Not Just a Granny

a message from my Dad ….#travel

May 28, 2010 by notjustagranny

This is a message I received from my Dad via email this morning.

I would love to share it with you, coz it is inspiring to read about how people can live their dreams, even at the tender age of 80!!! Yes, that’s right, my Dad turned 80 this last April. Now nothing remarkable in that considering that we as a race are starting to live longer and longer, but what is remarkable is that my Dad had a triple by-pass operation about 17 years ago and the prognosis at the time was not good. However, his Doctor told him to start running. The idea did not appeal so he decided to cycle instead.

A long story short, he survived…. and has gone on to become a cycling nut. He has cycled in many different in the world and has cycled the world famous Argus Cycle route about 13 times already. He has followed the Tour-de-France, and cheekily in 2005 nipped in at the front on the final day and caused an uproar as people thought he was one of the competitors (he got hustled off pretty damn quick by the Gendarmes once they realised he wasn’t) 🙂 (30.05.10 and….apparently I have to make a correction here…my brother gave me the correct version…my Dad rode in BEHIND the cyclists and the Gendarmes just waved) Ah well, I though my version was much more exciting!! 🙂 Shame about that, I have dined out on that story for ages, now it will have to go!

He has cycled the Camino del Santiago through France to Spain and is now back, cycling through Europe. Here is where he is today.

“Hi ! Just a brief note to keep in touch. All well.
Cycling up river along the Danube. This from a town Grien in Lower Austria.

Grien, Austria

So far mostly cloudy and rain. Not fun in a tent with a heavy downpour in the middle of the night ! Seems to be clearing today.

Spent a couple of days with K&T camping in a small town on the Danube.
They have had to head home for ‘work’, I’m cycling up-river to Linz (if you know where that is !! ) which will be a 58 km trip today. Stay over there one or two nights and then head back down river to Budapest.

Donauradweg (cycle route along the Danube)

Beautiful countryside. ‘Donauradweg’ i.e. Danube ride path is fab for cycling. Along the river and mostly away from road traffic. Just thru some small villages that the cycle path comes to an end.”

Linz, Austria on the Danube river

My Dad (p.s. that’s not his cycling helmet), I have no idea what he is wearing on his head and take no responsibility for that! 🙂

my Dad

thanks to http://www.letstravelradio.com/thisweek/2008/12-25/ for the photo of Linz 🙂

thanks to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190426-d1604170-Reviews-Schloegener_Schlinge-Upper_Austria.html for the photo of the Donauradweg 🙂

thanks to http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grein,_austria.jpg for the photo of Griend

Posted in family and relationships, Holidays, Inspiration, news from around the world, Personal Development, Travel | Tagged cycling in europe, cycling on the Danube, cycling on the Donauradweg, Donauradweg, fathers, Grien Austria, http://www.letstravelradio.com/thisweek/2008/12-25/, Inspiration, Linz Austria, travel in europe, travel to Griend Austria, travel to Linz Austria | 6 Comments »

aka a whale! :)

May 17, 2010 by notjustagranny

I recently received this via an email from a friend; it is delightful:

Recently, in a large city in France , a poster featuring a young, thin and
tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, “This summer, do you
want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of
the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the
gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious
humans.) They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby
whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with
shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like
Patagonia , the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are
wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures
and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected
and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the
offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?

They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not
to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them … where is IT?
Therefore, they don’t have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get
close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only
skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my
kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate
with my friends. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much
information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it
distributes out to the rest of our bodies.So we aren’t heavy, we are
enormously cultured, educated and happy.
Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good
grief, look how smart I am!¨

thanks to shutterstock.com for the picture 🙂

Posted in Fun Stuff, Inspiration, It's my life | Tagged healthy body image, http://www.twitter.com/notjustagranny/, i want to be a whale, mermaids, shutterstock.com | 4 Comments »

Goodbye Mrs Brown

May 14, 2010 by notjustagranny

The last few weeks in the run up the elections and subsequent to the conclusion, has been a most interesting time, even though twitter would not allow me to say so!!

