04/04: SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Wow, Spring has definitely arrived here in Whitstable.   We've had a few warm sunny days and the blossom on our fruit trees is looking gorgeous.   The words to a little ditty keep running through my mind:

The spring has sprung the grass has riz
I wonders where the birdies iz
The birds are on the wing I heard
Should not the wings be on the bird

I remember it being quoted by Spike Milligan but just had a quick Google and it seems there are lots of variations of the rhyme and it was probably written by an American author called Frederic Ogden Nash who was born in 1902

We've been home from Fuerteventura for a week now and what has really struck me is how lovely (and loud) the birdsong is.    Its probably the thing I miss most when away as the garden birds are really 'going for it' just now - I especially love the Blackbird and Robin songs but even the little Dunnocks have a lovely call

Here's a robin singing away beautifully

and a dunnock

Blackbird - this one has claimed our damson tree as 'his' territory.

Sadly not all our garden visitors are as melodic as these.

We get a lot of these Herring Gulls - they like to congregate on the roof of our neighbour's house and they are VERY vocal.    This one was on our roof a couple of days ago but he did pose beautifully for the camera.      Apologies for the obtrusive watermarks.     I was experimenting with different marks  - normally I use Faststone to resize the photos for my Blog and watermark the smaller images but I accidentally hit 'confirm' too soon and spoiled some of my original large photos 
 

These Black-headed gulls are much better behaved.     They have just got their Summer plumage hence the black (dark chocolate brown) heads.  In the Winter they just have a small dark smudge behind each eye.  We don't see these in our garden, I photographed this pair on a rooftop when I was walking along our local beach recently.

The squirrels have worked out how to flip open the seed feeder lids

David chased this one off and then tightened the spring clip/catches.    Half an hour later this squirrel was doing its best to loosen the lid again ... so far the catch is still holding up but not sure how long it will be before the squirrel works it loose.    You have to admire their determination and intelligence

I'm afraid I haven't got any new work to show yet.   Things have been hectic this week.   

I've painted the bathroom walls (twice), we went to France for the day on Monday and we've spent a lot of time visiting kitchen appliance shops to decide on the oven and hob we want installed when the kitchen is remodelled at the end of the month.   

However, I have finally found a frame for the gorilla picture which will be exhibited at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham soon.   I need to get a mount cut for it next week and then both pictures are ready to be transported - the exhibition runs from 28th April till 10th May.

28/03: BURNING OF THE SARDINE. Corralejo 2014

The Burning of the Sardine marks the end of Carnival on the Canary Islands - I believe on mainland Spain they have 'burial' rather than a burning.   It took place on Sunday evening and we viewed the parade, the burning and the fireworks with friends before finishing the evening with a Tapas Meal in town.  It isn't such a grand affair as the main Parade which took place on Saturday evening but still great fun and the fireworks are spectacular

As always there is lots of crowd participation and the 'sardine' is paraded through town with lots of wailing 'widows' and mourners.   Here's a selection

Always one isn't there??   LOL

This was the sardine prior to being paraded through town and burnt on the beach.   In keeping with this year's carnival theme (Terror) the trolley/support has a vaguely spooky appearance

Photos never do justice to fireworks do they, but I like the effect of this one as the picture was taken without benefit of a tripod (or steady hand)

So that's all over for another year .... but Fuerteventura folk love to party and I believe there is just one (or maybe two) months of the year that doesn't feature a festival or parade or similar here.

We are now back in England and getting back into a routine.   I plan to be back at the drawing board soon

23/03: THE CARNIVAL IS OVER ..... Corralejo 2014

Well almost over  .... just the Burning of the Sardine Ceremony + fireworks on the town beach tonight.

We have soooooo many photos from last evening's Parade.    The floats were impressive but I really enjoy seeing what the 'ordinary' people are wearing/doing.    Here's a selection.   Without commentary, except to say that as usual there are lots of men dressed as women (and some of them are very good at that)! and of course lots of alcoholic beverages.  The theme was 'Terror' but in reality there was a real assortment of characters and we recognised some outfits from previous years' carnivals which were obviously being reused

Some photos were taken when it was still daylight.  In theory the parade starts at 6.30pm and takes 2-3 hours.   It can get very chaotic at the end so we like to be there at the start and then wander off to have a meal halfway through.

Claudina Morales is the local Mayor(ess) and President of the Canary Coalition and Social Party - obviously not popular with all the people - hence the RIP notice below and the group of grave-diggers accompanying it who pretended to dig a grave for her on the local roundabout!