Category: Photography

Frost and sunshine

Today was beautifully lit by Spring sunlight which quickly melted through the sharp frost which had whitened the grass.

This afternoon I went into Oxford, stopping on the way to pick some pussy-willow on an impulse as they caught my eye, back-lit in the lane.

I parked in St Giles and walked into town which looked wonderful.

Here the forsythia simply glows with the light. I wonder if the cyclist realised the colour match when parking? Continue reading “Frost and sunshine”

Photo comp #25

I am honoured to be the current photographic champion amongst Charioteers, and I am thus obliged to think of the next subject for the competition. I was thinking I might have a bit of trouble thinking of something, when my new toy arrived. This is a Digital Keyboard. Actually it is a digital piano, but Yamaha are not allowed to call it that because the weighting of the keys is not quite the same as on a real piano. Only a concert pianist would know the difference, and I certainly don’t claim to be one of those.

Anyway, on to the theme of the competition. How about “Musical Instruments”? This can be anything from a triangle to a church organ, kazoo to a Stratocaster. As long as it makes a musical sound, it is in. 🙂

Marks for originality and technical expertise, although a great subject will defeat a great technical photo, as in my last judgement 🙂

I think St George’s Day might be an appropriate deadline, so 23rd of April it is.
Continue reading “Photo comp #25”

The magnolia’s nearly out

Yesterday was so warm after lunch.
There is so much to do in the garden.
I should really have been out there weeding and seeding. Instead I sat in the recliner and listened to a rather good play on the radio then read for a while, before a long walk with a friend and her excitable lab. All wonderful in the beautiful Spring sunshine!

I thought I’d better make the most of it all, just in case these few days will be our ‘early Summer.’

Euphorbia

Continue reading “The magnolia’s nearly out”

Signs of Spring again

It’s an every day, ordinary drop of rain water on the hairy leaf of a common-all-garden lupin leaf, but it caught my eye, glistening in the light.

Lots of gardening today, but the sky was overcast, so that my solar-powered radio failed me and I had to collect the old battery-powered one from the bedside! Weeding and ‘Weekend Womens’ Hour’ and an occasional cuppa. Better than shopping any day.

Now that a lot of the winter debris has been cleared the flower beds look a lot more Springlike.

Sparrowhawk outside my kitchen door!

Mid afternoon, and a resounding crash from the direction of the kitchen. I rushed from the sitting room, flung open the kitchen door; just outside, a bird of prey atop a dead pigeon. I can only imagine that the very dead victim had crashed into the door in a desperate attempt to flee from the bird of prey.

Continue reading “Sparrowhawk outside my kitchen door!”

Monkey Business

Monkey was a ‘give away’ associated with a popular brand of tea ( CORRECTION INSERTED: on the TV ad, any fule kno that Johnny Vegas is the straight man to Monkey who is actually voiced by Ben Miller – the one that looks like Rob Bryden) – my Monkey arrived in a box of tea well before Christmas 2010 and has lived in my car ever since. He’s still wearing his Christmas jumper and I felt it was about time he had something else to wear so I bought him a daffodil.

The daffodil appeal is run every year by Marie Curie, a UK-based charity providing care for those with cancer – in this area they work closely in collaboration with the primary health care teams, most commonly providing night-time nursing to support those who chose to die at home. The care is free to the patient and the family. Some of you may remember I have done sponsored swims in previous years and though I am slow to get going, I plan to do the same again this year! (Now I’ve told you, I shall just have to get on with it…)

Here’s monkey sporting his new daffodil

and listening to his favourite author.