Life, Holiday and Everything Else In Between!

It's over a month since my last post and I have been trying to rectify that but as we know sometimes life just takes over!

Apart from being busy with so much going on, (both good and bad) we have recently returned from a very peaceful and relaxing holiday. Nearly 600 photos for a week (it's OK I will not be posting them all, but will be posting some of course!). 

A lot of my IT/Computer time has been taken  up with my I-pad. Having had my computer wiped last year I was devastated to have the same thing happen to my I-pad the day before my holiday.

This all happened because I wanted to transfer my music library (which I had taken a year to upload again since the wipe-out) onto my tablet to take away with me. I-Tunes would not allow me to do it until I  upgraded to I.O.S. 9 from 8. In trying to do this it would not accept my password and user name and because one is only allowed an allotted number of tries my tablet was disabled by Apple. 

I was horrified to learn from the Apple store that the only solution (because of security) was to have it wiped clean and taken back to factory settings. I was horrified. Added to that the i-pad was not backed up in the Cloud. I had not known that one had to set the tablet to do this.

Having taken almost a year to get my computer back to where it was I was ready to throw the whole thing out of the window!! Like with all of these things I did not know exactly what I had lost until I came to use things.

The biggest loss was around 5,000 photos. Some of these photos were on my computer but not all and the hardest thing to accept was all the videos of my Grand children. Those golden moments when one just had the i-pad to hand and starts shooting! The 1,000 songs did not matter as I had just finished loading onto my computer from C.D.'s.

Apps can be downloaded from the Cloud as they automatically stay there (there were 45 in all) but all had to be re-registered etc. One of my favourite Apps, the Glo Bible, for which I paid £25, will not allow me in except for the basic Bible text therefore not being able to access the thousands of Biblical photos, interactive tours, maps and videos, even though I have it on my computer. Fortunately my documents are still in the Pages App. I am not talking about games apps by the way but useful things like Maps, Kindle, Google Earth, Facetime, Calender, Weather, radio, etc. etc. etc.

At the same time I had a very genuine looking E-mail from my provider telling me that my mobile phone was to be cut off the following day because of not being able to process  my payments. It turned out to be a dangerous Spam trying to get all my bank and security details. 

All this after a neighbour crashed their car backwards into the front of my house before abandoning it! 

Well I am sure that You have had enough of this so I will end on a pleasanter note by posting the following pictures of the October roses that greeted us on return from holiday.

This bush was over 7 feet high!

Back soon with holiday pics

Leigh-on-Sea in September

A sunny day forecast so we take a break and drive out to the Estuary (Thames)

We spend the morning wandering around the town (lots of individual and interesting shops and galleries) before a nice lunch of Lasagne, salad and garlic bread.

We then walk down the cliffs

and look out over Two Tree Island where the cliff vegetation is beginning to look very tired b ut left undisturbed for the wildlife

We walk over the bridge across the railway line

and make our way through Old Leigh

where many people are out eating seafood and enjoying the sun

The tide is out since my first photos this morning except for a channel for the fishing boats

Many places to eat

including a tearoom next to a pedestrian bridge over the railway line

We pass a museum

and a smart restaurant with a deck over the water

the Sea Scouts hut

two more Pubs

and finally a great fresh fish outlet

before walking along the waters edge for a mile or so

( somewhere at this stage I put my camera case down while taking photos and did not realise for some time - so double-backing added a bit to our walk but there was my case just where I had left it)

The tide on the Estuary goes out a couple of miles at this point. When my children were young we used to love walking out to a ship wreck and swim in the warm water that had collected in the hollow where the ship was resting

and finally Chalkwell comes into view

Time to begin walking back

I have posted on Leigh many times in the past so thought taking you with me on the walk would be of interest 

The Voice Weekend at Pilgrims Hall

I can't believe that over a week has gone by since our Bank Holiday Weekend Conference at Pilgrims Hall 

The marquees ready a few days before

so just a few random photos

Three hundred people attended during the 3 day and 4 evening event.

Some people camped while some used hotels, many lived near enough to commute and guest speakers from afar stayed at the hall

Some of the time it was dry and a lot of the time it was long spells of torrential rain but it did not dampen spirits

Food outlets on site were good, both hot and cold.

We had to keep the area in front of the house clear for ambulance or fire engines to turn ( health and safety) but thankfully not needed and the only time the first aid tent was used was for a volunteer with a cut finger!

The campers had a bit of luxury even if they did get wet getting there

One of the late night chat shows

It was a wonderful weekend, challenging, inspiring, informative and it was great to see the different Christian ministries working and flowing together

RSPB on Rainham Marshes

While having grandson Oliver to stay last week our days out where of wild life and nature reserves.

Here we are at one of our local RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) reserves next to The River Thames

Looking down on the Blue Dragonflies

did not manage to capture them on my camera

Spying a Frog

Many board walks cross the marshes and waterways

He spotted a Heron, Godwits, and a Marsh Harrier and three flocks of Canadian Geese circling

Not another photograph!

An old discarded Ant Hill with tunnels running through it

Grandma decided not to go through the tunnels but just walk to the top!

Then half way round Oliver thought he would explore a turn stile! Of course it was a one-way style! We had no choice but to follow him, especially as the river was just over the bank.

So tea and cakes and ice-cream at the visitors centre (where we had lunch) instead of completing the walk.

We had walked the riverside before lunch.

Boys will be boys