The Year Of The Daffodil

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">This year</div><div style="text-align: center;">the daffodils have never looked more spectacular</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrxzcmkFXIwUM5BASw40zWTmw353vsTNH20A0XKvGt8_94Mkde0Gbnei179ZsNcGwMXhFixViNSnRy2J0MFJHNUzcpHwJd79iJSG94j9DoWYbG7YGP2rfvwa1ZTkBN28MdAGpgxTsESv5/s1600/DSC09572-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrxzcmkFXIwUM5BASw40zWTmw353vsTNH20A0XKvGt8_94Mkde0Gbnei179ZsNcGwMXhFixViNSnRy2J0MFJHNUzcpHwJd79iJSG94j9DoWYbG7YGP2rfvwa1ZTkBN28MdAGpgxTsESv5/s1600/DSC09572-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They must love wet feet</div><div style="text-align: center;">for this has been the wettest winter on record</div><div style="text-align: center;">and they've never looked better</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While England's national flower is the rose,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the daffodil belongs to Wales<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVhH6Wu6BIL4xXWbXhRbtgJVHElSaMZZ4bgdL5b9Jys0B7Rt2NynB9-qa3Pkn0OnXMmUFbsCzsE-ZRq_-osVZLNMMN4GzNsB7Vwa1F-ZwmrtTscz4mp-akAoVv4-leUAoWCWrcvvyTqEu/s1600/DSC04694-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVhH6Wu6BIL4xXWbXhRbtgJVHElSaMZZ4bgdL5b9Jys0B7Rt2NynB9-qa3Pkn0OnXMmUFbsCzsE-ZRq_-osVZLNMMN4GzNsB7Vwa1F-ZwmrtTscz4mp-akAoVv4-leUAoWCWrcvvyTqEu/s1600/DSC04694-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Let's take a look</div><div style="text-align: center;">at the effective ways daffodils are used in England...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Many are seen in lawns like 'bouquets'</div><div style="text-align: center;">in a lovely mix of colors and sizes</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkEWIBkV45gGEcmiZ209S-RDtK8JAeNcRuHHR8Bh_dd1IZsYEkpVy1yVhBPCY0-XZnYdQoX89VjAMRQuL6OSXsOOcBPHhVqkJDFnec7tJb1QY43mUAhe-YCgNh5RhTwmv6bGmZcyLvQze/s1600/DSC09541-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkEWIBkV45gGEcmiZ209S-RDtK8JAeNcRuHHR8Bh_dd1IZsYEkpVy1yVhBPCY0-XZnYdQoX89VjAMRQuL6OSXsOOcBPHhVqkJDFnec7tJb1QY43mUAhe-YCgNh5RhTwmv6bGmZcyLvQze/s1600/DSC09541-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you cut their leaves prematurely, daffodils may not bloom the following year</div><div style="text-align: center;">so lawn mowers mow around the area until it is safe to remove the leaves</div><div style="text-align: center;">(which is six weeks after bloom, according to the Royal Horticultural Society)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Notice this display is mostly white daffodils with a few yellow ones</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluw2-K3UlP2hQOag-H1PljtQ8vRgZPhctHp1msHaevVKDat_O6lJLSUWZaEw0XquAl7RL6R_JX7B1EV8LctBfD-fp45j_zfMfTNXiLH9UfwFNSZ_Gd1cIRKdbWIoCjZjZXz3gmJeonSED/s1600/DSC09554-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluw2-K3UlP2hQOag-H1PljtQ8vRgZPhctHp1msHaevVKDat_O6lJLSUWZaEw0XquAl7RL6R_JX7B1EV8LctBfD-fp45j_zfMfTNXiLH9UfwFNSZ_Gd1cIRKdbWIoCjZjZXz3gmJeonSED/s1600/DSC09554-014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Planting different varieties keep the look casual even in a formal row</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG6S9Z3C5opHiOlH6C0LWU5fk2R99dyVS2z1jxI_AVUXwKIzKw-FzrjoV4llVETFF8BxwFCfXeJgc0VhecAy12wWj9sbB-1tu4K3D4QGKTOZOF6z1uBFnOnko-N0jNYKA84mSbBui5Me1/s1600/photo+4-020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG6S9Z3C5opHiOlH6C0LWU5fk2R99dyVS2z1jxI_AVUXwKIzKw-FzrjoV4llVETFF8BxwFCfXeJgc0VhecAy12wWj9sbB-1tu4K3D4QGKTOZOF6z1uBFnOnko-N0jNYKA84mSbBui5Me1/s1600/photo+4-020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here they line a driveway</div><div style="text-align: center;">- what a wonderful greeting after a day at work -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPNOVpJsDBYGzOsgGqpJkOjJh-BLVCWfOEYyM4nTZcnulnmfXqZNvfeUVuBTEvtenWFoGEDZTBuLVNIA2Oj0emeHo6lituWk9fMNRlNk3PpjIoWcz8fNuIuTL8Lu3OYW2UFeAfFuGfwnt/s1600/DSC09545-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPNOVpJsDBYGzOsgGqpJkOjJh-BLVCWfOEYyM4nTZcnulnmfXqZNvfeUVuBTEvtenWFoGEDZTBuLVNIA2Oj0emeHo6lituWk9fMNRlNk3PpjIoWcz8fNuIuTL8Lu3OYW2UFeAfFuGfwnt/s1600/DSC09545-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I see them growing around features</div><div style="text-align: center;">such as under trees...