Posted by Suzanne McMinn on December 8, 2006 @ 9:06 am
Globetrotting
English sheep, dotting.
You know that proper dotting is a lot of effort. Sheep can’t dot this way accidentally. It’s too coincidental! There have to be instructions, rules, work! Nothing that looks easy is easy, you know.
I wonder what happens when one sheep stands too close to another sheep….
“Excuse me, I’m dotting here.”
“But I want to talk to you.”
“Get away from me. I’m dotting.”
“But–”
“I’M DOTTING!”
Sheep dotting the ramparts of Maiden Castle in Dorset.
Maiden Castle is England’s largest Iron Age hill fort. It’s ramparts and ditches follow the contours of a hilltop. It was really interesting to walk up, hike the ramparts, where it’s easy to see how such impressive earthworks would make entry difficult for opposing forces. “Maiden” is derived from the Celtic Mai Dun, which means great hill.
Here’s a skyview of the fort. Despite its massive concentric rings of fortification, the Romans took the fort in A.D. 43 in a huge battle. I hope they didn’t hurt any of the sheep….
Sheep dotting the field below the “Giant” in Cerne Abbas.
The huge chalk figure carved on the hillside is thought to be a fertility figure, perhaps as old as 3000 years. This, like other chalk figures in England, has to be scoured to keep nature at bay. I got stuck in the muck trying to climb up to it.
This is how it would appear from the sky. I noticed in a shop in the village, they were selling totebags with the image of the giant. They had little bits of cloth stuck over his anatomically correct part. I was thinking, hmm. Do they not KNOW that his anatomically correct part is splayed ALL OVER THE HILLSIDE OUTSIDE TOWN???? But, whew, let’s be sure to cover it up on the totebags!:rotfl:
The sheep didn’t seem to mind. Sheep don’t seem to mind much. I love sheep!
9:10
am
I loved your pictures of your trip to England. Wish I could have seen it up close. I’d love to win a copy of your book Third Sight.
:bananadance::bananadance::bananadance:HAPPY HOLIDAYS:bananadance::bananadance::bananadance:
11:01
am
I love your pictures. I’m too much of a sissy to fly over seas, so I really appreciate your posts.
11:09
am
loved the trip this week brought back memories of my trips over. love it there. and we like the same things. but i also love the sights in london.
12:13
pm
This has been such fun reading about your trip and seeing all the pictures. If you ever get stuck on an idea for your blog just return to your trip musings!
1:53
pm
Thanks for the tour. I’d love a copy.
1:54
pm
What great photos. You have brought this trip into our lives and it has been a wonderful experience. Enjoyable and I would love to experience this travel.
2:03
pm
I have loved reading about your wonderful trip and seeing the great pictures. I am glad you had a great time.
2:10
pm
I would definitely look forward to a trip like this. I have never travelled and this would be a fabulous vacation. I would love to take at least 3 weeks.
2:22
pm
I travelled last year for the first time ever and loved it. Now I want to go back so badly. I only went to Italy for 2 weeks, business with my husband so missed out on a lot but enjoyed it immensely.
2:26
pm
I went to Italy when I was younger with my whole family since we have relatives there. There is so much to see and it was a memorable experience. I will definitely travel there again and my parents go back every single year for 3 weeks. I love it.
3:06
pm
I love pics of the sheep…I’d love to enter the drawing too.
4:10
pm
If you go on another trip, please take us along through pictures. It was a great trip!
5:11
pm
I have so enjoyed the tour of England through your eyes, thanks Suzanne………..loved all the pictures……..
8:10
pm
I loved the pictures and the sheep are just too adorable…I would want to try to sneak a couple back in my suitcase..I guess the baaaaaing would tip off customs though
8:17
pm
I love taking a trip anywhere at any time in any manner possible. This one has been great even if I didn’t get to comment every day. My arm and hand are such :loser:s. I noticed a real difference while I was at the wedding in Mexico at the beginning of Nov. No typing, no “mousing”. Actually, when I saw the first mouse some 20 years ago, I said to my brother, “I think I won’t be able to work with those very well.” I was right. It is worse than typing because there’s really only one muscle length involved and it goes right to the top of the shoulder.
Thanks for letting us in on your trip with your lovely photos.
5:28
am
You know, I’ve lived in England all my life and your gorgeous pictures are giving me a completely new appreciation for my home country!
I’m so glad you had a great trip :hyper:
Jess x
6:51
am
Wow your pictures are fabulous!! What a great vacation! Ice skating by the Tower of London beautiful but odd..so much history…you really can’t grasp it all with our short 200+ year old history.
Thanks for sharing! I definitely would like to see the small castles but may have to skip some of the food..it just sounds so UNAPPETISING!!
6:52
am
Wow your pictures are fabulous!! What a great vacation! Ice skating by the Tower of London beautiful but odd..so much history…you really can’t grasp it all with our short 200+ year old history.
Thanks for sharing! I definitely would like to see the small castles but may have to skip some of the food..it just sounds so UNAPPETISING!!
9:33
am
Great photos!!
I realy enjoyed this mini-trip to England.:lol:
12:15
pm
Love the photos and the trip report. Thanks for sharing!
12:26
pm
Awww does that mean the slide show is over? I’m going to miss those sheep. And thanks for a chance at winning your book.
2:51
pm
Loved the photos!
3:51
pm
England sounds exactly like Ireland. We have sheep coming out of our ears!
I’d love a copy of Third Sight!
9:15
pm
Your trip is the ultimate experience. I know that this is a life changing and once in a lifetime wonderful time. You will have these memories forever.
11:12
pm
Gorgeous photos!! Looks like you had a wonderful trip.
4:36
am
I love all these pictures, makes me wish I was there too.
11:19
am
I’ll probably never get there so it is great to see your photos and your commentary!
12:49
pm
I don’t think I ever appreciated sheep before now.:lol: Thank you for all the pictures and commentaries. Almost like being there. Notice I said “almost”. I have to agree with Laurie, the food sort of turned me off. I will never look at peas the same again either. I am so happy you got to go on this trip and had such a great time. Merry Christmas to all and a Blessed New Year. Hugs.:wave:
9:54
am
[...] I want to get a pretty brown cow and a couple sheep for dotting. (Stop laughing.) [...]