Stonehenge

[Andy]

I visited Stonehenge on Monday 3rd Jan 2005, an ancient stone circle famous in the UK. It was made and altered between 4,500 and 3,500 years ago. I guess they were very strong stone lifters in those days You can compare people size to the stones in this pic that I took.

[SensoVision]

wow, if I ever would visit England I would try to visit this place as well:) as I'm a bit fascinated with it.
Nice photo, Andy, do you have more of them made in this trip?

[Andy]

Yes, it was hard to take a good photo since the wind was blowing and the light was changing alot, but here is another:



If you have any questions about Stonehenge when you visit, I met this guy who spends most of his time around the place and should have the answers to any questions:

[Hope]

andy, I am sure that gentleman will be very helpful in giving information about the site.

When I was in England, I didn't get a chance to get to stonehenge. I would love to see it. The photos are wonderful. thank you for sharing.

[SensoVision]

BTW is this normal that face of the sheep is black or it's just such a breed? and why arrow is pointing to this sheep? Also what about green and red colors on the sheep which is nearest to camera, do you know why these colors appear on fur?

[Andy]

Very good question. Maybe this sheep is special in some way? For some reason, I felt compelled to take the photo (spooky)! Some rare sheep have black wool which is regarded as lucky to guard them against attack from predators. I added the pointer to this sheep since it seemed to be the one to pay attention to. The others seemed to turn their backs on me.

The paint markings are used by farmers to identify their sheep which may escape from the fenced-off field and stray along way away and maybe get mixed up with another flock of sheep.

[SensoVision]

thanks for explanation! and looking forward to see more photos from you

[Hope]

Andy, while I was in England, I went to a place that told a different reason for the colors on the wool. I was told it shows which females had mated and when. The males are fitted with a harness that has a chalk pad on the lower chest. The color represented a different week. It you look at the one in the front of the picture, there are two colors. That way the famers could keep watch to make sure there were no complications. I don't konw if I was given a story or what. That is just what I was told.

[Andy]

I have never seen a sheep with a chalk pad and I never see farmers out in the field watching and recording when each sheep mated. I only know that livestock are usually identified by some marking. I guess there is no standard system in the UK like with the old measurement systems.

Unless they are scientists I don't believe anyone records mating stats by color-coding the sheep. Definately, there is no chalk board on the lower chest.

[Hope]

Hey, I just know what I was told. Being "stupid american's" I wouldn't put it past someone to tell us a tall story.

[susieq]

Well, what I have to do now, is find some sheep pictures..(who knows where they would be stashed)   In other words I don't know where I put them ...However, I have pics of Aussie sheep and pics of English sheep, and the story for each ....But I need the pics to illustrate what I'm talking about becaseu I'm no good at explaining...My English sheep pics are taken at a couple of the oldest castles in the UK with neices/nephews etc....but best go and have a hunt for the pics..

if I ever would visit England I would try to visit this place as well:) as I'm a bit fascinated with it.

  Yes, it is a fascinating place and the history that is behind it, is extremely interesting also(I found).

Brilliant pictures Andy.....Brilliant

[susieq]

Finally found the 'sheep' pics....they are not all that good but that is all I can find.....it basically illustrates colour of animal but I also found a page with some interesting and unusual 'sheep' stories/facts including shape and colour, also to do with different districts.          http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/suffolk/

The pictures were taken a long time ago with a SLR (Canon) and were really meant to be of Pevensy Castle and its grounds.....of which I have many (castle ones)...all different Castles....most of my pics are of the internal part of different castles /also ruins of castles.

Found a page which is very interesting on Castles.....Did you know there  over 5000 of them in UK etc?    ::)It maybe of interest to some....http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/alpha_lists/castlelist.htm

Like to hear maybe some feedback on this.......

[SensoVision]

Folks you had luck to visit Stonehnge, maybe you also had luck to see crop circles? if so could you share you experience here ?

[susieq]

Denis, I visited Stonehenge zillions of years ago, (well, not that long ago, it was before I was grown up) so can't remember facts, just a little kid looking at these very big unusual shapes of some kind of clock and wondering how they got there, but, have found something that maybe  interesting on the 'crop circles' issue

http://www.temporarytemples.co.uk/default.html

[susieq]

Found the rest of the sheep pics....(phew what a long search) also at Pevensey Castle and a picture of the ruins of it from the 12th/ 13th Century.  Also a picture I found I had taken somewhere along the line of Roman times, which maybe interest some.  Please remember they are not digital, and not taken by by someone who read the instructions!!!