Happy New Year!

The Scottish Granny

If you find yourself on a dark wintery day in need of a good laugh, these videos are for you. This Scottish granny (but possibly in Australia) reads regularly to her little grandson Archer.

Not recommended for anyone who has had recent abdominal surgery ;)

I'll bet she's looking forward to the day Archer will giggle along with her.

More information about the books she's reading can be found on the YouTube channel. 

Merry Christmas!

@Mows510

Icelandic Adventure

Iceland's National Park, Thingvellir, is a popular tourist stop on the Golden Circle Tour. It is a place of significant history, where Iceland's Parliament began and where for centuries Icelanders met annually to resolve differences and achieve unity.

The reason for using this location is understood when realizing that the geography of the place is of such great significance: the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia meet here. Between them is a rift, Silfra, which is filled with 1 - 2 degrees Celsius water, spring water as well as run-off from a nearby glacier. The rift, more than 60 metres deep, first showed up during an earthquake in 1789 and has been widening ever since every time there is another earthquake. 

Now it has become the site for a popular tourist adventure in a land of many adventures: it is possible to take a guided snorkel tour of the rift, with equipment, including warm clothing, dry suits and snorkel gear provided. 

The icy cold water is fabulously clear, a rich blue colour with yellow glowing alga. Since I'm not keen on being cold and am also claustrophobic from the moment I put on a mask, I'll watch a video, thank-you to those who make them!

Here's a similar video from a female perspective. In case you can't be bothered to watch the videos, I'll let you know that the current in the fissure just carries you along - not much effort needed by a snorkeller - and the dry suits are very buoyant so if you drop something in the water, you will likely not be able to recover it. 

More info here. 

Patterns in Nature

James Brunt is a British artist, based in Yorkshire, who creates wonderful patterns in nature using natural materials. Visit his website or follow him on Twitter or Instagram.

Often the designs are quite large and Mr. Brunt has volunteers assist him in their structure.

@RFJamesUK

James Brunt sells prints of his works in his Etsy Shop which you can visit here.

I noticed he also has ink drawings for sale. This 12x12 mounted print sells for CA$69.66 which seems very reasonable. Shipping might double that amount.

Smart Home

Does your family have one of these modern conveniences yet? Or is it going to be under your Christmas tree, maybe? Heh heh!

Colette Maze

This wonderful feisty French woman: you will love her too.

A Walk in the Yorkshire Dales

Here's another fabulous walk, this time in North Yorkshire. Solitary Rambler again. 20 minutes long

A Bit More Remembering Part 2

I can't help myself! Have to share this photo too. American soldiers paying tribute to the 8 million (!!) horses and donkeys dead during the WWI. If you haven't read (or seen the stage play or movie) Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, you should.

A Bit More Remembering

Remembrance Day 2018 is over and what a special celebration it was!

• Church Bells ringing 100 times at 11 am or sunset on the 11th of November across Canada. 
• Student-made videos: I saw one of these as part of my women's group meeting last night. One of my fellow members who is a Grade 8 French Immersion teacher shared the work of her students with us. They did the artwork, the animation, the voiceovers, the filming etc. and all this after they researched and read letters home written by Canadian soldiers in Europe during WWI. It was impressively well-done and moving. 
• As in previous years, a virtual poppy drop on the walls of Parliament Hill 
• Parades, services, tributes large and small in churches, towns and cities across Canada

A project that I thought deserved special mention was a UK initiative. Pages of the Sea was a public art project curated by Danny Boyle, an award-winning film-maker. Volunteers took to 32 beaches across Britain to create faces in the sand to commemorate British soldiers who died in WWI. It was a project of only a few hours. As the tide came in the portraits and names washed away.

The following video is wonderful but beware if you're subject to migraines because at times the frames move very quickly. One commenter mentioned that frequency as a potential trigger.

More information, videos and photos at Pages of the Sea.