I have so enjoyed watching the political machine in operation and this time around it was quite different to the last, with much more emphasis on ‘honesty’, ‘change’ and blah blah blah…real American style political spin, and hugely entertaining.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Party Leaders’ televised debates and found the body language of the participants to be quite revealing; esp the photo on the inside page of a daily paper showing Mr Brown and Mr Clegg mirroring each others lecturn pose, whilst at the other lecturn Mr Cameron stood aloof, looking upwards and away from his opponents. I thought for sure this indicated a possible pairing if indeed we had a ‘hung’ parliament, which as it turns out we don’t, but do!

I was unable to vote this time around and fortunately too, as I would most likley have voted Liberal-Democrat since Mr Clegg came across as a safe-harbour in a storm of accusation and counter-accusation between the two major parties……as it turns out, I am glad now that I was not able to vote!

As you well know, we now have a coalition government, with the Cons and the Libs cosying up side-by-side, new bedfellows, with the Labs left out in the cold.

Mr Brown proved to be a reluctant loser, dug in his heels and tried to woo the losers into bed with himself and his party! Looking at it from the outside, I could have told him to forget it….the fresh young lads appealed far more to our ‘celebrity’ society that prefers prettiness to age. And so it was inevitable that we would say ‘Goodbye Mr Brown’.

Watching Mr Brown’s diginified, albeit by some accounts calculated resignation, I was for the first – mmm, no make that the 2^nd time quite taken with himself; having not been a fan before. The other time being the interview Jeremy Paxman just before the voting. His obvious emotion at giving up what had been the cherry on the top of a long political career after such a short time must have been a devastatingly personal blow. Much like studying for years to be a Doctor and failing your exams, or a marathon runner after years of practise and hard-effort losing the gold for bronze. Especially harsh in the knowledge too that millions of people in the country were eager to throw him out!

What particularly struck me while watching his address outside Number 10 Downing Street was the sorrow and stress evident on the face of his lovely wife; Sarah. I have long admired this particular lady, followed her on twitter and watched as she took what in my mind was centre stage, eclipsing her husband in style and grace, much as Michelle Obama did her husband.

My thoughts were…”why did we not vote for her to become Prime Minister?” Absurd perhaps, I am sure some readers would say, but how strong and fortitious must she be to have stood by her man through such an evidently difficult time and yet always managed to look graceful, charming and delightful with that wonderful smile that hides sorrowful memories and the knowledge that so many of her fellow countrymen despised her husband.

I for one am sad at the loss not of our ‘most powerful’ leader, but rather that no longer will we be charmed by the lovely Sarah on a regular basis. I do hope though that she continues to tweet, perhaps no longer as @sarahbrown10 but rather as @sarahbrown

So whilst the world looked on as Mr Brown tendered his resignation and stepped down to attend to his 1st most important job of Husband and Father, let us cheer for the lovely Mother and Wife as we say ‘Goodbye to Mrs Brown’, and let us be reminded that behind every successful man, stands an incredible woman.

I for one wish her well and hope that she stays in touch (so to speak).

photos courtesy of zimbio.com & topnews.in

p.s. I just noticed on the news section of yahoo whilst looking for photos, that Sarah will indeed continue to tweet, now as @Sarah BrownUK……..hooray! 🙂

Posted in Historical, news from around the world | Tagged American style political campaign, conservatives, Gordon Brown, Labour, Liberal-Democrtas, London, Michelle Obama, Number 10 Downing Street, political machine, politics, Sarah Brown, United Kingdom elections | 1 Comment »

something else to do on a rainy day in #london

May 2, 2010 by notjustagranny

OK, so you’ve opened the curtains and the sight does not appeal….it’s raining!!! Again? No, not really. We have actually been blessed with some of the most amazing days of late, sunny and warm and just gorgeous.

a sunny day in London

However, today it is raining and so what to do?

a rainy day in London

Besides visiting the British Museum you could jusy stay in bed!

