give us a ring of those bells and a clattering of the sticks, put down yer pint and dance the night away!!

 

A good night was had by all on a warm summers evening!

The Insanity Workout, Introduction

Everybody knows how back pain can be quite debilitating and I`ve suffered with it for over 20 years, but its no excuse to "let yourself go"
So, I decided after my recent operation of having my coccyx removed that I would try and get myself back into shape.
Anyone who`s ever had coccyx pain, where even everyday sitting (something we all take for granted that we can do) is a painful experience, will know exactly what I`m on about.
I also suffer from spondalithesis, but this has not stopped me from doing any job - or exercise, marathons can be painful, but train right and its almost a doddle!
So, when I saw an advert for The Insanity workout, I thought yeah, why not?
But, there was a problem, I couldn`t register my details, so decided to take it upon myself to keep a log and then e-mail Team BeachBody to say I`d done it and I deserve my T-shirt!
Well, I hope anyway!
I know many people in the UK who cannot register either, or get the support we need, so hopefully if the Team BeachBody personnel read this, they maybe able to set up something over here in the UK - it would be in their interests, as us Brits love a challenge!
So come on Team BeachBody cheer us Brits on - we need your support!!
The kit doesn`t come cheap, when I bought it at the beginning of the year it cost me £200, extortionate you may think, but as it will go on for years, the benefits should outweigh the pounds.

 Armed with the workout discs, body fat interpretation charts and nutrition books, wall chart and roll mat, I was ready!
Well, I hope so!

 There is only one problem with these books and that some of the drinks they recommend are tailored for the American market, so I`ve engineered my own UK version of the drinks, supplements and even some meals which should hopefully be just as good as the versions in the books.

The wall chart is pretty impressive, it should tell me of my progress, I hope!!
I just have to look at the bodies on the poster to get an idea of how I would like to look!
Oh well, beggers can`t be choosers!






And now for me!

Ok, I`m embarrassed, I do look a little like a wobble woman than someone who should be quite lean and fit!
So, these are my current results:
BMI : 31 
Body Fat : 28-29 mm = 35.4 for my age group of 41-45, which means I`m "overfat", UK terminology Obese!
Weight : 76.3 kg
Vital Stats : 38, 44, 39 (weird combination!)
Height : 164cm

Looks like I`ve some work to do and changing diet and everything else is not going to be easy, so wish me luck, first up is the Fit Test.........

Hot And Summery!

What a scorcher, I don`t think my arms and legs have had so much sun since 2009 when myself and four legged companion (which I miss to bits) completed our 1000 mile walk for Macmillan.
My body has shifted a bit, so the sun no longer frequents the wobbly bits but it has a positive attribute to everything else!!
The picture above shows a rape which is used for oil.
No, it is not Lavender and yes there are different types of rape, the yellow rape can just be seen in the distance and this colouring only comes out first thing in the morning when the air is cool, so if your thinking of trying to see it later in the afternoon, I`m afraid the flowers will not be out, they hate the heat!
Poppies have also come out in abundance..

From the poppies to other flowers and insects frequenting our countryside, don`t half give you a good glow, enjoy the summer, whatever you're doing!!

There are many wonders in the garden, we just have to look after them.

Our hedgerow seemed to be awash with strange caterpillars, but I believe it will turn into a red admiral, though not sure and then there is equal sharing, the ladybird and the snail toying with a spiders web, now there`s a book....

Finally, the Red Admiral, up close and personal, and the Peacock butterflies, Summer is here - at last and hopefully stays a little longer than the last two winters we`ve all endured.
Happy Holidays!!

Ghostbusting? I didn`t realise I was!

We have all taken photographs over the years and never realise that occasionally we capture something that we knew was not there - basically unexplained.
So when I took something recently (in broad daylight too) I decided to get some form of verification of what I had taken, then someone decided to go through my photos to see if there was anything else, something I wouldn`t even think about looking at twice!
Not only was I surprised but I was somewhat taken aback.
I know that spirits are all around us, many watching what we do and "preventing" us from making mistakes.
We`ve all heard stories of individuals who have not gone somewhere because of a "feeling" or an uneasiness in a situation, well, maybe some of that can be interpreted as "friends" helping us out.
I`ve always believed that someone is looking out for us, no matter how bad we are, and trying to help us, sometimes we take heed, other times we ignore it as stupidity and carry on, only to find something nasty happens.
I`ve decided to share just a few of what I have taken - you maybe surprised...

We recently went to a place (which is last post) and found a white mist.
Upon blowing the photograph up and getting as good as an image as we could, this is what came up.
We believe it to be a young girl and possibly a lady, but I`m afraid, without going through other bodies, we cannot get a clearer picture as the one above.

 The picture above was taken on my way to work one cold morning (5am) when I was walking the 7 miles to work. I was not aware of the mist until after I took the picture but thought nothing of, just thought cold air, frost, but then why wasn`t it on the others below?
However the one below does have a light anomeli to the left of the post by the hedge (known as an orb) a small round circle of light.

