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My daughter welcomed my new doggie grandson into their family yesterday - isn't he just the cutest little fellow?? They had to say goodbye to their Papillon a few weeks ago. He was almost 16 and Shiloh (the Whippet) was lost without his friend. He loves his new little brother and apparently only sleeps when the puppy sleeps. They will be great mates.
I have been playing around with PhotoMania on facebook and found this effect in the Artistic section. I really like it, I must say.
I had some of my favourite photos from our South African trip made into four photo albums. I had one made for our tour from Capetown to Durbin, one for Isandlewana and Rorkes Drift, one for Pilanesberg and one for Kruger. I picked them up yesterday and I am really pleased at how they look. It is much better than having photos printed and put into albums, as I would have needed around 10 albums, which would have taken up so much space. I did the same for our trip of France and the UK last year.
This is a little bear that I made using offcuts of mohair fur. She looks kind of unkempt and scruffy, hence the name. I really love this little bear and she has joined my favourites in the display cabinet. I am having a bad day with my wrists today, but I will be watching all your wonderful photos.
I have decided to join Nina on her challenge to add a flower photo a day for 365 days.
www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/
I was taking a photo of this delicate little flower when the bee decided to drop in.
I took my new (second hand) Canon 7D MK II out today for some photos and even though it was quite windy (not good for macro shots), I am happy with the results. This is SOOC, only resized in Photoshop.
I was taking some photos of zebra when I spotted two impala racing towards me. I felt sure that something was chasing them and thought I might get some action photos, but they raced past the car and nothing came after them, so I am not sure what was happening.
I bought this book a while ago to entertain my grandchildren when they visit. It said from ages 8 upwards, but I found some of them so challenging LOL. I thought I would never work out the elephant and when I finally did it was a wonderful sense of achievement.
The bees have been out in the sunshine lately even though we are still in Winter. My white Lavender is full of flowers and I know if I go out there with my camera, I am sure to get some photos.
This is one from back in 2013 - I think it is from our last trip to the UK.
My poor brother has had another setback with his health. He is still in hospital after breaking his leg twice this year - 15 weeks so far for this break. His leg is not healing as well as they hoped and they will do another x-ray in 4 weeks time to see how it is going. We also received a call last night to say that he has been transferred to a bigger hospital as he has been having seizures and the smaller hospital was not able to handle these. He has been a severe epileptic since an accident when he was 19 and over the years, he has been left physically disabled by the seizures. We live 10 hours drive from him and it is frustrating not being able to see him as often as we like and even more frustrating when the hospital staff won't tell us what has happening. He has been in hospital for 5 months out of the last 7 months. On top of this my other brother has found that he has a brain aneurysm that is to be repaired on Friday as well as some small brain tumours that will have to be assessed next month which is worrying. We are to leave on our trip in just over two weeks so I hope that things have settled down by then.
Some more photos from the falconry display at the Medieval Fair, Nurragingy Reserve, Blacktown. Some people from the audience were invited to take part.
I found this Rose in my neighbour's garden along with some beautiful Dahlias and Zinnias. I adore the variegated colour.
We were driving down to Hippopotamus Dam in Kruger when we came across this lone Wildebeest walking on the side of the road. We followed him for a while as he kept looking back at us as though he was saying "I'm not moving". We came around the bend and there was an even bigger obstacle in the way - a big bull elephant also walking down the road.
I received my 7D back today from Canon after deciding not to go ahead with the almost $500 quote to repair, and guess what? It seems to be working.
This is my photo for the group 52 in 2014 - #27. Insect or spider. I didn't see many dragonflies around this Summer for some reason and normally they didn't want to stop for photos.
Flickr has been giving me grief for the last couple of days and I haven't been able to upload photos.
1 day to go
This is my photo for the challenge 52 in 2015 - #24 - Hidden or concealed. This is a bone ball that Peter bought in Hong Kong after one of our trips. There are a number of carved balls inside other balls of different sizes and we always wonder how it is done.
