I will be away

I don't expect any visitors as I have been awful about blogging recently. Every day I've intended to take some pictures of the flowers appearing in the garden.. and haven't done so. Finally - I went out at dusk today and took some, of course some of the flowers were already asleep for the night, but here is a selection. I have put some more on the other blog as I did take a few... LOL
Anyhow, hope you like them and see you in a couple of weeks when I get back from visiting my Dad in Cyprus. Yippee! I can't wait to see him and Jenny.
See you all

playing with Photoshop Elements and Pixelmator

one of the beach pics with photoshopelements6 and then with Pixelmator. Wodjer fink?

visiting and serendipity

I have not been visiting much recently - but today went to one of the greatest art blogs - that of Alfonso Brezmes. He is so inspiring. Do take a look at him at his paradise under construction
http://paraisoenobras.blogspot.com/

while visiting I followed on of his links, always a sensible option and went here

http://centripetalnotion.com/2007/09/13/13:26:26/

just great, fascinating.

Westward Ho!

This strange place was named after a book. My mother decided she would like to go there on her birthday and we were intending to walk around and have a light lunch there. When we arrived, the place sort of didn't materialise. It does look interesting from the Burrows and through the pouring rain/hail/sleet - so here are a few pics to make you glad you don't live in misty moisty North Devon, next to the ocean. The snow is on Exmoor - until we started on our day out, we didn't realise it had been snowing, as Ilfracombe is a bit warmer, for no apparent reason. Another time, I'll go when it is sunny and see if it is all more attractive. We were very glad to get back in the car and head for Appledore. Pics to follow. Also quite damp....

Mum's 77th birthday

My Mum wanted to go to Westward Ho! on her birthday.
Westward Ho! is not very interesting. We went to the Burrows and looked at the sea in a hailstorm. Which of these pictures do you like?

Busy busy busy

I am off to London for a few days tomorrow.
Mainly to see some exhibitions, including the Byzantium one with my sister-in-law and maybe to join in some demos on behalf of the Palestinians. I won't say more as my political views are my own and are based on many of my own emotions and experiences, so I'm not willing to discuss them with anyone who disagrees that Israel is behaving like a bastard. I maybe should say that I am a pacifist and deplore all violence.

My decision about whether to attend vigils and demos will just be based on the weather and my inclination at the time as I have no hope or belief that demonstrations have any effect on hardliners. I don't know what can change the minds of politicians or make them think in human terms rather than in general non-real ways, but I am pretty sure they take no notice of ordinary citizens saying they are not happy.

At the end of next week I will be into one of my seasons of work - making my little bit of money - so may be too busy to blog. I will try and put a pretty picture and a few cheery words on before that. We shall see.
Hope 2009 is okay for all of you so far and that it will get better and better right the way through. If you are that way inclined, say a prayer or cross your fingers for the torture of helpless civilians to stop very quickly.

Happy New Year

It is New Year's Eve here. Some of my friends have already rung in the New Year and some of them are still going about their daytime business.
I haven't taken any pictures for ages - have been busy sorting out other people's computers and trying to clear up after Christmas ready for visitors at the weekend and my daughter's birthday. Sorry
Anyway - I wish you all the best for 2009. We can't have too many good wishes, can we?
I'm about to have a delicious supper, to sit in front of the television for a couple of hours and maybe to go out into town to count down to the New Year. Unlikely, as it is a bit chilly even here in warm Devon.
I wish you whatever you wish yourself.

Evanescence - Cloud Nine

Is it a Temptation?

Urban Art 2 things challenge

Here are some I made earlier. Kaleidoscopes made from photographs from the window. I used pixelmator to make them and I like the funky effect of the kaleidoscope on the buildings. I think you have to click to see the urban details

2 things Apples/Oranges

I decided to take a straight picture of some of the apples and oranges in the kitchen. Who knew we had so many? I should have included some of the apples wrapped in newspaper, but was too lazy to go out in the cold to the shed to get some in. If I have time, I'll try and think of an interesting slant... or not!

two things challenge - yellow green

I panicked and am using an image I have posted already. I lost a lot of my pictures because my computer went into Sleep mode during some delicate moving of files and I was too stupid to understand that it hadn't actually moved them all. Now I just have the first few files and what is still on my camera.... and have spent ages trying to salvage pictures rather than taking any.
Apologies if you have seen this already and recently. LOL

2 things challenge Bent/Straight

click to see
I haven't decided whether to use these two pictures of Echium Blue Steeple for this challenge. I took them earlier in the year at Porlock Weir. They had just about finished blooming. I had seen these in many country cottage gardens. It took me a long time to find out what they were. No-one could tell me. Finally I found a strange plant on sale outside the butcher's shop... the description fit and there we are. Now I have one in my new flower bed and I look forward to it flowering next year.
I'll see if I come up with any other pictures that fit better. In the meantime, I'll upload the Echiums and see what else I find later.

bent straight, second try

my camera was running out of battery but I had to take this shot for bent/straight.

Reflection of John Mora's two knees

reminded me of this
Sittin' In the Evenin' Sun
me and my Dad.

Mine is the plump knee, toes and sandal, his are the brown legs and bare feet....
the other metal leg and feet belong to the table, no relation. also the chair legs... what a feast!

I love my Dad.

carobs carobs and more carobs - but no rats

While I was in Cyprus the carobs were in bloom. I tried hard to get some good photographs of the trees and the flowers. When you stand near the tree you can hear a deafening hum of happy insects. The flowers look weird and the tree smells gorgeous, unmistakeable.
Here are some more pictures of the trees and attempts at the flowers. Just to show how many pictures I took to try and get it right.... I did take more, of course... but I will only post these, I don't want anyone to think I am an obsessive.... because of the way Blogger behaves and because I am lazy - these are not in order of taking, in fat the opposite so if you think I'm not showing any improvement, you may or may not be right... LOL

more Cyprus garden pics

The rats love these mini dates.
Mother of thousands
tecoma
next year's loquats
aaah bougainvillea