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV9L_GLLXO0-IlT7jNz8fS2ncGFvzc2nVl-B7tz1Yu2hFyLjF7C2skZ5ogSQRbwbBNMavox1H-Iu7vWbw0s8RGfSg1zx4LiCyaSNaIVlerRIUr8tQHsEAVyI92-ao_rLC2vpE2YeuqamD/s1600/photo+3-023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV9L_GLLXO0-IlT7jNz8fS2ncGFvzc2nVl-B7tz1Yu2hFyLjF7C2skZ5ogSQRbwbBNMavox1H-Iu7vWbw0s8RGfSg1zx4LiCyaSNaIVlerRIUr8tQHsEAVyI92-ao_rLC2vpE2YeuqamD/s1600/photo+3-023.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> ...and around signs</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love this cheerful mix of colors and heights</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5HFW6SCJvZOEwF6gu0TWUFyYk3UmIA2tgGww-WIoYSK2un44Rqc1WbKQ12sF9pgKY6YGTV9zorwurFFLxbY3oaxz1AwQ2hOqRX1F4J1qnu4DBTmYy_6xjzTVM-KECepupdB9lD4R9Zjc/s1600/photo+2-021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5HFW6SCJvZOEwF6gu0TWUFyYk3UmIA2tgGww-WIoYSK2un44Rqc1WbKQ12sF9pgKY6YGTV9zorwurFFLxbY3oaxz1AwQ2hOqRX1F4J1qnu4DBTmYy_6xjzTVM-KECepupdB9lD4R9Zjc/s1600/photo+2-021.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And here's a wonderfully unique combination with perennial evergreen, <i>bergenia</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsCwNAhGLfT9vJWoZBl9GYy41MbpwDOTo1FminC_F8IjFdTpPGJtvp7vEWTpC5bRpSiMvGSOu38EUey_ajywkFyy3yZ1GSej64VSgVx-kz0pBKxaL1QWSVdaXYDi8hXeLdS7WxtIAANJq/s1600/DSC09637-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsCwNAhGLfT9vJWoZBl9GYy41MbpwDOTo1FminC_F8IjFdTpPGJtvp7vEWTpC5bRpSiMvGSOu38EUey_ajywkFyy3yZ1GSej64VSgVx-kz0pBKxaL1QWSVdaXYDi8hXeLdS7WxtIAANJq/s1600/DSC09637-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This hanging basket holds salmon & pink colored primroses</div><div style="text-align: center;">with a dwarf variety of daffodil</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7loEFOzhdU64GVSflXI_xH7HehSz4G05UfdNZbOscfulpZC1MiuXX88tiUHTCFABr2TsCiFmUSm_1rSiVy6uvJ7NKoZDXcG9Q2kX7OMxu7mxtuVCj5IO-hshjjPRxSW6rgctKI2Pybtr/s1600/DSC09608-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7loEFOzhdU64GVSflXI_xH7HehSz4G05UfdNZbOscfulpZC1MiuXX88tiUHTCFABr2TsCiFmUSm_1rSiVy6uvJ7NKoZDXcG9Q2kX7OMxu7mxtuVCj5IO-hshjjPRxSW6rgctKI2Pybtr/s1600/DSC09608-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Interestingly, tulips are not as widely seen in England</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Even in Amsterdam, </div><div style="text-align: center;">there was hardly a tulip to be seen last year</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure why this is - perhaps tulips just are not fashionable at the moment</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the US, I think tulips are just a touch more popular to grow than daffodils<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-Ki1Fx98R-c36fyRqz5hDLdMijDvGds385-EVjMu7e6m3HQOQhXM87q-FAsh0qPUjXdnQXH08WrPZMGGP6SrDYni3xMsUUFlIhlKdSXWazZ7EFzHjoOYVcXzkiH_4NoaMoVi6KpJFR4F/s1600/DSC04700-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-Ki1Fx98R-c36fyRqz5hDLdMijDvGds385-EVjMu7e6m3HQOQhXM87q-FAsh0qPUjXdnQXH08WrPZMGGP6SrDYni3xMsUUFlIhlKdSXWazZ7EFzHjoOYVcXzkiH_4NoaMoVi6KpJFR4F/s1600/DSC04700-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What do you think...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Do you prefer daffodils over tulips?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Visually, what is your favorite way to grow daffodils?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- all photos my own -</span></i></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

