Prelude to a Hat...

Death on the Beach

 No, not my death (again). 
  Although we would forgive you for thinking it as we haven't been around much lately.
 Death. You know, tall chap, on the gaunt side, wears black and carries a scythe? Well, anyway, him.
 As it happens, I haven't actually seen him down on the beach myself as he's not really one for sunbathing, but is very good at skinny-dipping- 

Emaciated-dipping, more like!

 Well, yes, but I know he's been around lately - and not from coming across his rather distinctive footprints in the sand - rather coming across other evidence.
  But before we get to the macabre, lets have some triffids and such:

An array of Common spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) growing on the cliffs in Overstrand

The tide's in

It's A Faaaake! Not The Art Of Star Trek - Foreign Relations

  You can blame The Very Mistress MJ for this Star Trek-related post.
 And that we have all these photos of cardboard cut-out Trek aliens on the beach from June's Art Challenge...
  Well, yes, but The Very Mistress made the egregious error of assuming that just because I like Star Trek, I must also like Star Wars.

I don't think she even knows the difference!  

Even I know, and I'm the SubConscious of a witch born hundreds of years ago!

  Quite. So, as punishment, The Very Mistress must wade through this post full of very similar photos of Star Trek aliens having some summer fun and showing the love on Overstrand beach.
  But, before we get to the photos, here is the challenge as set by the winner of the May Art Challenge:

So being that it is June and the summer is here, lets see your best Trek summer creations, it's all about the fun of summer, camping, swimming, all recreation, so either turn a shuttle into an air stream camper, or summer surfing on Risa, but ya gotta use a summer theme, even a cruise liner... ::Ahem:: lol*

The only rules are no battle scenes, no war ships.. It's summertime lets show the love!

* The challenge setter's entry for June's challenge is a space cruise liner!

Showing the love, indeed. They're not going to kiss, are they?  Are they?!?

Ew! Gross!

Awwwww... They're in love (vom)

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Öööh ... thingy?*

... otherwise known as "The Seaside Snack That Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hand"

 Yes, it's time we put you out of your misery and revealed what last week's Item of Interest actually was. Despite cries of it being a facehugger (LẌ), an albino's penis head (Hound), and Winnie the Pooh cosplay porn (yes, thank you, Mr Peenee), the item in question was...

::drumroll::

A sea gooseberry (scientific name Pleurobrachia pileus)!

 These little blobs of jelly can be found around the coastlines of Great Britain and northern Europe from early summer to autumn, often washed ashore where they gleam like jewels on the sand.

* Thank you Mago for the post title. 

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Items of Interest: Gooseberry Fool

 Yes, it's back. After a little over a year four months since the last one, Items of Interest returns!

 What - you may be asking - has prompted this comeback? Well, just something I overheard from one of you. Oh, and that this is quick and easy as I have had (and will have) very little time to myselves what with getting The Parents' moved into their our new abode, and dealing with The Royal Visit, aka the arrival for the weekend of Indescribable, The Little Witch, and Babyzooky.

  Hey! Hang on a minute... You've just copied the last Items of Interest post and crossed out the bits that don't apply!!
 So? We're busy, aren't we?

And tired.

Lazy, more like...

  Shush, you two!
 It works, doesn't it? Anyway, you're a fine one to talk.
  What?!
 You started this copy/paste malarkey here - and it wasn't even our own blog post that you copied!
  Oh, get on with it then...     
 Thank you! So, on with the show: For those of you who are new to this, or have forgotten what to do since the last Items of Interest post (and the one that brought us the infamous "nylon netting shower pom pom on a string thingamie"), the rules are as follows:
 Just guess what these particular photos are of and, if you're very lucky, win a prize (yet to be determined)*. And I don't mean the photo up there as that's the logo image (from The Towering Disco Inferno). No. The photo's below (after the jump).

Covered in Bees!

I popped down to the beach for a swim a little earlier, but instead I got:

[Eddie Izzard via GIPHY]

::

  Not really. But I did walk up a stretch of cliff that was covered in bee orchids (Ophrys apifera). I'd never noticed them before, but then I rarely climb up the cliff*, instead preferring to walk up the promenade slope or the steps behind the beach huts.

