34/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: H is for Heart

Once again my elderly friend's flowers have given me a subject for the theme. This is a lovely cyclamen in her sitting room.

I forgot to post this before I went away.

32/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: F is for Flowering

Just some pretty daisies in my friend's flower bed.

I really enjoyed Worldcon and I'll be posting more over the next few days. I spent 4 days at the convention, then skipped the final day to go sightseeing and I'd added an extra day to my trip as well, so I got to see a bit more of Dublin. G also survived without me and there were no disasters while I was away, so that was a relief.

The journey home yesterday was slow but steady. I indulged in a taxi from the hotel to Dublin Port. I had intended to get the Morton's bus, but when I received a text from Stena about road works and delays, advising people to allow extra time for the journey, I decided that it was better to pay the extra for a taxi than risk arriving too late for check in. That would have meant not only having to pay for another ferry ticket but also running the risk of arriving in Bangor after the last bus home had gone. In fact I didn't notice any road works, but there was a big tanker lorry overturned at a junction causing chaos! Perhaps that's what they meant? But anyway the taxi got me to the port in good time, the crossing was smooth and the stopping train got me to Bangor where I didn't have to wait long for the bus.

I really enjoyed Worldcon. It may be the last Worldcon I attend, unless there's another one in or very near the UK in the next few years. I can't justify the expense of a trip to New Zealand and America is decidedly unappealing at the moment. If the Nice bid wins, that might be possible and there could be another Glasgow Worldcon, but we'll just have to wait and see.

31/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: E is for Explore

On 1st August I went exploring Aberystwyth taking videos for my YouTube channel. This is a still from one of the clips. I haven't started editing the video yet because I haven't finished the Cardiff one. Right now I can't settle to anything complicated because I've been preparing for my trip to Dublin and the SF Worldcon.

Everything that can be organised for the Dublin trip is organised. I have my passport, my EHIC card, Euros, tickets for the train and boat (virtual ones, booked online), a list of all the things I need to pack and a brand new suitcase to replace the one that died on the last trip to Cardiff.

30/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: D is for Disappearing

This was taken in Caernarfon Castle. The highest tower is called the Eagle Tower because originally it had statues of eagles on the battlements. But due to erosion over the centuries, they have almost disappeared and are just shapeless blobs.

I am currently relaxing by mindlessly reading the internet after having spent the day driving to Wrexham to have an annoying wart removed by a dermatologist. My GP had already tried the freezing technique, but that didn't get rid of it, hence the minor surgical procedure.

We accidentally set off an hour early. I'd worked out (and written down on my route notes) that we should set off at 10.50 am. But when G started asking "was I ready yet?" instead of checking the time and saying, "We don't need to leave for another hour," I said, "Nearly!" and so we left rather earlier than planned.

As it happened, it meant that I could eat my sandwiches peacefully in the car park and have a short walk to explore the path and cycle way that follows the line of the old railway. I was over half an hour early, but it was better than having to hurry and arriving absolutely on time. Though the journey went according to plan, I hadn't reckoned on only being able to find a parking space at the very furthest point of the very large car park and that Dept 20 was at the very furthest end of the hospital. My phone says I walked 2 miles!

(I've used my bison picture for this post because to get to Wrexham we drove past the Rhug Estate where they farm bison for meat.)

I am nearly organised for my trip to Dublin for the Worldcon. All travel that can be booked is now booked. I have explored the walking routes from bus stop to my hotel and from hotel to convention centre using Google street view. I have downloaded the programme to the Grenadine app, but haven't looked at it yet.

I still have to get Euros, though I was pleased to find a bag of Euro coins in a drawer, so I will have change for the bus from Dublin Port. The new suitcase to replace the one that died on our recent trip to Cardiff arrived a few days ago (a wheel fell off!) and I will start putting together a packing list this afternoon.

29/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: C is for Cloud

Our recent trip to South Wales involved a short stay in Swansea in between G's two meetings in Cardiff. He had a meeting on the Thursday and then the following Monday. It wasn't worth coming home only to go straight back again, but we thought it might be nice to stay somewhere different, so on the Saturday we travelled to Swansea where we'd rented an apartment for a couple of night. This gave us the opportunity of exploring a little of the Gower Peninsula.

It was cloudy as we walked from Rhossili along the coast path towards Port Eynon, but it didn't rain. We realised that we weren't going to catch the bus if we carried on along the coast, so we took a footpath leading inland to join the main road and thence back into Rhossili.

27/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: A is for Antidote

A good antidote to stress is sitting quietly by the river on a lovely summer's day.

26/52 for the group 2019 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: Z is for Zing

I am way behind with processing and posting the photos for the Weekly Alphabet Challenge, so here is a quick catch up of some recent ones.

A friend's husband had an exhibition of his photographs recently at the Ynyshir bird reserve. He calls the photos "Birds in flight in a new light" and his interesting technique of using a slow shutter speed and backlighting certainly adds zing to his photos.