FAVOURITE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

Well, 2013 is nearly gone, and 2014 is snapping at our heels!    Hopefully it will be a good year for all of us.

Over at writteninc Carmi wants us to post our favourite photos of the year.   They might not be our best ones, but they will definitely have some meaning, or provoke action or deliberations.   Go to the link to see what others have taken in 2013.

These felt tip pens belong to our little great granddaughter, who at nearly 5 loves drawing and colouring.   She came over to see is one Sunday and was greatly amused by my taking photographs of her pens.   She doesn't have an easy life, but we all love her to bits and hopefully can make up a bit for the bad things.

This is the end of our garden, very early on a summer morning.    We have a lovely garden, but are finding the hedge cutting, lawn mowing and general work needed is getting beyond us.   I do hope we don't have to move and lose such a beautiful spot to live in.

This was a shot taken with my new camera, well, a hand-me-down from my husband who had bought a better one!   I was wandering around the garden, taking anything, just to get used to it, and found this bug on a head of fennel.   We didn't have a very good summer for bugs and butterflies, everyone else seems to though!   I've included this just because I think its rather good! (she says modestly!)

LET'S GO SHOPPING

For Christmas week, Carmi, over at writteninc has challenged us to illustrate something we have all done at this time of the year - gone shopping!

Actuallyl I am a strictly on-line shopper and going round the shops is not my scene.   However, I do enjoy markets, particularly food markets, so I sorted through my photographs to find some for this challenge.    I didn't want to just post a picture of a market, so have tried to be a little bit 'different'.

This was taken in the big market in Barcelona.   That Spanish couple were obviously expecting a big amount of shopping.   And Señora was not going to get anything but the best, judging from the expression on her face!

I wish I'd bought one of these lovely sweaters at Tromso market in Norway.   They would have been high fashion today!   And warm!

When I was small, everybody did their shopping with a basket like one of these.   My mother had a big brown one, and my Aunt and round green one.   But then we didn't buy so much anyway, nearly all foodstuffs being rationed, and we went to the shops more frequently, buying more often.   My Aunt never bought a fridge, relying on an (extremely cold) larder and my mother's fridge was minuscule compared with today's.

I know I said I wasn't going to put ordinary market pictures up, but the spice stall in the Barcelona Market was so colourful, I just had to include it!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

TREETOPS

  Trees are always interesting, whatever the weather or season.  Carmi, over at writteninc has challenged us to produce photographs of treetops.   Follow the link above to see what others have done.

 Misty mornings can make interesting shapes.

Frangipani tree tops in Maderia were absolutely lovely, so delicate against the sky.

But British Autumn trees can put on an equally beautiful show!

Snow really brings out the shapes and patterns the branches make.

This once had a top, a beautiful beech, but the Council, who are in charge of our Park, in their wisdom, cut off the top of the tree.  I can understand cutting the tree down if it was dangerous (Health and Safety, you know!) but why leave such  a tall stump?

 They did this to several trees.  Some of them were carved into bird shapes by a gent with a chain saw.

And just to  prove to Thunder that he is not the only one to have birds, these two Bullfinches enjoyed the nyjer seed in our feeder.

SUNRISE

First morning we've had a decent sunrise, so that I could take part in Carmi's challenge this week, which is, of course, either Sunrise or sunset.

So, taken from the bedroom window after racing up there with a camera after breakfast, here is mine!

You all ready for Christmas, then??

CELEBRATION !

Celebration for whatever reason are always fun!    Carmi, over at writteninc. has asked for photographs of celebratory occasions - follow the link to see what others are celebrating!


I obviously didn't take this photograph - yes, that is me! - but I was laughing my head off when this huge pile of sticky profiteroles came in, topped by the fizzing firework on top!   It was our Golden Wedding, which we were celebrating with our daughter out for a delicious meal.

You can see I was enjoying myself!