Odd socks - and a bit of a Benji-Fest

March 21st was a day for wearing odd socks - and you can't get much odder than this pair.

WHY??? you ask.  I'll tell you later . . . .

 It was also a day for getting on to the beach - a bit cloudy, rather cool but with the sun trying to find a way through those clouds. This is the silhouette of St.George's Island just off the coast of Looe, as seen from Seaton Beach.

 Seaton Beach is always popular with dog-walkers as it is dog friendly all year round - and there are several good eateries to provide that snack and cappuccino after the walk.  So I decided to take photos of all the dogs that Benji met in the hour we were there. This first one was a Collie with boundless energy, but Benji had a go at keeping up with him - for about 6 seconds!!!

 This sleek greyhound could probably out-run every other dog on the beach, but he was on a short lead. What a shame, but maybe his owner thought he wouldn't come back when called. So Benji said a restrained, "Hello!" then went off to find more playful friends.

 However, this was one of three Irish Wolfhounds, absolute giants to little Benji and as he realised the size of them, he was a little wary and kept his distance until he determined that they were actually friendly.

 "Aha, this one is more my size!"

 And this submissive little puppy was even smaller - but wasn't ready to run around with Benji.

 The cloud seems to be breaking up now so hopefully we shall soon feel the warmth of the sun.  Lots of seaweed has been washed up by recent stormy weather and further along the beach there are huge drifts of pebbles which weren't there previously.

 I'm glad there was a blue sky to prove I haven't got my camera set on Monochrome - but these two aren't helping, are they? 

 Zooming in on the ship making its way across the horizon, although it's many miles away.

Benji, I don't think this elderly Labrador really wants to run round with you!

 Late afternoon now, so the blue sky has disappeared and temperatures have dropped: time to head home methinks.

Oh - the odd socks? They were in support of World Down Syndrome Day.

As stated on Wikipedia - 'World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is observed on March 21. On this day, people with Down syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world organize and participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.'

Springtime in the Tamar Valley

Who'd a thought it?  Yesterday we had enough sunshine to ward off the cold easterly wind and today the snow is falling in thick flakes.  I had anticipated that we might have some of the white stuff tonight with the possibility of waking up to a blanketed garden, but it has arrived early. 

So a day spent indoors apart from a couple of short forays up the lane with a reluctant little dog (Benji doesn't 'do' precipitation of any sort) means led me to sort out another post on my blog (please don't faint!).

So yesterday I drove to the Tamar Valley Centre in Drakewalls, Gunnislake where I spent a very nice hour or so wandering around the Art Exhibition. Permission was given for Benji to accompany me, so that saved him from stressing, yapping and panting in the car while I was out of sight.

He also enjoyed a little excursion around the old mine ruins that surround the building.

Rather than drive straight back home I decided to drive down the valley to Calstock, a small village on the banks of the River Tamar which has been an important river port since Saxon times.

I loved the tall white houses and very narrow streets - and admired the skill of the School Bus driver as he manoeuvred his coach around the tight turns on such steep gradients. 

But Calstock is dominated by the splendid viaduct of 1908 which carries the branch line from Plymouth to Gunnislake. 

 Sunbathing, dozing Muscovy Duck.

Passing through Cotehele on the way home, I couldn't resist buying a couple of bunches of sweetly perfumed narcissi from one of the many roadside stalls.

I love this time of the year when the Daffodils are all around.

Twins, a Chinook lands, Seaton Beach and Primroses.

The first set of twin lambs were born yesterday, up on Bodmin Moor - in heavy rain, high winds and very low temperatures.  Poor babies - what a welcome. But despite the adverse conditions, they looked very healthy, energetic and downright cute today.  I hope conditions improve soon so that they can enjoy the warmth of the sun on their backs.

 Mummy Sheep obligingly posed for a group photo but then decided that the photoshoot was over.  She led her babies away from the woman with the camera and her inquisitive little dog.

Maybe she heard the !Thwump, thwump, thwump" of the big, noisy Chinook that appeared, flying very low across the Moor and eventually landing very close to where I stood. 

 Zooming in once it landed, I could see that there were troops being unloaded to take part in an exercise on Bodmin Moor; once offloaded and swallowed up by  the nearby gorse bushes they were replaced by another group (troop?) who boarded the Chinook.

This next photo tells the story of how Benji reacted to the first fall of snow. These are the only prints he left on that first morning . . 

Dashed out of the door, yelped, spun round and dashed straight back inside!

The following day, though cold, was sunny and we headed to Seaton beach; Benji thoroughly enjoys galloping along the sands. The sea was 'lively'!

There he goes, trotting off to meet and greet other dogs being walked along the beach. 

House with a view!  This is a recently built 'upside down' house overlooking the beach but I rarely see anyone there.  Maybe it was intended as a holiday home for occasional use - but what an expensive white elephant it seems to be.

Those large rocks at the bottom of the cliffs were tipped there two years ago in an attempt to stop any more cliff erosion - but on walking along the beach it's plain to see that many metres of land has been lost where the cliffs have eroded and fallen into the sea. Garden fences are constantly being lost, then replaced but Mother Nature is gradually winning.

Happy Benji.

A beautiful blue sky - but can you see the bubbles?  A young lady was making HUGE bubbles  and wafting them across the beach with a length of rope, so I had to try to capture them on camera.

Finally - on the way home I saw these brightly coloured Primroses and treated myself to 6 pots, intending to plant them out in the garden.  But when it started to rain heavily and with a forecast of several degrees below freezing I decided to keep them indoors, enjoy the lovely perfume of them and save them from drowning or freezing!