Susie

[Susie]

We didn't see any of the sights and just stayed in the resort. We still had an amazing time though. I plan to go back at a different time of year and visit all the famous historical and natural attractions. Marmaris is very different from when I was last there on a trip from Rhodes in 1992! All the quaint little shops selling spices and filigree jewellery where the owners offered us apple tea and a chance of haggle over their goods have gone and in their place are shops selling counterfeit superdry and hollister hoodies. The kids were delighted. We had a Turkish bath though. The locals have given themselves English names now like Paul and Elvis and work in bars. Drinks are unbelieveably cheap out there, two cocktails for three quid and a full cooked english breakfast with tea or coffee for under two pounds. Next time we wont go all inclusive.

[Susie]

But did you enjoy it?

Venice was nice but I have to admit that there were many times when I wished I was at Steyning looking for Brown Hairstreaks!

Goes without saying really!

[Susie]

I've been laid low with a cold this week (what a waste of a week's holiday this has been!) but popped into the garden to give it a tidy up and watched this going on on the patio doors

"http://www.facebook.com/v/10150352992361972"[/video]

[ChrisC]

must have had better weather than me. everytime i looked out from work it was raining. nature can be cruel.

Chris

[Jack Harrison]

Susie

I've been laid low with a cold this week (what a waste of a week's holiday this has been!)

Poor you. I was lucky in my job in that I was not allowed to be ill when on holiday. Maybe I should re-phrase that.

If illness prevented me from working, then I was allowed time off (within reason). If illness prevented me from having rostered leave, then that leave was in effect cancelled. I was very lucky in my terms of employment.

I now digress. Once, in the middle of the night, I woke only to be rather unpleasantly ill (I needn’t go details but it WASN’T caused by alcohol). I was due to fly early in the morning with a report time of 0545 hours so clearly wouldn’t be well enough for that. While I was “making love” to the toilet bowl, my wife phoned the Operations Department to say that I couldn’t fly in the morning. “Fine” they said, they would have to call the “standby”. Unfortunately, they hadn’t quite noted the message properly. At around 0545, my phone rang. Wife answered it and through a sickly haze I got the gist of the call. Operations had taken note that one of the pilots had called in sick but had not noted which one! So they phoned around all those due to work early to find out which one it was!!!

Butterflies. One last (?) Purple Hairsteaks in the oaks just outside my garden on Thursday evening, 25th August (NW Norfolk)

Jack

[Susie]

You were lucky, Jack. I've known other employers who give you the holiday days back too. I am lucky that I am pretty healthy generally.

[Jack Harrison]

May I digress a little more about health issues?

There has been recent advice about High Blood Pressure and the “White Coat Effect” when seeing the doctor. In my profession, I was always worried about losing my Pilot’s Licence (and livelihood) so it was hardly a surprise that my blood pressure was high every time I had the six-monthly medical. I was lucky in having an extremely good aviation doctor who recognised my concerns and took several measurements during the course of the examination – the BP gradually dropped but was always still slightly high. Then I retired having enjoyed a full career without too many other medical issues. At the next visit to my GP (after retirement) blood pressure readings were taken. I had no concerns now about any risk of losing my licence and yes, you’ve guessed: my blood pressure was well within normal range. I had certainly exhibited the classic “White Coat Syndrome” for all those years.

Jack

[Susie]

I popped up to Denbies for a short walk this afternoon. Not much going on and the butterflies I did see were hunkered down.

[Susie]

Random wittering - not about butterflies I am afraid ....

There's a distinct touch of autumn about. The trees are starting to turn and the nights are drawing in so I decided to sort out one of the boxes of books which has been sitting in the garage for years and came across a set of Harmsworth Popular Science. I haven't looked at these properly before (I inherited them) and they really are quite fascinating so I know what I will be flicking through on rainy winter days. The books were produced in about 1912 and how the world has changed in the last 99 years! Britain and her Empire were the leading force in the world and the World Wars had yet to happen They're very keen on eugenics too. There are some fascinating pictures on how they think the world will progress with the aid of technology. If I get a chance over the next few days I will scan the odd bit on because I think a few people on here may find it interesting.

[David M]

The books were produced in about 1912 and how the world has changed in the last 99 years! Britain and her Empire were the leading force in the world and the World Wars had yet to happen They're very keen on eugenics too. There are some fascinating pictures on how they think the world will progress with the aid of technology. If I get a chance over the next few days I will scan the odd bit on because I think a few people on here may find it interesting.

That'd be most interesting, Susie. I shall look forward to it.

[Susie]

Here's a page from one of my other old books which has beautiful hand coloured pages.

[ChrisC]

funny you should mention old books Susie, I downloaded "Hymenoptera Aculeata of the British Isles" by Edward Saunders from 1896 , as a PDF only the other day. Not quite the same thing as having a physical book but it was free too so i always keep a look out keep a lookout to for library sell offs, I picked up 4 moth and caterpillar volumes of the Wayside and woodland series from Uxbridge a few years ago.

look forward to more pages
Chris

just had a look for lepidoptera http://openlibrary.org/subjects/lepidoptera#ebooks=true

[Jack Harrison]

One of my favourite butterfly books is British Butterflies by W.S.Coleman. The book itself is nothing special but inside the front cover is a handwritten note which says it all:

"To Len. With love from Mum and Dad. Xmas 1915"

Jack

[Susie]

Makes you wonder who they were, Jack .

Thanks for the link, Chris.

I'll upload something in the next few days, David.

I popped to Kithurst hill late this afternoon for a little walk. The meadow was beautiful and full of flowers but there weren't many butterflies to be seen. Some small whites, common blue, meadow brown a small copper and a red admiral were all we saw. The best bit was the view and popping into The Sportsman for a drink after.

[Susie]

A common blue from Kithurst Hill yesterday

I went to Cissbury Ring tonight after work. The butterflies had all gone to roost and it was lovely listening to the birds chattering to themselves as they got comfortable for the night, a barn owl was calling too.

[Mark Colvin]

Great pictures Susie.

Super landscape shot ... very calming.

Kind regards. Mark

[Susie]

Thank you, Mark.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Susie,
Shame I missed you. I must have been sitting only a couple of hundred metres away when you took that. There's something magical about the place and I get up there at least once a week throughout the year. Earlier in the evening I saw more than 50 (mainly fresh) Small Coppers and a very good female Clouded Yellow. A couple of male Redstarts too.
Neil

[Susie]

Oh! Sorry I missed you too. Hope to catch up with you some other time. It's very nice at dusk, isn't it? I've not been there before at that time of day. I want to try to get up to Chanctonbury Ring soon too to try and get some photos. Hopefully the ghosts and UFOs won't spirit me away!

[Susie]