Tunisia 2: Colosseum

As promised yesterday, here are the photo's of the Roman Colosseum. This is the walkway which goes all the way round the inside of the structure - very tall and impressive!!

These 2 pictures are a panorama of the view seen from the top tier of the seating, taken by my DH.
And this is DS standing in the cavity under the arena. This is where the gladiators, wild animals and slaves etc waited until it was their turn to fight.

Tomorrow is the Sunrise over the Salt Lake and the Troglogyt caves.

Tunisia part 1

I have so many lovely photos from Tunisia that I thought I would post just a few a day over the next 4 or 5 days. We stayed in Sousse and this is a lady weaving in the local Souk or market. DS was very interested. Despite the language barrier they found they could converse well in french and she kindly let him sit with her for a while and watch what she was doing. I found that all the Tunisians we met loved children and had endless patience with them.

A view of the entrance to the souk.

One of a number of beautiful mosaics on the walls of the souk.

Proof that it sometimes rains. This was the beginning of a spectacular thunderstorm!!!

Thats all for today - tomorrow it will be the photos of the Collusium.

That Sinking Feeling

I came back on Sunday night from a week holiday in Tunisia with DH and DS. As I walked into the lounge/dining room I got this sensation that something wasnt quite right. The computer desk seemed to be sloping!!!!! I walked a bit further and the earth moved.........one of the floorboards was definately bending. and there was an ominous creaking sound.


We quickly put down our suitcases and investigated. Of course, I did the mature thing.......put the kettle on and called to DH for his toolbox : ). It turns out that one of the sleeper walls which the joists rest on had cracked, causing the joist to move and all the floorboards at that end were sloping downwards. Not good in the snow etc!!! I now have plastic on my floor and a 2" gap between my kitchen and living room with a howling gale going through it - I've stuffed it with newspaper but my cats seem to see my efforts as a challenge for them to investigate LOL

Heigh-ho - normal service re: sunflower swifts will NOT be resumed for a week or two. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer floorboard in the right place and an even floor even more than I like making yarny tools.

Hyacinth Scarf Finished

My scarf is finished : ) It is made from 1 skein of Merino from the Yarn Yard (330 metres) and I used the Little Leaf Scarf pattern by Sivia Harding. After blocking it measures 9 1/2" x 54" - just right for under my coat. I love the way the colour zig-zags through the knitting in various shades of blue/lilac. My Teddy loves it too and was happy to model it for me - the trouble is, she doesnt want to give it back LOL

Frogs Welcome Here!!

DS has decided we need a pond for Frogs and other wildlife. Off we went to the allotment to plant some stuff etc and, 3 hours later, here is a hole. DS dug it ALL himself and has made a pretty neat job of it in my opinion. Next weekend the pond liner etc goes in. DS is going to landscape it with 'frog friendly' plants (whatever they are) and a ramp-type arangement for newts etc to get in and out. The pond will be slightly sloping and will be filled/topped up by a clever system involving the roof of the sun house, guttering, and an irrigation system for the fruit bushes next to the pond. DS seems to have got it all worked out. I blame it all on Bill Oddie and Kate Humble.........

Cats and Fibre

My girl cat, Rowan, has fallen in love with my new fibre. It is Merino 64 and I bought 200g in Safflower from Freyalyn. Freyalyn is a new dyer I have discovered on Ravelry and she hand dyes some lovely colours. Rowan sniffed the fibre, then snuggled it for a moment, then stood guard while I was trying to get a good photo - the problem was, she wouldnt move far enough away so she is my fibre model for today. The merino was all wrapped up beautifully. I put it on a ball to get a photo which captured its variey of plums, red currants and deep copper gold. Sadly my camera wasnt up to the job, I think its time to get a modern digital camera.

Of course, my boy cat, Ebony, wasnt far from the action either!!! He watched it all intently from the sidelines and supervised my every move : )

This is a close up to show the depth and even-ness of the dyeing. Beautiful!!! I have put a link to Freyalyns etsy shop on my sidebar and I have this feeling that I wont be able to resist a peek myelf in the near future !!

FIL has Died

My FIL lost his battle against cancer on Wednesday 30th January. He knew about his cancer for 7 years. He had had symptoms for the previous 2 years but dismissed them as 'old age' and wasnt diagnosed until it was inoperable. He was 76 years old when he died.

Please, any of you with men in your life.......encourage them to check for prostate cancer. There is a simple blood test which can be done to indicate if further investigation is needed. The outlook is very good when it is detected early. If my FIL had been aware of the PSA test or the symptoms to look out for he may still be here.