Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - week ending 18/06/2021

 Astrid's choice of word for this week is Flag.  For once I did not have to look far for pictures this week as we have a selection of flags from the former Southern Rhodesia in 1923 through to it's present flag of Zimbabwe.  We just had to find them.  Fortunately B remembered where they were.

These miniature flags tell the story of the history of Southern Rhodesia through to Zimbabwe. 

This the the flag of the British South Africa Company, incorporated in 1890 - 1923 under a Royal Charter.

The original flag of Southern Rhodesia 1923 - 1953

The flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland formed by the amalgamation of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (Malawi) 1953 - 1963. The shield was designed to represent all three countries, the sun of Nyasaland, and lion of Southern Rhodesia and the Victoria Falls from the Northern Rhodesian Flag.

The next two are Ministerial car pennants from the car of the Minister of  Transport and Works.  My mother had been his private secretary and kept these at the break up of the Federation. 

Flag of Rhodesia after UDI (the Unilateral Declaration of Independence) 1968 - 1979.  It now incorporates the Zimbabwe Bird, the name of a large carving found at the Great Zimbabwe .Ruins.

The flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia - 1979 

The present day flag of Zimbabwe, again with the Zimbabwe bird. 

That the lot from me.  Not very original I'm afraid.  No thinking outside the box as I like to do.  I'm off to see what others have posted for this word. 

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - week ending 11/06/2021

 

This week the word Astrid has chosen is Berry.  I used my favourite berry picture last week with the rain drops on the Cotoneaster berries so I have to think again.   

Strawberries - I made a cake for Katie's birthday last week and covered it with strawberries and cream.  I forgot to take a photograph of it but I do have one taken a few years ago, also covered with strawberries. 

A lovely bowl of English strawberries just waiting to be eaten.

Some cut up to eat with out Muesli for breakfast.

Again a picture I have used before.  This is a fruit spread we prepared for our daughter-in-law's birthday a few years ago while they were still here in Lancashire.  If you look carefully you will see Strawberries, Blackberries and Raspberries in amongst the other fruit.

Finally, when I told B that this weeks' chosen prompt was Berry and I was trying to think of what berries I could use, he immediately came up with such an obvious Berry.

Dame Mary Berry - our favourite TV chef/baker.  You can hardly believe she is 85 years old.  For those who don't know her, she was a judge on the original Great British Bake Off television programme.  She has written over 80 cook books and inspired many viewers to get baking.

Sorry, not a very imaginative selection this week.  Hope to do better next time with Flags.

Now off to see what others have done.

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - week ending 04/06/2021

This Friday we are looking for pictures of 'glass' in its different forms.  I must admit I had left it rather late this week, I'd forgotten what day it was - one of the problems of being in retirement, days seem much like one another. As it is late, ten forty five pm, I thought I would just raid my archives but to my horror, every file I opened read 'File Empty'.  I knew I had lost many photographs when I started using my new compute but had hoped I'd find the pictures I needed.  My son has always done anything I needed doing with my computer but he no longer lives near having moved to Scotland so I had to transfer from my old to my new computer myself - with disastrous results.  So I have had to use pictures I have used before or one zapped off the internet.

I took this picture in the little church in Newchurch in Pendle, right in the centre of the Pendle Witches story near the village of Barley at the foot of Pendle Hill.  It is only a small church but  has the most gorgeous windows.

Another stained 'glass' window we really love is this one in York Minster, a place we love to visit and where we take any of our South African friends when they visit. 

This is the main window in our own church, All Saints.  

but this is one of my favourites, the very simple windows in  the parish church of St Mary the Virgin in a very simple setting as befits this little church on Lindesfarne or Holy Island near Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland. If the tide is right and we are able to cross on the causeway before it is submerged for several hours, then we attend the service there. 

This little snowman has appeared before in a Christmas post but I have included him as he is made of glass and he is carefully handled and wrapped up again after Christmas.  My mother bought him in  1960 so he is now 61 years old - and still not melted!!  