Buy the Sunday Papers and a few croissants from the corner deli – be sure to send someone else 🙂

sunday papers - tnx to http://www.brittanymolsen.com

Then snuggle down under the duvet, with a large pot of tea,

pot of tea - tnx to http://www.realbeauty.com

the papers and hot buttered croissant with strawberry jam!

croissant - tnx to http://www.tentazioni.co.uk

Do this till you get sick of tea, read all the interesting articles and need the loo.

Then you could order in a large pizza and select your favourite movie on TV and again snuggle down for the rest of the day, or again till you need to pee 🙂

pizza - tnx to http://www.signature-austin.com

Then pour yourself a glass of sherry (make sure the arm is past the correct hour :)),

glass of sherry - tnx to http://www.johnjenkinsdirect.co.uk

grab some snacks and back to bed with a good book, do this till it’s legitimately time for bed and then you can just snuggle back down under the duvet and quite happily sleep till morning.

sleep till morning - tnx to http://www.rd.com

Posted in Fun Stuff, things to in London | Tagged croissants, pizza, sherry, sleep, what to do on a rainy day in london | 6 Comments »

What to do on a rainy day in #london

May 2, 2010 by notjustagranny

Explore the British Museum: Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG

The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all ‘studious and curious persons’. Visitor numbers have grown from around 5,000 a year in the eighteenth century to nearly 6 million today.

The Museum is free to all visitors and is open daily 10.00–17.30

the British Museum forecourt (on a sunny day) 🙂

The origins of the British Museum lie in the will of the physician, naturalist and collector, Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753).

Over his lifetime, Sloane collected more than 71,000 objects which he wanted to be preserved intact after his death. So he bequeathed the whole collection to King George II for the nation in return for a payment of £20,000 to his heirs.

What’s on:

Kingdom if Ife – Sculptures from West Africa – till 6th June 2010

Fra Angelico to Leonarda – Italian Renaissance drawings – till July 25th 2010

Impressions of Africa – money, medals and stamps – till 6th February 2011 – free

Treasures from Medieval York – England’s other capital – till 27 June 2010 – free

The British Museum’s collection of seven million objects representing the rich history of human cultures mirrors the city of London’s global variety. In no other museum can the visitor see so clearly the history of what it is to be human.

Amongst the exhibitions you can see:

The Rosetta Stone – A valuable key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs, the inscription on the Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by a council of priests. It is one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the 13-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. Soldiers in Napoleon’s army discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta). On Napoleon’s defeat, the stone became the property of the British under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria (1801) along with other antiquities that the French had found. The Rosetta Stone has been exhibited in the British Museum since 1802.

as well as cultural displays of:

The Akkadian Dynasty; Assyrians & Aztecs; Babylonian & Bronze Age; Celts, Vikings & Tudor England; Edo period Japan, Meiji era Japan; old and new Kingdoms of Egypt; Zhou Dynasty China; Medieval Europe, Victorian Britain and Greek, Roma and Nasca cultures, amongst dozens more.

Explore world cultures: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Oceana, The Americas.

Be sure to visit the History of the World in 100 objects exhibition

You could quite literally spend the whole day there and not be bored. It is just fabulous and a must see for very visitor to London!

Getting there: nearest tubes stations with a short walk: Tottenham Court Road (Central & Northern Lines), Holborn (Piccadilly & Central Line) & Russell Square (Piccadilly Line) is the closest and takes you through a lovely garden square.

If you fancy a bite to eat after enjoying the displays, there is an onsite restaurant and on the way to Russell Square station is Hotel Russell where you can enjoy an traditional English Tea in very spendid and posh surroundings, reminiscent of old Colonial England.

Hotel Russell - London near Russel Square

Thanks to The British Museum for links, info and photos and Hotel Russel Square for photo.

Posted in Historical, things to in London, Travel | Tagged British Museum, history of the world in 100 objects, http://www.britishmuseum.org, http://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting.aspx, London, rainy day, rosetta stone, things to do in london, time out in london, UK | Leave a Comment »

clever Mr Magpie

April 30, 2010 by notjustagranny

I just had to share this with you! I put some dog biscuits out for the fox this morning, as she sometimes wanders through the garden about midday, and usually has a squizz to see if there is any food on the verandah.

