Travel Theme: Fragant

Posted on Posted in England, Nature, PhotographyTagged , , , , , , , , 18 Comments

One of the joys of the autumn is to find fragrance in a garden. I’ve known this wonderful tree for a long time, but it still catches me by surprise, and I smell it before I remember and find it. katsura

It has dainty leaves that are a very pretty shape, and fresh shade of green in spring and summer, but then once they start to fall the divine aroma bursts out.  It’s a Katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum Japonica, commonly known as a toffee apple tree. And that’s exactly what it smells like, especially if you  walk on the leaves or crush them in your hands. Heavenly!

toffee apple

There will be another Katsura photo tomorrow for my Daily Post haiku challenge, but meanwhile this is my Ailsa’s Travel Theme, http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/

Weekly Writing Challenge: Haiku Catchoo

Posted on Posted in Photography, PoetryTagged , , , , , , 18 Comments

Krista over at The Daily Post says,

‘Your challenge, should you choose to accept it

In the words of Ray Bradbury, “Just write every day of your life…”. Your mission is to write five haikus — one for each of the five days leading up to this Friday when we will choose some entries and feature them on Freshly Pressed.

Of course, you can modify this challenge to suit your needs — you can write two haikus one day and three the next, or five all in one day, or one haiku every day from today through Friday — the choice is entirely up to you. If haikus don’t inspire you, you’re welcome to write a paragraph of prose instead. As always, the challenges are meant to be malleable so that they suit your needs.

While traditional haikus tend to focus on things found in nature — anything goes for this haiku challenge. You can write haikus about your dog, your house, your cat, your great aunt Tilly — anything that captures your muse. The object is to try a new form and put some variety into your writing projects.’

I really like this challenge. As some of you know I regularly write a Lazy Poets Haiku, Tanka or poem on Thursdays and I always use one of my own photos as inspiration. I really am a lazy poet, an undisciplined dabbler, so the Japanese short forms really appeal to me. From now until Friday I will attempt to match a haiku to a photo, here is day one.

haiku 1

Tutu’d white ladies

will you dance in the forest

glowing pas de deux

To join in or read some more polished work, http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/challenge-haiku/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

Posted on Posted in Art and Design, Photography, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , , , , , , 37 Comments

‘The world is an interesting place: we stumble upon unexpected things each day’ says Cheri Lucas Rowland.

Of course we should expect the unexpected in an art gallery, but this is my offering for the challenge. Oki Naganode by Julia Lohmann was an installation at the V & A back in September, made from Naga Kombu, a type of Japanese Seaweed. It has been stretched by hand over a framework of cane. Lohmann uses a variety of natural materials including bone and cow and sheep stomach. Oki Naganode was created to show the design potential of seaweed, and is around eight feet high.

Can you find the unexpected? Then share it at http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/photo-challenge-unexpected/

Wondering about Bill

Posted on Posted in Old ageTagged , , , 15 Comments

At the top of my road on my way to work this morning, I spotted Bill, he’s a lovely old guy who I told you about here https://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/a-contrast-of-elderly-men/  and here https://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/january-small-stone-twelve/

Once again I hadn’t seen him for a couple of weeks and I dashed up to him with a smile.

‘How are you, it’s lovely to see you?’ then up close I noticed his face, and knew he wasn’t well.

‘Not too good’ he said, ‘I’ve been coughing all night and sick with my stomach as well.’ He looked grey and didn’t have the energy to flirt with me, as he does with all the ladies. He was walking home from the local shop – about two hundred metres – with a loaf of bread and some milk, leaning heavily on his stick.

‘It looks like you should go home to bed today dear and take it easy, give yourself chance to recover.’

‘I can’t do that, I’m going to see my friend.’ He has a lady friend who lives about a mile away and it isn’t on a bus route so he walks it.

‘Maybe wait until tomorrow and just take care of yourself today, it’s a bit of a walk’ I said gently.

‘I’ve got to walk my legs will go otherwise, got to keep moving like Felix,’ his first smile.

‘Felix who?’

‘Felix the cat keeps on walking, so I’ve got to else I’ve had it, I’ll be stuck in my chair!’

‘You stubborn so and so! well just be careful’ I watched him walk on slowly.

I know that Bill’s daily trip to the shop stops him from being lonely, because he speaks to everyone. Apart from seeing his lady friend weekly, I don’t think he has anyone around. He is a very private person and doesn’t know that I know his name even, hopefully the shop keeper would notice if he didn’t show up.

The last time I saw him he was dispensing advice to some students whose car wouldn’t start and he was very perky and cheeky. I really want to see him bounce back quickly and keep on walking like Felix.

Felix keeps on walking, keeps on walking still.
With his hands behind him,
you will always find him.

Red Bricks and Funky Windows, the charm of A La Ronde

Posted on Posted in England, History, Photography, TravelTagged , , , , , , 21 Comments

I popped down to A La Ronde, a little National Trust property that overlooks the Exe estuary, a few weeks ago. It was one of those beautiful autumn days that I add to my memory store, to help me throught the winter. A La Ronde was built in the 18th century and isn’t actually round – it has sixteen sides! Those of you who love windows would fall for it, they are a delight. I hope this photo is legible, read a little of its history.
2013 Oct 19_7863_edited-1

And here is some of the exterior, click on any photo for a better view.

The Old Laundry

I’ll be back sometime with some inside shots, the Parminter ladies had some bizarre design ideas and quirky collections. Meanwhile here is the outside of the house, just before the painting was finished.

A la Ronde

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Posted on Posted in England, Photography, Uncategorized, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , , , 32 Comments

Dartmoor in Devon is a National Parkthat has lots of exposed granite hilltops or Tors. The rock dates back to the carboniferous period and thrust through the surface around 280 million years ago. a variety of mineral ores have been extracted for centuries. Now we can see how it cooled into layers all those millennia ago.

Share your layers at http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/weekly-photo-challenge-layers/