March 2018 Photo Treasure Hunt

Can't believe it is the end of March already.  Been a grey, cold and often snowy month here in the UK so going through old photographs of the Kruger National Park and God's Window in the Panarama route in South Africa was a very pleasant way to pass the days.  Once again an interesting selection of topics from Hawthorn, looking forward to seeing other participants interpretation of the headings.  Check them out  Here

1.  Hole

There are potholes big and small blighting our British roads and then there are Burke's Luck Potholes, enormous holes formed in the sandstone by years and years of water erosion  where the Blyde River (River of Joy) and the Treur River (River of Sorrow) meet in Mpumulanga, South Africa.  You can get some idea of the size of the 'holes' when you look at the bridge and people at the top of the photograph.

2. Making.

I am at present knitting myself a cable fronted pullover.  I am going through a knitting phase, gone off crochet for a while.  What is it about green and photographs.  It is actually a pretty sage green, nothing like the photographs at all. Lovely Lady always complains about it on her other blog and now I see what she means.  Rug in background is a funny colour too. It is definitely not pink!

                               

3. Reading Now.

I'm not great about reading during the day, it is some sort of guilt feeling I have. So other than the daily newspaper which I read thoroughly and enter the Sunday Crossword competition, I do not have a novel on the go though I have several stacking up waiting to be read.  What I do read last thing at night  is from My Daily Bread and the readings that go with it. 

4  Black and White

I am sure you  have all stopped AT a zebra crossing but how many of you will have stopped FOR a zebra crossing!!!  Photographs again taken in our beloved Kruger National Park, Mpumulunga, South Africa.  No two zebra have the same markings, they are all individual, like fingerprints. 

5  It starts with an .........H

This is a Hornbill being mobbed by starlings at the Skukuza Camp Site again in the KNP.  This time it was taken on an all too brief stay there with Hawthorn and Himself  out visiting us from the UK.  You will see how colourful Southern African starlings are compared to our rather dull black spotted ones here in Europe.  The birds were all after the bread crumbs they were scavenging from around the tents.  There are very strict rules about feeding any of the wild animals in the park but somehow the birds in the campsites manage to get around that rule!!  

6.  My Own Choice.

This month my own choice is a sort of continuation from last month's sad tale about Audrey the Amarylis.  Well the second bud went on to grow and grow and produced not two, three or even four buds but five.  Hawthorn suggested the extra one was to make up for the previous disaster.

For those that did not read about poor Audrey the Amarylis,  the original bud just rotted away after a halfhearted attempt to open..  The picture below is a reminder.

Forgiven.  

February 2018 Photo Treasure Hunt

Once again Hawthorn has devised an interesting list of topics for us.  A pleasant way to get through what has been a cold and and rather miserable February has been to search through my archived photographs.



1. WHITE

I have many lovely snowy views out of our lounge window but this one showing the clear tracks cutting through the pristine snow covered field made by a tractor delivering feed to the sheep at the far end of the field is a favourite. 

2. METAL/METALLIC

While living in South Africa our son had a foundry making mainly ornaments for the tourist shops. This mare and foal are a couple of my favourites.  A lot of work goes into making something like this, many hours of cleaning up and polishing.  B used to help him after work.  The two of them would be grinding and polishing in extremely hot temperatures, up to 40 deg some days.   I don't keep them as clean as I should do. Not a job I am very keen on doing. 

3. CAMOUFLAGE

Can you see her? 

It is a female kudu almost hidden in the scrub bush at the side of the road in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.  Also in the picture are a couple of guinea fowl  but to be honest I was not photographing them and only noticed them when searching for this picture.  The kudu will be there one minute and then disappear into the bush the next with their stripes blending in with the long grass.

They are one of the largest antelope in Southern Africa and the male has most impressive horns.  (Picture of male thanks to Google).

4. BEGINS WITH A .....J

Again this picture is taken in the Kruger National Park.  We lived on its border and would visit as often as we could.  Jackal are well know scavengers,  hanging around a lion kill waiting for leftovers. Like our British fox they are smaller than one imagines.  We did not see many as they are nocturnal and this is the only photo I have of the black backed jackal out of hundreds of pictures.  The smaller picture below is once again thanks to Google, but it does show his black back in more detail. 

5.  BUD

Eldest Grandson gave his mother and me an amaryllis bulb in a pot at Christmas.  I waited patiently for it to grow, then when this topic appeared I thought I would photograph it weekly for the whole month, showing its progress.  It started to grow alright but then seemed to have a brown mark down one side of the stem.  It seemed very stunted especially when a second bud appeared beside it and rapidly overtook the original but when I saw Hawthorn's plant at full height with three gorgeous flowers I knew mine was in trouble.  But it still falls under this category so I will chart its progress for you.

