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We were driving along one of the dirt roads in Kruger when we came across many cars parked all over the road. We stopped and looked at where people were pointing, but could see nothing. We were told that there were lions laying in the long grass and as we were watching, this lion stood up, turned around and then laid back down again.
We stayed the night in Stranraer in Scotland before catching the ferry over to Northern Ireland. In the afternoon we went for a drive around the local area and ended up in Portpatrick - a lovely harbourside village.
Driving through the Yorkshire Moors it is wonderful to see all the free roaming sheep on the side of the road. Normally when we stopped the car, they would just stand and stare at us, but occasionally they would trot away (like this one).
I have decided to join Nina (www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/) on her challenge of taking a flower photo a day for 365 days.
We called into a hide in Pilanesberg and as we were walking, I noticed this crocodile just laying in the water. As we were sitting watching some water birds Peter said that he thought it was going to try and catch a large type of catfish so I went over and waited for the strike. It struck and missed and when we saw the size of the crocodile we were amazed - so big. I tried to take photos but had the 100-400 lens on and it was too close. It then started slowly swimming to a branch in the water where there were a few water birds sitting. It made a strike at a low branch, but also missed.
A pretty little antelope that I spotted in the bushes as we were driving around Kruger. Peter says that it is a Steenbuck, but maybe some of my South African friends can confirm.
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/
There are still a few lone insects around and still a few flowers.
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/
A Blue Banded bee with a Red Star Cluster flower - two of my favourite subjects.
What I really like about photography, is that we have endless moments in time which are lost forever (particularly when our memories grow dimmer with age), but if we have a camera we capture that moment forever.
I particularly like this moment in time as its a lot gentler than my other images.
The Loch was so beautiful and calm and it reflected perfectly all the curves of the shore and the mountain.
The fog disguised the fact that the mountains in the distance needed a ten week Bear Grylls Survival Course and that was just to suss the map out!!!
It wasn't until I started processing the image that I had realised that I had taken Lonely Little Tree's twin.
I wonder if they have survived the hurricane strength winds that battered the UK yesterday!
When we were driving around Kruger National Park we saw so many rhinos - many more than on our previous visits.
I thought I was going to miss out taking a photo of a squirrel on our last trip, but we called in to Dorking and I went to the church ground where I saw some in 2013. Whilst there were not as many around, I did manage to spot a couple with their prizes.
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/
We fly out tomorrow for Paris.
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/
A Matchstick Bromeliad growing in my neighbour's garden. It is still raining here and tomorrow is supposed to be torrential with gale force winds. The rain is supposed to last until Wednesday and then showers until next weekend.
Honestly, I love the Sound of Music and I have seen it so many times I have lost count.
But, give me mountain scenery and "Climb every Mountain", is the first thing that pops into this overactive brain of mine.
This photo is my particular favourite, okay, okay, all the photos I took on this trip are my faves!
I just like the between seasons look. The deep, rich colours of Autumn and the stark mono's of Winter.
About half a mile away was another lake which has given me some lovely reflection shots and it was ice free. This lake was rapidly icing over and before my eyes as well so the surface looked like a cracked mirror.
I think its the first time I have been on a road trip where every twist and turn of the road has provided an entirely different scene.
We are going over again next month, may as well take advantage of the incredibly cheap Winter deals that the ferries are offering!
EXPLORE NO. 4 28TH NOVEMBER 2013
Winter has now arrived in Australia and the insects have packed their bags and headed north for the Winter. These are some of the last bees that I saw in the garden.
I have not been commenting as much on Flickr as I am still having so much trouble with my hands. I am finding it difficult to do anything, let alone pick up the camera and as it is only 6 weeks until we go to Africa, I am beginning to despair. The tests showed no Carpal Tunnel, but the doctor now wants me to go back to see the surgeon who may suggest some more cortisone injections which will hopefully relieve the pain. I am sorry I can't leave personal comments, but typing is really impossible at the moment.
#335 on Explore on 6th June, 2012.
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 ran an action called Spring Wildflowers on the original photo. I am computer illiterate LOL, so this action I just have to hit the "go" button and it is done for me.
I have been looking through the photos from our last trip to Kruger and came across this shot. We were so lucky on our last trip and saw so many animals up close - hope we are as lucky this time.
