Hi, I am Baz, Welcome to Oceans Loft I am a semi-retired Oceanographer from the UK. I also worked as a Professional Photographer. I studied Ecology, Geology and Oceanography at the Open University University and a Post Graduate Degree in Environmental Management at Surrey University.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Happy Birthday to a very special Friend
Happy Birthday Danette, Mom sends her Love and Best Wishes;)
View from the Edge: Hengistbury Head, Dorset, England.
Hengistbury Head is a sandstone headland which forms part of Southbourne, the most easterly part of the Borough of Bournemouth, Dorset.
Hengistbury Head forms the southern boundary of Christchurch Harbour. The sand bar at the end of the Head is the main feature closing the harbour from the south, while a peninsula at Mudefordcloses the harbour from the north.
The name
The region was originally named Hynesbury Head. However, after the discovery of the Iron Age artifacts–and in apparent confusion over a reference to the area as Hedenesburia–it was renamed Hengistbury Head after the Jutish king Hengest
Stone Age
Long prior to this, the site was occupied during the Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of an open settlement of the Creswellian culture on the hill in the middle of the headland dating to around 10,500 BC. At the time, this hill would have overlooked a large river valley that was to become the English Channel. Later, once the sea had inundated the surrounding valley, Mesolithic hunter gatherers exploited the site and Neolithic stone tools have been found but it was not until the Bronze Age that visible traces of the site's occupation are apparent.
Bronze Age
Eleven Bronze Age round barrows sit on the promontory with two more a little further inland. Numerous finds including Early Bronze Age axes, along with amber and gold jewellery were recovered from these monuments. Pottery found nearby to the barrows also indicates visitation during 1700-1400 BC. In around 700 BC, a small settlement to the very north of the headland was established; also around this time, the headland was cut off from the mainland by the construction of two banks and ditches. These earthworks turned Hengistbury Head into a fortified settlement area which seems to have grown over succeeding centuries until it became an important port.
The barrows at the site were first excavated by J. P. Bushe-Fox between 1911 and 1912 and then by Harold St George Gray in the years following the First World War. Most of our knowledge of the site comes from Barry Cunliffe's work there between 1979 and 1984.
Iron Age
One side of the Head is defended by large earthworks, called the "double dykes", similar to those found at Maiden Castle. These date to approximately 700 BC Due to the high concentration of iron ore in the area, this location became a significant trading port, trading worked metal–iron, silver, and bronze–with the Continent in return for wine, tools, and pottery. Many coins have been found from this period (making it one of the few areas in pre-Roman Britain to use coins). Interestingly, some of them were fake–worthless cores dipped in silver.
The Iron Age port at Hengistbury Head forms a final site in a small chain of fortified earthworks, starting from Hambledon Hill, and also including Hod Hill, Spetisbury Rings, Buzbury Rings, Badbury Rings and Dudsbury Camp.
Roman occupation
Under the Romans, Hengistbury Head was initially left alone, possibly as a result of its distance from Roman centres of power. However, as Roman rule expanded, trade was moved away from the Head to other Roman ports. Consequently, the region saw a decline in prosperity, and indeed, by about the time the Romans left (c.410 AD), the area was abandoned.
Medieval use
The area was not substantially reoccupied until Alfred the Great decided to rebuild the harbour as a defence against raiders. He built the town that later became Christchurch, on the north side of the harbour. Access to Salisbury up the River Avon made this a more strategic place. The Head may have been used for harbour defense at this time.
Find more photos like this on muzenews
Hengistbury Head forms the southern boundary of Christchurch Harbour. The sand bar at the end of the Head is the main feature closing the harbour from the south, while a peninsula at Mudefordcloses the harbour from the north.
The name
The region was originally named Hynesbury Head. However, after the discovery of the Iron Age artifacts–and in apparent confusion over a reference to the area as Hedenesburia–it was renamed Hengistbury Head after the Jutish king Hengest
Stone Age
Long prior to this, the site was occupied during the Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of an open settlement of the Creswellian culture on the hill in the middle of the headland dating to around 10,500 BC. At the time, this hill would have overlooked a large river valley that was to become the English Channel. Later, once the sea had inundated the surrounding valley, Mesolithic hunter gatherers exploited the site and Neolithic stone tools have been found but it was not until the Bronze Age that visible traces of the site's occupation are apparent.
