It's just a little warm outside! Summer has without question arrived down here in the south west, and for once we find ourselves actively trying to get out of the sun rather than into it.
In fact for the last week Vicky and I have been in holiday mode having taken a bit of time off work. We started the week by dusting off the tent and heading to a campsite just a few miles up the road from where Vicky works at Chesil beach.
Typically when you have had hardly any rain for weeks on end, it decided to pick that one night to absolutely throw it down. Despite the weather's best efforts our tent was still standing in the morning, and we set off to seek refuge in Dorchester for the morning until the weather gave itself a good talking to.
Our campsite for the next couple of nights was just down the road from Corfe Castle, and was situated right next to the Swanage steam railway line.
Using the campsite as a base we were able to visit some lovely parts of the south coast like Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and Studland Bay. The weather was already back on song on the day we hiked from Lulworth to Durdle Door, and the bright sunny day was bringing out a tremendous number of moths and butterflies for us to enjoy. Considering it was midweek and not during the holidays the route was incredibly busy, and it left us wondering what it must be like in the middle of peak season.
Studland Bay was our final port of call before we headed back to Kent for a few days. Again it was a baking hot day with little to no wind, and so we decided there would be few better ways to explore the bay than by hiring a kayak for a few hours. The water was incredibly clear and surprisingly shallow in places, and it made for a very enjoyable early afternoon.
The late afternoon was less enjoyable however as the strike in the port of Calais meant that getting back down to Dover took a lot longer than expected. We spent most of the next 4 days trying to see as many friends and family as physically possible, and all things considered we did pretty well. The Thursday was my Birthday and so a BBQ very kindly organised by my parents was just the ticket to enjoy both the weather and some excellent company.
As with most holidays the time flew past, and before we knew it the time to head back down to Somerset was already upon us. One of the most exciting pieces of news recently is that my job at Magdalen has been made permanent (up until now I have been working my way through a 6 month contract), and I am really over the moon to be able to stay at the farm for the longer term. It's great to have a job that you genuinely enjoy, and when you combine that with how brilliant all the other staff are the decision was a "no brainer" really.
As a result Vicky and I have started to renovate our little caravan to make it a little easier to live in for the future. More info on what we have done will be posted in further bulletins.
Have you ever thought you have seen a picture staring back up at you from the froth on your coffee, in a similar way that you can make pictures out of the clouds...? Well this week's amusing news story shows that from now on you will be able to have any picture you like "printed" on top of your coffee!
http://news.sky.com/story/1507752/looking-hot-gadget-puts-your-face-on-a-coffee
See you all next time!
In fact for the last week Vicky and I have been in holiday mode having taken a bit of time off work. We started the week by dusting off the tent and heading to a campsite just a few miles up the road from where Vicky works at Chesil beach.
"The Palace" (as named by Tim on our round the world trip) back in action
Typically when you have had hardly any rain for weeks on end, it decided to pick that one night to absolutely throw it down. Despite the weather's best efforts our tent was still standing in the morning, and we set off to seek refuge in Dorchester for the morning until the weather gave itself a good talking to.
Our campsite for the next couple of nights was just down the road from Corfe Castle, and was situated right next to the Swanage steam railway line.
The Swanage Steam Railway running right past the field that we were camping in
Using the campsite as a base we were able to visit some lovely parts of the south coast like Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and Studland Bay. The weather was already back on song on the day we hiked from Lulworth to Durdle Door, and the bright sunny day was bringing out a tremendous number of moths and butterflies for us to enjoy. Considering it was midweek and not during the holidays the route was incredibly busy, and it left us wondering what it must be like in the middle of peak season.
Corfe Castle on a sunny afternoon
Studland Bay was our final port of call before we headed back to Kent for a few days. Again it was a baking hot day with little to no wind, and so we decided there would be few better ways to explore the bay than by hiring a kayak for a few hours. The water was incredibly clear and surprisingly shallow in places, and it made for a very enjoyable early afternoon.
By the stack at the very far corner of Studland Bay
The late afternoon was less enjoyable however as the strike in the port of Calais meant that getting back down to Dover took a lot longer than expected. We spent most of the next 4 days trying to see as many friends and family as physically possible, and all things considered we did pretty well. The Thursday was my Birthday and so a BBQ very kindly organised by my parents was just the ticket to enjoy both the weather and some excellent company.
As with most holidays the time flew past, and before we knew it the time to head back down to Somerset was already upon us. One of the most exciting pieces of news recently is that my job at Magdalen has been made permanent (up until now I have been working my way through a 6 month contract), and I am really over the moon to be able to stay at the farm for the longer term. It's great to have a job that you genuinely enjoy, and when you combine that with how brilliant all the other staff are the decision was a "no brainer" really.
No blog would ever be complete without some kind of wildlife photo...so he is one :)
As a result Vicky and I have started to renovate our little caravan to make it a little easier to live in for the future. More info on what we have done will be posted in further bulletins.
Have you ever thought you have seen a picture staring back up at you from the froth on your coffee, in a similar way that you can make pictures out of the clouds...? Well this week's amusing news story shows that from now on you will be able to have any picture you like "printed" on top of your coffee!
http://news.sky.com/story/1507752/looking-hot-gadget-puts-your-face-on-a-coffee
See you all next time!