A Noise Downstairs and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

A Noise Downstairs

Linwood Barclay

If you want a light read but a riveting story you can't go wrong with Canadian writer, Linwood Barclay. Barclay has a long list of novels to his credit. A Noise Downstairs is his latest.

A Noise Downstairs was a quick read. While it was difficult to put down - "must find out what's going to happen"- I often had to close it and go for a walk or prep vegetables for dinner just to lessen the intensity. Surprisingly I also found that the story was agonizing to read because the details were revealed in such a painfully slow way. Still good!!

Like all good suspenseful novels, there are twists in the tale. The ending was compelling. 

In case you want to know a bit more about the actual story, here's the publisher's blurb:

The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.

Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. 

I usually have 2 or even 3 books on the go at one time. In one of those wonderful instances of serendipity, I am reading Stuart Turton's The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle at the same time as A Noise Downstairs.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 

Stuart Turton

What, you wonder, is the connection?

It turns out that Paul Davis, the protagonist in A Noise Downstairs has reason to think that he has some sort of amnesia - he simply can't remember details from the past - conversations or promises he made or even possibly using a typewriter in his sleep. Meanwhile, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle opens with a character that can't remember who he is, doesn't know anything about where he is, or what he's doing there. Hmmm...

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which I'm still reading, is a murder mystery by newly-published British author, Stuart Turton. The plot is complicated, dark and quirky. Time travel might be involved. Updates on this novel still to come.

Another connection: both Linwood Barclay and Stuart Turton come from a background of journalism. 

First Update:

• It would probably be best not to try reading The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle on an e-reader because, fair warning, you will want to page back and forth and also consult a map and a list of characters throughout your time with this book. In fact, even reading a hard copy, a paperback, I found it easier to refer to the map/list of characters after I had printed it out. It's turning out that this novel is a page-turning, rounding-back-on-itself puzzle. Our main protagonist jumps from body to body and from time to time.

Second Update:

• I just found out that the alternate title for The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the USA because of some issue around a book of similar title, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, also a terrific read, though in no way similar to Deaths. Author Stuart Turton insists that the (curious) symmetry between the two titles is just a coincidence.

(By the way, my review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is here)

Third Update:

• Ok. Well, it's 3 days later and I've finished reading The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I loved it, even though at times I was impossibly lost. Once I decided to just trust the author and keep going I could hardly put it down. In fact, I feel I would really enjoy a second unravelling read of this book, now that I'm clued in on the timeframe and understand the characters and their motivation better. The mystery of the novel is complex, yet expertly revealed with writing that sets a dark mood, dialogue that flows and characters that feel real. It was a pleasure to read. 

This is one of those time I wish I'd bought the book instead of borrowing it from the library, where there are multitudinous holds on it. I just might have to go out and buy my own copy!

Here's author Stuart Turton talking about his book. By the way, I mentioned on Twitter how much I enjoyed reading Seven Deaths and Turton was kind enough to notice and tweet a reply. Sometimes social media really brings us together!

In case you're still interested, here's another short video that may entice you into borrowing/buying this book, maybe for yourself, or if you're brave enough to give books to people, as a Christmas gift.

Remembering

Last May, the day I left Llangollen during my walk along Offa's Dyke Path, I stopped in the tiny village of Llandegla to eat my packed lunch. I noticed as I passed the Memorial Hall that there was a work party going on inside, with an invitation outside the open door for anyone to join in. They were making poppies to decorate the town in November, a special way to honour lives lost 100 years after the end of WWI.

Llandegla, like many small British villages, has a wonderful community spirit. Volunteers run the small cafe/store, the church is central in the town and there is a common land on the edge of town that is used for community gardening. 

As Remembrance Day in Canada approaches, I thought it would be interesting to feature Llandegla's poppy effort on the blog, so sought out some photos, none of them mine, sadly.

Here's a work party

I've featured these poppy "falls" previously on the blog. They are very popular across the UK and I'm a bit surprised I haven't noticed anything like it in Canada. Below is the poppy array in Keswick, in the Lake District of England.