Bronze Age
Eleven Bronze Age round barrows sit on the promontory with two more a little further inland. Numerous finds including Early Bronze Age axes, along with amber and gold jewellery were recovered from these monuments. Pottery found nearby to the barrows also indicates visitation during 1700-1400 BC. In around 700 BC, a small settlement to the very north of the headland was established; also around this time, the headland was cut off from the mainland by the construction of two banks and ditches. These earthworks turned Hengistbury Head into a fortified settlement area which seems to have grown over succeeding centuries until it became an important port.
The barrows at the site were first excavated by J. P. Bushe-Fox between 1911 and 1912 and then by Harold St George Gray in the years following the First World War. Most of our knowledge of the site comes from Barry Cunliffe's work there between 1979 and 1984.
Iron Age
One side of the Head is defended by large earthworks, called the "double dykes", similar to those found at Maiden Castle. These date to approximately 700 BC Due to the high concentration of iron ore in the area, this location became a significant trading port, trading worked metal–iron, silver, and bronze–with the Continent in return for wine, tools, and pottery. Many coins have been found from this period (making it one of the few areas in pre-Roman Britain to use coins). Interestingly, some of them were fake–worthless cores dipped in silver.
The Iron Age port at Hengistbury Head forms a final site in a small chain of fortified earthworks, starting from Hambledon Hill, and also including Hod Hill, Spetisbury Rings, Buzbury Rings, Badbury Rings and Dudsbury Camp.
Roman occupation
Under the Romans, Hengistbury Head was initially left alone, possibly as a result of its distance from Roman centres of power. However, as Roman rule expanded, trade was moved away from the Head to other Roman ports. Consequently, the region saw a decline in prosperity, and indeed, by about the time the Romans left (c.410 AD), the area was abandoned.
Medieval use
The area was not substantially reoccupied until Alfred the Great decided to rebuild the harbour as a defence against raiders. He built the town that later became Christchurch, on the north side of the harbour. Access to Salisbury up the River Avon made this a more strategic place. The Head may have been used for harbour defense at this time.
Find more photos like this on muzenews
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Friday, 1 March 2013
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Marci's Visit - Trip to Stonehenge Wiltshire England
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, as described in the chronology below. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC,whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have been raised at the site as early as 3000 BC.
The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury Henge. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2008 indicates that Stonehenge could have been a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found on the site indicate that deposits contain human bone from as early as 3000 BC, when the ditch and bank were first dug. Such deposits continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years. The site is a place of religious significance and pilgrimage in Neo-Druidry.
Find more photos like this on muzenews
Friday, 22 February 2013
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Damerham - The church of Saint George Snowdrop Grave Yard
Find more photos like this on muzenews
Damerham is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located near to Fordingbridge. As well as being the location of notable Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows, Damerham was an important Anglo-Saxon manor mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, Damerham was a major settlement in the possession of Glastonbury Abbey. Today Damerham is a rural village on the River Allen.
Situated north west of Fordingbridge and close to the Dorset border, Damerham is located on the River Allen. Damerham contains a mixture of cottages, with a riverside mill and a Norman church. Settled since Saxon times, Damerham is said to be the birthplace of Æthelflæd, wife of Edmund I.
Adam of Damerham (13th century), the author of Historia de Rebus gestis Glastoniensibus, was a native of Damerham. Damerham was once in Wiltshire, but was transferred in 1895 to Hampshire.
The village gave its name to a Ham class minesweeper, HMS Damerham.
Damerham is the site of a prehistoric complex including two 6,000-year-old tombs representing some of the earliest monuments built in Britain. It was discovered by a team led by Dr. Helen Wickstead, a Kingston University archaeologist. These were previously undiscovered Neolithic tombs known as long barrows.
Another earthwork, Soldiers Ring, situated on a crest in an area of Celtic fields, is thought to be a Romano-British cattle enclosure.
Damerham was an ancient demesne of the Saxon kings and was mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great, who desired that his men of Damerham should be free.