The Year Of The Daffodil

This year the daffodils have never looked more spectacular They must love wet feet for this has been the wettest winter on record and they&#...

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Creating Another Home

<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">This week you can find me over at <a href="http://themoksihomes.com/2014/03/creating-another-home-by-laura/">The Moksi Homes</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">answering questions about living in a rental home abroad</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">Here's a little taster - I hope to see you there :)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://themoksihomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DSC09619-001.jpg" style="color: #777777; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="DSC09619-001" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-504" height="740" src="http://themoksihomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DSC09619-001-1024x740.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 6px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="1024" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><b>Maureen: Did you move everything with you from the USA to England? </b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;">Laura: We brought everything with us because we were not sure how long we would be abroad or where we would relocate to next. Our furnishings, artwork, and knickknacks make each house feel familiar and cozy even though location, views, house layout, and neighbors change with each move. Many of our things have a story or memory attached, so I have no regrets about bringing everything with us although it is a bit of a hassle. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">As the kids get older, they have fewer toys. With each relocation, we purge a little more. And in this digital age, we have laptops, e-books, downloaded films, music, and photos. So we are fortunate that we are living in an era when so much of our ‘stuff’ is downsizing anyway. Moving gets easier each time.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"><b>Maureen: How did you cope with the domestic side of moving?  </b>Read more of the interview <a href="http://themoksihomes.com/2014/03/creating-another-home-by-laura/">here</a>...</div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br /><br />

Creating Another Home

This week you can find me over at The Moksi Homes answering questions about living in a rental home abroad Here's a little taster - I ho...

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A Smoky Sun

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">It's not until you stop seeing the sun for a prolonged amount of time</div><div style="text-align: center;">that you start to realize the indicators of a longed-for sunny day</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shadows</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunglasses</div><div style="text-align: center;">Squinting</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sun visor on your car</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunset </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmAtuuftX89NtT4BHVvkM9k7xdRFUsMLzBa0O-pY_FaUb3b_scvyAB9v8M9HN1hrWOHzbp8_Rx1bIHG_0iUROVPCHFi4Sl0D-bo5thWYIBxErrmLC5Gk_9yUqVEPx9ok71I0FKULNLeWC/s1600/photo+4-012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmAtuuftX89NtT4BHVvkM9k7xdRFUsMLzBa0O-pY_FaUb3b_scvyAB9v8M9HN1hrWOHzbp8_Rx1bIHG_0iUROVPCHFi4Sl0D-bo5thWYIBxErrmLC5Gk_9yUqVEPx9ok71I0FKULNLeWC/s1600/photo+4-012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">After such a bleak winter, the sun is out </div><div style="text-align: center;">and everyone is busy in the yard</div><div style="text-align: center;">burning their garden refuse</div><div style="text-align: center;">(unheard of in America with wildfire danger)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The yummy smell of burning leaves will always remind me of England</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxj86idPuRA3chqgBOY6jpZFwz3AuXg7P7as2YnehOFuDy3-bUFf6_UTocC9ASjLRl8BwVuyBlPkFwqlr7ibK9i_dl0ASVTLhqHYIf1h_fF-yzPcGYbBu5q7usuQp-Y68ZPWdqAhezHHQ/s1600/DSC_0101-0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxj86idPuRA3chqgBOY6jpZFwz3AuXg7P7as2YnehOFuDy3-bUFf6_UTocC9ASjLRl8BwVuyBlPkFwqlr7ibK9i_dl0ASVTLhqHYIf1h_fF-yzPcGYbBu5q7usuQp-Y68ZPWdqAhezHHQ/s1600/DSC_0101-0011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Due to all the smoke, we have had the most astonishingly beautiful sunrises and sunsets</div><div style="text-align: center;">with a haze providing an amazing filter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ahhh, such wonderful bookends to a day</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- photos by me -</span></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

