Friday, April 8, 2011

A day on Jersey



I flew to Jersey for the day mostly to find the memorial to Portia Owen Hemery. Portia's father William Fitzwilliam Owen was granted Campobello Island and there is a memorial to Portia in St. Anne's Church on the island. She died and is buried on Jersey and her memorial there is in St. Luke's church. After finding the memorial I walked around St. Helier and the water front before flying back to Guernsey.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Sausmarez Manor and Gardens

Visited the Manor house and gardens this morning the gardens and statuary were lovely and the house was very interesting and we had an excellent guided tour but unfortunately photography is no allowed inside the house.

Sausmarez Manor and Gardens

Sausmarez Manor and Gardens

Monday, April 4, 2011

Candie Gardens, St. Peter Port, Guernsey

A beautiful morning in St. Peter Port. We walked up to the Candie Gardens in another section of the city, well worth the walk.

Candie Gardens, St. Peter Port, Guernsey

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Nazi underground hospital Guernsey. Built with slave labour.

Visited the underground hospital this afternoon. Very depressing all I could think of was the hundreds of slaves who died constructing it. Can't imagin how miserable a place the world would be today if the Germans had won the war.

Nazi underground hospital Guernsey. Built with slave labour.

Nazi underground hospital Guernsey. Built with slave labour.

Click on any of these photos to be taken to my flickr account and more photos.

Over the Sea to Sark



Had a wonderful day on Sark yesterday very beautiful little island. If you click on the cow photo below it will take you to my flickr photos and several more photos of the area.

The ladies of Sark

Friday, April 1, 2011

Ferry ride to Guernsey and the first two days in St. Peter Port



Made this little video on the ferry trip to Guernsey and during the first two days of our stay there. If you click on the photo of the wall flowers below that will take you to my flickr account and some more photos of the area.

Wall Flowers

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A walk around St. Malo



Today is our last full day in St. Malo we leave by ship for the Channel Islands in the morning.


St. Malo

The Angleus at the Mont Sainte Michel Abbey




Spent the day at Mont Sainte Michel yesterday and made this little video there .

Monday, March 28, 2011

St Malo


St Malo, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Took the TGV from Paris to St. Malo this morning about a three hour trip. When we arrived the fog was in and now it is raining. A beautiful old walled city we walked the ramparts all around the city before it started to rain.

Walking the town wall St. Malo

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Eiffel Tower


Eiffel Tower, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Paris has been wonderful beautiful and warm. I've had a hard time getting on the internet from the hotel but I just managed to upload some photos. If you click on this one it will take you to my flickr account where you can see the others. Off to St. Malo by train this morning, for a few days.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Crocus March 14, 2011


Crocus March 14, 2011, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Spring is in the air. It is amazing how fast things can change. A week ago we had several feet of snow everywhere and today my next door neighbours crocus are in bloom. Mine are still under the snow but a few more days of good weather and they will be out too. As you can see from this picture of Pussy Willows that I took in my front garden today I still have some snow yet to melt.

Pussy Willows

Calais Walk March 13, 2011(Taken on the way home)

Yesterday's Pathfinders walk was in Calais Maine and on the way back home I stopped at this field in Whiting Maine to watch the deer feeding. They come to this field every spring as it is one of the first places where the snow melts down to good grazing due to it's southern exposure. In all there were about 10 deer in different parts of the field.

YouTube Century


YouTube Century, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

YouTube Century. I got my 100th subscriber to my YouTube Channel this morning.

http://www.youtube.com/user/dalecalder2003?feature=mhum

Some other data about my channel:

I have posted 134 videos, they have been viewed 35,492 times and my channel home page has been viewed 4,776 times as of this date.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Tropical Southern New Brunswick March 4, 2001.



There is just a bit of snow in my garden. Other than the snow a look at some early seedlings and upcoming plans for this spring.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Silver Laced Wyandottes

Well as soon as I get back home in April I plan to start building my Chicken coop and when it is finished I will place an order for day old chicks with Randall Burkey Company for five female and one male day old Silver Laced Wyandottes. I have considered many breeds and even thought for a while I might get a mixture of breeds but the more I think about it I want a large breed that is gentle and winter hardy so I've settled on the Wyandottes. The information below is quoted from Murrary McMurray hatchery I have ordered from them many times in the past but this time I only want a few birds and their minimum order is 25 birds.

The Silver Laced is the original Wyandotte and the other varieties were developed from it later with crosses on other breeds. It is an outstanding example of American poultry breeding ingenuity and is one of the most beautiful breeds we offer. It is colorful, hardy, and productive. The broadfeathered, smooth fitting plumage is sharply marked. The general appearance is silvery white and lustrous greenish black as each feather is edged in a contrasting color. The close-fitting rose comb and good body size are valuable assets for winter laying. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother them at all as their hardiness and vigor keep them laying straight through the winter. They lay a nicely shaped, good sized egg, varying from light to rich brown and will set some. This is another excellent variety for exhibition. Baby chicks vary from almost black to light silvery gray and many have contrasting light and dark stripes on the back.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Fifty Day Time Lapse of Capsicum Annuum - Black Pearl Chili Pepper




A YouTube friend in Alabama and I exchanged seeds and she sent me two varieties of Chili Peppers. I planted these in the light garden some time ago and on January 11th started taking video clips to make this time lapse video.

From 'Wikipedia:

Capsicum annuum is a domesticated species of the plant genus Capsicum native to southern North America and northern South America

The plant is a perennial, but usually grown as an annual, with a densely branched stem. The plant reaches 0.5–1.5 m (20–60 in). Single white flowers bear the fruit which is green when unripe, changing principally to red, although some varieties may ripen to other colors including brown and purple.

The green foliage is highlighted by purple veins and beautiful purple flowers. Sturdy plants grow 30-36" tall and produces 3-4" fruits similar in shape to a jalapeno, but black in color ripening to red.

While the species can tolerate most climates, they are especially productive in warm and dry climates.

Due to this climate tolerance, and the variety of flavors available, this New World plant spread across the world, possibly faster than any other crop.

The species is a source of popular sweet peppers and hot chili fruit, and numerous varieties are cultivated around the world. Despite being a single species, Capsicum annuum has many cultivars, with a variety of names. In American English it is commonly known as a chili pepper or bell pepper.

In British English, the sweet varieties are called peppers[3] and the hot varieties chillies[4], whereas in Australian and Indian English the name capsicum is commonly used for bell peppers exclusively and chilli is often used to encompass the hotter varieties.

Sweet peppers are very often used as a bulking agent in cheap ready made meals/take-away food. This is because they are cheap, have a strong flavour, and are colorful. The colorful aspect of peppers can increase the visual appeal of the food, making it more appetizing. However, foods containing peppers, especially chili peppers, often have a strong aftertaste. This is likely due to the presence of capsinoids in peppers. Also, capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers, creates a burning sensation once ingested. This sensation can last up to several hours after exposure. As a result, this can lead to a prolonged aftertaste

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Look who is under my bird feeder this morning.

(Not a great photo taken through glass and a screen) This beautiful cat belongs to a neighbour but she visits frequently and she is a great hunter. A few years ago she killed a partridge on my property and returned for several days until she had eaten all of it. Never seems to have much luck at the bird feeder though, it's in the open and they see her coming. She is very shy I love cats and have tried to get close to her for years now but as soon as I speak to her she runs back home.