#FebPhotoADay 2.Words

The words that set the tone for the morning commute, writ large in lights.

 I always think of 'Bruce Almighty' when these signs are in use, even if they have bad news for me (like this morning) I still smile.

#FebPhotoADay 1.Your View Today

Tonight's view was of the sunset (surprise. surprise!) we have been having some stunners recently.

#FebPhotoADay The Beginning

I always need a prod to post things here so when I found this via @bronninator yesterday on Twitter I thought I'd give it a go.

Post a photo a day for February each with a specific theme as per the list here.

http://www.fatmumslim.com.au/2012/01/february-photo-day-kicks-off-tomorrow.html

Chickens Arse - (losing feathers and red skin)

The one one the left (Benny) is the worse one, the one next to her (Betty) is one of the 2 older hens that we have who is starting to look a bit bare and the one next to her with the blue bracelet on is the one that I have seen doing the pecking.

The next one is a close up of the worst one  - sorry if you're having your dinner :P

Its been going on for a couple of months, gradually getting worse.

'If only they knew' - A Photograph by Andy Lackner

A candid shot taken by a friend of ours who grew up to become a professional photographer (http://www.diepixelgarage.com/html/eingang.html)
We have had this picture on our wall ever since (apart fron the 7 years when we lived on the boat) and I often look at it and think, if only they knew, what strange and interesting adventures they had to look forward to.
This was before we even had inklings of being screwed over by Margaret Thatchers Monetarist economic policies, giving the house back to the bank, sailing away, exploring the world, getting married, surviving hurricanes, having a kid, moving countries, and growing up.
We were in a hiatus, having sold our first home and making squillions, looking to move to where the work was.
We lived in a small rental in Ringwood while we were trying to buy our next property in Stanwell. Our lodger was 'Nutty Norman' a perennially pissed sea captain who, when at sea would be in command of huge tankers over 300m long (Bigger than the QE2). He looked a little like Captain Haddock of Tintin fame, shorter and rounder but with the same black beard and big ruddy nose, would disappear to the Pub at 10 am when they opened, get shitfaced, come home at 3 with a 4 pack of special brew to keep him going through the afternoon then off to the Pub again when they opened for the evening, after that hed come home and cook stuff, once nearly burning the house down when he fell into a drunken stupor while making chicken stock which boiled dry in the middle of the night.
Andy had come over to the UK from Switzerland on a working holiday staying on a friends farm, we used to hang out a lot and road trip, exploring the countryside.
This picture was taken in about 1987 out in the back blocks of Dorset/Wiltshire.

Lost Youth - in Nice.

I happened to catch the end of a programme on a TV last night about this girl in Nice cooking with herbs they had picked from the hills behind the city.
So I came all over all nostalgic and had a look on Google Maps today, streetveiw is a wonderful thing.
 This is the Burger 'restaurant' I worked in after ditching the family with the horrible kids that I went over there to Au-Pair for. Its still a burger Bar although its been bought out by the 'other' french burger chain - It used to be 'Freetime' .The green arrow marks the apartment I used to live in.
When I was at home in the evenings I used to watch the two hookers that had the corner opposite get in and out of cars or just walk round the corner with their customers.
I used to hang my towels out to dry on the bar across the window, one day my favourite one fell off and I didn't find it till weeks later - there was a big Alsatian dog sleeping on it in the garage on the street below. I got it back off the garage owner and we still have remnants of it in the house today nearly 30yrs later, it made great pot holders in the kitchen.


View Larger Map

This Map and Pic shows that they never replaced the 'Boulevard Carnot' Sign that used to live on the post behind the bus stop. the sign fits nicely at home in my garden now. it was right outside the gate of the house I lived in when I first moved over - Au-Pair to the Romagnon family and their two despicable brats one aged 5 and one aged 7 - I learned all my dirtiest swearwords from them (the kids that is).
that will do for now!


View Larger Map

Blog 6: Say cheese!

Blog 6: Say cheese

How many types of cheese do you have in your fridge?

I love cheese, but as soon as I buy it, I eat it, so its not normally hanging around long enough to be blogged about.

Right now we have:-

Generic rubbery 'tasty' cheddar, 

Half a small Kapiti Camembert, ok for pizzas and sarnies but not runny enough to just eat. (it won't get a chance to mature)

Half a Kapiti Pakari aged cheddar, I couldn't give tasting notes as I havent been allowed near, as it technically belongs to Mr14 (he got it for Christmas from his Nan) he's just taking his time eating it.

The best one though, is the Cheese we don't have in our fridge any more cos we ate it over the Christmas holidays. It was a 1KG wheel of Kapitai Kikorangi "the King of Cheeses" a delicious creamy curd with rivers of dark blue running through, delightfully tangy and creamy at the same time. 

Absolutely ASTOUNDING with fresh honeycomb - a recent discovery, blue cheese and honeycomb OMFG doooo iiiit.

Sense a bit of a Kapiti Cheeses theme going on here? - widely available and pretty darn good.

:)