The heavenly scent of deep pink roses weaves around me every time I pass the front gate. In the summer months, these small, compact blooms scent the air in a way no other flower can. My mother absolutely loved these beautiful flowers, growing many different varieties and spending hours pruning...

We live in an exciting and wonderful world. No longer are we expected to raise our kids, then sit back on a rocker and wait to grow old. It is a new day. We work hard, invest well, and take full advantage of our lives. There are grand adventures awaiting...

Yew Trees Painswick Visiting villages in the Cotswolds is like eating a box of really good chocolates; one or two are divine, the whole box makes you feel slightly queasy. They (the villages) are all so achingly pretty, with mellow-stone walls, rambling roses and pastel foxgloves, manicured lawns, thatched roofs,...

Nk’Mip Desert Centre, Osoyoos, Canada In today’s non-stop world of digital input and 24 hour news, with people stuck for hours at a PC or almost permanently attached to a smart phone, many of us struggle to find time for ourselves. External pressures create stress and mental health issues are...

Razor-sharp beak pointing towards the sky, the blue-footed booby flaps its wings in a couple of wide-angled swooshes, then returns to preening its brown and white feathers. Its bright blue feet seem to be suckered onto the rock, never slipping as it grooms and turns about, having a good wash. Beside...

Relaxing beside Grasmere The stone hits the water with a splosh and rippling arcs curve further and further out towards the fells in the distance. Light peeks through darkling clouds as the weather god makes up his mind whether to shower Grasmere with sunshine or a wee bit more rain....

Okanagan Lake Canada It was at delightfully named Peachland in British Columbia, that I knew I was hooked. Sitting on a folding chair, ham salad on lap, gazing out across tranquil Okanagan Lake, surrounded by mountains, the early summer sun shining, all was right with the world. Our motorhome waited...