In 940–6 Edmund I granted a hundred mansae at Damerham with Martin and Pentridge to his queen, Æthelflæd. Damerham may have been the birthplace of Æthelflæd. Æthelflæd bequeathed Damerham to Glastonbury Abbey when she died in the late 10th century.
In the time of the Domesday Book, 1086, Damerham was a large settlement of 80 households. Glastonbury Abbey still held the manor, which remained with the abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It then passed to the Crown, and in 1540 Henry VIII leased part of the demesne land and certain farms belonging to the manor for 21 years to Richard Snell - these premises were in 1608 granted to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, and remained with his descendants.
In 1544 Henry VIII granted the manor of Damerham to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, but it passed back to the Crown on her death in 1548. In 1575 Elizabeth I granted it to the Bishop of Salisbury, and, except for the temporary sale by Parliament to William Lytton in 1649, it remained in the possession of successive bishops until 1863.
Another important manor was the manor of Little Damerham which was owned by Glastonbury Abbey. Glastonbury Abbey also held lands in the manors of Hyde and Stapleham. Some of these lands were also held by Cranborne Priory, and Tewkesbury Abbey, to which Cranborne Priory was a cell. The hide at Lopshill (Lopushale) is mentioned as within the boundaries of the manor of Damerham in 940–6; it is now Lopshill Farm, in the south of the parish.
The Domesday Book records four mills at Damerham.
One was given to Geoffrey Fitz-Ellis by John, Abbot of Glastonbury (1274–90). In 1326 Henry Dotenel released to the Abbot of Glastonbury all his claim in a water-mill called Weremulle in Damerham. In the survey of the manor taken in 1518 a water-mill called Lytellmyle is mentioned. This mill probably stood near Littlemill Bridge at North End, but it has now disappeared. In 1608 "all the water-mills of Damerham" were granted to Robert Earl of Salisbury. The only mill now in existence in the parish is Damerham Mill in the village on the River Allen.
Damerham Park is mentioned in 1226–7 and in 1283, and at the latter date it contained deer. In 1518 the park, which contained 125 acres of wood, was divided into three coppices, Edmundshay, Middle Coppis, and Drakenorth Coppis. It was apparently disparked before 1540.
The church of Saint George dates from the Norman period. The earliest parts are the lower part of the tower and the north aisle (12th century). In the 13th century the chancel was seemingly rebuilt and a south aisle added to the nave. The tower was nearly rebuilt around this time. The 12th-century north aisle and transept were probably pulled down in the 15th century and the existing aisle substituted. The church has some rare features, including scratch dials and a relief of Saint George.The churchyard is particularly recommended for the snowdrops in the spring which are in abundance in the Church grounds.
In 1830 the manor-house (West Park House) was attacked by the rioters against the introduction of machinery (Swing Riots) and several people were captured and sent to Winchester. One quarter of the village burned down in the "Great Fire" of 1863, but the damage was soon repaired owing to the exertions of the vicar William Owen.
Monday, 18 February 2013
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Friday, 15 February 2013
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Images And Words Week 197 - Ingenious Inventions - Photography
I took a slightly "out of the box" view of this weeks theme LOL. Here is my contribution.
The Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia USA.
The Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia USA.
Marcis Visit 2012/2013 Oxford Weekend set 1
Hi all I am slowly getting around to sorting out the shots from Marcis visit, hereis the first set of shots from our long weekend in Oxford as we made our first explorations of the City.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Hi All
Hi all, I have not been on very much lately, I had so much work to catch up on after that long bout of Bronchitis and Marcis Visit, I seem to finally be back on schedule, all the work in the garden that should have been done before Christmas is now completed I just have a huge pile of shrub cuttings to put through the shredder.
So now I am going to try and catch up on some blogging!
I still have hundreds of shots still not converted from RAW that I took during Marcis Visit.
Here are a few from the day we visited the New Forest
So now I am going to try and catch up on some blogging!
I still have hundreds of shots still not converted from RAW that I took during Marcis Visit.
Here are a few from the day we visited the New Forest
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Hi all a bit of a stressful week!