 

The photograph below also shows an "orb" to the left just above the hedgeline. Someone was looking after me that morning with the cold dark and snowy lanes, no one is ever truly alone.

 

 

 

These are all but four of the pictures I have, maybe in the future there will be more and well, while looking, but not looking (so to speak) we may all capture unexplained anomeli`s and there`s a story behind every one of them, we just don`t know who they are......

 

Rockingham Joust And Ghoulish Going ons....

 Set in the heart of England  (or near it, Kettering/Corby so to speak!)
High Above the gentle slopes of rolling hills is Rockingham Castle, almost 1000 years old and still telling stories of days gone by.
Now are views of splendiferous idyllic surroundings, that have replaced a land of uncertain futures and uneasy peace, some of which never held,

Its doors are now open to the public who are regularly entertained by various events that take place throughout the year and today, we were lucky enough to have a warm spring day to watch the yearly jousting of brave knights who wish to keep their honour and their titles intact.

Its hedgerows are cut quite immaculately into various shapes, some look like animals, others not quite so recognisable.

 

 

The Walker House and Café/restaurant boasts wonderful tasty tantalisers that make the mouth water, so if your prepared to wait a while for your meal (the queue we joined went outside as people were only eating downstairs, which regrettably was petite, though quintessentially English!) the wait was definitely worth it and at a reasonable price, a small meal was a proper dinner! but we did not begrudge it one bit, huge and beautiful!

 

 

With fair Maiden not far away, the brave knights walked out with the black night "unhappily" leading the way, heading my way! was I going to be his first victim? His steely eyes gazed upon my lens, would he walk past and give the next fair maiden a more favourable gaze or was this black knight as many had feared?

 And one by one the brave jousters came into the jousting ring, showing their colours and patents of nobility on their person.

 

 

 

We became concerned when Sir Frederick came out holding his beer and then promptly fell of his horse! We`ve all been told of the dangers of alcohol! Well during the medieval days, drinking beer or mead as it was then was commonplace as most of the water was contaminated with sewage and other unsavouries, so most of the population actually drank mead/beer or wine instead of water.

As for Sir Frederick, well his day was only just beginning!

With the jousting in full pelt, if a rider was not knocked of his horse, a duel continued, although the purpose of it was to actually get the opponent to yield and not to die, although "accidents" did happen, but not today!

In the photo above there was a strange "mist" which we could not work out, and did not know it was there until we actually got home and found no other on any of the other photos, like the one below, so what was causing the mist?

Was it something from a bbq? though there was not one about, or did someone have a really big inhale of cigarette smoke and then exhaled in blow? or something we could not explain? What about sunlight? but then the photo below was taken only a few seconds later - no mist just look at the brown covering in the background and the darkness of the interior - what d`you reckon?

 

 

 

 

 

 

With many a Knight having a wonderful "battle" of skill and judgement and as we tucked into many an ice-cream (99 being my favourite!) it was eventually time to call it a day, but what a day it was, full of vibrant colour and then to finish of it was into the heart of Rockingham itself and into the Sondes Arms for a wonderful cold pint in the room where Charles Dickens used to do his writings and where the local beer festival had also been one of success finishing today, or if you don`t fancy a cool refreshing pint, how about a pleasant cup of tea in the local café where you can pick up the walk for the Jurassic Way, whatever you fancy, it`ll be worth every penny for a step back in time and nostalgia and being a part of history.

 

Wansford And Thomas The Tank Engine!

Finally, Spring has arrived with shorts and T-shirts!
Wansford in Lincolnshire is another of the old, thatched villages with a colourful history that still comes through - even today.
We decided that we would follow part of the Nene Valley Way, which start a long way from here, Kings Lyn to be exact!
The route would take us to Yarwell where we would catch the steam train which would take us back to Wansford and then the final section of the walk would take us back to the village.

One of the many markers that point the way

Wansford Village hidden by the trees and the old Bridge that goes over the River Nene

Coming into the caravan park, the lock and the River being well used

No swimming here!

Going through the Lock, one of many that travel along the River

Meet Thomas` A welcome sight for those that were travelling along the Nene Valley Railway, which goes from this station all the way to Peterborough and back again, although Thomas would only be going to Wansford.
A wonderful nostalgic journey which was £3.00 per adult to Wansford.
The Nene Valley Railway is run by volunteers and they are always after people to lend a hand, I`m hoping to join them soon!

Wansford Station is a hive of activity of which there are other carraiges which has a memorabilia car, a post office carraige, below, giving details about the great train robbery and even a small train exhibition and an opportunity to see the work volunteers are currently doing and the various challenges that they face.

 Rejoining the route takes you down various quaintly named roads and tracks, this one being Lovers Lane!

And at the end of the walk, a well earned fish and chips with home made mushy peas and tartare sauce!

Not forgetting you are not far from the local parachute and flying centre.
We watched many a person jump out of this plane and the chutes open safely under glorious sunshine with intermittent cloud!