Picture Posts & field casualties

After 24 hours travelling, we finally got home tired and somewhat fatter than we had been 5 days ago! I know I am a big advocate of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, but I have resolved myself never to fly to America from London again.......nearby Manchester will do very nicely thank you very much.! We are both dreadfully jet-lagged
This evening I have taken an absolute age to download a few photos from the holiday which will bore/entertain/mortify my readers (delete as appropriate)
Above was the only sunny afternoon we experienced (Chris and I standing in Union Square) which was a little bit of a shame as bright sunshine does make the pastel shades of painted wooden houses of the city's hills, look quite European and rather cheery!

The first Morning we caught the obligatory Cable car down to Ghiradelli Square near Fisherman's Wharf and walked in the drizzle along a deserted pier. Look carefully and you can just make out the Golden Gate in the background . Having no one around was a hugely surreal experience

For me, a return visit to Alcatraz was a tourist highlight of our trip. The history of the prison is fascinating and is presented intelligently and theatrically in an award winning audio showcase. Below is Chris standing outside the main cell block

Only in America! The below nutcases are on a special "tour "of the city.....on these strange scooters vehicles...yeap they actually drive these death traps on the main streets.... Their tour guide is in the red.
A view of San Francisco and Telegraph Hill from the Bay

Below, The Golden Gate from below (Very Hitchcock's Vertigo!)

The wild Sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf

and of course my geeky tribute to The Towering Inferno...the scenic elevators at the Hyatt Regency! bliss!!!!

Richard has done a sterling job looking after the field animals while we were away. Even though we did sadly experience three casualties which couldn't be helped or foreseen in any way. Susan the poorly hen which I had kept going with injections of antibiotics finally died as did poor Robina, my eldest pure breed hen (who must have been around 7 years old). Richard found her collapsed in the run after a particularly heavy rainstorm.

Elizabeth the broody Buff hen has also sadly disappeared from her brood box and it looks as though she has been possibly taken by a passing fox. The eggs which she looked after so well for those first few days now have had to be destroyed .It was such a shame as Robina and Elizabeth were lovely hens

I have missed my girls!