Entente Cordiale (Ain't Just for Nations)

 Something we had quite forgotten about until recent days was the sequel to our Taiwan adventure back in 2012. Along with the fact that I had also met German birdwatcher and temporary resident

BRUNO WALTHER

and later wife MEG with friend LU LIN
we had not only enjoyed some very profitable Birding together but also the

DELIGHTS

of some

TAIWANESE

Street Cuisine.
However, the whole gig had been arranged around the 2012 Olympic Games which was not going to be missed even for this. Having been heavily involved in the run up to the sailing event trials of the 2008 Games before, as the course layer and one end of the start gate and safety boat, surely the memories would come flooding back. The only fly in the ointment was that the whole thing was refered to as The Weymouth Olympic's Sailing Event while the heart of the matter was firmly stationd at the PORTLAND Sailing Accadamy!

However, early morning on the day I caught the first bus to Portland Bill from where the Olympic Torch was to be ignited with a series of runners transporting it to Weymouth. At the aftermath it was decided to follow it and get a photo of myself at the Olympic Rings Statue at the Weymouth Railway Station and a firm handshake from one of the Torchbearers.

(don't know who the Whipper Napper was but he had a medal and who's counting?)

Already posing there was a young Oriental lady whom I simply could not but approach to ask her origins with the answer being the most 'unlikely' Taiwan. Assuring her of my honest intentionand and that we would not stray off the Straight and Narrow she agreed to my proposal of showing her around my beloved Weymouth and Portland over the coming days.

An international student at Bournemoth Univercity, she asked if her Chinese friend could join us on the following day, which formed a further delight, and a Dutch male classmate on the final day.

We covered a lot of ground from climbing the Lower Light Lighthouse at Portland Bill, which is the Portland Bird Observatior, Tout Quary with all its budding masons and sculpters, the Accadimy itself and as shown

The Kings Statue in Weymouth
Dedicated to King George III who brought the delights of swimming in the sea to the towns notice and in time the rest of the country.

Unfortunately, all other images seem to have been lost to the eather but our rambles turminated at the mighty fine

Crab House Cafe

on the cusp of the Fleet at Ferrybridge, seperating Weymouth from Portland, and in full view of the unique

CHESIL BEACH

While looking for nothing the Students parting gift to me was typically Far Eastern this

Rice Paper Kite
which is valued as much as any of my trophies!

and by chance also met the Omani crew in the Soling Yacht event.

I will fly a yellow paper Sun in your sky,

when the wind is high, when the wind is high.

I will fly a silken silver Moon near your window,

if your night is dark, if your night is dark.

In letters of gold on a snow white kite, I will write "I love you".

And send it soaring high above you, for all to read.

Kites - Simon Dupree and the Big Sound

(later to metamorphos into the fabulously punchy - Gentle Giant)

Flowers in the Rain - The Move

Maybe as well we didn’t set any Moth Traps on Thursday night as the drizzle started at 02:00 with the precipitation simply getting heavier throughout yesterday. Not a real problem with the Insects, as at this time of year there are usually a few residual specimens of First’s for the Year, tucked away in the locker which included:-

COMMON LUTESTRING

BROKEN-BARRED CARPET

POPLAR GREY
along with

PALE MOTTLED WILLOW
However, as seems to be becoming the norm, yet another Mohamed Moment as again via a phone-call from the Golf Greenkeepers we took delivery of something we have never seen before

a pair, found 'in' the 6th hole on the course, of mating,

copulating,

fertilising

(call it what you will)
Many Thanks Go Out to Gerry and Ian.
Otherwise just a Bunch of Flowers which owe their identification to John Gifford with thanks.

BITING STONECROP

The more normal Pink / Blue hue along with the

less common variant of the all blue
VIPER'S BUGLOSS
which having lived on Portland for a number of years and then been a regular visitor would have Identified this myself given another lifetime!

DAME'S VIOLET
all found within Airport property and

HEATH BEDSTRAW
(yes you've got it, on the Heath)

while
WATER CROWFOOT

is rapidly carpeting both of the northern ponds.

The Kids Are Alright - The Who Part II

 After the visit of Lizzy and Fred last week we were champing at the bit to entertain the other 2

BENNY (in mum's arms) and ALEX (second from left).
With memories as sharp as their computer skills there seemed to be but one thing on thier mind, so after the rest of the tribe left to persue other adventures we reminded ourselves of this statute which still remains in law to this very day!

All English males over the age of 14 must carry out at least 2 hours of Longbow

Practice every week, and we were not going to get ‘banged up’ for falling fowl of this! 

Alex the Archer

Benny

The Bowman.
After a rather extended period of sheer delight it has to be said it was time to lean on the lyrics of their fellow countrymen (Australian) Midnight Oil to get them to move elsewhere.

Put down that weapon or we'll all be gone,
you can't hide nowhere with the torchlight on.
And it happens to be an emergency,
some things aren't meant to be, some things don't come for free!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzEwCc4WVKs

Put Down That Weapon - Midnight Oil

During that period we did catch the first sights of the newly fledged

KESTRELs

which were somewhat reluctent to fall to the Canon, but not so this

RYANAIR
outward bound and a

SONG THRUSH

presumed feeding young.
On the way to the Moth Traps the

HONEYSUCKLE

was found to be in full bloom as the boys started investigating the

Trapping Setup
and the

Forest Itself - nice to get it tidied up a bit!
With HAWKs proving to be the Great Favourites.

LIME HAWK-MOTH

PRIVETE HAWK-MOTH

ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH
and after a hearty lunch

ALEX

took to the saddle with Jen in control and for every one that trundles out

one has to return.

A pre-bedtime check on the traps brought another Great Day to an end with the family
coming to collect the next day and with

Dad and Mum getting in on the picture this time and be assured

there are no FAVOURITEs here!
The lunch at the Horns Public House just down the road was worth every penny and adding to an already perfect day an Old Flame Lorraine was also in attendance - YES!

Out where the river broke,
the blood-wood and the desert oak.
Holden wrecks and boiling diesels,
steam in forty five degrees.

 

The time has come, to say fair's fair,

to pay the rent, to pay our share.

The time has come, a fact's a fact,
it belongs to them (Aborigines) let’s give it back!

How can we dance when our earth is turning,
how do we sleep while our beds are burning?

Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpkGvk1rQBI

Two of the BEST if not the BEST Two protest songs ever written!