Come away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o
Today is my last of seven posts for the Nature Photo Challenge, began by Ulli, and passed to me by the lovely Amy. It coincides with my regular Thursday haiku, which I try to write based on the natural world, in the true spirit of haiku, so it made sense to combine the two.
Thanks to Amy, Ulli and my friends for joining in. If you want to take part in the challenge please run with it and enjoy!
The Sycamore moth
a bold and fluffy surprise
gift of prickly heat
Out of Africa once more, for day six of the nature photo challenge. This Weaver bird’s nest looks like a mix of art that you might find in a gallery, and practicality in the form of a basket.
Amy challenged me, but as yesterday, I’m not going to challenge anyone in particular, although Jo, the restless one, did show an interest in taking part. So if you haven’t had an invite yet, and you want to take part, go ahead and enjoy.
Day five of the nature photo challenge that Amy, The World is a Book, invited me to join. I thought something related to the beach would be a good idea, and then I remembered this rock pool photo, full of shadows and reflections.
I’m running out of victims uh friends to invite to the challenge. Several of you run your own challenges, that keep you busy – you know who you are, and so I’ve decided to throw it open to anyone who would like to take part. Just share a nature related photo, each day for seven, and enjoy!
I’m back in Devon for day four of the challenge that Amy passed to me. The idea is to post a photo every day for a week and pass it on to a friend.
I have many favourite birds, but the thrush is very high on my list, I think because they are not only pretty, but they look intelligent as well, don’t you agree?
I’m choosing Pauline to challenge today, she has a birds eye view of the birds in her garden down under, as well as wonderful tropical plants. No worries if you’re busy Pauline, but I’d love to see what you come up with!
I’m going a bit further afield for day three of the nature photo challenge, to northern Ghana. This termite mound was more then twice my height of five-six and must have housed millions of little beasties!
Amy invited me to join the nature photo challenge, a photo a day for seven, of anything from the natural world. Today I’m inviting Sue, one of very few blogging friends I’ve been lucky enough to meet. She already posts the most wonderful photos of nature in decay, beautiful images of flowers in all stages, so the challenge would be easy for her. If you’re too busy Sue, it’s no problem, I understand how difficult it is to fit in a challenge!
My lovely blogging friend Amy has challenged me to join the 7-Day Nature Photo Challenge, begun by Ulli, and it’s right up my street.
The two branches of the river Teign rise on Dartmoor and meet at Chagford, flowing southeast to Teignmouth where it joins the English Channel. It’s a very pretty river, and at castle Drogo it runs through a steep valley. I took this photo down in that valley, half way from Drogo to Fingle Bridge, a beautiful spot.
A well as posting nature photo each day for a week, I have to challenge a friend to join in. Today I’m choosing Meg, who’s spending a year in Warsaw, and enjoying a northern hemisphere spring. She has a very good eye and I loved her calligraphy branches today. No worries if you ‘re too busy Meg!
Through a glass darkly.
This photo was taken on a sunny day, in a woodland glade, in a sculpture garden. It was actually a large frame with dark and distorting reflective glass, in blue shades.
So, can you conjure up the Jabberwocky? I can, cackle, cackle, but just in case, here’s the poem, perhaps it will help.
Lewis Carroll
For March, my friend Jude’s Garden Photo Challenge theme is wildlife in the garden. I don’t want to carp on about my ducks, but this is my second entry, I hope you’re suitably impressed Jude. April’s theme will be macro photography.
The lovely and talented Amy has challenged me to join the 7-Day Nature Photo Challenge, begun by Ulli, and as it’s a four day weekend, I have time to do it, hooray! I thought my damselfly worked well for both. A couple of days ago, my friend and insect expert Sonel, posted an amazing photo of a tropical damselfly from near her home in South Africa.
Today I’m going to ask Sylvia if she’d like to join in, she is surrounded by nature in her new home, some of it rather scarey. No problem if you’re too busy Sylvia!
A few days ago, the lovely Isobel commented that I’m addicted to photo challenges. She’s right of course, I am, even my own weekly Thursday one. So this week, just for a change there’re no photo inspired haiku, just a little poem.
Totem
Twig legs, and wings collapsed like a fallen angel,
flown too early in this false spring of harsh, March winds.
Breast not red, but orange, flame extinguished now,
the once piercing eyes, blank
issue a question .
Have I the courage to answer?
could I have fed this hungry yearling?
Skeletal, with moulting feathers,
starved, desperate, chilled and lost
with a cracked, fairy porcelain beak
No grassy resting place,
in a well-tended suburban border.
No crow will dine on her bones,
on that flagstone path in need of repair.
Rather, old Mr Jones scooping her precious remains,
into a Waitrose bag and the black wheelie bin.
This, my totem bird will never renew,
but her spirit has found release, a regeneration,
as my raw heart has revealed,
a new compassion for self, rebirth.
On my walk to work a few days ago I saw a dead robin on the path, I did a double take – seeing a dead bird is quite unusual. It made me cry, and I still have the image in my mind, this poem is my response.
Jo isn’t lazy, but she has posted a joyful, spring haiku this Thursday, it definitely cheered me up, thanks honey!
Lucid Gypsy 