We had a bit of an upset here on Thursday Mon had a bad Angina attack, so bad I had to call the Paramedic who as usual was here in well under 10 minutes. Moms Angina has been under-control for years and this was the first attack since she moved in here with me.
It was very severe and to be honest she was exhibiting many of the symptoms of a heart attack, hence my 999 call. The paramedic was concerned because Moms blood pressure was through the roof and her O2 reading reading at only 76% so he called the ambulance who again amazingly were here in 5 minutes.
I followed on to the hospital, thankfully Mom started to stabilize on the way to the hospital and the pain in her chest was gone when we got there, they decided to keep her in over night for a whole raft of tests especially 2 blood tests for enzymes to confirm she had not had a blood clot or a minor heart attack, both showed negative and they called me Friday lunch time and told me I could collect her as soon as I could get there.
The only change they made to Moms meds was to put here on a new Angina medication that is more effective than the old one.
Moms resting up today but already eager to get out and test out her new walking boots that arrived in the post this morning LOL.
Have a wonderful weekend and be safe my friends;)
It was very severe and to be honest she was exhibiting many of the symptoms of a heart attack, hence my 999 call. The paramedic was concerned because Moms blood pressure was through the roof and her O2 reading reading at only 76% so he called the ambulance who again amazingly were here in 5 minutes.
I followed on to the hospital, thankfully Mom started to stabilize on the way to the hospital and the pain in her chest was gone when we got there, they decided to keep her in over night for a whole raft of tests especially 2 blood tests for enzymes to confirm she had not had a blood clot or a minor heart attack, both showed negative and they called me Friday lunch time and told me I could collect her as soon as I could get there.
The only change they made to Moms meds was to put here on a new Angina medication that is more effective than the old one.
Moms resting up today but already eager to get out and test out her new walking boots that arrived in the post this morning LOL.
Have a wonderful weekend and be safe my friends;)
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Hi all
Sorry I am not around much these days life has just got really busy!
Between my photography work and voluntary work for the health walks and cycle rides I dont seem to have a second these days to get on line.
I have to admit to not blogging much or having time to read blogs.
Now spring seems to have sprung here and I think my muse has returned from walk about I will try and get on more.
Thinking of you all anyway have a great week;);) xxx
Between my photography work and voluntary work for the health walks and cycle rides I dont seem to have a second these days to get on line.
I have to admit to not blogging much or having time to read blogs.
Now spring seems to have sprung here and I think my muse has returned from walk about I will try and get on more.
Thinking of you all anyway have a great week;);) xxx
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Natural Sepia - A snowy day at the Lake
Mom and I went for a walk at the Lake yesterday the light was unusual I took quite a few shots they had a "Natural Sepia" quality to them here are some of the best shots I hope you enjoy them;)
A visit to Salisbury Cathedral
One of the first places I took Marci when she arrived was on asurprise visit to Salisbury Cathedral, it was a cold overcast day and windy. We took Mom with us an had to hold here arms as she was almost blown over, none the less we had a great day;)
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, and is considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body was completed in only 38 years, from 1220 to 1258.
The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the "Tower Tour" where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close in Britain (80 acres (320,000 m2)). The cathedral contains the world's oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has the best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England). Although commonly known as Salisbury Cathedral, the official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258.
Here are a few images from the day I hope you enjoy them, Happy Sunday;)
Friday, 18 January 2013
Snow Day
Hi all I hope the weather is better with you than it is here right now. Its looking beautiful but has been snowing hard for 6 hours now and the wind is coming up! Have a great day;)
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Marci's Visit December 2012
Marci and I had almost a 3 week visit this time it made up for the time we could not be together due to unfortunate events during 2012. On of the first things we did was revisit Bournmouth where Marci competed in the Triathlon on her very first visit and then as it was so cold we escaped inside and explored the Oceanarium. More Pics to Follow;)
Monday, 14 January 2013
Images And Words Week 193 ~ Old Buildings
“I took to the Bodleian library as to a lover and ... would sit
long hours in Bodley's arms to emerge, blinking and dazed
with the smell and feel of all those books.”