A Smoky Sun

It's not until you stop seeing the sun for a prolonged amount of time that you start to realize the indicators of a longed-for sunny day...

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The War Of The Worlds & HG Wells

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">I've noticed that it is not always true when a book states<br />'Any resemblance to actual events or<br />locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental'<br /><br />To name a few, authors Jane Austin and Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)<br />cleverly wove locations, current events, and local characters into their stories<br />which would have been identified by their contemporary readers<br /><br />H.G. Wells was no exception<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozWFQPm2PNdjJymKH2gNmTP4xPF4di6c6YMzxyhkwYylBeyYHZIDxESLin5nlTAm53I8Jf3zzoz1xTPi_6Yskg-lfIuCP-P7v4oTkqm3BKvbnr-lje1UvcyExGfBpUjV3wIgxXaavyCVH/s1600/51FP9CQcmIL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozWFQPm2PNdjJymKH2gNmTP4xPF4di6c6YMzxyhkwYylBeyYHZIDxESLin5nlTAm53I8Jf3zzoz1xTPi_6Yskg-lfIuCP-P7v4oTkqm3BKvbnr-lje1UvcyExGfBpUjV3wIgxXaavyCVH/s1600/51FP9CQcmIL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-056.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-War-Worlds-H-G-Wells-ebook/dp/B00B0X3SUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393862200&sr=8-1&keywords=war+of+the+worlds+book">Amazon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Imagine my delight when I discovered that in 1897<br />Martians roamed past 'my' local craft store in Woking, Surrey<br />in 'The War Of The Worlds' by H.G. Wells<br /><br />The storyline of the book is<br />Martians arrive in spacecrafts outside London and<br />use heat rays and poisonous gas to destroy anything and anyone in their path<br />as they make their way toward the capital city<br /><br />The reader can follow the narrator's journey<br />through Woking to Leatherhead, Weybridge, and Walton<br />The routes haven't changed much in a hundred years!<br />(H.G. Wells was a keen cyclist and knew the roads well)<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuFXEKLac-Bl5x0nQCoYh-3a2p3mJbtEvQ0pwOsn2OJNpWr0RXF_j_UUP0GAtGLUooNpIu8aduKeKi7ZgN_wZL7izDwE6Hz5NUynL30qxsBGfUuUk8V9xQMi293XClPDquCPF73TO3_bv/s1600/DSC09259-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuFXEKLac-Bl5x0nQCoYh-3a2p3mJbtEvQ0pwOsn2OJNpWr0RXF_j_UUP0GAtGLUooNpIu8aduKeKi7ZgN_wZL7izDwE6Hz5NUynL30qxsBGfUuUk8V9xQMi293XClPDquCPF73TO3_bv/s1600/DSC09259-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house Wells rented during his short stay in Woking</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although Wells only resided in Woking for 15 months,</div><div style="text-align: center;">it is where he wrote 'The War Of The Worlds' and wrote most prolifically </div><div style="text-align: center;">(7000 words a day versus his typical 1000 words)<br /><br />At the time, Woking was a 'cemetery town'<br />meaning it was where Londoners were laid to rest<br />due to a lack of burial space in London<br />(and still is)<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrDuufhhYSJ7TWxZean1VJI7cHb19rGpMsGptzoyrZ0tM8t_Ee94oWSxDRdm2qNuSFkmQnuEV7MLIoyUPpsO5xq-tfSsxJ_is1rq58MFXM8Ho8GUiDv3YjllGQQ-DMOACTRWmeBCrLQhV/s1600/DSC09261-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrDuufhhYSJ7TWxZean1VJI7cHb19rGpMsGptzoyrZ0tM8t_Ee94oWSxDRdm2qNuSFkmQnuEV7MLIoyUPpsO5xq-tfSsxJ_is1rq58MFXM8Ho8GUiDv3YjllGQQ-DMOACTRWmeBCrLQhV/s1600/DSC09261-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street H.G. Wells lived on</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Victorian England was concerned about a military invasion</div><div style="text-align: center;">by Germany and/or France<br /><br /><i><b>'She seemed, poor woman, to imagine that </b></i><br /><i><b>the French and the Martians might prove very similar. </b></i><br /><i><b>She had been growing increasingly hysterical, fearful, and depressed.'