Friday, September 29, 2017

The Marram grass

These are the thick marram grass that grows in the Outer Hebrides, they serve to hold the dunes together. They are found on the Atlantic side of the Isles of the Outer Hebrides. They are still cut to be used as thatching for the roofs of croft houses.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Covent Garden, London

Covent Gsrden is now a favorite place of mine to hang out in while in London. This is Neal's yard, a corner in Covent Garden. It is fun, colorful and inspiring. If you are in London next be sure to visit Neal's yard at Covent Garden.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

the year in review

The North field meadow in Cricklade in April has the most of snakehead fritillaries in England. They cover this meadow as far as the eye can see. These are very unusual flowers and has very specific needs, moist soil and their habitat are disappearing. Cricklade has 80% of all the snakehead fritillaries in England.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Chasing flowers

Snakehead fritillaries are normally purple. White is not common but here in Oxford, I found some white ones. In late April they are almost spent and over and I was afraid that I came too late in the season but not until my next destination.....

Saturday, September 16, 2017

The year in review

It started at the end of April with a trip to Oxford, to see the snakehead fritillaries. A train ride out of London got me there in no time. Even as the year is ending and I feel a chill in the air, I am putting together next year's itinerary and it is going to be epic. There is really nothing in small plans that would excite anyone. It has got to be so huge that it is scary and that's the kind that would wake up even the dead. I am excited about it.

Friday, September 08, 2017

New eBook, the Hebrides

I'm in the process of writing this eBook, its half done, just got to be more motivated and avoid the many distractions in my life.

The Gatliff hostel, Howmore, Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides is a chain of hundreds of islands where only a handful are inhabited. The population if there is any is sparse and so are the visitors. The few people who has discovered these islands are a special group, they come once and return every year or whenever they get a chance. The services in these parts are very basic. It used to be difficult getting around here if you don't have a car or a bicycle. It is easier today but not by much. Some places are so small that they cannot support a tiny store or cafe. These things are miles away. I was very unprepared during my trip here in July this year. But that was the charm of the whole trip, everything was serendipitous, especially that day when I was dropped off by the bus on the main spine road, my intention was the hostel in Howmore. Coming from Los Angeles, we had everything, I expected a little store where I could at least get some food. The bus driver pointed out a new white building and told me that was where I should be walking to. My spirits were high, at least its a brand new building, I thought. After 20 minutes of hauling my luggage on the road, I came to that gleaming white building only to find out, it was a church and that the hostel was a dilapidated building in front of it. My spirits sand. Oh no, I thought, this place looks like it suck. It wasn't like I could walk out of there. I will catch the bus the same time the next day when it comes up this way again. I was alone, dumped my luggage in one of the rooms, and started to explore. There were bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen but no food and no where to buy food. I had a bar of chocolate which I could eat half for lunch and the other half for dinner. I thought to myself, I'm going to be alright for one day. I took my camera and went out to photograph the Machair, after all that was why I was there for. When I returned to the hostel, someone else had arrived. It was Steve who cycled there from Berneray, another island. We introduced ourselves and I told him I had no food. He found somme dried pasta left from another visitor. I cooked that and there was an opened can of tomatoes in the fridge, I mixed it in and that was my lunch and dinner that day. Steve had his own food. He was a funny guy and hails from the Isle of Skye and he started to tell me stories of his adventures in the Outer Hebrides to which he has been coming for years. He told me of the great group who frequents the other Gatliff hostel in Berneray, where I'll be heading in 2 days. He told me someone stole his bike on one of his visits which is almost a very rare occurrence. Then we were joined by another cyclist, Alan Jones from Coventry. The three of us spent the next few hours chatting. It was very windy that night, the winds were howling and the door to my room was rattling away. I had to put a plastic bag to tighten the seal to stop the rattling. I left the next day even as the winds continue to blow but Steve and Alan stayed because it was just too windy to cycle. The same bus that dropped me off the day before picked me up and dropped me off at my next stop, just a few miles up the road, to a B&B, a much more comfortable place where I was fed a great breakfast!

Wednesday, September 06, 2017

March 2017

The Summer is almost over but there is always next year. Next year when the hills of Southern California will be covered with wild flowers, I hope, instead of wild fires rampaging through them right now. The fires are slowly abating and hurricane 'Irma' is barreling down the coast of Florida and the Carribean. We've just had hurricane 'Harvey' paying the Gulf coast a visit. Such is life and such is living in this great place called the USA!

Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Chasing flowers

This year started with chasing flowers in my own back yard, near Disneyland in Anaheim was this beautiful patch of native California lupins. We had record breaking rains this year after 6 years of drought and the wild flowers just couldn't wait to reappear. We've never seen Southern California so lovely before. This has been a great year and even as it winds down, I'm looking forward to more and new adventures.