Golden Beach Gets a Makeover Part 3

You might remember that, back in the autumn, our beach was reduced to a shadow of its former self. You could barely walk along it any more. All rather alarming.

 But modern technology in the shape of an invasion of  infernal machines came to the rescue. Now here is what it looked like yesterday. A big fat pipe running the length of the beach - and down which sand was shooting, the dredger still out on the horizon.

Most people were ignoring the danger signs and climbing over to sunbathe and hunt for sharks' teeth as usual. Someone had conveniently piled up banks of sand in places to facilitate this.  Nice to see Americans thumbing their noses at elf'n'safety for once. And the beach is now indeed a lot wider.

And today there has been frenetic activity - much beeping of reversing bulldozers at either end and the pipe has been dismantled, the sections piled up. All very promising.

Because of course they've realised they are running out of time. It all has to be done by 15th April, which is not only the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic but as my neighbour informed me, Turtle Day. Get out of the way, the turtles have marked their diaries and are coming to lay their eggs and heaven help anything that disturbs them.

 Gerroff my patch!

Sun Sun Sun!

The blog has wangled a few days in Florida. Yippee! I had almost forgotten what it's like to be warm.

The shabby-looking tree at the back of the garden that I last saw in January looking sorry for itself, suddenly has blooms..

The bougainvillea's still holding its own..

And the confederate jasmine I rashly purchased (before I realised that it doesn't bloom till May), has survived and has even welcomed me with one little flower...

But what's happening on Golden Beach?

 Watch this space.....

Happy Easter from Bexley

 Ohio that is, not Ted Heath's old stamping ground in south London.  But the Ohio version could almost be in Britain. It's a picturesque enclave hidden in the urban conglomeration of Ohio's capital, Columbus.
  A place where you can walk to the shops and no house looks the same as its neighbour

Where there's scope for imagination

Quaint alleyways

Bungalows American-style

And pretty cottages waiting patiently for spring

Which is just starting to spring as it's been a hard winter here too. Though some daffs are out

And blossoms almost ready to pop

And surprise surprise! Snow drops in America!

And you never know who might be sitting on the porch

(Meanwhile his friend

has been stuck up there a very long time.)

There are Easter egg trees

And someone else  

Is getting busy

No, you didn't see me!

 Happy Easter everyone!

A False Dawn

How pleased I was to see that - just one day later, the snow (see previous post) appeared to be receding.

And where I had, in the triumph of hope over experience, planted crocus bulbs, there were signs of life.

It all seemed to be getting better and better. Until this morning.

It's All Relative

Coming back to this may not be much fun after sunny, springlike London..

But it's a lot better than it was before.

Hubby and I, like the Royal Family, flew back separately, a few days apart. He took Air Canada to Toronto, which means a long drive but no changing planes and had no problems whatsoever. I took my chance with my friends at United Airlines. I got as far as Newark, (New Jersey, not Notts) only to discover that all flights to Buffalo were cancelled for the day. My friends at United apparently do not help with hotel accommodation if the weather is the problem. (It was raining and a bit foggy but I was puzzled as to why other airlines were landing in Buffalo quite happily - perhaps they have bigger planes.) But I met a most delightful airport volunteer who spent ages on the phone trying to get me a not too expensive hotel so I could spend the night in Newark and fly off the next morning. This turned out to be a Wyndham Garden, a new one on me, where everyone was very pleasant, though I kept getting locked out of my room as the key wouldn't work.  But don't let anyone tell you people in Newark are unfriendly. No Flying Turkeys on them. Having now accumulated many hours being delayed there over the years,  I can tell you there are worse places.
  Finally boarding the little prop plane, or puddle-jumper, as the Americans call it, yesterday morning, I was surprised to see the pilot come out of his cockpit before take off, introduce himself to the passengers and chat to us in a friendly way, thanking us all for flying with him. Perhaps, in view of recent events, he wanted to reassure us.  And in view of recent events I'm not going to complain about my own minor travel hiccups. It's all relative and things could have been a lot, lot worse.

Back in Western New York

After a memorable journey on which more details shortly.

(And guess what, it's snowing).

An English Interlude

There are some things not easy to come by in western New York, such as

Snowdrops

Daffodils in March (though we should have plenty in May)

A country pub on a village green

The Theatre of Dreams

And no snow!  I'm wondering what we'll be coming back to. See you soon!