This is my photo for the 52 in 2015 Challenge - #9 Bell(s). I was looking for something in my jewellery box and came across some gold charms and amongst them was this lovely bell. They had belonged to my late Aunt and she had collected them during her travels.
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/
A beautiful pansy that I spied during a visit to Franschhoek in South Africa
When we visit Fort William, we always make a visit to the Cameron Museum at Achnacarry near Loch Lochy. The day that visited on our last trip is was closed sadly, but we drove around the area has some beautiful scenery.
Summer days are salad days - these are some tiny tomatoes growing in our garden. Today is the last day of Summer here in Australia, and it is raining. I am sure we will still have some hot days as the hot weather can last well into March/April, but I am really enjoying the cooler day today.
I was taking photos of this pretty little vine in my neighbour's garden when I spotted the little spider hiding on one of the flowers. I think that the vine is a type of Bleeding Heart. I googled and came up with Rose of Montana which does look the same.
One of my passions (amongst many - and not a peep out of you Mr.Killen), is Castles.
Living in Northern Ireland, regularly visiting the Republic of Ireland and trotting over to Scotland I have more than enough castles to keep me amused.
So looking through my photos from the past nearly 5 years of living here, I have managed to upload the grand total of three Castles.
Going to have to address that little discrepancy !
So first on my list is the gorgeous, very photogenic Eilean Donan Castle which is on the way to the Isle of Skye.
I always thought the film Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones was filmed here, in fact I would have bet money on it. Wrong!!!
The first Highlander film was filmed here and I must have got it into my head that most films were filmed here. The owners of the castle would have loved every film to be made here!!
What totally took me by surprise is that it is incredibly close to the road. Yes it is on its own little island, but that too is incredibly close to the road!!! I had this romantic notion that the island was in the middle of the Loch and only accessible by boat.
As usual with most castles, especially in this area of Scotland, it has had a very checkered past.
It downfall came in 1719 when its owners were discovered to be part of the Jacobean Cause to bring Bonnie Prince Charlie back from exile and plonk him on the throne.
For this little indiscretion the castle was blown to bits and lay in ruins for 200 years.
Fast forward to 1911 and Lieutenant Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the ruins and spent the next 20 years making it into his home. No doubt many locals (and believe me its not the most inhabited of places) thought he was totally bonkers.
But, bless him he did it and even reduced his carbon footprint by using most of the stone left behind.
We arrived here quite early as we were heading to the Isle of Skye for the day and despite the awful weather, the place was heaving with tourists, one of my pet dislikes.
As we weren't actually going into the castle, I got away from the throng of people in the carpark and discovered a little place where I could get a decent shot with minimal people.
I must have a sign with neon lights over my head because from nowhere I had a van load of very rude tourists trying to push me out of the way.
Once those hiking boots get embedded into the mud, there is NO moving me and I must admit the urge to shove them into the Loch was very, very strong.
Truly I am a nice person!!
One I found in the archives yesterday. African Daisies are such interesting photo subjects - each phase of the flower is unique.
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/
We are now home from our trip to Hervey Bay. We decided to come home a couple of days early as it was raining in Inverell where we were staying with friends and they were worried that the access road to their farm would be cut off unless you have a 4 wheel drive (we don't).
During our stay in Hervey Bay, I caught up with tassiesim (www.flickr.com/photos/tassiesim/) and she took me to a special place where these beautiful butterflies were flitting around - so many in the same place.
The House in the Clouds is a water tower at Thorpeness, Suffolk, UK. It was built in 1923 to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill and was designed to improve the looks of the water tower, disguising its tank with the appearance of a weatherboarded building more in keeping with Thorpeness's mock-Tudor and Jacobean style, except seeming to float above the trees. The original capacity of the water tank was 50,000 imperial gallons (230,000 l) but during the Second World War, the House in the Clouds was hit by gunfire from anti-aircraft guns based at Thorpeness. The water tank was repaired using its own steel, which resulted in a reduced capacity of 30,000 imperial gallons (140,000 l). In 1977 the water tower was made redundant by a mains water supply to the village, and additional living space was created. In 1979 the main water tank was removed to fully convert the building into a house. The building currently has five bedrooms and three bathrooms; it contains a total of 68 steps from top to bottom and is around 70 ft high.
It has been a Grade II Listed Building since 1995.
