GET DIRTY

Carmi, over at writteninc.  is getting down and dirty, and asking us to join him!   Mind you, Carmi lives in Canada, and talks of "snow just going", but over here in the UK, our snow has long gone and Spring is now here, looking clean and fresh.    Crocuses have more or less finished now, and the daffodils are coming out, the birds are courting, and I have seen blackbirds with nesting material.   Its all coming good!

So I had to get creative with finding dirty pics!   Mr.G could not understand why I wanted to take a shot of our dirty washing up, but here it is!

We don't have a dishwasher, so it was on with the Marigolds (rubber gloves) and get on with it with a nice big bowl of hot water and detergent.

We have two benches in the park which seem to be invisible to the powers that be (probably the council)   Neither has  been painted, to my knowledge, for the last 20 years, and they are really looking grubby.   Other benches in the park have been replaced with smart-looking seats, and really spruced up, but these two languish under the beech trees by the stream.   At least they merge with the foliage!

So that is my take on dirty!   Do let me know if you visit - I like to keep track of you!

BODIES OF WATER

A watery theme this week from Carmi, over at writteninc. asking for Bodies of Water.   Mine are all rather predictable, the sea, and the lake in our Park, but I am sure you will find some imaginative shots if you follow the link above!

The first cruise we went on, round the British Isles, was a bit of a disaster, as the sea was so rough we could not land at some ports!   But there was always the sea, and the wake of the ship to watch!

A much more peaceful scene - the lake in our local Park.   Strangely enough, there were no birds on there that time.   We normally have swans, loads of mallards, gulls, coot and Canada geese.

The second cruise we took was up the coast of Norway to the Arctic.   This beautiful waterfall was at the Gerainger Fjord.   There were a lot of waterfalls down the very steep sides of the fjord, and the biggest ones all seemed to have stories attached to them!

We landed at the head of Gerainger fjord, and took a coach up to the top of one of the surrounding mountains.   This in fact is a lake, only its all frozen.   I didn't risk walking on it, though!

Last year we went round the British Isles  again, this time more successfully.   Landing at Greenock, we took a ferry to Dunoon.   Not very good weather, it rained hard as we were heading for the return ferry, and the combination of a disused and sad pier and the pouring rain encouraged me to take this photo!

And lastly, ducks on our lake.   The early morning light always makes for lovely patterns, and the ducks were busy finding breakfast.   And probably a healthier one than the constant bread they get fed by visiting children!

Hopefully this year we will get a holiday, though probably not a cruise.   I love being by water, so I'm hoping for another trip to Northumberland or a week in the Lake District.

Do leave a comment if you visit - good or bad!

HIT THE ROAD

With Spring in the air, and the country getting greener, we start thinking about getting out, maybe over the hills and far away!   Carmi has asked us to publish all things to do with roads, over at writteninc.    Follow the link to see what other thoroughfares, distant roads and travels others have posted.

 We don't get as much snow as our Canadian friends and fellow posters, but this year Mr.G had to clear our drive before we could even think about hitting the road!

This bridge is somewhere between Le Havre and Rouen, in Normandy, France.   It was taken from the coach we were using for our excursion.

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.   Rather dreary even in summer - in winter it would be entirely covered with snow, being at latitude 78 degrees north!

Part of a very winding road in the northern part of Tenerife, in the Canaries.   Some of the little villages on the coast were extremely isolated, even with new roads like this one.   I did wonder how they had communicated with the rest of the Island before the island had opened up for tourism and built better roads.   Must have been a very 'closed-in' sort of life!

Not the best photograph I  have ever taken, but this street in Dublin is the famous O'Connell Street, with The Spire  (affectionately known at The Spike) in the distance.   O'Connell Street featured in many of the stand-offs and battles during the Troubles.

And lastly, a little country lane near where we live.   The only wheeled traffic using it now is from the farm a mile or so further along, but it is a footpath, linking with various walks in Teggs Nose Country Park.   Wellies or waterproof boots are recommended during wet periods!

Do leave a comment if you visit here - I love to know who has been!

WHITE FOR WINTER

Most winter white, is, let's face it, SNOW!   Thanks to the Gulf Stream we don't get a lot of snow here in the UK, though of course Scotland and Northern England get more than the balmy Southern parts.    And the east of England, north or south, can get clobbered with heavy falls.

So I dug out my snow shots from last month, to rise up to Carmi's challenge to find White for Winter photographs.

Our garden, from the house.   Beyond the hedge at the bottom is the Park.....

And in the Park, half the town enjoyed sledging.   We have a very handy hill!

Patterns made by snow on branches

Just snow, really, by the lake.

 Snow on spiky grass.

And there are wings.......

And white feathers.   From the swans that live on the lake.

Do leave a comments, good or bad, its lovely to know I have had visitors!

R-U-B-B-E-R-Y

S-t-r-e-t-c-h your imagination this week - its all things Rubbery over at writteninc where Carmi wants Rubbery things!   Go over to the link to see what other stretchy and bouncy photographs are there!


I had fun with this one!

Spin around on this - in the better weather!

What would we do without these things to keep our lives together??

His and hers!    We share here!

Yup!  We have wacky wellies too!

Do leave a comment if you visit - I love to know who has been - and I don't mind if your comment is all bad!  (Well, not much, anyway)

EDIBLES

If you are feeling peckish, then this weeks challenge may be torment for you!   Its everything Edible here for this week's challenge.   Do go to the link and see what others fancy for lunch!

Oranges and Satsumas - just waiting to be eaten.   They won't last long!

Baby plum tomatoes.   Mr. G likes the little ones, I like a really ripe big one, especially those huge funny shaped ones you can get in Spanish markets! :)

My vegetables this week were totally unsuitable for photography, so I took these frozen mixed veg we were having last night.   They are waiting to go in the boiling water, so are still frosty.

Do leave a note if you visit - its lovely to know you have been here!

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Its nostalgia all the way this week, as Carmi, over at written inc. is asking us to either photograph something that brings back our childhood memories, or photos from our archives.

Follow the link above to see some photographic memories from others - I am sure you will be fascinated!


I don't seem to have anything much from my childhood - after all, it was a long way past!   I do still have a tatty  little bear, but not too sure where he is!

However, I have come up with these:-
   

This is me, aged 6, in 1940, trying on my Grandad's spectacles.  He was my favourite Grandad!

My father, in his Home Guard Uniform!   Whenever I hear or read about the Home Guards in  WWII, I think of him all done up in his battledress!

This was one of the first photographs I ever took.   It's 1947, and my Father and my younger sister are busy posing for me.   I used a little Box Brownie camera, and my Father, who was a very good amateur photographer, taught me a great deal.

This must be about the same time - we were allowed to make camp fires in the garden and cook odds and ends.   I am being bossy and not letting my sister do anything!   I still have a yearning to do it all again!

This must be about 1947, we used to go to Cromer, on the north Norfolk coast, every summer.   In those days we all wore bathing hats, and the bathing suits (not swim wear then!) were nearly all regulation black or navy.   Very fetching!

And this is me, aged about 14 or 15, trying to look all mysterious and "interesting".   This was the first thing I ever knitted all by myself, and I insisted on doing a complicated pattern with birds across the front!   The jumper was yellow and the birds were brown, and I was immensely proud of it.   I kept it for ages, but eventually the moths found it and I had to throw it away!   I might add that in those days it was all three-ply wool and small needles - double knitting hadn't been heard of.   Don't think I would do that again!