The thing that's made me the most happy..

.... for the last year at least has been working to get an environmental project together at Castledown primary school in Hastings, and setting up some blogspots for them:

http://castledowngrounds.blogspot.com/

http://www.castledownschool.blogspot.com/

http://www.castledown4.blogspot.com/

and the 'Green Team' set up one all on their own:

http://greenisfun.blogspot.com/

I also managed to get a days diving in - including one to an astonishing place called 'The Cathedral'.

This is is a cave with an entrance at about 15m - you pass into the opening - and can see a blue light in the distance - eventually you come to a huge cavern with a skylight -an a huge rock in the centre like an altar. You then swim around the rock and back ut the way you came. Fresh water mixes in the cavern so you get all these weird optical effects - it must really have freaked out the first person to discover this place.

Blue Adventures Diving

The White Mountains

Last year I went to Crete - and climbed the highest mountain on the Island. However there are an even more amazing range of mountains - the 'Lefka Ori' or White Mountains which are really wild - and quite unworldly. I saw their cloud covered peaks last year and got the ambition to do some trekking there. Meeting the wonderful Elena form Thessalonika made me even more interested in Greek culture - so I just had to go before I started my new job. Heres a photo of Elena and the equally wonderful Aristea from last year.


Anyway I managed to make it out there - and walk right through the middle of the range as I wished. The landscape is really like the Moon or Mars - and many of the tiny plants that grow there are found no-where else on Earth. Apparently the only landscape anything like it is McMurdo Sound in Antartica. I left the Mountains by walking down the Samaria Gorge - the longest in Europe. I was lucky to have this all to myself. The only way out when you get to the bottom is by boat. The people and the music are pretty amazing too. you can find more about it from the French mountain guide Jean who showed me the way to the highest mountain - Pachnes ( there are also some great panoramas of the mountains there). A special place - I'll be going back I think.

After a long pause...

I thought I ought to update my blog.

Have spent the winter unemployed (but very busy) in Hastings. Was actually a long-needed change of gear after my last job. I actually got to do some conservation work myself, as I volunteered to do some educational work at my local primary school. I also set up some blogs for them, so that the kids can show off thier work - and also the school grounds project I was working on with them. It was great fun and a real priviledge in fact:

Castledown school blog (main)

Castledown Year 4 Blog

Castledown School Grounds Blog

Unfortunately I have to leave them now as I'm starting a new job next week - suit and tie to go with the new haircut - and it's for a government agency so it'll be a whole new world for me - still good money though.

Poppy was telling me how to pose in my new fancy suit:



Poppy is of course the world expert on posing....