This final picture of glass is of a group of green glass in our lounge.  The two small ones were given to my mother and me by a very good friend after she returned from a holiday in Venice in the late 1950's when we were living in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (present day Zambia).  The tall bottle held bath salts and belonged to my mother as did the green hock glass at the back.  That had been one of a pair she had when my parents were living here in 1964.  One day both of us ran into the lounge when we heard a loud clinking of glass as we knew what was happing.  There was a very young Katie sitting on the floor banging the two of them together - she obviously loved the noise they were making.  My mother learned very quickly to lift everything fragile above toddler level!! 

Well that is my selection of glass pictures.  Sorry if some are repeats.  Now off to see what others have done this week.  

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - week ending 28.05.2021

 

This weeks word is 'Music'.  In spite of my father's whole life being one way or the other involved in music, I'm afraid it passed me by.  He played the piano, accordion, organ, xylophone, guitar and other stringed instruments.  

Before the war he had his own band and played for 'Tea Dances' in a large hotel on the Eastbourne Royal Parade.  

When WW11 broke out he enlisted, hoping to join the RAF but he was slightly colour blind and had flat feet so was no good for the Army.  So he was drafted into ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) and was able to take his band with him.  He assembled a 14 man band and travelled round entertaining the troops and being used as a decoy. 

When we moved to Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) after the war he joined the Central African Broadcasting Service.  There was very little traditional African music to broadcast so my father, together with a sound engineer and African interpreter, travelled around the countryside to find villagers who would sing traditional songs for them to record on a huge reel to reel recorder.  Occasionally my father felt a tune being sung could be played for a European audience and he would rewrite the music to fit the piano.  One such tune was purchased by Decca Records and recorded by Bert Kaempfert  and his orchestra and forms the basis for African Safari, a piece I still hear played on the radio today.  Pity he did not keep some of the rights, he was only played £80.00 for it. 

Me, I was just not interested, which I regret so much today.  My father had been forced to learn to play and practice the piano and said he would not force me.  I much preferred to be off riding my horse than practicing the piano!!   So today all I can do is play 'God Save the Queen' and some African Kwela music on a Recorder both very badly!!  The only musical instrument we have in the house is a Mbira or Marimba - an African Thumb Piano.  

I only have one more 'music' link.  I read in the 'letters page' in the Saga magazine about readers sick of how BBC 2 radio station was changing to suit younger listeners and it was suggested that readers try 'Serenade Radio' available via your computer.  I did and we have listened to nothing since.  All lovely oldies and no talking, just a few occasional words. Gorgeous. Right now I am listening to Nat King Cole.  So soothing. 

                                          

So I'm afraid I don't have any real musical pictures so that's it for this week and month.  Now off to see what others have done with the prompt.

   

                                     

"Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - 21/05/2021"

 This week we have been challenged to find photographs to fit the word 'Rain' - not too difficult in a rainy country like the UK.  Fortunately 'Threads through my Life' suggested we took photographs last week when we were forecast plenty of rain.  So here are a few taken outside our lounge window.

    Here comes the rain.............

Sky getting really black now.............

It's here, beating against the window.

I have used this picture before but I just love the sight of rain drops falling off the cotoneaster berries after the rain.  Taken by B using his lovely camera Kate gave him.

Finally, after a very heavy African rain storm the ground at the Cat-Eye pan is completely flooded.  I've just found out that it is called Cat-Eye as the camera is literally at cat eye view.  The other cameras are much higher up. 

As a point of interest, the rocks in the foreground are placed right around the camera hides to keep out the inquisitive elephants.  The  piles of rocks completely surround all the cameras at the various game parks. 

That's it for this week. Now off to see what the other bloggers have posted.

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - 14/05/2021

Friday again, and this time the choice of prompt is 'Mirror'.  Sounds simple enough especially when we have a lot of mirrors around the  house.  But to find something interesting and to take a photograph without including myself was a problem at first.

This  picture was taken with the help of B who suggested it then helped get both me and the ceiling light out of the picture.  The flowers are some he has bought for me for my birthday. 

