Funny sort of day yesterday; I didn't get a lot done other than naval gazing. I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't pay to be nice or caring for that matter - people just end up taking you for granted. Youngest and I took the dogs for a walk on the common and found that the overflow between the two pools was blocked.

The dogs had a great time jumping in and out of the streams and I took a few photos of the water – I’m trying to work out shutter speeds and ‘f’ stops to get that smoky water effect. No, don’t bother asking me to explain either to you – I sort of understand the reasoning behind it but it’s pure luck if I get it right.

Although the ‘f’ could stand for ‘feck’ which is a word that gets uttered when you see the results on the computer when you upload, aren’t quite what you envisaged in your mind's eye.

The castle moat was muddy too, so I didn't get the clear reflection that I wanted there either; muddy, dark, dismal day. (Mutter, mutter, moan, moan).

++++

Saturday we visited Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckinghamshire; one of those places that I’ve always wanted to go and have never got around to. Most of the National Trust properties are closed now until April, but Stowe isn't one of them. So I smiled nicely at Himself, who in turn pretended that 140 mile round trip was nothing, nothing I say, and happily drove me there. I do love him.

Wow, what fantastic place – it exceeded all of my expectations and it was still the middle of winter – we’re definitely going back in the summer when it will be alive with colour.

Small hiccup with my father at the beginning, when he found out we were out for the day, although I had told him on Friday night when we took him food shopping so it shouldn't have been a surprise. He wasn’t well, couldn’t get out of bed and had a terrible hacking cough. You’d think by now I’d be use to it, but he still convinces me every time.

I went and got some Buttercup Syrup and asked if he wanted me to stay at home – he didn’t, he’d cope by himself like he always did - said in a whisper as he was so ill he could hardly speak. That may have been because he heard Himself muttering in the other room about being allowed some time together and a life of our own.


He has a point, but I’m the one that ends up between a rock and a hard place and left trying to please everyone but myself. It must be lovely to just go out when you want to without having to make lunch for someone else, get tablets ready, put up with being made to feel very selfish and uncaring.

But we still went and still enjoyed our day out - I always enjoy the day out, it's the going home again that I hate. Anyway...

Stowe has three main areas; The Grecian Valley, Elysian Fields and The Hawkwell Fields. I took over 400 photos in all, but you're quite safe, I won't make you look at all of them. I'm still uploading and describing in Flickr, if you are interested best look there - of your own free will and all that! OK, I can't resist - I'll just show you a couple....

The Shell Bridge: designed by William Kent around 1737, it is the mid section of the Elysians Fields and acts as a dam between the 'River Styx' and the 'River Alder'.

Gothic Temple or the Temple of Liberty: Designed by James Gibbs. It was restored by the Landmark Trust and is now rented out as a holiday home. Now there's somewhere I would love to stay.


And lastly:

Lord Cobham's Monument. Lancelot 'Capability' Brown began its construction in 1747 and it was finished in 1749; the year of Lord Cobham's death.

The original statue was struck by lightening in in 1957 and disintegrated; only the head remained. In 2001 a new statue was errected, with the original head. This time Lord Cobham was dressed in Roman armour.

Here endth the history lesson. :)

We came home and as soon as I walked into see how my dad was he starting coughing. After that I got the cold shoulder for the best part of the evening for being such an awful daughter and leaving him.

No, he didn't want anything to eat - he was too ill and he'd told me that before I went out. But strangely enough come Sunday morning his cough had vanish altogether, not a trace of it left – bloody amazing stuff that Buttercup Syrup – three doses was all he had too and when I emptied his bin there was rather a lot of sweet papers and an empty cake box!

It makes me so angry, one of these days he’ll cry wolf once too often and be really ill but no one will take any notice of him. Certainly I’ve started to harden up when he starts and if anything I now make a point of going out at least once over the weekend.