Last May I also walked through the charming town of Monmouth. Below is a photo of their Shire Hall, built in 1724. It has, of course, a long history which I won't go into but is presently partly used for a Tourist Information Office and a Farmers' Market in the outside but under-cover area. The statue in front is Charles Rolls, of automotive fame. 

To commemorate 2018 as the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI, the townspeople determined to create a poppy display. People knitted, crocheted and felted bright red poppies to create panels. Local craft groups and even some Girl Guides were inspired to help out.

 

Here's the stunning result:

A labour of love!

In Toronto, for a few years now there has been this display on the lawn of the Manulife Building on Bloor St. E.

Why flags and not poppies? I have a theory, not necessarily correct. In Canada, the sale of poppies at Remembrance Day is under the exclusive purview of the Royal Canadian Legion, raising thousands of $$ for them each year. So the making of other poppies elsewhere frowned upon. Perhaps this is why, for a display such as this one, Canadian flags have been used. Still, it makes a great statement: each flag represents a life lost and we remember.

By the way, up until 1996 Canadian poppies were made by disabled veterans but since then have been manufactured by a Canadian company. 

And finally......

......following is a short video, recorded 4 1/2 years ago, but still relevant.

A Walk in the Lake District

I seem to be in a bit of a rut watching YouTube videos of people walking in the UK. (seriously I'm in withdrawal!) I particularly enjoy The Solitary Rambler, Patrick Leach's videos - he has a lovely way about him and an awesome smile at the end of each of his blurbs.

After watching this 20-minute video you will understand the attraction of the Lake District in the northwest of England.

Hmmm.....

This comes from Don...

Somehow it reminds me of the beer can in the tree. How on earth.....?!

Happy Halloween!

Remembering a Great Walk

These videos bring back so many warm memories of walking in Wales. They're both so much better quality videos than any I attempted. 

Both videos shine a light on areas I passed through on Offa's Dyke Path in May. I'm including them on my blog mainly so I can refer back to them easily but any visitors to this page may well enjoy them and even perhaps determine that a visit to this beautiful corner of the British countryside should go on a personal list of "not-to-be-missed".

The first video is one of many by British amateur videographer Patrick Leach who posts what I believe are excellent and informative videos of his various UK walks on his YouTube Channel. Patrick edits his own videos and composes/records his own music for them. 

Patrick grew up in Chepstow in the Wye Valley where the southern end of Offa's Dyke Path is. The steep path between Tintern Abbey and Devil's Pulpit was one of the big challenges for me on the first full day of my walk last May. Whew! A real challenge!

The next video by Wye Explorer is of a walk in the area of Offa's Dyke Path a little further north, where I was on Days 3 - 5 of my walk. Words are inadequate to describe the beauty of this place.

Here's a good reminder for wherever you are in the UK countryside.

Quotes

This grammatical information is interesting but I'm glad I don't have to remember what quotation marks to use where!

Beer Can Oddity

On my walk yesterday I was looking up, admiring the fall colours and especially noting how the brilliant yellows and oranges contrasted with the bright blue of the sky when what to my wandering/wondering eye did appear.....a beer can?

A long way up.

Hooked somehow (????) onto a twig.

Talons and Claws

This chart that cropped up in my Twitter feed was interesting. It's sad to think of the animals the talons and claws came from, but it serves as a reminder that a new eagle webcam viewing season is starting.

Decorah Eagles

Southwest Florida Eagles

Beware!

A Sign in Finland

#BookLovers  

📚‏ @BookChat

Alice in Wonderland, Decoded

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Decoded

         The full text of Lewis Carroll’s Novel with its many hidden meanings                   revealed by David Day

From Goodreads:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--published 150 years ago in 1865--is a book many of us love and feel we know well. But it turns out we have only scratched the surface. Scholar David Day has spent many years down the rabbit hole of this children's classic and has emerged with a revelatory new view of its contents. What we have here, he brilliantly and persuasively argues, is a complete classical education in coded education in coded form--Carroll's gift to his "wonder child" Alice Liddell.

