Geological time certainly gets things into perspective. The planet doesn't give one iota about the mess that humans are making of things, we are but a blink of the eye in the scheme of things.
The two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. The weather has been too awful for your usual 'holiday' activities, such as doing anything in the sun.
Yesterday, on advice that you could find ammonites scattered on the beach, we went to Seatown... a small pace between West Bay and Lyme Regis. After a few miles drive down a narrow, windy lane we found a private car park by the beach that charged 8 quid, FFS. And it was a shingle beach that was pretty awful to walk along without the proper footwear, but on the plus side the high parking cost and uncomfortable beach kept the amateur fossicking riff-raff away.
The daughter won't admit it but I reckon she quite likes fossil hunting and she instinctively knows where to go searching. I couldn't be prouder.
And here was our haul... a load of belemnite pieces and a few little ammonites. And a few 'pretty' pebbles that daughter picked up...
Here's a belemnite in-situ on the 190 million year old seabed, plus or minus a few years. I found this one, by the way. The daughter's got promise, but she ain't that good yet.
And the pissed de resistance, a sizeable fossil that has lain untouched for over 200 million years.
Today was our last day on the Dorset coast and I had high hopes of a sea swim, however brief, just to say that we'd done it.
But the beach wasn't very inviting...
Even the bastard seagulls that had squawked all night outside the hotel window were having a lie-in.
I did consider a quick dip, just on the off-chance of being rescued and getting some resuscitation... but the daughter needs me alive for a few years yet.
So after breakfast we fucked of back up north, to Somerset. Bloody weather... it rained all the way.
Two years ago we visited the Dorset coast during that so called heat wave, and it was absolutely wonderful. Long sunny days, T-shirts and shorts, swimming, the lot. I still remember some expert coming on the news and recommending that from now on, everyone should keep a grab bag containing essential documents in their houses in case of wild fires.
We came back last year and it rained every bastard day, and this year has been a combination of overcast, light drizzle and persistent rain. The only survival gear I'll consider for future summer holidays in Ol' Blighty will be thermal underwear and a bloody umbrella.
Anyway, it's not all bad. On the way back to me mum's we stopped off at the opticians to pick up our new specs and I noticed a shop across the road with the biggest bastard water melons that I've ever seen. I just had to take a closer look and ended up buying a quarter... the seeds are heading back to Korat to the veggie patch and I'll soon be growing the longest, fattest daeng moo in the whole of Isaan.
Look at the size of it... at least 30% bigger than anything you'll ever find in Thailand!
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