These photos are for my good friend Knut who, although a sensitive man, is finding it difficult to post comments on my flower a day photos LOL.
I braved the heat yesterday and went around to another neighbour's garden as I noticed that her Zinnias were blooming. This little native bee came in for a landing as I was taking this photo. We down under have the opposite trouble to our Northern hemisphere friends - it is too cold for you to go out, but way too hot for us to comfortably walk around in the sunshine.
As our weather cools down the Christmas Cactus are beginning to bloom. This is one from my neighbour's garden.
I stood and watched this bird for quite a while - it was having a splashing time. Taken near Lower Sabie Rest Camp in Kruger National Park.
Those that have been following me for some years know that I have two nemeses, Squirrels and Herons.
My mate Viv (www.flickr.com/photos/vab2009/ ) takes stunning wildlife photos and when I saw a photo of a Red Squirrel on her site taken in County Donegal I was emailing her as fast as you can say email.
Viv very kindly gave me instructions on how to get to them, follow the signs to the village of Muff and turn left at Harkin's Shop.
So on Thursday morning, after a couple of weeks of feeling very icky I was up for an adventure especially as the sun was shining.
Halfway to Londonderry the heavens opened and a gale force wind came out of no where but I was on a mission and nothing was going to stop me.
Viv's instructions were brill (thanks darling!) even to the bend in the road and the bird feeders (and this place is in the middle of no where!) and I was so glad I didn't go home because the sun came out.
Scattered my bucket load of peanuts, retreated back to the mini and waited. And waited. AND WAITED.. And I am not very good usually when it comes to waiting!
An hour and a half later the skies opened again and not even a peep of a squirrel.
The most annoying thing though was that whilst I was waiting, five people, separately, on their daily walk popped over to the mini and said "are you waiting for the squirrels?"
ALL of them said, we walk here all the time and see them on a regular basis and gosh only yesterday there was three of them cavorting around.
"How wonderful" I said to them through gritted teeth!!
So, instead of Red Squirrels doing their song and dance routine for me, you have a photo of the forest of Muff in all its Autumnal glory because I had to take a photo of something.
We were on our way out of Pilanesberg Game Park in the late afternoon when I spotted a mother and baby Rhinoceros walking through the bushes near the road. We stopped the car and they walk straight across the road in front of us. After the mother had moved off the road the baby stood and looked at the car for a couple of minutes before following it's mother.
I have decided to join Nina on her challenge to add a flower photo a day for 365 days.
www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/
Delving through my archives again - this is another variety of Grevillea that grows in my neighbour's garden.
The weather is finally beginning to cool down here - supposed to get down to 9C tonight, but quite windy, so seems even colder. It will soon be time to put the heaters on.
This is my photo for the group 52 in 2014 - #5 Street Photography. It was taken during a recent trip to South Africa.
Stokesay Castle is quite simply the finest and best preserved fortified medieval manor house in England. Set in peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, the castle, timber-framed gatehouse and parish church form an unforgettably picturesque group.
Lawrence of Ludlow, a wealthy local wool-merchant wishing to set up as a country gentleman, bought the property in 1281, when the long Anglo-Welsh wars were ending. So it was safe to raise here one of the first fortified manor houses in England, 'builded like a castle' for effect but lit by large domestic-style windows. Extensive recent tree-ring dating confirms that Lawrence had completed virtually all of the still surviving house by 1291, using the same team of carpenters throughout: more remarkably, the dating also revealed that it has scarcely been altered since.
Stokesay's magnificent open hearthed great hall displays a fine timber roof, shuttered gable windows and a precipitous staircase, its treads cut from whole tree-trunks. It is flanked by the north tower, with an original medieval tiled floor and remains of wall painting, and a 'solar' or private apartment block, and beyond this the tall south tower - the most castle-like part of the house, self-contained and reached by a defensible stairway.
The solar block contains one of the few post-medieval alterations to the house, a fine panelled chamber. Its dominating feature is a fireplace with a richly carved overmantel, still bearing the traces of original painting in five colours. This was added in about 1641, at the same time as the truly delightful gatehouse: an example of the Marches style of lavishly showy timber-framing, bedecked with charming carvings of Adam and Eve.