My next image is a type of 'mirror image' of a different sort.  I have mentioned this before and used a similar picture about rhinos. As you know they are on the endangered species red list as they are being killed for their horns.   When we watch any of the Africam.com sites and  a rhino appears on the screen the camera is immediately moved, often straight up to the sky, or rapidly sideways.  They don't want the poachers to know where the rhinos are living.  So when we get a chance to take a picture we feel very lucky.  This pair of almost identical rhino, looking ghostly white on the night camera, had suddenly popped out of the undergrowth for a drink.

                      

The next mirror effect is again from my Africam.com  selection, this time the mirror is the still water of the dam perfectly reflecting the towering giraffe in the evening light.

Finally a pair of soap stone carvings from Zimbabwe of hornbills. They almost make a mirror image, one is just a little larger than the other. 

Last night I suddenly remembered............I do have another mirror picture. How could I forget. So this morning we hurriedly got out the old wedding album from the box of all the families wedding albums and yes, I was right, I did have a couple of mirror pictures.  This was taken 59 years ago in my parents house in Borrowdale, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (Harare, Zimbabwe today).  I can't believe it was so long ago. How time flies. 

Well that's my lot for this week.  Now to see what everyone else has posted.  As from Monday many restrictions are being lifted and a bit of normality will return to life.  Just hope everyone plays ball and Covid numbers stay down.  Take care and have a good week.

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt - 7/05/2021

 

This weeks title rather threw me.  I am not often lost for ideas but this one stumped me until I had a text conversation with my friend Threads Through My Life and she made me think clearly.  I'm afraid most of my pictures are not about SPACE  but rather the lack of it!!

My first picture is my banner picture above.  We love the wide open SPACES in Northumberland that go on and on forever, both sand and skies, and not having to go during school holidays the beaches are gloriously empty except for occasional horses and their riders and dog walkers.  This picture shows Bamburgh beach and castle.

My next group of pictures is one I am sure you will all recognise - a picture of an Amazon parcel.  This one rather took the cake.  The parcel arrived and I had no idea what was in such a large box. I left it standing for a while before opening it with gloves on (this was earlier when we were all being ultra careful, before inoculations)

I then after carefully opening it I found this ....................

I'm sure you know what is coming next ....................lots of SPACE   

 around a new strap for my watch!!! 

                                                              

I thought it would arrive in a padded envelope - I should have known better!!

On the plus side - it was the correct strap and fitted beautifully.

My next picture shows more SPACE - or rather the lack of it again.

Let me explain - whenever we went to Northumberland for a week to stay in a lovely farm cottage our son would look after Jak.  We lived in the same block of flats, we were at one end and DnJ at the other.  D would come in daily and feed Jak and let him out into the garden.  This lasted for a couple of days then Jak would have had enough. By about Tuesday he was fed up with us being away, cross too I would imagine, so he would move in to DnJ's flat.  He loved the dogs, and they tolerated him.  He would scratch at their front door to be let in then would go into the office where the dogs had an old settee.  He would jump up on to it, much to their disgust and make himself at home.

They are not too happy about him being there.

Till eventually Roxy would give up her SPACE and leave it all to Jak!! One smart cat!! 

 Don't know why  he looks a bit bald in this picture.  

This next picture shows a little baby elephant trying to find his SPACE at the waterhole.  He is so little and the others so big.

My next choice is also from my Africam collection.  I have used a similar picture before showing an assortment of animals all vying for SPACE at the water hole.

There are elephant,  nyala, impala and waterbuck all mixing together as water is getting short in the dry season.

My final picture/s is a different type of SPACE...... the Springbok Flats.  They stretch for about 100 miles from Zebediela where we lived, towards Pretoria.  Their name indicates an abundance of springbok** but now few remain except in game reserves.  It is extremely flat so we could see for miles. This was the gorgeous view we had from our garden.   I took these photographs as a panoramic set when I did not have that feature on my camera so I have just lined them up to scan.

** famous for their 'pronking' , strange leaps into the air as they run, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously, with legs held in a stiff position. Pronk is from the Afrikaans word describing showing off.

Now off to see what everyone else has posted this week.