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The Cheshire Cat Blog
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August 2011 |
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photo: Noah seeks summer on Ysgyryd Fawr, South Wales, by © Mike Piff
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Summer has so far been a bit of a wash-out in many places in the northern hemisphere, with ferocious storms, leaden skies and record rainfall, to say nothing of rogue hurricanes in the North Atlantic. Tough luck for holiday-makers, great news for umbrella salesmen.
The Cheshire Cat's special correspondents put on their raincoats and gumboots and went out and about in search of signs of summer. Some of them paddled up the wrong creek and have yet to reappear. But while we're waiting for their safe return, here are some of the snaps sent in by those already back in dry dock.
See also: Desperately seeking summer part 2.
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"Nope, it's not over there."
Noah searches for summer among the Welsh hills.
photo: Ysgyryd Fawr, Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales, by © Mike Piff, Belgium |
Holmes and Watson are on the case.
Our intrepid investigators go to Brussels to search for the secret of summer ....
photo: The boys at the Atomium (www.atomium.be), Brussels, Belgium by © Sara Blyth
...in the heart of the atom.
This photo has a mouseover effect.
photo: The boys at the Atomium (www.atomium.be), Brussels, Belgium by © Sara Blyth
Summer sports 1: aqua flying
Handy tip for rainy days: try the flying lessons offered at your local indoor swimming pool.
photo: © Sara Blyth, Belgium |
"Anything you can do I can do better."
photo: "Freddy the Fantastic Flying Fish", Codswallop-on-Thames
by © Gordon Mcleod, Menai Bridge, North Wales, UK |
No flying fishes or diving children disturb the tranquility of this "Holy Lake".
photo: Heiliger See bei Altkünkendorf, Brandenburg, east Germany
by © Peter Hinze, Berlin, Germany
"Not Tuscany"
photo: near Grumsin, Brandenburg, east Germany by © Peter Hinze, Berlin, Germany
Primal forest
This area of birch woods and lakes near Angermünde, Brandenburg has not been farmed or commercially exploited for over 160 years and is due to be assigned as a world heritage site.
photo: near Grumsin, Brandenburg, east Germany by © Peter Hinze, Berlin, Germany
Olly the nature reserve owl
photo: near Grumsin, Brandenburg, east Germany by © Peter Hinze, Berlin, Germany |
Summer sports 2: trainer-flinging
In many cultures, being able to afford more than one bird-box is considered a sign of prosperity. But this family has gone one step further in order to demonstrate just how cool they are by flinging a pair of expensive trainers up onto a length of platinum wire they just happen to have lying around in their garage. How ostentatious can you get?
The new cult of flinging sports shoes onto lamp posts, telephone lines, etc. has caught on speedily all over the world. It's quicker than grafitti and requires slightly less skill, and while you don't get your monika writ large in quite the same way, you also have less chance of being arrested: being caught "in possession" of a pair of shoes is not yet as incriminating as geting copped with a bag full of spray cans. We expect on-the-fly trainer-flinging tips to begin appearing on the internet quicker than you can say "Book him, Danno!".
photo: © Gordon Mcleod, Menai Bridge, North Wales, UK |
A-tisket, a-tasket
'Tis a summer fruit basket
photo: Summer fruit from Kostas' garden, Vrasna, Macedonia, northern Greece
by © Konstanze Gundudis |
Dragonfly summer
A dragonfly's life is spectacularly colourful but extremely short. A few minutes' pause to examine a corn stalk is about equivalent, in human terms, to taking a 3-year lunch break. Perhaps this insect was an investment banker in its former life.
Find out more about the life cycle of the dragonfly at www.dragonfly-site.com.
photo: ancient citadel of Didymoteicho (Διδυμοτείχο), Thrace, Greece by © David John
Stalking storks
That dragonfly better be on the lookout or else he'll end up as an appetizer for this family of storks, who will eat just about anything, although they generally prefer something more substantial as a main course, like a nice juicy snake. This makes them welcome guests for local farmers but not so popular among the reptile and rodent populations.
They are not fussy, either, when it comes to choosing building materials for their nests, and will use anything that they can scrounge, including plastic shopping bags and paper. As long as it ties the place together...
photo: Koufovouno (Κουφόβουνο), Thrace, northern Greece by © David John
"Don't worry, Missus, I'll have it fixed in a jiffy."
When things need repairing around the house, it's essential to know where to find reliable help. This guy is good, and he doesn't charge much, but he's only around between May and September. That's the only problem with these migrant workers: they never seem to be there when the central heating breaks down or the water pipes freeze. Maybe he'll take a look at the TV antenna and the roofing tiles while he's up there.
photo: swallow in Didymoteicho (Διδυμοτείχο), Thrace, northern Greece by © David John
Summer sports 3: human rides
If you are a half-way handsome equus with enough strength to carry a homo sapiens, put a bit of zip into those slow summer days and supplement your income by giving riding tours of your home village. Always drive a hard bargain with your human customers: the going rate is a bale of hay for a 3 hour tour, plus a couple of apples or a large carrot as a tip; you can charge extra for the optional saddle *. Try to avoid customers with bony knees.
[* Sources: Hoofington Post and Gallop International. Please note: fees may vary in accordance with local currency exchange rates; remember, hay prices can go up, tiddly, up, up as well as down, tiddly, down, down. If in doubt contact your neigh-bourhood tour guide representative.]
photo: horse and rider on a bank of the Erythropotamos (Greek: Ερυθροπόταμος, "red river"), Didymoteicho (Διδυμοτείχο), Thrace, northern Greece by © David John
At the end of the day, you can enjoy the fruits of your labour, relax and watch the humans scurrying frantically around in the valley below.
photo: horse on the ancient citadel of Didymoteicho, Thrace, northern Greece by © David John
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Aspects of summer
Put your mouse
over an image to see further details.
Icarus junior
Freddy flies again
on the black hill
too wit too woo
hanging around
Grumsin by name...
dejeuner sur l'herbe
Familia Cigüeña
Atom Boy
fruity
bird on a wire
inside the atom
"a horse is a horse,
of course,
of course"
O moon!
All photos
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Permission to copy or republish photos must be gained from their respective authors.
If you wish to use any of the photos for your website, blog or publication, please get in contact.
Higher resolution versions are available on request.
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Waiting for the sun
Just before sunrise over Mount Pangaeio on the North Aegean coast.
"Thar's gold in them thar hills!" Mount Pangaeio (Pangaion, Pangaeus; Greek Παγγαίο) is a range of mountains north of the Macedonian city of Kavala. Its highest peak, Koutra, is 1,956 metres high. Originally part of ancient Thrace, it became famous for the high quality silver and gold from its mines. Philip II of Macedonia (382-336 BC), father of Alexander the Great, conquered the area and its riches in 357 BC (see The Cheshire Cat Blog, May 2011).
photo: Last of the Harvest Moon, Vrasna, Macedonia, northern Greece by © Konstanze Gundudis |
"Yeay! I'm on top!!"
Noah conducts the clouds over the Welsh mountains.
photo: Ysgyryd Fawr, Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales, by © Sara Blyth, Belgium
You can see more photos by Mike Piff and Sara Blyth, featuring the daredevil Noah and a host of other stars,
in their Picassa Web Albums gallery at
mike&sara's Gallery |
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Responses to this blog
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They'll be wearing them at Ascot, next year.
Roger Greatorex, Paris |
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