Sunday & Thursday Swim: Double Helping

P ♡ M is upside down, not me!

 Another sunny day means another dip in the sea.  Or two. 
 Yes, there are two lots of beach photos here - I couldn't post Sunday's on Sunday because I didn't want to rub Jon's nose in how bright and sunny it was here while he was suffering yet more rain in That London (we had all our rain on Saturday, then more on Sunday evening, as I recall). 
 Oh, and Jon?  While I didn't get stung by a jellyfish, I have just been stung all the the arm by nettles while clearing a path up my embankment!

 Anyway, on with the show.  This first lot of photos are from Sunday - the tide was on its way in (in fact, it was almost at its highest point when I left - compare the first and last photos), and so were the clouds:

Thursday Swim: Calligraphy & Cake

 Before we get to the calligraphy and cake - I can tell that you're all just a quiver with anticipation! - I have some photos from the weekend to dump here offload graciously share.
 Sunday saw a lunchtime, post-rain wander up Tower Lane, across the field and down the road to the skewed railway bridge, across to Madams Lane, then back home.  Along the way, various things caught my attention, including these closed bindweed flowers on the right which look like they're holding hands.
 There were also, baby toads (some of which may have been trampled underfoot - oops!), that mossy post again, a dead tree that Beaky guards for some reason I've yet to fathom, butterflies, and - once home - a bloody massive bumblebee!

Saturday Swim: The Seven Sigils of Groyne

 "And, lo, did the seven sigils appeareth on his gnarled and ancient groyne!" - - Anon

  Or somesuch...

 Anyway, before we get to all that groyne-related malarkey, something else is afoot.  And I don't mean The Host's pale and slightly repulsive effort on the right there.
 Hey!  I think I'll carry on with this, thank you.
 Fine.  You do that.

 So, just after 8:00 this morning, we ventured down to the beach again for a swim before the tide went out and the tourists and daytrippers arrived.  I don't think Camera was on board with the relatively early start, as it got all moody and sullen, as the photo below demonstrates:

Sunday Swim: Plane Sailing

 This morning was warm enough, and the tide was about right early enough, for a swim in my (June) 2020 Swim Spot (see map in previous post).  The photo above is how it looked when I got there.

s'all right, I s'pose...

 After my swim, and on my way back home, I saw this little sailing boat (you can't really make it out on the first photo below, but there is a cormorant [unless it's a crow?], and some wally on a paddleboard).

And then there were two...

 Right.  I think you've all had enough of that Star Trek stuff, haven't you.  So, as I haven't got much else in the way of distractions, here are some photos from the last week or two.
 First up, the End-of-the-Line from just after my second sea swim on 28th June:

Forties Sentinel standing watch

Art Trek: Aefvadh

It's the beginning of another month, so you you know what that means: Star Trek time!

In Times of Crisis…

As we’ve all seen, 2020 hasn’t been such a stellar year up until now. We’ve got a pandemic on our hands, social unrest, a climate that’s going haywire… The list goes on.

But we’re here for something else. Something optimistic. Something better! June is Crisis month, and I ask of all of you, should you choose to tackle it like it’s nothing, to show us what the Federation does in times of crisis. Show us the heroics, the sacrifices, the lone ship sent to rescue the Kobayashi Maru that started it all.

In short: show us the best that the species can get while helping each other!

 This theme, as set by the winner of May's art challenge, had me stumped for the first week or so.  I didn't want to depict a crisis - I didn't want to deal with fighting, and sacrifices, and destruction even if someone (or some people) were going to turn on the heroics and effect a daring rescue.  However, I didn't want to sit this one out, either, so I started to think about the big crisis events that had rocked the Federation, wondering if I could somehow get around the actual event itself.

 The first thing that came to mind were the various Borg incursions (of 2366/67, 2373, and 2381), but they seemed unremittingly grim.  Then the 2387 destruction of Romulus popped into my head - as briefly shown in the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie.  But it was the evacuation prior to destruction - as alluded to in the latest Star Trek series, Picard - that got my attention.  I thought I might portray the Federation in a more positive light than the cynical, distrustful, self-centred organisation as seen in (the really quite loathsome) Picard.

Infomaniac Garden Photos Event - Reminder #1

The House of

I N F O M A N I A C

10th Anniversary Garden Photos Event

is being held here rather than at The Very Mistress's this year.  Remember?