David Day has provided us with a key to the familiar children’s fantastical tale, Alice in Wonderland. He provides not only the original story, but also the results of his painstaking research into the details that make up the story. Day’s commentary is woven around the text of the original story to make our reading easier.

Lewis Carroll, Wonderland’s creator, was the pseudonym of Oxford mathematics lecturer, Charles Dodgson (1832 – 1898), a man of Victorian classical education and diverse interests – in addition to mathematics, he was at ease in Latin (all lectures at Christ Church College, Oxford, were at the time delivered only in Latin) and Greek and in the underpinnings of those societies, their histories, mythologies, philosophies, and religious and political thought.

Dodgson was a firm believer that a classical education such as his should be only for the privileged upper classes, although it must be said that he was in the lower ranks of privilege at Oxford, notwithstanding his constant attempts to rise above his station. He was a member of the “old guard” that was resisting the change imminent in British society at a time just after the Industrial Revolution when it was rapidly becoming apparent that scientists and engineers were going to be needed to move the country and its economy forward. More and more, it seemed necessary to dispense with the idea that only the upper classes could access higher education. The middle classes were knocking at the door and the continued use of Latin as a means of acquiring knowledge was doomed.

Another interest of Charles Dodgson was children, specifically, little girls. Such an interest in today’s society would be highly suspect, but it was tolerated in Victorian Britain up to a point – that point being the age of 12 to 14 years at which age a chaperone would be deemed requisite. Alice Liddell, daughter of the dean of Christ Church, was 7 years old when Dodgson started to take an interest in her. Dodgson loved to take Alice and her siblings, both younger and older for boat rides and picnics on the Thames and adored telling them stories and challenging them with puns and puzzles.

The children were enchanted by Alice in Wonderland, one of the stories he told them on a lazy summer afternoon. Eventually, over the next couple of years, he refined and elaborated the tale, had it illustrated by John Tenniel and published it in 1865. Mostly nonsensical, Wonderland has always been seen as a fanciful children’s story, but scholars have probed it carefully and found it also to be full of references to people of the day and abounding in clues and imagery. Author David Day brings the tale alive for us, explaining in detail what the various elements of the story refer to on multiple levels – the Oxford-of-the-day level, the mythological level and the theosophical level to name three. He reveals that this simple story for children is full of hidden meanings and esoteric references in which each character is a caricature of one of the various people known to the Dodgson.

Reading Day’s book is like having complicated puzzle revealed. A classical education would be a definite asset in understanding a lot of the references, but sadly, for most of us, Latin and Greek are no longer widely taught. No matter, the clues and explanations are still fascinating.

Some of the elements of Alice:

·       Greek, Roman and Celtic mythology and other classical references

·       Rosicrucian and Freemasonry symbology

·       Alchemy

·       Occultism and Spiritualism

·       Philosophy and Logics

·       Evolution

·       Mathematics, including geometry (a geometric poem!), Boolean logic, puzzles, Fibonacci series (Dodgson was, after all, a mathematician)

·       Numerology

·       Kabbala

·       Metaphors, puns, anagrams and word games

·       Satire, political, religious and scientific

·       Fables, including talking animals

·       Private jokes meant for Alice and her sisters

A few of the people caricatured in Alice:

·       Oxford leaders of the time, including Alice’s father, the Dean

·       Disraeli

·       Gladstone

·       Darwin

·       Huxley

Reading Day’s Alice, decoded was great fun. I was astonished at the level of detail that Dodgson reached in his so-called children’s story. Dodgson may have been a lowly mathematics lecturer, but he must also have been a man of nimble intellect and I now have a fresh appreciation of the benefits of a classical education.

Recommended!

How Do You Say It?

Monday Morning

Another September Morning

Every fall I get this uncontrollable urge to take photos on morning walks.

In this case, a turkey - possibly lost? There was only the one and she crossed the road twice right in front of me.