London view, taken by me from the plane in January

Bollocks, it's July 4th and I didn't even realise it. Oh, well, I have joined the offending party. : ) 

world's first geology map by William Smith

Cornish geology

"The rocks of Cornwall have an amazing story to tell. They have been on a journey of 8,000 miles in just 400 million years. This journey has included tropical seas, deserts, volcanic eruptions and hot granites, mineral vapours rich in tin and copper and ever changing climate and sea levels" - Wildlife Trust.

In the Ordovician, the Rheic Ocean opened. The Avalonian superterrane broke away and took what is  now southern Britain with it. It moved northwards. Then it broke up, forming Avalonia, Iberia (Spain) and Armonica.  Cornubia was part of southern Avalonia. It had been uplifted during the Cadomian Orogeny while the superterrane still existed. This gave it an E-W fold trend and series of basins called Pretannia. The basin was metamorphic, plutonic and volcanic rocks that formed a magmatic arc. Now only isolated outcrops of the basement are visible, and one of them is the Man of War Gneiss, located in the Lizard complex of southern Cornwall.

SW fractures; red bits are plutons

Scotland, Old Red SS

The accretion of Avalonia with Baltica during the early Silurian created a NW-SE trending series of wrench faults, a type of strike-slip fault that has vertical displacement that runs very deep. These faults have been instrumental in forming sedimentary basins and influenced granite displacement. They are still strongly influential on the geology of SW Britain. 

mountain view, Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina

The Caledonian-Appalachian Orogeny saw the closing of the Iapetus Ocean at the end of the Silurian. This was caused by the accretion of Laurentia and Avalonia/Baltica. (Laurentia = N America, Greenland and part of W Europe including Ireland and central Britain; Avalonia = S Britain; Baltica = Denmark and Scandanavia) . Caledonian/Appalachian Orogeny => formation of Old Red Sandstone (Scotland, Wales)=> unification of central and southern Britain => Appalachian mountains (Acadian phase). 

During the Variscan Orogen at the end of the Carboniferous, Gondwanaland collided with Laurasia to form Pangaea. An E to W trending fold belt was created. Cornubia is believed to have been part of Gondwanaland. 

Funny how my son lives in mountains which were formed by the slamming of this place with that one. Simply put.

There are many sites of "geologic interest" in the area, chockablock full of fossils.  Here is one (click on image to see bigger):

Roche Rock, a piece of their brochure

2 hands

We went to Wicken Fen on Sunday. We decided when we woke up, spur of the moment. The day promised to be a warm and sunny as Saturday, even though the BBC weather said it would cloud up and rain later (which it did yesterday instead). I have been there once before, in 2007, and it was bloody cold that day. Much nicer without freezing temps and three layers of clothes. 

resting damselfly

fen iris

wild flowers

fen walk

Ms Peel asked me if I have been following the hogwash about the MPs over here in the UK. I have. She is right, the conversations you can have about it are interesting. Masha and I enjoy the latest and juiciest items unveiled daily by the media. Like the US auto CEOs' and the bank execs' shenanigans, it is humorous, entertaining, and downright disgusting that these people in a position of power will steal with such an arrogance, while many struggle to hang on to their houses or lose sleep wondering if they will get to keep their jobs. The sense of entitlement has earned them a special floor in hell (along with most lawyers and the people who worked for Dubya).

In case you are in the US and have not been privy to the goings-on, over here "across the pond", here are some of the tastiest treats to be had: (MP=member of Parliament; MPs get to claim a second home in London, which taxpayers pay for and they have made this rule, as well as claiming stuff like new furniture for it, upgrades, refurbishing, and get to keep any profit from selling it) 

   

Peter's posh duck house...reminds me of Jim Baker's dog house

Sir Peter Viggers claimed expenses for a £16,000 duck house installed on an island built in his pond. He also claimed for going to the opera, over £200 to have Christmas lights strung up in his yard last year, and an exceptional £30,000 for gardening over 3 years, including £500 worth of manure. (sounds like he is up to his ears in it right now) He will not be putting his name on the ballot for re-election this year. Duh.

Douglas Hogg (what's in a name?) claimed for having his moat cleared. This had everyone in stitches until the duck house scandal came out this week.

Ballsy couple

Grumpy faced Edward Balls (again, what's in a name?) and his equally greedy wife charged for no less than three second homes they bought and sold for profits within the span of 3 years. That's called, flipping a house. No, flipping three houses.

John Austin was able to get back £10,000 redoing his London flat (10 miles from his other house) and then turned around and sold it for a profit.

Nick eats nearly £30,000 of food a year

Nick Brown apparently ate £87,000 worth of food in three years. Many people do not even make that much in salary in three years. However, it's hogwash (pun intended) that taxpayers would have to pay one pence for his food! These people make a salary!

Phil Woolas claimed for baby nappies, women's clothes, and comic books. What?

Sarah's unruly expensive hair

Sarah McCarthy-Fry tried to claim £99.50 for a hair straightening iron from a salon on her 2nd home allowance, but she did get to charge £17.50 for a sewing box she picked up at John Lewis, a high end department store. She was also reimbursed for £333 worth of bedding from John Lewis. Tell her poncy arse to get to Tesco. She can pick up a set of sheets for £10 and a duvet and pillowcases for £20. As for her attempt at the hair straightener charge, she whinged, "I fully accept that this was a personal item that was claimed in error..." Bollocks. She had to physically fill out the form and submit it. 