 We hope that you've all been pulling your green fingers and thumbs out, because the event of the year is only about three months away.
 Yes, I've almost settled upon when it will take place - I'm thinking the end of September-beginning of October.  That should give you plenty of time to get your luxuriant back passages (Jon), or overgrown jungle (Dinah), or Big Pink Bush™ (Ms Scarlet) in order.  Or to at least take some carefully angled photos so as to crop out all the crap - a bit like I have done, below:

 And remember, there will be a new section of the event this year: Terrifying Triffidery - a place for photos of monstrous plants or otherwise ordinary plants that have been photographed from odd angles/close up/while drunk which make them look otherworldly.  So, get inventive/within-2-metres/drinking and get that camera out!
 I may also introduce a "Guess The Plant" quiz, but we'll see if I can be bothered nearer the time...

 Oh, and unlike at The Very Mistress's, there will be no fat, naked, old men or women lurking in the undergrowth.  Sorry. 
 If we're lucky, Eddie Cibrian (or someone of his ilk) may pop by, though...

Saturday Swim: First of the season

 I had intended to take a dip in the North Sea at the end of May, but never did for one reason or another (probably for the best, as it was flipping freezing - I had paddled a few times, though...).  So, today was the first time this year that I've thrown myself in the drink.  And very pleasant it was too.  If flipping freezing still!

Unf!

No, it's not the over-exuberant release of a frustrated teenager (or The Host) 

Or snow.

Yes, I know it's a possibility.  The Great British Summertime does like its little jokes...

Art Trek: Princessium and the Po*

 Yes, it's time for another Star Trek art post!

 My starship arboretum got the most votes in April's art challenge, which meant I got to choose the theme for May.  And here is that theme (as approved by Captain Janeway's Queen Arachnia on the right there):

133 years from now, Princess Kaitaama will ascend to the throne becoming First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime.  This anti-time anniversary has inspired the theme for this month's Fan Art Challenge: Royalty!

I'd like us to explore Star Trek's links to royalty - however tenuous they may be.  People, places/palaces(?), objects, alien assimilators, starships... All of these and more feature in the Star Trek Universe.

And if you're not fussed by TNG's Princessium (symbol Di - yes, really!), DS9's Queen's Gambit, VOY's right royal knockout: Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People - all of which I'm sure Daughter of the Fifth House (etc. etc.) Lwaxana Troi, would have something to say about from her state room on board a certain Sovereign-class starship - then feel free to come up with your own Royal Trek idea.

Here are the rules for the competition:

The artwork you submit should be created during the month of the challenge

Only one final image can be submitted (although it may contain multiple views)

Your final entry should be posted in this thread (although dedicated WIP threads are appreciated)

And if you don't follow the rules: Off With Your Head! (sorry - I had to get a TAS reference in)

As always, you have until the end of the month - i.e. midnight (or thereabouts) Sunday 31st May - to come up with a Right Royal Star Trek something.

* as in Po (had to get a DSC reference in, too!)

 Despite coming up with the theme, I didn't actually have an idea for what I was going to do.  In fact, it wasn't until mid-May that inspiration finally struck after someone posted a picture of our current queen in a starfleet uniform.
 The British Royal Family do love dressing up in the fanciest of uniforms, so I did a hasty little sketch of 23rd century British Royal couple, HRH Prince Nikesh & HRH Princess Ayonparine (Andorian) decked out in their Starfleet dress uniforms. 

Tunnel Forking

 Just over a month ago, dear Mago rather bluntly asked if I had ever penetrated a tunnel.  Once I'd gotten over the shock of such an indelicate question, I cast my mind back and did actually remember a foray into a rather overgrown and skewed underpass...

 On a day drift back in April 2016 I found myself at the easternmost of Overstrand's two remaining whole railway bridges (there are at least two more topless bridges further west).  I made some half-arsed comment about posting photos of this bridge at a later date, but never did.  Until now.  Aren't you lucky?!

Here we have the aforementioned overgrown bridge at OS grid ref TG 25300 40144 
(or thereabouts)

The bridge's lower portions as seen from the coast side (complete with graffiti)

And the upper portions in which one can make out the bridge's skewed nature

~o~

EDIT 07/06/2020 14:45 - The rain finally stopped, so I went for a quick drift up to the bridge.  Here it is, from North face around to the South face:

~o~

 Anyway, back to the present (or at least the very recent past) with some photos from my blog-absence.

A Perfectly Cromulent Excuse

I know I haven't been around much lately.  I've been dealing with something...

Show yourself, whoever you are!