| Then there was the time we camped in the garden at Elgin Tower in Minehead where our relatives Jim, Dot and John had a bird 'hospital' in part of the outside basement. A great utilisation of space, local folk knew to bring injured birds to Jim and he would do his best to restore them to health. The extended garden was very large and sloped, and on one occasion Jim produced a basketful of snakes he had gathered that morning, for us to see. Then they were released back into the 'wild' - I think these creatures must be as shy as we are led to believe, as they never intruded into our camping space. It certainly was a great way of observing nature at close quarters, with a great 'teacher' who knew their habits and habitats. Among Jim's other finds was a large lump of ambergris (used in the manufacture of fine perfumes), which he found on the beach and which is excreted from the sperm whale - most of us would have seen it as flotsam. Add to this the telescope for watching the sea, ships and stars - it was an adventurous place to visit.  |