5 February 2018

11 February 2018

17 February 2018

21 February 2018
Collapsed overnight

21 February 2018
Propped up. I'm still hoping
the bud will open before the stem
completely dies off.

Kate has rudely suggested my bud looks like Audrey
from the Little Shop of Horrors!  I wonder why?

I give up.  Its too late to find an obliging bud
so here are some daffodil buds instead.
 Much more spring like than my very sad
Amaryllis called Audrey!!!

6. MY OWN CHOICE

Whilst looking out snowy pictures for 'White' I came across this beautiful one of a young Roxy, our son and daughter-in-law's chocolate Labrador, lying in the snow.  She loves lying flat and dragging herself on her tummy through the snow.  I thought I'd use it as my own choice as I'm sure there won't be a topic where I can use it for a while. 

Scavenger photo-hunt January 2018

Scavenger photo-hunt January 2018

I am so glad that Hawthorn has started the monthly photo treasure hunt.  The only trouble is that I had not noticed when it was due and also unaware of the date - when you are retired dates are not so important especially as time flies by frighteningly fast.  To link up with others joining in click HERE

1.  Yellow.

Every year we go to Northumberland to a farm cottage for a week.  We normally go in September/October after school holidays when it is even quieter than usual.  But in 2016 we chose to go in Spring as I had a hospital date for later in the year.  What a surprise it turned out to be.  All the spring flowers were out and there were just miles and miles of glorious yellow rape fields just about everywhere.  Below is a field of yellow with Bamburgh Castle in the background. 

2. It starts with an ........O

One year we were wandering around nearby Berwick-on-Tweed and came across this charity shop. I was actually after wool for the Kitty Blankets we make for a local cat charity.  There inside was this amazing 'dress' made entirely of Ordinance Survey Maps.  I've been waiting ages for Hawthorn to choose a subject heading where I could use this picture and then when she chose 'something beginning with M' I completely forgot!!  So it is coming in under 'O'!

I actually did get some wool there.  The manager's sister was closing down her wool shop and had donated baskets and baskets of brand new, top of the range balls of wool at £1 each!  

3.  Light

We have had this light for quite a few years - the picture does not show it well but the lamp shade is more light brown than red.   I took a photograph to show Kate that we had put her picture she had done for her Dad of his 'tame' squirrel Emma on the wall above the light.  I was so surprised to see that the pretty pattern of holes on the shade look more like 80 than the twisty chains.  It also throws the 80 pattern on to the wall  behind and we had never noticed it before.  The cat picture framed on the table is a picture on slate of our old beloved cat Jak (I take my  name from him) that Kate had also done for her Dad.

5.  Colourful

On a visit to Empress Sewing Centre in Colne I was so impressed with this display of zips.  I had never seen such a large selection and colour range.  There was another display, equally as large on the  wall on the opposite side of this alcove.

6. My Own Choice

This is Roxy, our son and daughter-in-law's 

chocolate lab.  She will do anything she is

asked and puts up with a lot.  

Julie's Advent Calendar 13th December 2017

Joining in Julie's Advent Calendar.   See who else is participating  here

14  Christmas Crackers

This picture was taken a few years ago of our table ready for Christmas Eve dinner with all the family.

We always find that crackers are a bit of a disappointment, they look so pretty but don't have much in the way of exciting contents.  Over the past few years we have collected small little presents, pens, rubbers, chocolate Father Christmas sweets when the boys were younger, and then carefully opened the crackers and put extras inside. 

Julie's Advent Calendar 13 December 2017

 See who else is joining in here



13  First Christmas Card arriving by post.

Our first card arriving by post is this one which arrived today............. a pretty little card with the address not quite right but as ever our fantastic postmen managed to deliver it correctly.

But when I opened it to see who is was from this is what I found........

nothing.....blank.....and what's more, neither of us or Hawthorn recognises the handwriting!!! 

Ah well, the thought was there.  It brought a smile to my face as it arrived just in time to make an interesting post!! 

Julile's Advent Calendar 12 December 2017

Joining in Julie's Advent Calendar.   See who else is participating  here

12  Christmas Angel

This pretty angel has not been in our collection for many years, perhaps about 6, but she has become part of our family tradition.  I love her old fashioned raggity look.

Julie's Advent Calendar 11th December 2017

Not sure where I have been these last few days....well actually I had set up my posts ready to go and then left them to get on with it.  But I had not realised I'd only gone until the 7th.  Better do some catch up.

11  Snowman

In spite of all the snow falling in the last couple of days, our little village has had very little so there are no snowmen around here.  We usually see them in the school playgrounds next door but nothing this time.  So searching through my archives I have found this one taken many year ago of our next door neighbour's son and his snowman.  The young man is now over 6ft tall and left school.  How time flies.  Not the most glamorous snowman.  

My second snowman I did myself, or at least I decorated from a choice of clothing and accessorries from the wonderful Jacqui Lawson Advent Calendar that I share with family and friends each Christmas.  It's not too late if you want to join in and play catch up at  jacquielawson