Laurie R. King
Entrance to the Original Bodleian Library ( No photography allowed in the Library itself unfortunately)
long hours in Bodley's arms to emerge, blinking and dazed
with the smell and feel of all those books.”
Laurie R. King
Entrance to the Original Bodleian Library ( No photography allowed in the Library itself unfortunately)
Hi All!
Hi all after a wonderful almost 3 week visit Marci is back home and resting today before going back to work tomorrow, we had a wonderful time and should be getting back together again in the spring all being well.
We visited many fantastic places and took lots of shots, I will be posting some over the next few weeks. This was one Shot of Marci at Stonehenge which she had always wanted to visit it was amazing as I had not been there in the last 30 years!
Have a wonderful day;)
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Happy New Year From Baz and Marci
Hi all we saw in the New Year at my Cousins house Marci's first "English" New Year Celebration we had a wonderful Time.
A Very Happy New year to you all from Both of us xxxxx
A Very Happy New year to you all from Both of us xxxxx
Monday, 24 December 2012
Just a few more days!
Its been a long wait but it will be so worth it Marci arrives at Heathrow on the 27th December we will have 3 wonderful weeks;)
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Masala-marinated chicken with minted yoghurt sauce and Cumin-crusted vegetables
Hi all sorry not to be around much these days life is just so darn busy. We have been preping for a really festive Christmas and I got the last of the food shopping early this morning before the rush, the Turkey is in the freezer at moms house as my freezer is full I will get it out tomorrow to thaw for a couple of days.
Last thing I have to do tomorrow is go to the Butcher and collect the two Pheasants I ordered for Christmas Eve Lunch and we will be ready to go, food always plays a key roll at Christmas in my house.
I have my relatives coming over after Christmas for lunch so I decided to do something different from a traditional roast. So Mom and I did a dry run on the meal below it was absolutely delicious and the whole house smelt of delicious aromatic herbs and spices, we willl be cooking it again when the realitives visit. Have a wonderful weekend;)
Masala-marinated chicken with minted yoghurt sauce and Cumin-crusted vegetables
Dieting or not, this is one of my favourite recipes. It’s mouth-wateringly good – the spicy marinade makes the meat really tender and full of flavour, while the yoghurt sauce sets it off a treat.
- 2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp hot chilli powder (the more you use, the spicier the dish)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 40g/1½oz piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 100g/3½oz low-fat natural yoghurt
200g/7oz low-fat natural yoghurt
- To make the marinade, split the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Put the cardamom seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan and discard the husks. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, cloves and black peppercorns and place the pan over a medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly until the spices are lightly toasted – you know they’re ready when you can smell the spicy aroma.
- Tip the toasted spices into a pestle and mortar, or an electric spice grinder, and pound to a fine powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the fenugreek, turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the garlic, ginger and yoghurt, then mix well and leave to stand while you prepare the chicken.
- Place the chicken on its breast on a sturdy chopping board and cut carefully either side of the backbone with good scissors or poultry shears. Chuck out the bone and cut off the foot joints and wing tips.
- Strip all the skin off the bird apart from the ends of the wings (which are easier to remove after cooking). You’ll find this simpler to do if you snip the membrane between the skin and the chicken flesh as you go. Cut off and discard any obvious fat – it will be a creamy white colour. Open out the chicken and place it on the board so the breast side is facing upwards.
- Press down heavily with the palms of your hands to break the breastbone and flatten the chicken as evenly as possible. This will help it cook more quickly. Slash the meat with a knife through the thickest parts of the legs and breast. Place the chicken in a shallow non-metallic dish – a lasagne dish is ideal – and tuck in the legs and wings.
- Spoon over the marinade and really massage it into the chicken on both sides, ensuring that every bit of bird is well coated – get your hands in there and really go for it. Cover the dish with cling film and put the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least four hours or ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Take the chicken out of the dish and place it on a rack inside a large baking tray, breast-side up. Squeeze over some juice from the lime and season with ground black pepper.
