Random thoughts and photos of my journey through life…
I delved even further back into my archives to find these musical memories.
I went so far back the photos weren’t even scanned into my computer. I also had to figure out how to use the scan to file feature on my new printer, not having used it before.
For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out Whistlestop PhotoHunt.
20 Comments CherryPie on Mar 16th 2012
The garden at Knole is only open on certain days and I keep picking the wrong day to visit. So this is just a sneak preview of the garden through a gateway.
14 Comments CherryPie on Mar 16th 2012
12 Comments CherryPie on Mar 15th 2012
A friend sent me this lovely heart-warming and thought provoking article. It brought a smile to my face, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 
I delved way back into my archives to find the accompanying photo, which also has a story of its own. I shall leave that for another time though…
A Dog’s Purpose?
(from a 6-year-old).
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued,
”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE…Getting back up is LIVING…
…taken from the Irish Wolfhound International magazine…
12 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2012
The home of the Sackville-Wests:
The house is now in the care of the National Trust; however, the Trust only owns the house and about 43 acres (170,000 m2) of the park. Considerably more than half the house is still home to the Sackville-Wests. Lord Sackville and his family still own the gardens and the rest of the surrounding estate. As a walled garden, Knole’s is very large, at 26 acres (30 including the ‘footprint’ of the house),[citation needed] and indeed is large enough to have the very unusual — and essentially mediaeval — feature of a smaller walled garden inside itself. It contains many other features from earlier ages which have been wiped away in most country-house gardens: like the house, the garden has not been assiduously kept up-to-date with changing fashions over the centuries. These include clair-voies, a patte d’oie and even some bosquet hedges.
8 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2012
Last year on one of my trips to Kent, there was just enough time (before catching the train home) to visit the Dover museum where the Bronze Age boat is housed. It is a very interesting exhibition, but sadly I have no photos, it was a bit too dark. The photos here were taken just outside the museum.
In September 1992, archaeologists from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust working alongside contractors on a new road link between Dover and Folkestone discovered the remains of a large wooden prehistoric boat thought to be some 3,000 years old, belonging to a period known to archaeologists as the Bronze Age.
It was a find of both national and international significance which will shed new light on early seafaring and woodworking skills in Northern Europe.
An interesting article on the finding and salvaging of the boat can be seen on the Current Archaeology website.
15 Comments CherryPie on Mar 12th 2012
