208/365 Candid

"Treasured Time Together"

Today was moving Day for the choir.  We left Cheltenham where we have been based for four days and headed for Bristol, where we will be for the next five days.  Because we could not check into the hotel until 3:00 this afternoon, we had a bus tour of the city of Bristol this morning.  It is a beautiful city where past and present live side by side.  Medieval churches have as their neighbors modern office buildings.  Somehow, it seems to work.  

One of the iconic figures in Bristol is the Clifton suspension bridge.  We first drove up and viewed it from afar.  It was from a scenic overlook that I took the above picture of this older couple.  I watched as the gentleman pushed his wife in her wheelchair over to a spot that had just the view she wanted.  They then sat together and enjoyed their time together.  I like the black and white image because it sets them apart from the somewhat cluttered background, but there is something about the color photo that I like too.

I think it is that the woman's skirt and the man's blue and white argyle socks are so cheerful.  I also like that they are wearing matching straw hats.  To me, this is such a sweet scene.

I have a serious fear of heights so though we were at this particular point to view the bridge, it took me awhile to be willing to accept the fact I was up high, I focused on the flowers just at the edge of the gorge first.

Then I conquered my fear just long enough to take a picture of the bridge.

We then drove around to the bridge where we were able to walk across.

This bridge is a fascinating piece of engineering.  As we began to walk across, my fear of heights was again with me, but I was bound and determined to walk across.  As my photos from this experience confirm, I managed this by always looking up.

I find the lines in this image interesting.

We left the bridge to have lunch in the city before finally checking into the hotel.  With a few minutes to spare after lunch we stopped in for a quick cup of coffee.  Somehow I managed to slosh a goodly amount of my cup down my leg. This was not a good move when you plan to wear the same jeans for a couple of days!

Because we are going to be in Bristol for five days, we decided that this would be a good day to hand wash some of our laundry - and because I spilled coffee all over myself.  So, we hand washed our clothes in the bathtub.  Now, as we wait for everything to dry, our room looks like we are serious losers at a game of strip poker; there are drying clothes everywhere.

But, at least we will have clean underwear for the next five days!  Dry shirts and jeans, maybe not.

207/365 Science

Bee in Burford"

This is a quick post before we get on the bus to move hotels.

These are pictures from Burford Church.

"The High Altar"

"The Cross on the Low Altar"

This town once thrived as a center for the wool trade.  Those who worked in the industry have headstones that are marked by the rounded wool bales on the top.

The entire graveyard was covered with lavender and other flowers.  It really was a peaceful place.  The bees and the butterflies seemed happy there as well.