SHROPSHIRE

No-one under the age of 60 here. The birthday girl is the one in the white T-shirt. It was her 70th birthday. She lives in Spain and was over to visit her sister. We had a superb picnic at the turning point and a jolly time was had by one and all. :-)

DORIS DAY - I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES

The Sunday Challenge this week is rain. We haven't had a drop this week, so this evening I hung the garden hose with a sprinkler on over a support, turned the water on, and the hanging basket turned into tropical jungle.

The sculpture, the work of artist Alfie Bradley, named "Knife Angel," was created in Oswestry, Shropshire, by the British Ironwork Centre. It took two years to build. The knives were handed in by 41 police forces around the country during amnesties and confiscations. The campaign, "Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife," and the statue aims to raise awareness of the growing issue of knife crime throughout the UK. "The monument was created for one purpose, to highlight this extensive problem. Both government and the educational system need to open their eyes to the epidemic," the British Ironwork Centre's website says. Insets: some different views. Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife - live 1960

HFF everyone. I don't know what this area is going to be yet, but it is extremely well protected by a wire fence, barbed wire and netting. Another trip will be necessary.

The subject for this week's Sunday Challenge is Mother Earth. A huge subject, which one could interpret in many different ways. I chose to show a very traditional photo of a bare and recently ploughed field which will eventually yield potatoes. The PiPs show how Mother Earth is able to recycle many things, the pollination process which allows Mother Earth to be fruitful, and lastly some of the fruits of the season.

A new message from Christophe, but still lots of unsettled questions it seems. www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4659270

TODAY'S NEWS: www.ipernity.com/doc/serola/44631306/in/activity In the United Kingdom, H. non-scripta is a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Landowners are prohibited from removing common bluebells on their land for sale and it is a criminal offence to remove the bulbs of wild common bluebells. This legislation was strengthened in 1998 under Schedule 8 of the Act making any trade in wild common bluebell bulbs or seeds an offence, punishable by fines of up to £5,000 per bulb. The species is not protected in the Republic of Ireland. Unfortunately a related species, H. hispanica has also been introduced to the British Isles and hybridises with H. non-scripta to produce intermediates known as H. × massartiana. H.hispanica is commonly found in gardens and is sold in garden centres as H.non-scripta, and hybridisation may result in the disappearance of the pure species.

Sorry it's one day early, but we're away from today for the weekend.

Today's news: www.ipernity.com/group/2260604/discuss/186918/comment/50481064#comment50481064

Today's news: www.ipernity.com/group/2260604/discuss/186918/comment/50481064#comment50481064

Latest news: www.ipernity.com/group/2260604/discuss/186918/comment/50471600#comment50471600