Welcome to my blog, where I take pleasure in words and pictures, be they my own or those of others. I'm a creative individual, and the crafty side I explore on my 'other blog', Picking Up The Threads, which I hope you'll visit too. I'm sure you understand that I have sole copyright of my original work and any of my contributions, so please ask if you want to use them. A polite request is rarely refused. So, as they used to say on the BBC's 'Listen With Mother' radio programme, many years ago: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin."

Wednesday 22 August 2012

A Touch of Wind

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt is a newly married couple descending the church steps, caught by a gust of wind which lifts the bride's beautiful gown and veil. I decided not to follow the weddings theme as I covered it in 'Wedding Day Delay', where you can read about my grandparents and guests having to get dressed up the day after the ceremony as some guests didn't make it in time. My own parents' happy day is well documented in 'Not Rhett and Scarlett'. I decided instead to go with the windy theme.


So here I am with my dog, to whom you were introduced in last week's post in a begging pose. I'm guessing this is about 1964, but I do know it was taken on Silloth beach in Cumbria. My Dad had been stationed there during WW2 and we were making a bit of a pilgrimage during a holiday. Dad was posted to RAF Silloth in September 1941 to service Lockheed Hudsons, Avro Ansons and Airspeed Oxfords. The Winter of 1941-2 was one of the coldest on record and Dad resorted to smearing anti-freeze grease on his hands in an effort to keep his hands warm. Mum was also knittting him long socks with specially oiled wool, which was 'off-ration' but he still succumbed to frostbite. He remembers it as a cold and bleak place at the time and it it doesn't look as if it had improved much twenty-three years later.              


Fast forward about another twenty-four years to 1988, and here I am with my children on holiday in Whitby, North Yorkshire. I believe this was Whitby Abbey, a ruin set on the cliff overlooking the North Sea, which could account for the blustery greeting we received as we rounded the corner of the building. The gust of wind, caused my son to double over, both from the force of the wind and with laughter. My daughter's hair is covering her face but it's not hiding her smile.


And here we are, bang up to date, with me standing in top of our local volcano Montaña Roja this morning. Lanzarote is actually quite a windy island and today with temperatures hitting 37degrees C. it's very welcome. We climbed up before it got too hot this morning and there was really not much more than a light breeze. We have been up there in the past when I have been holding on to this trig point to stop myself being blown over the top. I love it here on a clear day, when we can see the surrounding islands, the lighthouse and other landmarks, and we can pick out our own house down below.Visitors to our house who like to keep fit, are taken on this trek, and usually have their photo taken here or at the cross a little further round the rim of the crater. Alan and Isobel were excused!


For the possibility of being invited to more windy weddings go over to Sepia Saturday where you an see what contributors made of the prompt below.


32 comments:

  1. It's always a pleasure to view your photographs and I love this breezy topic!

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  2. you look is very fit, :)
    Best regards

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  3. I noticed Silloth is a long way from Germany. And I hope that the volcano is really dormant.

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  4. We visited Silloth about 8 years ago, when we were staying in a farm cottage near Carlisle. I remember it was very windy on the day. Nice photos of you, atop Montaña Roja.

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    1. Thank you Martin. I'm doing a lot of mountaineering this week - three mountains so far!

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  5. I'm jealous - it looks lovely there.

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    1. It is, and kids love it. Lots of beaches and warm sunshine all year round. Get your family over!

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  6. I really liked your novel take on the theme. We have certainly had some windy experiences, but it would never have occurred to me to pick on this aspect of the prompt. That is what I like about Sepia Saturday that people do not always go for the obvious but are inventive with their choices.

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  7. I love all of your "windy" pictures, Nell, but the one of you with the kids is my favorite. You do live in an enchanting and lovely place.

    Kathy M.

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  8. Lovely twist on the theme! These are great photos, especially fun is the one with you and your children.

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  9. I saw a news item the other day about raging forest fires on La Gomera, presumably fueled by those winds you have mentioned. From the looks of your photos of Lanzarotte, there's not a great deal of timber to catch fire there, so I hope you're not experiencing any similar wild blazes.

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  10. Those are cute photos of you with your dog and children.

    I had to google "37 degrees C." There actually is a Yahoo question "What is 37 degrees C converted into F?" The answer is 98.6°F which is quite hot. It is supposed to be 90° here today.

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  11. Great twist on the theme this week, enjoyed seeing all the photos. What a great place you have to hike - is the volcano dormant? Do you know when it last erupted? Just curious.

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  12. A very creative twist of this weeks theme. Love that second picture, it tells all!

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  13. Despite living in Cumbria I've never been to Silloth but experience the same wind in the south of the county:-) Your daughter's hair at Whitby is so funny. The wind with warmth in Lanzerote would be my preference too.

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  14. With all these photos in your collection, writing this post must've been a breeze. (HA -- I kill me!) Count me among the throngs who like the picture of you and the kids the best. It made me laugh right along with them.

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  15. Oh yes indeed, the lovely lady is not only taking on the wind (it won't knock her down!) but she can tackle any given hike....there isn't a mountain too high for her to climb! What a wonderful post!

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  16. Silloth was always windy and often wet as well whenever we went there. I can vouch for the wind at Whitby too but must admit we usually go there when it is warm and sunny. Glad you have "Gone with the Wind."

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  17. Enjoyed your take on the theme. Makes me wonder if I have any windy pictures. I may have to go take a look. (kathy at abbieandeveline.com)

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  18. What a great twist on the theme. And thanks for the tour of the windy places.
    Nancy

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  19. It takes a great imagination to capture the wind in a photo! You made me look up your volcano on Google maps. Windward and Leeward are important directions on such an island!

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  20. I love the twist you gave to the theme. And I love windy weather. Nothing better than a windy walk on the beach.

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  21. I'd never heard of a trig point so I had to look it up. I thought it an odd looking thing to put atop a mountain. Almost like a plug. Always good to learn something new.

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  22. Love the photo of you and the kids at Whitby. It blew a gale when I was there too! Edinburgh's pretty breezy too, so I guess I'm quite used to it :-) Jo

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  23. Alan and Isobel were excused because they were not visitors who like to keep fit but visitors who like to eat food (Isobel) and drink beer (Alan). Great photos - and I am very impressed that you climbed all the way to the top of the volcano just to get the final two photos to complete a well-rounded post.

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  24. Loved these photos - you prompted me to consider looking for broad themes in my albums - thanks!

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  25. I don't think I've ever been to Whitby when it wasn't windy - that's a great photo as it the one of you in Lanzarote.. I didn't realize you were a military brat too! So we have something in common! Only mine was army and our home base between tours of the Far East was Catterick!

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  26. I wasn't a military brat Bee as I was born several years aftert the War, by which time Dad was in civvy street. I was however a 'military wife', and once again my connection was to the RAF.

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    1. I know about being an army wife - my mother was one!! We always said that she earned the medals and Daddy wore them!

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  27. A fun post and a great spin off. Love these personal photographs.
    :)~
    HUGZ

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