She knew exactly what she was doing, a did all the MPs that have "apologised". Unless they are all idiots. (Not all have apologised...some have stated they did not "break any rules". They made the rules. And there is this thing, called a conscience. These people rake in £64,000 and change salary plus more for some, like the speaker makes £144k.)

This is my first spring in the UK. I left last year in March. I have really enjoyed it, even though the weather is completely unpredictable. I feel sorry for the weather people on the telly. They might as well say, "I can guarantee it will be windy but nothing else." 

Robin

Starling

Bluetit

http://www.youtube.com/user/saveabunny

rapeseed

A small zoo, very well cared for creatures in naturalised settings (lots of plants, large enclosures). It started out as some wealthy person's eccentricity, now is open to the public. Many of the animals are sponsored. Nice day for a drive. The rapeseed is in bloom and smells lovely, though a bit funky. Rough on the eyes, though.

hi

I like grapes

The grey was in a huge enclosure with another grey and some amazons. This fella was very friendly and liked to lick fingertips. 

The cockatoo is an old girl and had a big green grape in her beak. 

narky chicken strikes again

sleepytime

These rabbits are European Giants. They are massive and they were having a big time lounging and sleeping. The chicken was very pesky and also was trying to peck people through the fence.

porcupine snooze pile

Porcupines are so cute. This pile was of course, sleeping.

aw, look at the loving leopards

We came upon these guys. One was lounging about and the other came up for a snog. There were kids and parents watching too. 

Oops. Well, it is Spring. 

They were very loud about it. 

Raaaawr, raaawr! Ark ark! 

We were cracking up.

Well! I do declare!

How sweet...holding hands.

In Europe, after the fall of the Roman Empire and the collapse of the Bronze Age, came the "Dark Ages", (aka the Early Middle Ages)and the establishment of a feudal system. The King, who was supposed to be chosen by God, ruled the people with the idea that they would find a better place in Heaven than here on Earth. Life sucked unless you were rich, but you were grateful and kept your mouth shut. You were supposed to suffer in order to earn your place in Heaven. The Catholic Church had massive influence.

In the 1300s, the Black Plague swept Europe, along with massive superstitious beliefs in its cause. Spread by fleas on rats, it actually had nothing to do with God's will. It is now believed to have begun in the East in China, and there was a plague in Byzantium in the 6th century. One source says that Europe suffered more than 100 epidemics of the Black Plague over time. The last outbreak of this plague was in the 1800s. It began in the East, again, and spread worldwide. It killed millions. A cure was developed by Alexandre Yersin in the late 19th century. The plague still strikes, but in small amounts, and  treatment is now with antibiotics. The WHO has reported over 1600 cases since the 1960s, in Asia and China. 

This morning the WHO reports that the "peak" of the Swine Flu has passed, and was during the third week of April. Apparently only 22 cases are confirmed deaths in Mexico, not the hundreds reported carelessly in screaming headlines. Somehow, miraculously, (sarcasm) 750,000 people in the UK did not drop dead from it. But the WHO, ever paranoid, warns: "There is a high possibility that this virus will come back, especially in colder periods", with the added negative words that it "may" not be over yet.  Note: "high possibility" and "yet". The US Centre for Disease Control states that the virus is now widespread in the states, and that they "expect" it to become more severe (aka mutate) and cause "deaths". Bet Fox News is having a heyday with that one. Yep: log onto their website and here it is: 

Om...did no one tell them the WHO said the peak is past? Maybe they mean, hogwash pandemic.

Arseholes. (My Brit fella loved to watch Fox News when in the states, for entertainment in the ridiculous factor. He especially enjoyed the paranoid and doomsday hogwash scrolling across the bottom whilst you were bombarded visually with things exploding or people running, etc.) In China, around 70 Mexicans are being held in quarantine and not allowed in. Egypt, with its own special brand of flu paranoia, has been slaughtering pigs and says it will continue. I am slightly sympathetic about the paranoia in Europe over plagues and pandemics after the Bubonic Plague, Black Death, whatever you wish to call it, wiped a fourth of the population out over time. It is as if, though, the media, the government, and the health orgs want it to be bad. Do they hope thousands, millions die from this? So people will need them, look up to them, so we will tremble in our houses in front of the tv with masks on? Never mind that bank high-

unable to look someone in the eye: James Dimon, oct 10 2008, CEO and chairman of morgan chase

ups have ripped people off majorly, and Chrysler Corp got billions of taxpayers' money but still managed to declare bankruptcy. Never mind that politicians get money to "live" in two houses, or for expensive outfits to wear on campaigns (didn't work, Sarah; you still looked dumb). Cower and be grateful.

Spouting irresponsible statements like over three quarters of a million will die in the UK before this is over, or that over 150 people have died in Mexico from the flu, are reckless and cause unnecessary suffering and greed. 

Greed: I was in the pharmacy shop yesterday to get some sunscreen and they had these little bottles of "bio" something gel for your hands. I laughed and remarked to Masha how ridiculous. The cashier said they were "flying off the shelves" and that the four little bottles there were all that was left. Masha and exchanged looks of derision. I can not help but laugh at anyone who believes that covering their hands in some alcohol based gel is going to prevent them from getting the Swine Flu. Maybe it will give you a rash or very chapped hands. If you truly want to avoid getting germs from others, you need to stay home, have no human contact, and not touch your mail, not eat any food apart from what you boil. Good luck with the mail.

Every year, in the United States, around 36,000 people die from the winter flu.