Aren't they stunning? The flowers really do look like cute little bumble bees.

Quick! To the Cat-Cave!

 I've just got time to post these follow-up photos from Underground Owl. After all, what's the internet for except for cat pictures and porn?
 As usual, click to embigulate (but not by much).

 I nearly didn't bother with any snaps as I made my way through the underpass again yesterday, but then I remembered Dinahmow's light pestering and, with a sigh, found Phone at the bottom of my bag and took these photos.
 

Beside the Seaside, Beside the Sea

 Well, this is our first day of residence in our new abode - converted hippocampus stables at the top of the cliff (but not precariously so, we hope) in Overstrand. 
  After waking up amidst the clutter of yesterday's moving day mess, and imbibing a strong coffee to fully join the land of the living, we decided to make the most of our new location (and the brilliant sunshine), and take a walk on the beach. Sorting out the boxes and bags and the like can wait until later.

 Or tomorrow.

 Or next week!

Having alighted gracefully on to the beach from the cliff top (and not fallen down it at all. Not even a little bit), this is the view west towards Overstrand's main beach

From whence we came.
That little hut is not the new Castle DeVice - we live a little further along on the right

Overstrand East beach with Sidestrand just a little further on

Triffids Amongst the Blackberries

  I'm just back from my first sea swim of the season, and have just enough wits about me to share these few photos from the end of May (the 28th). They should tide us over until I can come up with something a bit more interesting:

A cinnabar moth seen on a walk into Northrepps

From the Sidestrand/Northrepps border in Overstrand, Cromer Lighthouse in the distance, with Overstrand allotments looking like a small shanty town on the other side of the field.

It's A Faaaake! Not The Art of Star Trek - Driven To Distraction

  As we haven't had a Star Trek-related post for a little while - what with all the Norfolk photos and all - I thought I'd treat you to an extra long one!
 Don't worry, you can describe your pleasure and thank the Host profusely in the comments, as usual.

Sigh...

  Yes, after a three month absence here on this blog (two months at Trek BBS), may I present the May Art Challenge (as set by the winner of the March/April challenge):   

My idea is to choose anything from any Star Trek movie or series after the original and redesign it as if it had happened in the original series (TOS).

Think of how George Lucas handled the Star Wars movies and series- Doug Chiang was told not to reimagine or reinvent the work of Ralph McQuarrie from the original movies, but extrapolate from them. That's what we want to do here. Try to imagine all the latter Treks as if they were going on at the same time as TOS or immediately after. You might want to use as inspiration this creative collection of photo manipulations placing the TOS ship in later Treks.

Good luck and Keep Trekkin'!

  For the May Art Challenge of TOSifying (with thanks to an adult male Borg of my acquaintance for the descriptive term) a later Trek design to a TOS style, I eventually decided to take on the flight suits as worn by Tom, Banana B'Elanna, and Harry in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Drive". I originally mentioned doing the flight suits as a joke, but with the month nearly half gone at the time, I knew that if I didn't commit to something, I'd just let it go until next month (when I'd probably not do anything either).
 
  So, first up, my inspiration (screenshots from TrekCore), followed by the progression of my design (as with many things in life, remember that clicking enables embiggenment):

Stay indoors, Icarus!

  Whether you want it or not, I've just got time for a quick photo-update before the weekend. This edition sees a Monument to Daedalus - as photographed in the gardens atop Castle Mall (Norwich) early on Wednesday morning - and last night's wonderful sunset off the coast here in Cromer.

Monument to Daedalus, by Jonathan Clarke

Bird shit and graffitti are optional extras

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Breakfast Brings Lifeboats and Cormorants

  With nothing in the larder that I fancied for breakfast this morning, I toddled off into Cromer to see if I could find a nice Danish pastry or something. The unexpectedly pleasant weather meant that I stayed out far longer than I intended. I mean, what did I have to go back so quickly for? Yet more sorting/packing/cleaning and that Trek Art Challenge!

I was just in time to see Cromer inshore lifeboat launched for manoeuvres