</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The British people felt the military force at home was weak and vulnerable</div><div style="text-align: center;">while the British Empire was expanding its tendrils abroad<br /><br />I believe Wells questioned the actions of the Empire<br />a few times in his sci-fi novel<br /><br /><b><i>'Surely, if we have learned nothing else, </i><i>this war has taught us pity - </i></b><br /><i><b>pity for those witless souls that suffer our dominion'</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Internationally, </div><div style="text-align: center;">tensions were mounting between European imperial powers</div><div style="text-align: center;">as World War I loomed in the near future</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Wells foreshadowed the use of poisonous gas and flying machines in war)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Society also was concerned about refugees</div><div style="text-align: center;">flooding the country from Ireland and Eastern Europe</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">An 'alien' was anyone born out of</div><div style="text-align: center;">'faith and allegiance of the king of England'<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GstVDSK1_10LhH7mMJMy1QuOuWnMKwaab5cEK5mBsPmAt8iTA9GO2ijSSuK6Ea4Kj6Yf9UpPZRnj0kDg8KQypyYW2JukxniCxjwVqERrsR1Sc41wWIGqLbV5z-dz3TSL1-w8oWaUVxxd/s1600/DSC09240-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GstVDSK1_10LhH7mMJMy1QuOuWnMKwaab5cEK5mBsPmAt8iTA9GO2ijSSuK6Ea4Kj6Yf9UpPZRnj0kDg8KQypyYW2JukxniCxjwVqERrsR1Sc41wWIGqLbV5z-dz3TSL1-w8oWaUVxxd/s1600/DSC09240-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The initial Martian landing was in Horsell Common<br />'...not far from the sand pits. An enormous hole had been made<br />by the impact of the projectile, and the sand and gravel had been flung violently <br />in every direction over the heath'</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Popular culture was fascinated with Mars</div><div style="text-align: center;">as modern telescopes were seeing new lines on the planet </div><div style="text-align: center;">that could have been water canals built by Martians,<br />they theorized</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So the Victorian fears of foreign invasion, </div><div style="text-align: center;">'aliens' coming to England,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the fascination of Mars</div><div style="text-align: center;">all culminated into the storyline </div><div style="text-align: center;">of 'The War Of The Worlds'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">H.G. Wells received clarity of his plot</div><div style="text-align: center;">as he walked Horsell Common<br />which he could see from his house</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgmrdO6nAYqaYSdpuxn2WCMarzyBuLi2AbCu9ZBKvqoD_x6lSTpLMsJRZTTqOmMD2x55b5E8TEh0JTp4-CB4l9nSJO0UD7cNI0NXkh46wS4_ULzmANXt2yN-wMY0fIJyeVdTY2TcvoFGI/s1600/450px-Woking_tripod.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgmrdO6nAYqaYSdpuxn2WCMarzyBuLi2AbCu9ZBKvqoD_x6lSTpLMsJRZTTqOmMD2x55b5E8TEh0JTp4-CB4l9nSJO0UD7cNI0NXkh46wS4_ULzmANXt2yN-wMY0fIJyeVdTY2TcvoFGI/s1600/450px-Woking_tripod.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alien statue in Woking to commemorate<br />'The War Of The Worlds'<br />via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />With the help of Wells and lesser known authors,<br />Surrey became the 'cradle of science fiction'<br /><br />and Wells became the pioneer of 'alien invasion literature'<br /><br />My, how classic literature comes alive when you know the backstory<br />and can walk the real settings of a novel<br /><br />Just had to share!<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- photos by me unless otherwise noted -</span></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lecture by Prof Peter Beck, walking tour by Iain Wakeford, Wikipedia</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

The War Of The Worlds & HG Wells

I've noticed that it is not always true when a book states 'Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, ...

Read more »