Hungry Leopard

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1165474/Hungry-leopard-gets-spot-bother-falling-well.html

This Leopard is just GORGEOUS!! I dont know how people justify wearing fur - I know its a cliche, but it really DOES look better on the animal. I remember my gran had a chinchilla coat that she wore for Sundays and "best" days......even as a child I remember being repulsed by it - not understanding how she had a cat at home she adored, but happily wore a dead chinchilla wrapped around her shoulders (im going back a bit - im quite certain I had no idea exactly WHAT a chinchilla was, but I knew it was now DEAD and that was wrong, in my book)

Of course, things were different then, my Gran was a lovely lady, if a little headstrong, and she always respected that I required vegetarian meals when we stayed with her..........so she respected my views and being the gobby teenager I was, I let her have my views with both barrels.....!

Ive calmed down since then (well.......a LITTLE!)

Clocks go back tonight...

Oh Joy!! One less hour in bed!! As if I need one less hour in bed!!!!

On the bright side - spring has now well and truly sprung - daffodils are out in abundance, the cherry blossom is on the trees, and they are starting to put fairground rides on the beach at Weymouth in anticipation of sumer tourists.......

hhhmmm... tourists.....goes without saying that I have often been a tourist in my time, and they are a very, VERY necessary and welcome part of the Dorset economy, but I notice the traffic building up on the roads, the lovely sandy beach being covered in fairground rides, the town heaving with "foreigners" (IE anyone not from Weymouth!!!) and I know i am going to miss having a quiet walk on the beach in the evening, having my "me" time with the beach all to myself (well, apart from the odd dog walker!!).

Of course, the flip side of all this is that im watching "my" town change before my eyes - there is now an excited buzz in the air, when I walk into town or stop to chat to someone on the beach, its to a "stranger" who is always in the holiday mood and happy to chat about their life and where they are from. My partner and I have made many new friends from holidaymakers and I know that Weymouth wouldnt be the same without them.....

A lesson from Nature....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1164966/The-shocking-photo-shows-flesh-eating-bug-attacking-Ben-Fogle.html

I guess this shows that Mother Nature always has something up her sleeve.......

I feel for Ben - dont know how I would cope with such a thing, and he seems a really nice bloke - I remember when he made the Castaway programme, and how jealous I was when he got to row the Atlantic with James Cracknell!! - NAKED ladies, NAKED!!

I wish him well, and hope he has a speedy recovery....

xx

What the hell??!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1165011/Pictured-The-bizarre-South-American-armoured-fish-Leicestershire-canal.html

I presume some git had this as a pet or something and then dumped it in the canal......what a wicked thing to do to :0(

Day out in Sidmouth

Had a great day out today in Sidmouth - we have never been there before, and I was stunned - its absolutely beautiful. The sandstone cliffs are a gorgeous orange colour and this colours the sand as well. The weather wasnt too great - as to be expected in Britain in March, but in such a lovely location it didnt seem to matter. There are an abundance of rockpools there, filled with Mussels, for those that like to go foraging.

Ive posted some pics - just check out the scenery - stunning!

Man killed by komodo dragon

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1164425/Man-mauled-death-Komodo-Dragons-falling-fruit-tree.html I always remember seeing the gorgeous Steve Irwin being chased up a tree by one of these VERY impressive lizards. The Dragon bit a hole clean through his boot and made a hole in his ankle............they are so primitive looking - but obviously should not be underestimated! These two make my bearded dragon "Ozzie" look positively kittenish!!!

ppppick up a ppppenguin...!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1163393/P-p-p-petrified-water-The-moment-little-penguins-released-wild--little-encouragement.html

I know that the lovely people that work for wildlife centres get a tremendous amount of satisfaction when they release animals back into the wild .....but it must be such a bittersweet moment........satisfaction of a job well done, and also a tinge of sadness at saying goodbye to something they have cherished and nursed back to health.....what an amazing selfless job they do...hats off to them xx

Knackered.....and Pilot Whales

Im not sleeping at the mo...dont know why......my brain (well, what there is of it..!) seems to race about stupid things the moment I get into bed. Ive been given some aromatherapy oils from my friend, who owns a skincare company (www.heartbeauty.co.uk) and she reckons the lavender is great - I may have to give that a try tonight.

