Month: May 2015

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #4

Posted on Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged , , , , 10 Comments

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I met this little fella at the allotment today, and it’s a Cockchafer beetle, Melolontha melolontha, otherwise known as a May bug. It’s about 3 cms long and this isn’t the best image, because I took it with my phone and cropped it hard.  It was lurking under a new leaf on a pear tree and my friend scooped it onto a shell so we could check it out . Luckily that same phone meant that Mr Google could identify it in seconds.

I’m not keen on bugs and creepy crawlies in factb but Sonel’s blog has converted me into someone that can appreciate their uh . . . beauty? and this one was quite cute, do a google image search if you don’t believe me. Cockchafers spend three to fours years of their lives underground as larvae, and once adult, they only have six weeks left to mate. It turns out that its a bit of a pest, the larvae are voracious feeders on roots, so as we don’t want to share our potatoes, it’s  been dispatched, not killed, that would have been hideous, just taken elsewhere!

Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Margie, a photographer and writer from Michigan who has Zen eyes. This would be an easy challenge for you Margie, if you feel like taking it up, no worries if you don’t have time.

The challenge is to just  “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

 

 

 

A Bench beside the Beach

Posted on Posted in PhotographyTagged , , , 16 Comments

Jude’s fun and addictive challenge features benches at the beach this month. ‘You must be able to do it’ she said, ‘living as close to the coast as you do’! Well the weather is lousy so I’m not likely to go to the beach yet, maybe later in the month. Meanwhile I have found this photo taken at Exmouth – my nearest and dearest beach.

beach bench

Share your bench photos, do you have a favourite beach side resting place? Visit Jude to find out more.

The Force of Nature

Posted on Posted in Nature, Photography, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , , 30 Comments

force

For many years now this boat has been abandoned in the river Exe opposite Topsham quay. When the tide is low, you can see how much mud it’s trapped in. I’ve been watching it decay, and I’m sure I’m one of many, many others doing the same. It’s acquired an almost iconic status, the view just wouldn’t be the same without it. One day it will no longer be there, the forces of nature will have totally reclaimed it to the earth.
This post is for the Weekly Photo Challenge, Forces of nature.

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #3

Posted on Posted in PhotographyTagged , , 30 Comments

brixham1

I started trying to teach myself to use Photoshop around 2003. I’d just had three years of study and I couldn’t find a class anyway. I vaguely remember coming across a teach yourself type book, but I  can’t follow instructions, my learning style is kinaesthetic.  I didn’t ever get much beyond basic editing, before I got bored with it and decided that I should concentrate on trying to improve my photography instead. All these years later and amateur photo edit has moved on a pace. Now, with a free and simple app for an Android device, anyone can get pleasing results in seconds.

brixham

Love it or hate it, it took me longer to take the photo in the first place than it did to edit, I know it’s not that wonderful but it makes you think doesn’t it?
Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Pauline at Gypsy Life. She’s been posting some fab photos of her cruise recently and I know she has lots of tales to tell.

Pauline, there’s no obligation, have fun if you want to!

The challenge is to just “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #2

Posted on Posted in Exeter, UncategorizedTagged , , 21 Comments

Butt’s Ferry down on Exeter Quay is operated by man power, it’s a floating boat that is pulled 150 feet by a cable across the river Exe.  The current boat is 27 feet long and has been in use since 2005, but there has been a crossing there since the 17th century.

There is a sign on the riverbank that reads.

Butts Ferry

Tis yer you catch the ferry

A funny boat it be . . .

But it gets you cross the river

For only 30p

 ferry

Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Ruth, a photographer and art teacher from Pittsburgh who also writes poetry. This would be an easy challenge for you Ruth, if you feel like taking it up, no worries if you don’t have time.