A few years later, in 1645 Stokesay experienced its only known military encounter, surrendering without fighting to a Parliamentarian force. So the house remained undamaged, and sensitive conservation by Victorian owners and English Heritage have left it the medieval jewel which survives today.
The yellow and black building is the gatehouse to the castle.
This is my photo for the 52 in 2015 challenge - #26 - Bottle or Jar. This is an old scent bottle we found when we were clearing out Peter's Dad's house for sale.
Some of the beautiful scenery that we saw on our way to the Isle of Skye in Scotland - spectacular scenery.
I have decided to join Nina on her challenge to add a flower photo a day for 365 days.
www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/
I survived the babysitting LOL, but still no chance for new photos. The weather is still iffy and cold, so I stayed indoors with the heater.
We spotted these hyenas on the day that we met up with Piet in Kruger. We had just driven into the park and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, but unfortunately I didn't have the camera ready so I just had to snap off a couple of photos before they walked away making their funny "whoop whoop' call.
Another photo from my archives - this is a beautiful rose that grows in one of my neighbour's gardens.
My wrist is a bit achy today, maybe because after some really warm weather. we have a really cold snap happening today - wild weather has been forecast. It is even snowing not far from us.
One of my granddaughters in Queensland asked me if I could make a hexagon quilt and then her sister requested one as well. I have never made one before, but I said I would try. It involves cutting out a lot of hexagons in various colours (in their favourite colours) and sewing them together to make a quilt. Once I began sewing, my two granddaughters who live nearby requested one each as well. I am sewing them all by hand, so I will be busy for a while, but I don't mind as I hate sitting idle when watching TV and it is an easy task to get comfortable and pick up my projects. Before I begin I have to tack 1/4 inch seems along all sides of the hexagons to prepare them for sewing together and although it sounds tedious, I am amazed at how quickly they are coming together. I have finished one quilt top and now this is the second. I have added a link showing how the quilt is constructed.
Looking at last October's photos that never got to see the light of day, I really could kick myself for going into my Greta Garbo routine.
I hadn't realised how glorious last years Autumn was because the Summer had been so dreadful.
This particular day I had set out really early to a little town called Garvagh because it was a gorgeous day and Garvagh always has something interesting to photograph.
I was exploring the gardens by the river and the hedges were literally covered with spider's webs and because it had been a damp night all of the webs were covered in rain drops.
I have never seen anything like it before and the hedges literally shimmered in the morning sun.
I know the science of how water drops stay on at impossible angles but I still haven't found a satisfactory answer as to why incredibly fragile things such as webs can bear the weight of even one drop, never mind hundreds!
Maybe I should stop searching for the answer and just look on in awe at nature's creations.
I have decided to join Nina on her challenge to take a flower photo a day for 365 days.
www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/
I still can't pick up the camera, so I am still adding photos from my archives. These were taken during my visit the the Hunter Valley Gardens at Cessnock - a fabulous place to visit.
This is my photo for the 52 in 2014 group - #23 Spots or dots. This is a journal that I decorated using scrapbooking papers and ribbons.
This is my photo for the group 52 in 2015 - #31, Fill the frame with colour. This is a macro of some of my colourful crackle beads that I have in my stash.
We are staying in Johannesburg for the night in a lovely hotel near the airport as it is too late to begin the 5 hour drive to Marloth Park, so one more night of internet. I have a couple of puzzle books to keep me occupied whilst in Marloth Park so imagine how much more brainy I will be at the end of the week LOL.
I was thinking that all the bees had gone north for the Winter, but was surprised to find this lone bee in my neighbour's garden. I followed it around for a while before it decided to fly off. As you can see, we have been having some lovely sunny weather, although the temperatures have been a little cool.
I have decided to join Nina on her challenge to take a flower photo a day for 365 days.
www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/
It is my middle child's 40th birthday today and we are going to a "bling" party at their new house.
Happy Birthday Danielle!!