An English Spring

Except for a couple of cold snaps and frosts, I think this has been the most gorgeous spring.  I've heard more than one person around here say so.  Has spring been beautiful where you are?  Are your flowers and trees putting on a show this year?  It helps a lot, here in the south, when the weather doesn't turn hot too quickly.  The heat tends to shorten the bloom time for the spring flowers.

I told my husband earlier this week that it feels like we're having an English spring here this year.

Sharing "A Bit About Britain"

I think most of you who regularly read my blog have probably figured out that I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  There are several British blogs that I follow, and I really look forward to reading their posts and seeing images of beautiful Britain.

Today I'd like to introduce you to Mike, who authors the blog, A Bit About Britain.  Mike lives and works in England and writing his blog is one of his hobbies.  I discovered A Bit About Britain a year or more ago, and I really enjoy Mike's posts.  The dry British sense of humor that my husband and I enjoyed when we were there comes through in Mike's writing.  My family can tell you that I'm not one of those people who is silently amused.  When I'm reading something funny, everyone knows it because I laugh out loud.  Many of Mike's posts are laugh-out-loud funny, and of course I had to share them with my husband.  (See "A Visit to Scotney Castle" -- beautiful castle and very funny post).

I was very taken with Mike's most recent post (probably because I had just returned from the coast) and after reading it, I decided that I really need to share this with some of my readers.  I know I'm not the only one of my fellow bloggers to have visited England, so I thought you might enjoy this blog.  Mike writes about almost every region of Britain, including Scotland and Wales.  His posts contain current photographs of all these wonderful places, but he also shares their history with us.  For history geeks buffs like me, that's a win/win situation.  ;)

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The English Town of Tring

Hello folks.  I haven't disappeared, but it feels like I have.  I haven't been posting or commenting for over a week.  I mentioned previously that I had been feeling under the weather and thought it was probably allergies.  Whatever the problem, it's sure slowed me down, but I'm really thankful I haven't been as sick as a lot of people this winter.  

My Christmas decorations are still up in the living room (including the tree) and the dining room.  Every time I thought about writing a post, I just couldn't seem to find the energy or inspiration.  This post finally got done after a series of starts, stops, and changes.  So glad that I haven't had the flu, but I seem to have had a bad case of writer's/blogger's block.

Since I don't have anything really new to share, I'm taking another little trip down memory lane today.  I have just a few pictures to show you of a little town called Tring, in Hertfordshire, in the south of England.

Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England

This week I've decided it's time to post another installment of our trip to England in 1999.  Last year, I wrote about London, The Bellows Mill Hotel, and Stratford Upon Avon.  My husband was working on a computer software installation for his company, and I was able to travel to England and Ireland with him in the early spring of 1999.  It was a trip I'll never forget.

The company my husband works for has a  facility here in our town, as well as in Leighton Buzzard, England and Kilkeel, Northern Ireland.  Leighton Buzzard was a cute town; not in the least like the villages in the Cotswolds or the coastal regions.  Still, it had its own brand of charm and unique architecture.

May Note Card Party -- Images of England

Our good friend Vee, at A Haven For Vee, is hosting her monthly Note Card Party.  This party is one of my favorites because we get to look back through our archives and pick a few favorite photos to share with readers who may not have seen them before.  I love seeing other people's note cards because even though I may read their blogs regularly, chances are I haven't seen these particular posts.

This month, I'm sharing some images from our trip to England in 1999.  As I explained in my previous posts, these pictures were all taken using a point and shoot camera with film (no digital cameras for us back then).  As of this year, the pictures are 14 years old; they're not perfect, but I think they've held up pretty well for the most part.  I hope you enjoy!

"View From a Double-Decker Bus"
London