Your Programme Will Contiune After This Short Break

So, it's been a little while and I'd love to say I've been ridiculously busy, alas it's much the same old stuff occuring in my little world at the moment.  New stuff includes a recent foray into the world of keeping fit via torturous devices contained in a mirrored room which smells every so slightly of musty old socks...yes, I've joined a gym.  From the advice of my doctor, because apparently exercise is good for you...who knew ;-)

Other bits of stuff include the continuing dry spell, indeed parts of the country are under a hose pipe bans and others have had flash floods.  My little town seems to be avoiding both currently, although it's now turned muggy as hell, a few steps outside leaves you sweating like a Sumo wrestler after injesting a packet of red hot chillis...great for burning off the calories I guess...less so for the amount of times you have to change your shirt in a day.

My is mostly a mixture of brain teasers, reading and writing these days, though I have been out locally a couple of times.  A visit to a nearby seafront gardens to see the impressive and very colourful blooms and a exploration of some nearby footpaths...of which I was sure to take a few pics to add some visual stimulus for this otherwise bland blog post.

First up Marine Park Gardens which is a 15 minute walk away and a mere stones throw (pardon the pun) from the beach.  I know I've shown pictures of this garden before but this year those involved with the garden have put together a very impressive and colourful display...Even after a group of chavvy vandals pulled up a bunch of plants and chucked them into the fountain the day after they had been planted...grr arg!

A floral nod to the anniversay of the Battle of Britain during WWII, I don't think Bognor was much of a target during the war, but saw more than a few stray bombs as Germans lightened the load. A Junkers 88 and a Messerschmitt 109 both ended up in the waters off Bognor during the Battle of Britain, as did a Spitfire...which I believe is still out there.

A bunch of local junior school kids put together this mosaic sun dial for the sensory aspect of the gardens, though when I tried it out it seemed to be 15 minutes slow ;-)

The next walk I did was a short 4 miles round trip and is only 10 minutes away.  I stopped by to feed the (rabid) donkeys on the way then on to a footpath leading across corn fields

The whole area was once an airfield used during WWII, so I dread to think what may be hidden under the earth round here.

And if TPTB had their way this whole area would become a new housing development...a couple of thousand pointless houses or argricultural land with these views...huh, it's a ponderer right? 

It started off dry and very hot as I wandered along the dusty tracks, then as I turned to make my way home I spotted this ominous sky creeping up over the downs.

Found a pleasant little corner of the field filled with vivid blue corn flowers, which unfortunately don't look quite as vivid or blue in the photo.

Yup, there's that arty farty button on the camera again

I did like the way the tractor marks and large cracks gave the impression of the Mid West and found myself whistling a touch of Ennio Morricone as I decided to get a shift on back to the homested.....

....Before this decided to dump it's load.

Even though day turned to night, as I walked back home, not a drop of rain fell once again in Bognor, so dads two 40 gallon water butts will just have to remain empty and the grass remain brown for now.  That evening was subsequently really comfortable for sleeping...if you like it muggy, sticky and hot as Hades!