Der dum der dum der dum...pa da DAH

There's something in the water!

Oh, it's Frederick.

Thomas's photos from England

He uploaded them here.  Click to view and please leave comments if you recognize them, because he will tell us NOTHING.
The pictures seem to be in chronological order.  The first 14 would seem to be of his initial Sheffield stay (I think I recognize the Sainsbury in the 15th (#143310) as a Southern Sainsbury's, but it is preceded by a dry stone wall).   Number 35 (#133831) is definitely on Dartmoor, but I'm not sure how far after that we're back 'oop North.  We're definitely there by number 52 (#110604) as that's the Dambusters location (and in fact, isn't that Peter's arm in number 41 (#152728)?).  So help me out!  (Granny makes an appearance in number 145954, and you can just see the back of Grandpa's head in number 32 (#125018) and he's way in the distance in number 35 (#135722).)

Greatness with brush

This Summer Jami signed me up for a watercolo(u)r class at the FIA that met for 5 successive Wednesday evenings.  I had to miss one class when Jami was picking up Thomas from Toronto airport, so yesterday was the last of four.  But as you can see from my final painting, I have RAW NATURAL TALENT:

I have to confess a couple of things.  First, the farmhouse and silo were copied from a book (shocking, I know).  Also, the instructor (Igor - he's Russian, naturally) touched up a couple of things, like the bush and the green to the right and left side of the silo.  But I'm responsible for everything else!  I'm most pleased about the shine effect on the silo - it actually looks like what it's supposed to!  I'm least pleased with the incredibly fake-looking leafless tree.  Leafless because I chickened out and didn't want to mess up the picture.  But there you go - a career of producing artwork for motel walls is within my grasp!

Granny and Peter by van Eyck

Thomas has FINALLY downloaded all the pictures he took in England off his phone, and I have to say that they're pretty stunning.  It's almost galling to see how good they are given that he's a little pipsqueak and he took them with a phone.  But it's almost as if the England he visited was a post-apocalyptic one entirely devoid of human life, for all the people that aren't in the pictures.  In fact, there is exactly one picture where people form the focus of the picture, and (to my mind) it's one of the best portrait pictures I've ever seen.  Here it is:

Pixies!

Spotted on a walk by the river in Flushing:

First Lake Swim of the Summer

 For various reasons, although Frederick has been swimming with Emily, he and I have not been doing our usual Summer lake-swimming-thing.  We rectified that today.

The treasures Thomas selected to bring back from England

I heard Thomas trot into the kitchen a couple of days ago, followed by rustling, followed by a howl of anguish.  "Oh no!  The TSA agents crushed my Weetabix!"  He seems able to choke them down, nonetheless.

Flashback: Thomas in Tiverton

As we wait for Thomas to be bothered to upload the pictures he took in England from his phone (which he needs constantly for Pokemon Go purposes), we console ourselves with this, which Grandpa just discovered he forgot to send last week.

This is Thomas in the "historic market town" of Tiverton (in Devon, fairly near Exeter) where his great Grandma ("Gran") lived for many years before her death in 2014.  The arrow, added in a surprising display of computer competency by Grandpa (son of Gran) indicates the site of an incident which Grandpa will never let us forget: we were visiting Gran in either 2000 or 2001 and he took Thomas out for a walk.  They were gone for so long that it got dark and Gran, who could occasionally look on the darker side of life, was heard to say "he (Jeremy)'s probably stolen him (Thomas)"  When they finally returned, Grandpa recounted a visit to the river where Thomas happily pooped in it.  Whatever truth there is to this story, the arrow also indicates the pebbly stuff seen here in our second visit to England with Thomas, Summer 2001, which may or may not be the same day in question:

 In order, Thomas, Grandpa (seated), Gran, me (Simon).

Thomas always loved hurling stones into bodies of water.  But then, who doesn't?

Thomas departs Blighty!

Well, Thomas's visit managed to presage the most serious governmental crisis in decades.  He arrives, the BREXIT referendum shocks everyone, and he departs on the day Theresa May takes power from the hapless David Cameron.  A sly smile plays about his lips as he thinks to himself "mission accomplished!"
(Granny accompanied him on the train to Manchester and sent this picture to prove that she'd done HER part, and if he didn't make it back, it was no fault of hers.  She even hung around afterwards (no doubt browsing in a Waterstone's) so he could call her if he had trouble on the Other Side of the security barrier, but his flight departed with nary a call, so we can only presume he is winging his way towards us.  Thanks, All in England!  With luck we get to sample the fruits of your culinary training!)