Anyhow, I noticed the biscuits had been disappearing, but I hadn’t seen the fox at all and wondered where they were going.

So I am sitting here writing and something caught my eye. I looked up and there was the Magpie….picked up a biscuit, flew over to the birdbath and dropped it into the water!!!! Then he flew back a few seconds later and picked the biscuit up out the water! 🙂

How clever is that! I wasn’t quick enough with the camera to catch him at the waterbowl but nevertheless I got him on the verandah near the foxes plate. Clever chappie.

it was the magpie, nicked the biscuits!

ooo and there goes the fox, through the garden right on time and the biscuits have gone! 😦

Posted in Fun Stuff, It's my life | Tagged fox, London, magpie | 2 Comments »

how wide should I open my mouth to change feet?

April 29, 2010 by notjustagranny

Goodness me! Poor Gordon Brown! What a faux-pax!!! Not that he is alone by any means, but the timing could not have been worse.

Now me personally I don’t like him at all, not sure why but he makes me nervous when he smiles. I love his wife and think she is just brilliant but the man himself….uh uh. Although I am sure he is a perfectly nice guy. Anyways, I read this morning’s article with great amusement and some sympathy. You have to feel sorry for him. He has kinda messed up…..as have many before him. And if we wanted a good rant we could of course blame the whole mess of the economy etc on him.

Frankly I think all politicians should be brought down to earth now and then. They get all airified (not sure if I spelt that right, or if it is even a word) and it’s good for them to get real now and then, and Gordon Brown to his obvious dismay was real. It is a shame that politicians are unable to be honest. He should have been able to speak his mind, after all his constituentee (?) did. Perhaps she was being bigoted! After all it would bear the British population well to keep in mind that Britian is made up of immigrants and as one comedian a few years back rightly pointed out, we are a mixed nation, created by the invaders of other European countries. (check your history folks).

What they should also keep in mind is that Britian became a great empire on the backs of immigrants and through conquering other perfectly happy nations, who were minding their own business till the conquering invaders came along and acquired their countries for the empire. No that they were alone in that of course, they just did it better than anyone else.

Immigrants, like them or not (and I am one, of British decent mind you – a real mixed race person if ever there was one), are what help to shape and build an economy. Many of whom are the people doing the manual labour and other such lowly jobs for minimum wage or less!

During a political discussion this afternoon with some visitors, they pointed out (and they are British) that Britian has become a welfare nation. People are so used to expecting handouts and benefits that they have reared their children on this system, and those kids now expect it as their right to get the benefits. What a load of bollocks! I agree from the reports I have read that the system is a mess, but then again what isn’t in this wonderful world of ours right now. It’s not all his fault and I am sure the other parties would probably have just as much of a struggle on their hands if they were managing it all.

Here in Britain, we are in fact a very priviledged bunch, with the most amazing amount of freedom of speech blah blah blah! Try giving the leader of an Asian country a bollocking and see where that gets you!!

Back in South African (yeah, I’m one of those), we have 6 months of benefits. You only get benefits for pregnancy, redundancy or illness. After the 6 months, the monetary value of the payout reduces (not increases) on a sliding scale, and then it’s back to work or onto the streets. Now I’m not saying that is the ideal system, but it sure is an incentive to get a job.

So back to GB and his comments on air….bully for him, just a shame he did not tell her to her face and be real. As for the apologising stuff….what on earth! People, seriously!!! This apologising stuff has been going on too long. So what if she wants to shift parties or not vote…who cares. None of the other parties are any better, they are perhaps just a bit more slick.

So GB, sorry I can’t be a fan, but hey…..you are human. Good for you.

And his people should get a kick in the pants for not being on the ball and removing the microphone before he moved off.

