Yes, it’s a special Easter this year, with a new man at the Italian Head Office n’ all. Such stuff that poets’ dreams are made on indeed!
But let’s not confine our flights of fancy to an Argentinian supernaturalist or those nibbled chocolate animals – however much we feel for them.
A pal of mine has recently received permission to install limited payout machines in her bar, this is the sign that the operator stuck on her wall this afternoon …
It has been a beautiful day. Sunny and cold early on, warming up as the day progressed, up to about 8 c.
However, after the snow melted last week, there was no where for it to go and the fields are saturated.
These swans were making the most of it
Later today the sun set in a glory of red: so here’s to tomorrow.
Sorry to be a little late, but I was called away to lend a hand with a new baby and only returned, rather shattered yesterday : tired but happy.
There were very few entrants to both competitions: in fact only one in the short story section. But what a story, Mr Royal! I’ll never be able to see a giraffe again without thinking of you.
SO, although you had no competitors, you are the worthy winner of the short story competition, and I look forward to a theme set by you for the next round.
There were a few more entrants for the photography side of things – I had expected photographs of little hands clasping larger hands, hands undertaking tasks, such as cooking, knitting, painting…. but no, you had other ideas…
OZ had this contribution: viar amoozing take on the ‘hands’ theme, and viar topical on the equine theme!
Ara posted this a beautifully side lit picture of Alice, Duchess of Suffolk who resides in her resting state in the church where PapaG was Christened, no less!
Christopher posted this, though sadly the hands were not very clear in the size of image.
Last, but not least, JM posted here with a vair amoozing piece, full of puns and several pictures – (the bananas nearly won, hands down, but for the misplaced figure in the background which to my eye spoiled the composition)
But in the end the prize does go to JM for the most unusual take on the theme: the graffiti handwriting of Clarice Cliffe (nee Shorter).
So I hand the baton to you, John: your turn to set the next photography competition.
Oxfordshire sunset, tonight
We awoke to a white world, with the snow still falling. It wasn’t forecast until tomorrow, I thought. By late morning it was sleeting, and finally it turned to drizzle. There’s very little snow left now – just a line at the bottom of the car windscreen where it had gathered more thickly. From the kitchen window I could see the bushes decorated with sparkles of melted snow.
It’s about 2c out there, but it’s a ‘wet cold’ which gets through to your bones – (the sort of day my Ma always called ‘raw’) – and I am disinclined to go out and take my daily walk. But I should really. Maybe if I put on the heating (which I had only just returned to its usual ‘morning and evening only’ setting) and know I can come back to a warm house, I may then be less disinclined?
Hands up those who are planning to put in a picture or a short story…. closing date on 15th.
See links at right hand corner of the page.
Last year we had so many ladybirds. This year I have hardly seen any.
Ladybirds in my clematis last year
I was reminded today of the ladybirds while on a walk with a friend, when I looked closely at the old man’s beard illuminating the hedgerows. No nesting ladybirds. Continue reading “Ladybirds: have they flown away, home?”
Yes, it is a real event, the 2013 count is coming up beginning on February 15th and this year it is open to submissions world-wide. Sponsored by the Audubon Society and others it is a snapshot record of birds sighted on one weekend, individual counts are submitted on line and are totaled by species and number. Last year there were over 100,000 submissions counting over 17 million birds
There is also a photo competition associated with the event. Now I am no expert at photography, I do have a decent camera and occasionally pull of a decent image but some of the photos in this contest are truly superb. This little gem was the overall winner, I just wish I could get pictures like that.
You can find the rest of the finalist photos here:
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/gallery/2012-winners-finalists
They are well worth a look and maybe while you are there you can download the entrance form and do your very own backyard count on February 15th
My challenge for the photo competition this time is to submit photographs of hands – resting or active, aged or very young, or anywhere in between, singly or in pairs, working collaboratively or alone, helping hands or not… do feel free to submit a series, if you wish.
The closing date is midnight (UK) on 15th February, to give you a chance to include romantic Valentine gestures in your submissions. (nothing smutty of course)
And I thought I’d see if anyone wants to take up the challenge of making this the theme for the short story competition too? Same deadline.
In depths of sadness
a small glimpse of happiness
– hope for the future
Happiness – finding
a puddle full of sunset
along a dark road
I know the subject is happiness, but deep contentment is as close as I could find for the moment.
Boadicea's Chariot 
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