The challenge is to just  “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

 

5 Photos 5 Stories Day #1

Posted on Posted in FlowersTagged , , 17 Comments

For those of you that live in different climates, these are violets, the wild version of our much loved garden violas and pansies. violets

Whenever I see a carpet of these tiny beauties,  I am transported back to my childhood. There was a tiny little roll of half inch wide, mauve sweeties, and as soon as you opened the packet the scent exploded. When you put them in your mouth it was difficult to decide if you were tasting the taste, or tasting the fragrance. In fact some people would say they taste like old ladies soap. But I didn’t care, they were heaven on my tongue.

Parma Violets were first made in 1930 in Derbyshire, England, by the Swizzels Matlow company and apparently they now make giant Parma Violets, where are they, I need them?  I believe they are a love or hate thing. Now I’m sure there are some of you that remember them, or perhaps still eat them, so tell me do you think they are delicious or disgusting? Of course they don’t smell like these real violets, but nevertheless  a sweet and tempting smell.

Jude at Travel Words has nominated me for the ‘Five Photos, Five Stories’ challenge, and I would like to nominate Tony at 2far2shout, a brilliant storyteller who takes a mean photo too.

Tony there’s no obligation, have fun if you want to!

The challenge is to just  “post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”.

Barcelona, Sant Jordi and the Bus Turistic!

Posted on Posted in TravelTagged , , , , , 10 Comments

We had a light breakfast in our gorgeous apartment and set off rather later than intended the next morning. Retracing our steps from our walk home the night before, along the Gran via de les Corts Catalanes, I had to reassure my two friends that yes, I did know where we were going.  It was then that I remembered that on a trip to Paris, ten years ago, I was the only one with any sense of direction.  We got a little distracted by the parade of stalls selling single stemmed roses, for Sant Jordi’s day, and by the striking buildings in the university area.

Uni area

In five minutes we reached the Placa Catalunya, a lovely open area from where it’s easy to navigate the city’s main tourist destinations. Sant Jordi is not only a festival of roses but also of literature that coincides with world book day.

book day

I would have loved to linger and choose some books. As well as Spanish and Catalan authors, Ken Follett was among some of the British writers, signing books.The Placa was really buzzing with atmosphere,  Sant Jordi’s dragon was there, Iarge as life.

Dragon

This statue is by Frederic Mares , Barcelona  represented as a woman on horse back holding a ship as a symbol of exploration and trade.

statue

A wider view of the Placa.

placa
A hint of the architecture to come.
Placa buildings

We bought tickets for the hop on hop off Bus Turistic, for 27 euros  for the day. We  chose the blue route , as it covered most of the places we wanted to see.

Open top bus And we’re off, complete with blue head phones to listen to the commentary about the key points around the city. Although I’ll get shot, I have to tell you that Jackie was lulled to sleep by the music between each bit of information, and woke suddenly. She was so shocked by the voice in her ear that she woke with a scream, alarming some of the other tourists and reducing Sonja and I to tummy aching laughter!

I’ll be back soon with views from the bus, including the exterior of Sagrada Familia.

The Intricacies of nature and man

Posted on Posted in Photography, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , 19 Comments

The Bear Hut at National Trust Killerton was reputedly created to house a real live bear in the grounds of the property. I’m really not convinced, I think it was more likely a great playhouse for the children of the family. Either way it’s a cute little place with some interesting decorative features, including this pretty ceiling studded with natural pine cones arranged by man in a pattern on something like hessian.
intricate

This well nibbled leaf has been made into an intricate design by one of nature’s creatures.
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Some human has used delicate silk to create an intricate design on these hats.
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When I got my current mobile phone a couple of year ago I was experimenting with photographing a fast running stream. What I didn’t realise at the time was that I had it on a setting called Harris Shutter that does weird things to images, I nearly deleted it, but kept it because I like the intricate mix of colours!
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This carved and painted arch is inside Exeter Cathedral, it’s one of many intricate and ornate features there.
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When I started thinking about this challenge and looking at some photos, I concluded that and awful lot of my photos fit the bill, because I like to focus on little details. How about you?
You know how to join in!