LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN

Now if there is one thing I don't do, it is climb up high and look down.   Well, I never climb up high, not the sort of high where there is a sheer drop, whether its cliffs, buildings or church towers.   I just don't. do. heights!

However, in order to post along with others of stouter stomachs at Carmi's Thematic Photographic challenge I have looked straight down, with my feet firmly at ground level!

Early morning dew on fallen leaves, one Autumn

Another autumnal shot - Horse Chestnuts, or conkers as they are colloquially known here!

More autumnal leafs with morning dew.

And lastly - a Spring one - deep inside a Crocus

For other heightened shots, go to the link above and see what others have cleverly taken!

PLEASE BE SEATED

A children's programme used to start "Are you sitting comfortably?   Then I'll begin......

After standing up to sing a hymn, the congregation is invited to "please be seated".

And Carmi this week is asking us to illustrate "Please be seated".   Go to his web site to see how others have asked us to "Please be seated...."

Well, here they are, all ready.........

......the sun!

When I saw this being erected, I was puizzled as to what is was.   But leaning over the wall I was fascinated by the patterns made by the shadows.

On our return, I realised they were preparing for some sort of entertainment, with seats, and a shade from the very hot sun in Palma, Majorca!

Not a comfortable seat for ordinary mortals!   Maybe they have giants in Staffordshire, where someone has carved a magnificent giant-sized sofa!

WHAT'S YOUR TECH?

Carmi wants us to photo our technology this week.   He! He!   Here you have a techie dinosaur!  What you see on these shots is what you get!    And my phone does just what I want it to - texts and calls.   Nothing else.

And I like it this way.   I shot the whole of  my desk, just as it comes, untidiness and all.   So there you have it. 

(Even so, I am fairly computer literate for a silver surfer!)

If you go to the link above, you will see some far more technological advanced methods of getting on to the internet and communicating with the world!

TEMPORARY

Temporary - a fleeting moment - is Carmi's challenge to us this week.   For various reasons I have not been able to get out, so have rather stretched the idea of temporary with these photos!

These tulips bloomed happily in my patio pots, but alas, they died off and had to make way for...

Osteospernums which I had managed to raise from plug plants, keeping them on the windowsill in our utility room.

But they, alas, will have to make way for bulbs as they won't survive the first frosts, and I expect I will plant more tulips!

They are all temporary!!  Do go to the link above and see other ideas on Temporary.

DIRTY

Well, there's dirt and dirt!    Happy dirt, my mother used to call it, when I or my sister turned up, muddy all over from playing outside!

Then there's dirt you would really rather didn't come indoors - mine is usually brought in by four furry paws!

And there's dirt that is, well, just dirt!

My clean floor after an exuberant wet-pawed dog came in!   Bringing the grass clippings with him!

Sometimes beautiful things find the oddest places to grow.   This white foxglove managed to seed itself and grow in a dirty corner by a flight of steps.   Considering I have been trying to grow white foxgloves from seed without success, I was a bit miffed!   But it has been good to look at.

Starlings tend to be mucky birds, leaving their droppings all over the place.   These two young starlings were making a terrific noise, squawking as they waited for the parent bird to come up with food!

Go over to Carmi at his Thgematic Photographic challenge to see other interpretations of DIRTY.

FAVOURITE PHOTOS

To celebrate the 300th Thematic Challenge, Carmi has asked us to post our Favourite Photographs!   Quite a challenge.   I started making a list and when it got to over 20, thought I had better stop, and get down to it and make a choice!

So here they are!   Go and have a look and see what others have posted.   I can guarantee there will be a lot of great photos!

The above are both from 2013 and speak for themselves!

Now from 2012 - honey fungus on a tree in the park

View of islands (in the Med) from our cruise ship

Frosted ivy leaves

A swan's wing

Parallel marks in the snow

Lastly, the answer is, of course, a lemon!

CRITTERS

Critters, bless their little hearts (or whatever they have for their circulatory systems) can enchant us or drive us mad!

Carmi challenges us to photograph Critters, large and small, this week.   So here are my take on critters I have found in the UK.

Sorry, I don't know what this one is - it might be a hover fly, or possibly a bee.   This was taken a couple of years ago - this year it is very worrying as there are NO BEES.   Not even a hover fly, and I have deliberately planted bee- and butterfly-friendly flowers.   Where are they all?

We get a lot of squirrels in our garden, after the bird food.   Most of them are very bold and sit on the water butt outside the kitchen window.   This one was doing a runner after I shooed him off!

 A heron on the lake in our Park.    It was very early, and the light made everything green!

A tortoiseshell butterfly on Sedum.   See above on Bees - we have no butterflies either.

Dogs are critters, yes?   this is Max, our greedy cocker spaniel.

A forest bug that made its way indoors, and was very reluctant to make its way out again!