Random thoughts and photos of my journey through life…
The Malagasy Giant Chameleon is native to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.
They are the largest chameleon in length and the secon heaviset in weight. Although their typical diet is insects their large size also enables them to eat small birds and reptiles.
Chamelons are famous for changing colour. However, this colour change is used more for temperature regulation and social signalling than camouflage.
5 Comments CherryPie on Mar 17th 2025
…Pitcher Plant
They are unique, in that they have specialised leaves called cups. These cups hold digestive enzymes which allow them to consume flies and other invertebrates.
8 Comments CherryPie on Mar 17th 2025
The butterfly in the final photo of my previous post was perched looking over the Koi swimming below.
4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 15th 2025
A few of the many varieties of butterflies that flutter around Stratford-upon-Avon butterfly farm.
6 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2025
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the family home of Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife-to-be. It is here that Anne was born and raised and where the young Shakespeare would have visited her during the early part of their relationship. Built more than 500 years ago and extended over the years, much of the original survives.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage was originally a farmhouse. It was built in 1463 and comprised only three rooms, two of which survive – the kitchen and the parlour. The first Hathaway to live in the cottage was Anne’s grandfather John Hathaway, who was a tenant sheep farmer. Anne, later Shakespeare’s wife, was born in the cottage in 1556.
When the site was a farm it was known as ‘Hewlands’ and the Hathaway family were successful sheep farmers. The garden was a farmyard with some livestock and space for growing herbs and vegetables.
Anne’s father died in 1581 and Anne’s brother Bartholomew inherited the tenancy of the 90-acre farm and he later bought the freehold. He then added an extension, increasing the size of the cottage and inserted new chimneys and an upper floor at the same time. This work was completed before Bartholomew’s death in 1624.
By the late 19th century, the family’s fortunes had declined. Some property including land and other houses were mortgaged, and eventually sold. In 1838 the cottage itself was sold, but the Hathaway family continued to live in the cottage as tenants.
One of the last Hathaways to live in the cottage was Mary Baker. When the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust purchased the cottage in 1892, Mary and her family were paid the large wage of £75 per year. Their duties were to share family stories and to care for the cottage, both of which we continue to do today. Her son William Baker occupied part of the cottage until he left in 1911.
4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2025
… in my new hat
The hat was a valentine’s day prezzie from Mr C.
I am wondering if I should have been worried about the monster lurking behind me in the sky?
10 Comments CherryPie on Mar 11th 2025
As the end of 2024 was drawing to a close, we intended for one last day trip to London. We were looking forward to seeing London with its festive lights all aglow.
Sadly, we were not able to visit London to enjoy the festivities because mum became unwell again and was admitted to hospital at the end of November. Mum is not home yet but is being assessed and looked after in a care home.
Knowing that she is safe and being looked after meant that we could take time out for a day trip to London.
The train ran smoothly and we arrived in London in time for lunch in The Square Pig, Holborn. Several dishes including steak and pie were off the menu, leaving Mr C a little disappointed. However, we both found the fish and chips delicious.
Next, we visited the Sir john Soane’s Museum. Sir john Soane, one of the renowned English architects, built and lived in the house until his death in 1837.
“In 1833, Soane negotiated a private Act of Parliament: to preserve his house and collection, exactly as it was arranged at the time of his death, in perpetuity – and to keep it open and free for inspiration and education. Upon his death in January 1837, a Board of Trustees took on the responsibility of upholding Soane’s wishes – as they continue to do today.”
There were so many things on display in close proximity that it was impossible to take everything in although Mr C spotted all three commanders from the battle of Waterloo. This left us feeling rather overwhelmed. We found one of the exhibits, the sarcophagus of Seti I, particularly interesting. The sarcophagus, made of alabaster, is carved inside and out with Egyptian hieroglyphs showing the text of ‘The Book of the Gates’. The text describes the rituals needed to pass safely into afterlife. Drawn Inside the base of the sarcophagus is the figure of Nut, goddess of the sky, whose role is to guide and protect the dead.
Next, we walked the short distance to the Museum of Freemasonry. The museum displays artifacts with accompanying text that explores the origins of Freemasonry, which lie in the traditions of medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles. The guiding principles of Freemasonry are; Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Charity.
Part of the museum display shows the myths surrounding freemasonry and how these were made popular by news media outlets and popular novels promoting conspiracy theories.
We hope to go back and book a tour which takes visitors into the ceremonial areas of the Freemasons Hall including the Grand Temple, shrine and vestibules.
We had some time to spare before catching our train home so we walked to Foyles bookshop, hoping for tea and cake along the way. We entered Covent Garden but found the area loud, noisy, full of mundane shopping outlets and lacking in suitable cake opportunities (a shadow of its former self), I was reminded of why I don’t like cities.
We quickly continued our walk to Foyles, but decided not to indulge in cake there either. The café was full and the cakes were enormous, leaving me to wonder when a nice tasty sweet treat had turned into a full-blown meal option!
We both enjoyed browsing our favourite sections in Foyles; for Mr C that is the military history section and for me the religious and spiritual section, historical fiction and the board game section.
We eventually found ‘cake’ in a nearby Costa where the service was painfully slow and impersonal…
We took the tube back to Euston for our return journey home. We always purchase sandwiches from Pret before our return journey but the sandwich options were limited and we found the nearby M&S options in a similar state (almost sold out). After choosing the best of what was available, we made it to the platform just in time to catch the train home.
It wasn’t a classic day out in London compared to our previous day trips but our adventure gave us well needed down time.
12 Comments CherryPie on Mar 9th 2025