Posted in idiot category | Tagged benefits system, faux-pax, Gordon Brown, immigrants, politics | 5 Comments »

How to NOT go sledding :)

April 27, 2010 by notjustagranny

Ok, so I know the snow was a pain for a lot of people….but boy oh boy did we (my daughter and I) have fun. Here is an example of how to NOT go sledding!!!

In case you are wondering….that is my ‘delightful’ daughter laughing in the background!!

Posted in Fun Stuff, Holidays, idiot category, It's my life, Travel | Tagged having fun in the snow, news of the snow in london, sledding in london, snow in the uk | 3 Comments »

…..twetiquette

April 26, 2010 by notjustagranny

You may or may not know it yet, but I love twitter. To me it is one of the best internet inventions ever….well besides the internet of course 🙂

I’ve said before that I could quite happily spend the whole day on twitter; following links, retweeting quotes, chatting to friends around the world, connecting with new friends I noticed mentioned by current friends, having a laugh at the jokes, responding to mentions, having a peek into someone else’s life: finding out what they like, who they don’t like, what they think of Tiger Woods, who is visiting starbucks, who loves tea, who has been where, whose kids are on spring break, photo’s of gorgeous places, who is sitting on a carribean beach, what is happening 6,000 miles away, who is passionate about which cause, who supports those causes, who is selling what, and why, who writes poetry, whose baby has just been born, whose birthday it is, celebrating their achievements, who is passionate about their garden, who shares my interest in travel, which people lean towards religion and who doesn’t and much much more…….you know what I mean.

And this got me to thinking about the etiquette of twitter, about how it is we get to connect with the people behind the profiles and I wondered if twetiquette is the same as etiquette and do the same rules apply when we are relatively anonymous behind a computer screen as opposed to being face to face.

Etiquette (pronounced [,eti’ket]) is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group. The French word étiquette, signifying ticket (of admission, etc.) first appeared in English in 1750.

So if I understand that correctly; etiquette in simple terms is a code of behaviour within a social class or group. How then is etiquette practised in the world of twitter.

In a normal social setting it is good etiquette to introduce yourself, to shake hands in greeting (or whatever the correct social norm would be in your any particular country), to engage in polite conversation, to enquire after someones health and if you feel comfortable in the environment you then engage further and enquire as to career or family ties, do they participate in a sport, what sort of music they enjoy and so through a repartee of conversation within the norm of a social setting you get to find out more about the person you are communicating with.

On twitter your introduction is your profile: you have an opportunity to introduce yourself. I come along, I have a look and if we speak the same language or like similar things we then ‘follow’ : we shake hands.

Next I post a tweet that I am about to go on holiday or I re-tweet an interesting link you have posted about travel tips or an exciting destination – you respond and as we engage so we get to learn more about one another: conversation.

Then perhaps a friend comes along and we think the person we are with might like to meet them, so we introduce them: @mention the person and if possible we say why aka #ff or #followfriday

Sometimes over the course of time we find that the things they say aka ‘tweet’ are of no real interest, so we move on : unfollow

When we first meet a new person in a normal social settings we dont just jump in with the company’s latest advert : marketing links

And I dislike the idea of ‘automated’ following programmes to build numbers : running down the street ‘shouting..be my friend’?!

So here is my idea of twetiquette:

Follow = I like you and think we may have things in common

Retweet your post = I find your post interesting and would like to share it with others

@mention you and comment on something you said previously = conversation

Click on a link you posted = taking an interest in what you have to say

Retweet the link = I think other people might also be interested

Retweet a comment you made eg a quote = repartee

#followfriday = I think youre a great person and would like to introduce you to my other friends

So, those are just some of my ideas! What are your thoughts on the matter?