Family and Other Animals

Saturday brought a trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park with Thomas and Polly. Here we see a somnolent tiger.

Kestrel and large polar bear:

Thomas's faves, the lemurs (must have been childhood exposure to Zooboomafoo). Here A mother carries her babies:

Refreshments (of course). Thomas no doubt checking to see if they have Calippos.

The next day (you can tell because of the change of hoodie) and a walk that inevitably ends in a pub. Here the girls try to teach Sophy and Thomas rummy. Thomas is rightly suspicious.

A spot of tea and Karl perks right up.

More walking. Karl displays his war wounds. Shouldn't be allowed on a bike if you ask me.
Yorkshire scenery provides the backdrop. Hope Thomas is soaking it in, as he's coming home soon!


And here's a shot of the whole family (minus Karl the photographer).

So that's Polly, Martha, Sophy, Sam, Peter and Jane and Thomas in the foreground. Thomas was never a fan of posed portraits...

More Culinary Experimentation

Here is Thomas making risotto. According to an inside source, he believed it took a long time. Nonetheless (or, therefore) it was (reported to be) good.

Granny writes: "This had had to be started yesterday, so that the creme could be chilled overnight, before adding the brulee part this evening. Et voilà: creme brulee, now added to his repertoire - all he needs now is to practise it...." I will be very much surprised if Thomas puts so much effort into a dessert that could be swallowed whole before one moves on to bigger desserts, but I am willing to be surprised.

Dambusting

It is still a source of amazement to his parents that Thomas can be persuaded to go bicycling.  Here he is surveying the body of water where (we are informed by Peter) the Dambusters practiced.  He looks suitably heroic, hair blowing in the breeze, arms akimbo.

Makes you think, eh?

A Trip to York

 This is "The Shambles".

 They're reserving his place for when he masters choux pastry.

D'oh!  Granny writes:

We went for a short walk along the Roman/Norman/Mediaeval/Victorian City Walls, then after lunch (a restaurant this time, not a pub) it was the Castle Museum. Lots to see, but by the time we had finished, we had only strength for a cup of tea before heading home.

Thomas will not be denied his chocolatey breakfast!

Granny writes:

Challenged by my failure to find chocolate weetabix, Thomas found this in our neighbourhood coop on his way back from a solo shopping trip by bus.

Then, fueled by choco-wheaty goodness, Thomas was able to turn his hand to stir-frying (nice wok if you can get it) with Peter's help.

More Druidical Frolics

More pictures from the trip to the tiny henge. Here's the best photo Granny could produce of said circle:

Thomas wanders lonely as a cloud:

Lunch.

Thomas sets the pace along the Manifold Trail, post-lunch:

Peter is something of a straggler:

Granny remembered this as being "quite impressive" when she viewed it earlier.  Upon review, she thinks it has shrunk.  It's the "Nine Ladies," yet another stone circle.  Can't go anywhere in these parts without tripping on them, apparently.  Or tripping in them, if you're a hippy neo-druid, one supposes.

Not actually an album cover by The Who

In fact this is Peter and Thomas "drinking in the atmosphere" of Arbor Low, a 6,000-year-old "smaller and fallen-down version" of Stonehenge.  (Maybe it's the tiny one.)

Back 'Oop North, Thomas Tiptoes Through the Tulips

Thomas returned to Sheffield on the train yesterday, and today Granny sent these pictures and reported:
"Today we had hoped to go t Arbor Low, which is a small and fallen-down but no less ancient version of Stonehenge, up on the Peak District moors, but it rained intermittently throughout the day, so we shelved that idea. Instead, Peter was all set to go to the industrial museum at Kelham Island, taking along Martha (and a friend); then we found it is shut on Saturdays. So we looked up TripAdvisor, and Thomas liked the look of the Botanical Gardens: they were open, there is a cafe: we went. Here Thomas and Peter pass the renowned Herbaceous Borders."

"Here he is admiring the 90-yard long restored 1830s glasshouse, with its large collection of plants from many parts of the world. Unfortunately the cafe (in the original Curators house,) didn't do cream teas, but did provide a nice sticky ginger cake. (Today's cookery focused on soup, and turned out well)"