On a slightly bigger scale than my problems, check out these poor pilot whales in Australia - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1164364/Pictured-Tragedy-stranded-whales-mass-beaching-remote-Australian-coast.html nearly a hundred of them stranded and 72 have died. So, so sad.........

I am in the unique position of having the flat to myself today - BF has gone to work in Devon and Child has gone to school. I was chatting to the lizard for ages earlier......im not used to being on my own!!!

Its 02.32 and I cant sleep :0(

On the bright side tho......I just found this article in the Daily Mail about Pissed Silverback Gorillas and I think it has made my day already.......!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1163991/Bamboozled-Amazing-pictures-30-stone-Silverback-gorilla--ends-sore-head.html

Ive had a so-so weekend - went out with friends Saturday night to a charity do in dorchester - which would have been great, but my friends bf is a recovering alcoholic, he couldnt handle being in a pub so they left early (pub not the best place for an alcoholic methinks....) Anyway, to make matters worse i got tipsy, the anti-depressants kicked in and I acted a total fruitcake.......I need to make a decision alcohol vs anti-depressants - after Sat night I think the anti-depressants will win!! I cant handle being out of control like that

Went to my in-laws today (well, yesterday now!) had a lovely time, one of the nicest mothers day I have spent in ages.

Gonna go back to bed now.......need to SLEEP!!

Some photos for you...!!

< Spider Crab

I took these on the beach this morning - there was lots washed up today - I think it must have been a stormy night....lots of baby spider crabs.....a HUGE Mussel, still attached to seaweed and a rather large "mermaids purse".....

<

A lovely morning - going back to the beach now for some sunbathing!!!

BBC Wildlife video.......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7940597.stm check this out!! it gets awesome at about 01:25!!

seeing as i have just given the bbc a shout......how about you guys giving me a slot on springwatch with chris packham?? *sigh* **drool**

Morning world!

Well, you cant say im not dedicated - its 05.55 in the morning!! The herring gulls have woken me up...........I personally love them.......I know they can be aggressive (who made them that way then eh?........tourists chucking chips at them, I suspect!), they certainly are noisy and some of them are bloody huge.......but they are majestic looking, dont you think? And the seaside would not be the same without them......................the sight of a white gull soaring against a luminous blue sky, or chillaxing on a mooring post in the harbour is as English as Fish n Chips and afternoon tea.......next time one trips you up in the high street - try to look at them a little differently!

Im off out tonight - a little nervous. I dont, as they say, "get out much"!! Im meeting my boyfriends mates from college - ive taken two days to choose my outfit and have done so many face packs and blackhead strips my face is as tight as a nuns **!

Anyway......time for a coffee......i will upload some photos soon......i've had a few discoveries on the beach lately that I want to share with you!

ciao bambinos

xx

Beach life

Is there ANYWHERE on earth more beautiful than the beach first thing? My son and I used to camp on the beach at Sandgate (near folkestone) when "dave" the bottlenose dolphin was there......we used to catch the number 10 bus from Ashford, straight after work/school and then buy burgers and set our tent up, right there on the beach, on the pebbles (!!) and just watch Dave breaching and snuffling around the groyne for food.

I can truly say those were some of the happiest days of my life (so far...!) just my son, the dolphin, the beautiful sunset over the sea and the weekend stretching ahead of us........BLISS! I remember that sometimes if it had been a particulary hot day, the air, everything around us, would turn pink......

I took so many photos of those nights, but my ex destroyed them........I left him after he tried to strangle me (i'd just announced I was going to babysit for a friend, and he didnt want me to........a logical response, I guess (??!!)

We would then spend a totally uncomfortable night on the beach, and be up 6ish to catch up with Dave and watch the sunrise.....the air would be crisp, but starting to warm, the horizon a little hazy, and you could FEEL that it was going to be a glorious day........you cant wake up in a bad mood when your day starts like that......its like the world is promising you things will get better............

first passed the post.........!

So this is my blog.....im going to tell you about all my adventures in Dorset........all about my past ........and about all the amazing people that i have met along the way (well.....some are amazing.....some are just sons of bitches, but you win some, you lose some!)

I also want to share all the amazing, beautiful dorset scenery with you, the wildlife, the bush tucker.....the whole shebang.........hold on.......Its gonna be a wild ride!!