Bracket fungus

After my giving a massage this morning, we headed off for Dyrham Park, a National Trust estate about 20 miles south of here. We were a bit late leaving because I'd lost the membership cards. This in addition to my having lost my jacket, phone, reading glasses and blood pressure monitor in the past couple of weeks. Hmmm. I think I need a personal assistant and a dyspraxia mentor, if they even exist.

Anyway, the interior of the house was a treat. We'd only been in the roof before, when there was work going on. Many fine Dutch paintings and blue and white Delftware show the Dutch influence. William of Orange was on the throne of the UK at the time, so the Dutch owner of the Dyrham estate followed the fashion and style of the Court.

We didn't see any deer in the park because they are losing their antlers and that makes them a bit disorientated. They tend to hide at this time, like birds that are moulting.

Instead, we wandered along the so called Lost Terraces, where I blipped this bracket fungus, and we found an ancient flowering pear tree in blossom.Both CleanSteve and I had been struck by the old dairy, near the courtyard. Steve has blipped it. The Dutch tiles and vessels lend it an air of elegance.

I was also struck by a new flavour of ice cream I'd discovered: dark chocolate Cornetto with peanut butter! It is important to record this for the purposes of social history, because in a couple of years time it'll be Mozzarella and apple flavour that's taking over the taste-ticklers.