Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Water

I’ve posted many photos of the canal, river and sea near to home so I wanted to find something different. All of these photos are from way back in my archives and taken with my first digital camera. Will you join in with Cee’s Challenge this week? Here’s where http://ceeslifephotographyblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/cees-fun-foto-challenge-water/

River SeineThe Seine taken from the first level of the Eiffel Tower.

The Double Locks ExeterThis is one of Exeter’s most popular pubs, the Double Locks on the canal. I took it back in the days when I played with photoshop and must have used a lighting effect because I named it Double Locks Omni.

My feet!The random shot!

 

 

 

Music in Pictures Contest: Alegria

Elisa says ‘The song I have chosen is called Alegrìa, which is the Spanish word for joy, performed by the Cirque du Soleil. For those of you who don’t know Cirque du Soleil, they are a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1984 performing some incredible shows, one of which is Alegrìa’ .

I hope my photos bring you joy! More at http://autumninbruges.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/music-in-pictures-contest-alegria/ And Twirl!

A Chestnut Walk to the Powderham Folly

Glorious weather and the dog’s need of some exercise made today a day for checking out Autumn’s progress. Earlier in the year I went to Kenton to take photographs for Lynne at On the Bench and found a new walk. At the time it was too cold to walk any further but it was always meant to be one to return to. The walk goes through the Powderham estate, the home to the 18th Earl and Countess of Devon. Building of the castle began in the 14th century and I’ve included a photo of the rooftop.

The start of the walk was a narrow muddy track through the marshes and then a climb up through the woods. There was a constant soundtrack from both the sawmill and the crazy sound of pheasants, whose presence tormented the dogs.  There are many ancient and magnificent oak trees but prominent today were the chestnuts, gnarled and old but still very productive. Empty shells were everywhere; no doubt the squirrels have full larders.

I was hoping for more leaf colour but there was very little display from the trees, we have only had one frost so far in east Devon. Plants in the hedgerow were definitely more autumnal though. In the field at the top of the track is the folly, built in the 18th century, and the view opens up, showing the river Exe looking east.

Click on any image for a slide show. I hope you enjoy my Sunday walk and have a lovely week!

Jakes Sunday Post: City

It’s Sunday so it must be Jake day and his theme this week is City. He says that a city is a ‘large center of population organized as a community. The word city is derived from the Latin word civitas, which denotes a community that administers its own affairs. In ancient Greece such an independent community was called a city-state; it consisted of a chief town and its immediate neighborhood. The cantons which constitute the Swiss federation are not unlike cities in this sense. During the Middle Ages a city was usually identical with a cathedral town; accordingly, when King Henry VIII of England established new bishoprics in boroughs, he made these into cities. In modern Britain city is merely a complimentary title conferred by the monarch on important towns.
In the United States a city is a chartered municipal corporation. Charters are granted by state governments according to requirements prescribed by the legislature of that state; a city must usually attain a certain population before it can be granted a charter. City charters vary in the degree of power they confer on the municipal authorities, and the measure of local autonomy is usually, although not always, regulated by the number of inhabitants. The chief executive officer is generally a popularly elected mayor, but many cities now have professional city managers.’

This is Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It has a population of 120,000 and lies at the foothills of the Alps, about 25 miles from Milan. Jake would love it if you joined in, http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/sunday-post-city/

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette

Sara Rosso over at http://dailypost.wordpress.com/ says that  ‘The proper definition of a silhouette is “the outline of a body viewed as circumscribing a mass.” In photography, often we achieve that effect by putting light behind the object whose silhouette we want to capture, effectively darkening out the features of the subject instead of highlighting them.’ 

I don’t know if this works but it’s the best I can come up with. 

It’s either a photo that’s gone wrong or it just scrapes in as a silhouette, what do you think?

Do you have a silhouette photo to share?

http://cherylandrews.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/weekly-photo-challenge-silhouette/

http://isadoraartandphotography.com/2012/10/21/weekly-photo-challenge-silhouette/

http://theurgetowander.com/2012/10/20/tadaima/

Travel Theme: Couples

Ailsa at http://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/10/19/travel-theme-couples/ has couples as her theme this week. She has some great shots on her site – especially the parrots. Visit and join in! Here are three of mine. 

Colyford Musicians

Winchester chicks

Nina and Steve with Dido and Daisy at Hound Tor!

 

Thursday’s Windows – Week 5

You wouldn’t really expect me to post a conventional window every week would you? I saw this one with its lovely objects around it at Cockington last weekend and I knew I would share it today. 

Join in at Sandra’s place! http://sandraconner.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/photo-challenge-thursdays-windows-week-5/

100 Word Challenge For Grown ups Week# 62

You know sometimes I think that I can’t get any dafter and then I surpass myself! Julia’s prompt this week is …it can’t be that time…. and as usual we can add another 100 words , making 105 this week.

Out of the dark

I feel squashed. I’ve tried pushing those hard bits, but they don’t seem to move now. It’s even difficult to stretch my legs and kick properly. We’ve both got hiccups, and I’ve been upside down for ages with my head in a vice, perhaps she’s been drinking?

Wait a minute.

Oy, I do the shoving, stop pushing on my behind! Agh, I don’t bend that way, let me just . . . put . . . my . . . arm . . . down.

That’s better.

What’s that now? Surely it can’t be that time already. It’s bright out there. I’ll need some sunglasses.

 

Join in and read more at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week62/