Nicolette's Notebook: Summer

Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

Sleeping at the Zoo...

Posted by Nicolette at 00:10 comments (0)

8th September 2011

My nieces and I spent a eventful day at the zoo before we travelled over to England.

As we arrived Maya said that her tooth was bleeding. It was a baby tooth. So I gave her a tissue and said she should wiggle it gently. By the time we reached the elephant enclosure the tooth was out. So I carefully wrapped it in tissue so that the tooth would not be lost. She was a little worried that the tooth fairy would not be able to find her on the ferry. I said that the tooth fairy was magical and would find her. When she expressed concern that the tooth fairy would be too tired to fly home, I said that she would be able to rest on the ferry and travel back with it to Belfast on the return trip.

There was general consternation that we could not locate the ring tailed lemurs. These sleeping black and white lemurs had to suffice.

I thought it was really cute...

When we reached the monkey house... we peered at the mass of monkeys all snuggled up together. My niece wondered how many legs and arms each monkey had.

I said two legs and two arms.

That they were just enjoying a group cuddle and a snooze in the warm sunshine.

St Annes Square...

Posted by Nicolette at 19:10 comments (6)

Sunday 3 July 2011

Straight out of the Camera Sunday

When we woke up, it was a beautiful sunny morning, so we decided to take the camera and go for a walk in Belfast City centre. I love walking around early in the morning on a Sunday when everywhere is so quiet and still. As this is for SOOC I have straightened any of the photos...

Our aim was to wander around the old cobbled streets near Hill Street... We turned a corner walked past the back of St Anne's Cathedral and there was a route into the new Saint Annes Square. The strange metal needle (very tall and shiny) is the replacement spire on St Annes Cathedral. They have matched the new buildings in the Square very nicely to St Annes Cathedral (a part of which can be seen behind the trees).

As we walked around this square it reminded Neil of the plazas in Barcelona but I found it more reminiscent of walks around Bath or Tunbridge Wells in England.

Part of it is not yet completed. The Mac will be a new arts centre/threatre.

It was a very peaceful place and many of the new very modern apartments were already lived in. A nice addition to Belfast in the Cathedral Quarter which really needed some much needed improvement.

Red Poppy...

Posted by Nicolette at 09:24 comments (1)

Tuesday 28th June 2011

I had intended to have this as my Macro Monday post for yesterday. But I was late and didn't get it posted in time. So I thought I would put it on today. I love these gorgeous poppies.

To be honest, I don't know the variety.

They have grown in Steffi's garden in Kent since she and Paul bought the house about 16 years ago.

I loved the richness of the plum and aubergine colours in the centre with the little bit of sage green...

Such a striking plant and every bit as beautiful when the petals fall and the poppy seed heads mature.

Foxgloves...

Posted by Nicolette at 10:19 comments (2)

Friday 17th June 2011

The beautiful stately foxglove is one of my favourite wild plants...

Foxgloves are a native biennial common in woods, hedgerows and open places throughout Britain... Foxgloves are very pretty allowed to grow wild in our gardens...

A well loved plant but extremely poisonous...

The long tubular flowers are popular for bees who crawl inside to extract the nectar...

In folklore foxglove was credited with the ability to break fairy power over children and adults.

In Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the foxglove is surrounded by myth and magic, and country people refer to it as the king of herbs... the flower has often been celebrated in poetry...

The foxglove leaves are used as the source of the drug digitoxin, used in the treatment of heart disease, to slow the pace of the heart-beat... the plant was also used in ancient (if dangerous) herbal remedies...

The foxglove should not be picked and brought inside for flower arranging as it is said to cause people in the surrounding vicinity who breathe in the scent to become sleepy...