- Roast for 1-1¼ hours until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked throughout, tossing the lime quarters on to the rack for the last 20 minutes to cook alongside the chicken. They’ll be good for squeezing over the meat later. The juices should run clear when the thickest part of one of the thighs is pierced with a skewer. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- While the chicken is resting, make the sauce. Spoon the yoghurt into a serving bowl and stir in the mint sauce until thoroughly combined. Transfer the chicken to a plate or wooden board and carve into slices, discarding any skin. Serve with the sauce and some watercress or salad and enjoy!Cumin-crusted vegetables
- This is a lovely spicy variation on your classic roasties, using a small amount of oil and lots of tantalising tastes. Goes beautifully with masala-marinated chicken, or with plain grilled meat.199 calories per portion (if serving 4)160 calories per portion (if serving 5)
Ingredients
- 600g/1lb 5oz potatoes, preferably Maris Piper
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
- 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 4cm/1½in chunks
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 4cm/1½in chunks
- 1 orange pepper, deseeded and cut into 4cm/1½in chunks
- 2 medium courgettes, cut into 1cm/½in slices
- Preheat the oven to 190C/400F/Gas 6. Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters and lower them carefully into the water. Bring the water back to the boil and cook for five minutes – just enough to parboil them.
- While the potatoes are boiling, place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Toast for about 30 seconds, then stir in the oil, garam masala and turmeric. Sizzle for a few seconds and add the onion.
- Fry the onion in the spices for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Drain the potatoes in a large colander and toss several times to roughen up the surface of each potato.
- Tip the potatoes into the pan with the onion and spices, season with a few twists of ground black pepper and toss together until the potatoes are lightly coated.
- Tip everything onto a large baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.
- Take the tray out of the oven and add the peppers and courgettes.
- Toss lightly together and return to the oven for another 25–30 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden-brown and the vegetables have softened.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Monday, 17 December 2012
Futility!
I spent the weekend thinking about what happened in Connecticut on Friday, looking for reasons and excuses for forgiveness for a person who could perpetrate such an atrocity; I found none.
Anybody no matter what personal Daemons they fight who perpetrates such a crime against humanity is beyond redemption and forgiveness.
No man or woman should have to out live and suffer the loss of a child, loss at such a tender age is beyond imagining!
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family's and friends of these poor Children and to all Americans at another tragic loss.
As a foreigner, but somebody with a love for and a vested interest in America, I look in from the outside and ask, regardless of your own Politics and your countries Constitution, is it not time to come together and protect your children, if nothing else?
Again Thoughts and Prayers for all those who endure such a grievous loss
Anybody no matter what personal Daemons they fight who perpetrates such a crime against humanity is beyond redemption and forgiveness.
No man or woman should have to out live and suffer the loss of a child, loss at such a tender age is beyond imagining!
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family's and friends of these poor Children and to all Americans at another tragic loss.
As a foreigner, but somebody with a love for and a vested interest in America, I look in from the outside and ask, regardless of your own Politics and your countries Constitution, is it not time to come together and protect your children, if nothing else?
Again Thoughts and Prayers for all those who endure such a grievous loss
Saturday, 15 December 2012
December - Morning Sunlight
Hi all we had a beautiful morning before the rain came back in so I got out for a few hours early to catch the morning light, it was a quite beautiful day. Have a great weekend;)
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Monday, 10 December 2012
Hi All
Just back from a meeting about the health walks for the first 3 months of 2013, I will be leading 2 or 3 walks a week from the middle of January
I joined one of the walks as an observer today everybody had a great time even though is was still very wet under foot!
Mom and I just put up the rest of the decorations and the Tree, Seasons Greetings;)
I joined one of the walks as an observer today everybody had a great time even though is was still very wet under foot!
Mom and I just put up the rest of the decorations and the Tree, Seasons Greetings;)
Images And Words Week 188 - Toys And Games
Were I a philosopher,
I should write a philosophy of toys,
showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously,
and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which
men become entirely alive.
Robert Lynd
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Moors Lake in the December Evening Light
After a dull day the sky's finally cleared just before sun set, I took the chance to go back to Moors Lake and capture some reflections in the last of the evening Light, it was a wonderful shoot, it was the first time I have really been motivated to shoot for moths. I thought you might like to see some of the shots I hope your all having a wonderful restful weekend;)
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