My Space Rearranged

I have been rearranging my space after the arrival of my new desk! This picture only shows my desk area, but just out of shot there are lots of books and more space for just relaxing :-) Oh yes and through that glowy area is my garden :-)

A central heating update: The gas board came round and did a really thorough job. Full system flush, a new pipe and lagging round the existing pipes! The verdict... one radiator is a bit iffy, sometimes it gets hot and sometimes it doesn't, I think it will need replacing :-/ and the woodpecker? I thought he had gone, but he keeps popping up now and then!!! More work needed.

& just to be irritating the bath tap has started to leak too...

Click on photo for a larger view.

Tales for the Inner Child

My flickr friend Sati has recently made a book using some of the beautiful images that she has created. The book is called 'Tales for the Inner Child' and can be previewed on the Blurb website. I had not heard of this website before. It looks like fun, you can even convert your blog into a book on there!!!

Sati's images can be seen on flickr, the ones in the book are all from this set.

Satori, originally uploaded by Sati K..

PhotoHunt - Glass

This is the stained glass window of the Oriel Chapel which is part of the Old Town Hall in Prague. You can see the window from the outside in my last weeks PhotoHunt picture of the tower. The chapel is situated on the first floor and was built in 1381. The windows of the chapel were destroyed towards the end of WWII and replaced in 1987.

The Jewish Quarter of Prague has some fascinating history and the oldest synagogue in Europe is situated there. The Old-New Synagogue was built around 1270 and is also one of the earliest Gothic buildings in Prague. It is still the religious centre for Prague's Jews. It was originally called the New Synagogue until a newer synagogue (which has since been destroyed) was built close too the existing one. The inside is quite fascinating, but it was far to crowded to get a good feel for it when I visited. The windows are quite different from those of the Oriel Chapel.

Click on photos for a larger view.

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Hippo's expressions make me smile :-)

Changing Viewpoint

For Sky Watch Friday.

The first view of the Wrekin hill I took in March last year. I took the second picture on my trip out and about last Sunday. It is the same hill viewed from the opposite side. After taking this shot I turned round to get the final shot!

I know which view I prefer...

...which do you prefer?

Click on photo for a larger view.

How Peaceful are You?

I try ;-)



You are the epitome of inner peace and total calm.

You are grounded, emotionally mature, and very wise.

While no one's life is perfect, you have a great amount of perspective on the world - and you place in it.

You Are 81% Peaceful

How Peaceful Are You?

Stonehenge - A New Theory

On 31st March a new archaeological dig started at the ancient Stonehenge site. The excavation is being undertaken by the BBC Timewatch team. The progress of the dig can be followed on the BBC History homepage.

"Timewatch archaeologists are carrying out the first dig for almost half a century inside the stone circle of the world's most famous Neolithic monument. Their aim is to unearth evidence for a startling new theory - that Stonehenge was built to heal the sick. Check this site regularly for video updates and breaking news."

The purpose of the dig is to find out what Stonehenge was really for. Two of Britain's leading archaeologists Professor Timothy Darvill and Professor Geoff Wainwright have come up with a new theory:

"The whole purpose of Stonehenge is that it was a prehistoric Lourdes," says Wainwright. "People came here to be made well."

This is revolutionary stuff, and it comes from a reinterpretation of the stones of the henge and the bones buried nearby. Darvill and Wainwright believe the smaller bluestones in the centre of the circle, rather than the huge sarsen stones on the perimeter, hold the key to the purpose of Stonehenge. The bluestones were dragged 250km from the mountains of southwest Wales using Stone Age technology. That's some journey, and there must have been a very good reason for attempting it. Darvill and Wainwright believe the reason was the magical, healing powers imbued in the stones by their proximity to traditional healing springs.

The bones that have been excavated from around Stonehenge appear to back the theory up. "There's an amazing and unnatural concentration of skeletal trauma in the bones that were dug up around Stonehenge," says Darvill. "This was a place of pilgrimage for people...coming to get healed."

Click on photo for a larger view.

These days it is almost impossible to visit the stones without sharing them crowds of people. I do have a vivid memory of a school visit to them. We were able to go and stand in the stone circle, look up at their immense height and touch them. As a young teenager from this viewpoint they were quite awe inspiring!