Wednesday 3 September 2008

Tortoiseshell and Family

Tortoiseshell arrived Monday afternoon after staying for the weekend in rainy Cumbria with Maalie. It was so lovely to see them again. I also have Jemima staying for a little while so it was doubly nice for the cousins to meet up and for Jemima see her little second cousin Heledd again. I took loads of pictures and these are some of them:


Tortoiseshell and Heledd


Kathryn and Heledd


Jemima and Heledd


Kathryn doing the washing up and sporting a fine pair of Marigolds.


Poor Mr. T. struggling through a bowl of Weetabix without sugar for his breakfast. I so rarely use sugar I forget to buy it!

Then it was off to the deli for coffee and cake.





And just to please Maalie, a picture of the cake! Two Maple and Pecan Danish (Jemima and me), one Rhubarb and Cherry Crumble (Kathryn) and one Chocolate Cake (Mr. T.)



And yes, that is a wasp on my Maple and Pecan Danish!

A final drink for Heledd before the long journey home.

33 comments:

Maalie said...

A very fine example of Vespula vulgaris I see.

TCA said...

Isn't Heledd a cutie!?

...and doesn't she look like her Uncle?!

;o)

W

Anonymous said...

Just got a 'kawaii' from Miki ('oh how cute!')!

Jack

HennHouse said...

That last photo is so precious. A perfect image of parenting.

lorenzothellama said...

Are you sure it's vespula vulgaris Maalie? I rather thought it was vespula germanica

Maalie said...

Hmmm. More likely to be vulgaris than germanicus. Can't you see the slightly tapered thoracic spiracles?

Maalie said...

Isn't it strange how we get the ooohs and aaahs when a man is seen to be caring for a child. It seems to me to be a normal and natural practice and of no more significant note than a woman doing the same thing.

lorenzothellama said...

It used to be a very rare sight seeing a bloke with a baby.

tca: I think she looks like her daddy!

Elizabeth said...

Dear Lorenzo
I loved your photos of your visit to Cornwall.
Yes, the weather looks - interesting and pretty much par for the course.
But I loved it anyway.
Badger looks a very cool character.
Weather in NY is currently sweltering hot late summer.
Greetings.

Anonymous said...

Had to smile... When folk ask for sugar in our house they frequently get a solidified blob in the bottom of the bowl.

Unknown said...

Ooh, lovely pics, especially of family Tortoisehell together. Mr T is very photogenic and I think Heledd has inherited his fortune in front of the camera.

And the pic of those cakes would've had me drooling if I hadn't just had my dinner. I might come back in half an hour or so for another look when my belly's not so replete

Ju's little sister said...

Time with family is the best time ever. You all look very happy. Yay!

tut-tut said...

Yes, a very happy family. I'd like a slice of that crumbley thing.

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

I think she looks like her daddy too - and now that I know who Mr. T is - it solves a mystery on my own blog too!

What lovely and fun photos.

I just popped over to see if you have seen Father Ann lately - I am finding that I miss her quite a lot and was in hopes that she might like Bonhoeffer and be helpful in sorting out some of the mess on my blog.

lorenzothellama said...

I've just taken another look at the vespula germanica. The thoracic spiracles are not tapered at all. Therefore germanica not vulgaris

Halfmom: Father Ann is being an elusive littl nun at the moment but she would be only too pleased to visit your blog, hear confession, and then all those bigots a good thrashing!

Tortoiseshell said...

Another pic of the cakes has just been posted on my own blog! I have to admit that the chocolate cake looks almost indecently ggood in close-up - and it tasted even better!

Maalie and Lorenzo - I agree with both of you re. fathers and childcare. Maalie is right that there shouldn't be any "oohs and ahhs" for fathers. Lorenzo is correct in her implication that th epractical involvement of fathers has been limited until very recently. And the continued of brands such as "Mum's own recepie" (Heinz Baby Food) or "Mum's gone to Iceland" demonstrates that we still have a long way to go. In my experience, baby marketing seems to be targeted very much at Mums rather than Dads. E.g. a promo from Clarks shoes today addressed to K rather than me, as if K should have sole discretion over the development of H's feet.

The Lone Beader® said...

The sweets look so good! :D

Shammickite said...

Heledd... what a superduper name.
and I say kawaii kawaii kawaii he's very handsome, just like his daddy, and his mummy of course.
I hope you're going to take me to that deli if i ever arrive on your doorstep, the yummies look extra good... but no wasps please....!

Shammickite said...

I meant to say she's very lovely just like her mummy.... why do I always get things wrong????
I wasn't concentrating, as usual.

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

As long as I'm not the one that Father Ann gives a thrashing to, that will be just fine!

Send a piece of the lovely chocolate cake over for dinner, would you please?

Now - where's the picture of Miss Jem's new haircut??

lorenzothellama said...

Jemima met me in the deli after the hair cut and she looked gorgeous! They had done her hair in sort of ringlets and she was looking very pink and pleased with herself!

lorenzothellama said...

p.s. Halfmum: I'm sure Father Ann wouldn't thrash you! She saves the heavy handed treatment for bigots!

Tortoiseshell said...

I wonder what you think about the world being turned into Grey Goo next Weds? (see my latest post)?

Maalie said...

Tortoiseshell, are you referring to the commencement of the CERN experiment in Switzerland on Wednesday? It's very exciting stuff, it is likely to (eventually) give the answer to "How did it all start?".

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

Guess it depends on who is doing the defining as to whether I would get wiped Lorenzo! But thanks for thinking I'm safe from Father Anne's wrath!

I want to see the gorgeous picture before you take her off to the island and back to nature for a few days! What girl could ever keep her hair in place under those conditions!!

lorenzothellama said...

There's been two programmes on BBC4 tonight about CERN but I am ducking out now as it is all going way over my head.

Anonymous said...

I would like to clear up something about the picture of the cakes. Lorenzo gave the impression that there was a cake there for each of us present at the deli gathering. What actually happened was that she ate all four herself, without sharing so much as a crumb. I'm sorry to have to report this kind of behaviour, but I felt it my duty.

Ju's little sister said...

All four lorenzo? Well a llama has to fed I expect. Was there gin as well?

Today's verification word is: loognei

Ju's little sister said...

sorry, 'feed,' not 'fed. Darn keys jumping out of the way at the last minute.

Shammickite said...

She probably had to wash the cakes down with something, wonder if she ate the Vespula vulgaris too.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Beautiful pics, especially of Heledd! Very nice that Tortoiseshell and his family can have a nice time with you folks.

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

Beloved Llama - I know that you are on the way out of town and only back for a bit before you head out again - but I thought you should know that I've been posting about you and have tagged you as well. Seems it's not polite, even in the US, to talk about people behind their backs (even when they have curvy llama backs!)

Now, Jemima-Jemoo - where is the lovely picture of the new do - your mum says it is quite wonderful!!!

kiwi mother said...

It's not the parent and child you are all ooooh and ahhhhhing about - it is Mr T !!! How I lament the loss of my youth ... Now where did I put my gin?