London Calling

With many domestic items to sort, mini me made a trip back to the UK just in time for a heat wave (temperature in the 80s that is), dramatic Texas-like lightening and thunder, and a met office warning about heat health hazards.  Not too hot & dangerous for one living in Florida! And a breeze to walk 10,000 steps a day without an auto.

It is wonderful to be back in London with all the familiar sights and seeing so many friends and family. 

We even snuck (American English) in a short trip to the Hampton Court Flower show where a number of gardens certainly had a sense of humour!  Giant jelly beans!

4:45 am sunrise

Mini me then moved on to the Kent coast where facing eastwards, she could watch sunrises instead of sunsets.  There were fireworks there too (perhaps the British reaction to US 4th of July?). 

Having had a few days at the seaside it was time to visit the Quirkies ... a great day, plenty of food as always including quiche for a deprived life sized me, and a bit of crochet and quilting.   Mini me has a new whistling admirer and life-sized me had a bit of dark chocolate in the Smarties. We finished with a celebration of a Quirky work retirement.

Then off to Hamerton hamlet (ie smaller than a village, population >80) to visit sister-in-law;
she lives in the perfect picture-perfect chocolate box house - and it is amazing inside. We visited the local night-time braying donkey ... and celebrated yet another retirement!

All too soon time to return to Florida and the condo renovations - still underway.  London we WILL BE BACK!!


Look close for turtle nest with pink tape in foreground

PS.  Arrived back, after very delayed flights, to the hottest day of the year - a bit like swimming through a sauna outside -- but found another turtle nest at our door, gorgeous dragonflies and brightly coloured moths (my point and shoot camera just cannot capture them) along with repairs being made to the sea groins which slow beach erosion.  Off to the Snack Shack for breakfast - it was wonderful to arrive to a warm greeting from new friends who had popped in after their morning constitutional walk on the beach.

360⁰ 4th of July Fireworks + Lightening by Mother Nature

Guy Fawkes, New Year's Eve and more all rolled into one and logarithmically expanded!!!  My first 4th of July celebration for about 20 years.

We had fireworks going off in all directions around us (360 degrees) for the best part of two hours complete with Mother Nature's lightening giving an extra edge to all the sights and sounds.

So many fireworks it was hard to know where to look. The sound was deafening (and reverberated off the buildings) and the air filled with the smell of cordite. Rough seas moved the fireworks from a barge in the Gulf of Mexico to dry land, but didn't dampen the festivities.   Beaches full of folks over from the City of Tampa for the day who then stay to party (ie drink) into the night.  Hence hubby was drafted in for parking duty to ensure our car park wasn't overrun with uninvited visitors.

Hubby says he is happy to watch other people's money 'go up in bangs and smoke' as there were lots of private firework displays on the beach.  He also proclaims the Brits are celebrating ridding themselves of the Colonies!  History always depends on where you sit.

Sadly my point and shoot camera didn't do it all justice ... Off to beach clean-up duty in the morning whilst mini me stays in bed to recuperate from the celebrations.