Posted in career, Fun Stuff, It's my life | Tagged @mention, how to have a conversation on twitter, http://www.twitter.com/notjustagranny/, put the social back into media, quotes, relationships, retweet a quote, retweets, social media and what it means, Twitter | Leave a Comment »

another rainy day in paradise

April 25, 2010 by notjustagranny

Spring forward; Autumn back! Finally after 9 ‘springs’, I have got it. The clocks went forward on 28th March BST (British Standard Time). What this really means is that urgh! we have to get up an hour earlier than the day before. Now this is not much of a surprise since it happens every year, as the days get light earlier and yay it means summer is on the way! We hope 🙂

Sunday 28th March was meant to herald the advent of Spring! Or so one would think. We had a burst of sun for an hour or so and then the rain fell; no surprise there! After living in the UK for the last 9 years plus, I finally get why the Brits are so fixated on the weather. It’s the promise of sunshine that keeps the eye on the heavens and gives the weatherman such a bad rep when we are faced with another rainy day. I actually started writing this blog on the 7th April. I did not get to finish it that day and saved it to draft with the intention of posting it the next day…..however, our ever fickle Mother Nature decided differently and the very next day was sunny and bright and so it has stayed ever since…..till today!!! So finally I can get to post this blog….it is raining!

One of the things that I love about the UK (and there are many) is that the seasons are so distinctive. Unlike in South Africa where the days tends to blend and autumn is noted by cooler days and spring goes unnoticed except for the blossoms; here in the UK and I am sure in many other parts of the northern hemisphere, the seasons are quite distinctive.

Autumn is a glorious display of vibrant glowing colours; reds, yellows, gold and orange. The days are brisk and windy, sending dried leaves scurrying about in whirls of colour. The days shorten imperceptibly till suddenly you notice it’s dark by 5pm! Misty days wrap skeletal trees in cloaks of mystery, the very sensible birdlife leave for sunnier climes and furry creatues both large and small burrow into cozy nests and snooze the colder days away.

Winter arrives with a flourish! No politeness there…it just arrives – bang, one day you wake up and it’s bloody cold. The temperatures drop and the folk in more northern countries send their icy winds our way. The weatherman gets it in the ear and nothing he has to say is of any good cheer. Like a baby’s bum, it’s wet and windy; and cold. Urgh. The days deepen, the nights linger and getting up out of a cozy bed in the morning’s is hell….especially if you don’t have central heating. Now clever me, my job entails living in old people’s homes and since they always feel the cold, the heating is usually (with one or two exceptions) way up high. In an attempt to consider the planet and the ecology I spend a fair amount of time turning thermometers down 🙂

Then the snow arrives! Chaos decends and the kids go wild!!! No school; hooray! After centuries of snow in winter, you would think that the government has figured out it needs to put plans in place to deal with this. But no, it always comes as a big surprise “Oh my gosh! Look at that it snowed!” The country is torn between joy & annoyance. Businesses lose money and people go out to play.

Winter seems to last forever, long dark nights, short days and cold that seeps into the bones sending shivers along the spine. Scarves and gloves, boots and jackets, thermals and caps. No romantic liasons then! Coughs, colds and sneezes abound, kleenex makes a killing for sure.

Then suddenly, the days start to lengthen and Spring arrives with an array of colours, buds unfurl and the days are brightened by splashes of colour, snowdrops carpet the ground

snowdrops herald the approach of spring

and daffodils brighten even the dullest of days with their sunny dispositions.

daffodils with their sunny faces

The world seems to stretch her arms in response to the warm stirring of the suns rays. Spring heralds ancient pagan festivals and rituals, to welcome the promise of summer.

And then we have summer! Or do we. Occassionally we have a rush of hot sunny days, when the parks are filled with lazy picnics, the beaches crowded with folk, eager to catch the sun’s rays before it dissappears behind the clouds. So here’s hoping for a nice hot sunny summer. The last 2 weeks have, except for the advent of the volcanic eruption and resulting ashy air been fabulous! Blue skies, nary a cloud in sight and everyone went out to picnic.

And now we have returned pretty much to normal….overcast and rain. It’s great to have such dependable weather 🙂

Posted in It's my life, Travel | Tagged another rainy day in paradise, autumn, british standard time, daffodils, http://calane55.worldventuresdreamtrips.com/, mother nature, northern hemisphere, pagan rituals, snowdrops, spring, spring forward autumn back, summer, volcanoes, weather in the uk, winter | 2 Comments »