Tag: cool

Thatched

Nature, Social

Thatch is usually of long straw, combed wheat reed or water reed, depending on the regional building tradition (but over the years alternatives have included heather, rushes and even wood chips and potato stems). In the Cotswolds, most thatched roofs are of the wheat reed variety. The material demands a high degree of craftsmanship and, when planning to repair or re-thatch your roof, the advice of a local thatcher of proven ability is essential.

Thatched homes generally stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and thatch also reduces external noise. They also retain their value, often better than more conventional dwellings, and if you are prepared to give it the care and attention it needs, it will never lose its old world rustic beauty.

The first photo was taken near Kingham and the next one somewhere near Broadway.

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Sea shells of Seef

Nature

Walking along the beach picking up seashells and sealife has been enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. There is nothing more heartwarming than watching a young child run along the beach for hours on end excitedly pointing out all of the fabulous creatures and seashells that can be found along the seashore, and gathering up seashells to listen into.

The beach near Seef west-end, although strewn with rocks, are one place to visit on serene Friday mornings. Water is cool normally and one can actually see the tide coming in.

Shells are aplenty, which makes it a haven for the daughter, 10, who carries a load of them back home only to be thrown away by the ‘Internal Affairs’.

Many people pick up a seashell or two while on vacation at the beach. It makes a nice inexpensive memento of their vacation. The problems do not occur until they realize that if not cleaned properly, seashells can have a devastating effect. Many times seashells actually look considerably nicer without any algae and barnacles covering them. The natural color of seashells are often quite different from what you find at the beach. A good cleaning is all that is needed to bring this out and destroy any odors the seashells might have.