We spotted quite a few giraffe during our time in Kruger which was always exciting. We sat for quite a while and watched this giraffe try and reach the leaves at the top. While we were waiting the other giraffe came over and he had scars all over his body. I thought it may have been from an attack by a lion or leopard, but someone said it looked more like some type of cancer - maybe someone might be able to help.
This is my entry for the 52 in 2015 challenge - #18 Something Sweet. As it is Easter later this week, I also thought it would be an appropriate photo for the challenge. These are some of the treats that my grandchildren will be receiving.
There are still a few bees around even though the weather has been rather cold lately. Last week we even had snow in the Blue Mountains which is only around 1.5 hours drive from here.
We visited Salisbury, Wiltshire, to meet up with a Flickr friend Paul Chambers. In the afternoon Peter went to find an antique shop and I visited Salisbury Cathedral.
www.flickr.com/photos/southpole4/
The Font was designed by William Pye in 2008 and is used for baptisms. The consecration marks made by the Archbishop of Canterbury are still visible.
We were surprised by the amount of South African people who didn't know that the Wildebeest was also known as a Gnu. This one was grazing close to the road and seemed interested in what we were doing.
My brother is suffering from Pneumonia and being treated with IV antibiotics. I keep stressing that we are worried about the number of falls he is having and they say they will look into it. The said this when he was in hospital for 7 weeks with his broken leg, so I am not holding out much hope that they will.
The picturesque Arlington Row cottages were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. This was converted into a row of weavers' cottages in the 17th century. The cloth produced there was sent to Arlington Mill on the other side of Rack Isle. The cloth was then hung on wooden timber frames on Rack Isle after being degreased at Arlington Mill.
Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed Cotswold
scenes.
We are spending the night in Inverness and tomorrow we head for Fort William for two nights.
When I was at Bristol Zoo, I went to the Butterfly enclosure and I was standing looking at the butterfly on the bottom of the photo and this other butterfly came down and began flying around.
I haven't been spending much time on Flickr as we are staying with some friends - having a wonderful time. I will catch up with everyone soon.
When we were on our Coastal Explorer to Durbin tour, we called in to Oribi Gorge - amazing scenery. It was a small tour of up to 7 people, but as we were the only people booked, we were driven around in a car by a tour guide. When we were at the Gorge, Jac said that he always took a photo of his clients and told us to go and stand on a group of rocks. He kept asking us to move a bit further over to the right, but I am not good walking on rocks, so I declined. When I saw the photo, I can see why LOL.
I couldn't resist taking photos of Highland cows that we spotted during our travels around Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Yesterday I posted a photo of female waterbok at a waterhole. Today's photo is of the male, taken in Kruger National Park.
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/
The sun came out briefly this afternoon and I took this photo of a water laden Viola in my garden. We are supposed to get a couple of sunny days - hopefully the weather forecast is correct.
When we were staying in Bexhill, East Sussex, Pat (larigan here on Flickr) took me for a drive around the area and we called in at Slidon to see the Pumpkin Festival. I never realised how many different varieties of pumpkins that there are. It was a cold, wet day and we had pumpkin soup for lunch - yummy it was too.
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 am bored LOL. I can see so many dragonflies flying around the garden and can't go out to photograph them.
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/
We are headed back to finish clearing out Peter's Dad's house - catch up with you all tomorrow.
Still got the Sound of Music buzzing through my brain!
For the first time, one can get a sense of scale with those little cars in the valley.
Actually I would call these mere foothills compared to some of the mountains further down the road, but I still wouldn't like to take a quick gallop up them!!
If one looks carefully, just above the white camper van and curving towards the right hand edge of the photo, you can see a railway track.
The Great Western Highway Sleeper Train runs on this track and it is reputed to be one of the top ten rail journey's in the World for stunning scenery.
And I am not going to argue with that statement.
EXPLORE NO. 7 1ST DECEMBER 2013
Taken in Pilanesberg Game Park. I love Waterbuck - they are the antelopes that have a target on their bottoms.
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/
45 days to go - we will be leaving Australia in 13 days for our trip so hopefully I will have internet access at times so I can keep up with the challenge.
Tibouchina flowers are blooming in my garden at the moment. I think they may have been confused by the warm weather that we have been having, even though we are well into Winter. Winter has certainly arrived today though as it is so cold after a lovely sunny day yesterday.