Castles

 So last night I was up until 2am watching "Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King" and today all I could think about was castles. I searched through my old pictures from England and found a few castles and did a little fancy editing, trying to make them look old....silly because they are both very very old.

Warwick Castle was build in 1068 and then rebuilt of stone in the 12th century. It is still in use today and open for tours to the public. It has a large hall that is used for events and upstairs is a Madame Tussauds museum. There are all kinds of events held on the grounds as well and when we where there there were colorful medieval knight's tents set up. There is also a lovely Princes Diana flower garden on the grounds. 

http://www.timeref.com/hpl630.htm

Carnarvon Castle is my all time favorite castle. King Edward I replaced the original castle in stone in 1283 and it, along with city walls, still stand today. It is huge! I really got an eerie feeling of ancients that once lived there. There were school children going around in a ring holding hands and I wondered were they singing "Ring Around theRosie".  

The inside is mostly a shell but the photo opportunities were from every angle,inside and out. In my photo note the flags of Wales flying from the battlements.

Check out both websites for information and better photos. 

http://www.caernarfon-castle.co.uk/

Goodbye August

Sunlight on the lawn

I always hate to see the last day August, even though it means the end of summer. I love the month of my birthday, the slant of the light and the smells of late summer afternoons. The way the light cast shadows through my dining room window...there is no other month that does that. The only saving grace is coming...October! I love the color changes and love to be out walking...the weather is perfect.

I had a good summer despite not feeling well the whole month of June and later hurting my knee. I guess that is just a part of aging. Hoping to get back on track next month and regain some stamina. Loved having my daughter here in July and my son-in-law and grandson this month. Got to roam around Detroit which is a real treat for me. Have autumn to look forward to and then Thanksgiving with my son and his family. (will pay a quick visit to my favorite garden even though it will be asleep for the winter)

Last of the sunflowers....

Summer is coming to an end :-(

Flowers, flowers, everywhere

 This was a flower garden at Greenfield Village that was an old English garden...a lot of old fashion varieties....even portulaca which was one of my Dad's favorites. Everything was so healthy. Kudos to whoever takes care of the garden at the village.

Liam and Emma

 Liam, deep in thought.

Hi, Emma

Elizabeth Park on my Birthday

 What more can a grandmother ask for on her birthday...a beautiful sunny day, two of my grandchildren and my camera. It was a perfect day!

Just an abstract sort of thing

more of the Village....

Friendly Folks

 Sunlight on the lawn

Rihanna/Eminem Monster Tour

Takeshi and John

OK, so I didn't personally go to the concert but felt involved since I was the driver. My son-in-law and grandson came in from South Carolina just to go to the concert. Since they were expecting 100,000 people downtown for the concert and the Lions game, we left at 4:30 and beat most of the traffic. We were lucky to get a parking spot on the street. We had dinner and they walked to Comerica Park and I went home. When I got there at 11:30pm to pick them up it was a madhouse of traffic even though the Lions game had ended earlier.

I haven't been to Greektown in years and it was hoppin' down there. All the spaces are filled with new restaurants and bars. Of course, the casino dominates the area.

It was easy to spot the Lion's fans from the concert goers.

Yes, most of the lots were asking $50! By the time we finished eating this lot was full.....amazing!

We ate at Fishbones....nice place and good food and also a convenient walk to Comerica Park. Thank you, Takeshi for the great meal.

Yippee! Sushi! (Just kidding) John doesn't eat sushi even though he is a server in a Sushi Bar in Murrell's Inlet, SC.

This building used to be Marilyn's on Monroe. It was a jazz club and in the 90"s my friend ,Susan, and I used to go there.

This restaurant was a bakery at one time....great pastry and Baklava. Sorry to see some things change.

Great to be downtown and see it prospering. People have money to spend it seems.

Oh, and PS, John said the concert was great and worth coming all the way from SC.