Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Week 23

After coming off such a high last week from my Wednesday morning adventure, this week was a bit of a let down.  Oh well, they can’t all be award winning.  Staying true to my “off the beaten path is a better path” motto, I headed down to Battersea Park to check out the dilapidated power station from the 1930’s.  It certainly is an intriguing landmark, if you want to call it that, elevated to iconic status by its use in album covers, music videos, and movies.  It is Europe’s largest brick building and according to Wikipedia, has lavish Art Deco interior fittings and decor . . . or did at some point, I’m not sure which.  Currently, it is in complete disrepair and I think there was some buzz about commercial redevelopment over the past years . . . perhaps still is some buzz by the looks of the massive billboard signs surrounding the site, but from what I've read, it is exchanging owners due to debt burden and such and perhaps now, sadly, most of the interest in the structure has to do with its demolition.  When I walked around the site, I was immediately drawn into the drama behind this thing with all of the advertisements and architect renderings of former glory being restored, but it quickly became apparent the building has sat untouched throughout all this hype.  I took a couple of quick photographs, not really being able to engage with the building as I had envisioned, and headed back over the river to Chelsea for some lunch.

My camera and I redeemed ourselves on Saturday though as I packed up the boys on the train, and we headed out to find some trails to blaze in Epping Forest.  In Northern California, my favorite Saturdays were spent hiking in Marin and hitting a microbrewery for a late lunch afterwards.  It is an outing that seems to fulfill all three of our needs and keeps everyone content.  When we spend time together as a family outside, laughing, exploring, having no other distraction, it fills my soul with happiness.  It is also clear that Liam completely soaks up this kind of attention from us.  So . . . we had lunch at a cheesy hotel pub at the foot of the forest (California Microbrewery it was not, but only I seemed to mind that one...) and we happily squelched through the mud for a couple of hours.  Liam kept asking where the forest was and I kept saying, look around you buddy . . . finally he lead us off the trail into the undergrowth as apparently darkness equals forest.  What a magical place for a child.  Trees to climb, sticks (a boy’s best friend) galore, wild fungus, “squirmy wormies,” vegetation . . . in a word, NATURE.  The only way we could drag him out of there and back on to the return trail was by uttering something about ice cream.  On the way back, we had some good family fun trying to capture a self-timed portrait, Liam has suddenly taken quite an interest in bossing us around setting these up, and then we hit the “Butler’s Retreat,” for some well-deserved treats.  I swear, I could almost see the California Coast in the distance. 

The week started with a light dusting of snow: 
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Over Battersea Bridge:
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Through Battersea Park:
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And back to Chelsea, a lovely neighborhood:
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Epping Forest Adventure:
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Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge:
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Let's roll:
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Somebody doesn't have wellies . . . 
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I crack myself up with these series . . . 
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Is it just me or is he like some kind of sexy werewolf our something?!?!
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I became mildly obsessed with the bark curling so beautifully away from this tree.  I tried to engage Liam, but he was too busy trying to smash something up behind me.  He can be such a boy sometimes . . .
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Liam took this photo of us.  I am impressed.
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He stares straight into my soul sometimes . . . as if to say . . .  "Ice cream Mommy . . . you said ice cream.  Why are you still taking my photo?!"
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4 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos!! Love the photos in the woods!

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  2. Love that you are getting in on some! I love the bridge and Chelsea looks like a great place to explore! I adore the one of Keegan jumping... so childlike!

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  3. fabulous. and what an amazing photographer Liam is becoming!

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