Black and White Sunday, Delicate

hite Sunday, DelicatePaula at Lost in Translation has picked the theme of delicate for her Black and White Sunday challenge. Read what she says about the possible photographic interpretations of the word here.

My photo was taken at the tomb of King Midas, Gordion in the heart of Turkey.

delicate
It’s possible that this pot is Phrygian, from the 9th century BC.

The Daily Post, Landscape

For this week’s challenge, share a photo of a landscape: a wide establishing shot of a scene in nature or an urban setting. A simple theme you would think, but I don’t really do landscapes, I never feel that my lens is up to it. My entry is actually a phone shot, so doesn’t bear zooming in, but it’s quite pleasing nevertheless.

avon b and wYou can join in here, and see lots of really wonderful shots.

Perhaps mine is better in colour?

avon

7-Day Nature Photo, Day Three

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!termitehill

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!

7-Day Nature Photo, day two

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.

fingle bridge

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!

I Want to Dance

If I danced whenever I want to, many more people would know I’m even crazier than they thought. Just a few days ago I was lamenting my inability to sing or play a musical instrument, she said ‘I bet you can dance Gilly’. She was right, I love dance in all it’s forms, but the very best kind is spontaneous.

kldance

 

when you’re moved by the beat

right there on the street

come on feel the heat

now get up on your feet

and dance with a perfect stranger

A Million Daffodils

When the former pilot Keith Owen died, he left his fortune to the seaside town of Sidmouth, to brighten up the place he loved and visited many times. Since then more than 300 people have helped to realise his dream, planting bulbs around the town, making Sidmouth an even lovelier place than before. One of his ideas was to ‘plant a million daffodils’, this has been fulfilled, and the town and areas around it is now a sea of golden yellow and will be every spring.

Late on Sunday afternoon, after my walk at the Byes, where many carpets of daffs are blooming, I climbed a little way up Peak Hill where I knew the sight would be wonderful. Puffing my way past the flowers I sat here and enjoyed the view.

daff1Once I’d got my breathe back, I tried to get some good shots, but the blue sky from earlier was misty.

daff2

I walked a little way back down, and the glow as I shot into the sun was dazzling.

daffs3
What a generous soul Mr Owen must have been, and what a lasting legacy he has left!

The Day We’ve All Been Waiting For

The weather forecast was right, full sun all day today – yes this Brit is obsessed with the weather, it’s been a long, wet winter. A morning of housework gave me permission for an afternoon stroll, at Sidmouth. The town was busy but we found somewhere to park and a different entrance to the Byes.

I wonder how many times they've shared this bench
I wonder how many times they’ve shared this bench

Lots of blue sky and a tempting path.
bys2

Little peeps of colour
Little peeps of colour
Looking back at the first bridge
Looking back at the first bridge

Here’s Daisy, all excited and with a spring her tail.
bys5
bys6There’s been some storm damage in recent years,

bys7But plenty of new tree planting.

bys8We’ll walk beside the river Sid for a while.

bys9There are remains of a jetty.

bys10Benches everywhere to watch the world go by.

bys11Leaving the river, we’ll go up a gentle rise towards Golden Copse, bys12in Margaret’s Meadow.

bys13The sky became even bluer.

bys14We were surrounded by birds, but most were too high in the trees. Never mind this robin gave us a lovely solo performance.

Back down to the river where lots of families were enjoying the day.

bys15

bys16
bys17

That’s the Byes, I’ve taken you and Jo walking there before, but in the winter, I hoped you liked spring. The dog friendly café on the sea front was full today as were the car parks, so we headed home. I’ll show you where we made a quick stop tomorrow.

Did you go out for a walk this weekend? I hope you had sunshine as well.