Friend or Foe

With the temperatures dropping, more snow and me ending up with a rotten cold. It's not been the best of weeks. I'm in denial about the list of things I need to do. So what better way to spend my time than watching the birds visiting the bird table. They just never seem to stop! Then I spotted something at ground level, large, brown and fury. Yes a rat!! Obviously trying to get a free meal. I couldn't believe my eyes when it started to climb a tree like shrub next to the bird table. I grabbed my camera but me cluttering around scared it off! It didn't come back but whilst waiting a rather smaller cuter little Field mouse appeared. Hopefully Mr Rat won't back back!!

Ho, ho, ho!

I can't believe it is only a week until Christmas! I still have half of my christmas presents to wrap and I've only just posted the rest of my Christmas cards! Where does the time go? When I was young, getting impatient and frustrated that the days were not going quick enough. My Grandmother used to say to me, that as you get older time goes so quickly you will want it to slow down! Oh how true her words were.

It's also quickly come round to Laura's macro Friday over at www.bloggingfrombolivia.com. I thought it would be nice to show the detail of this handmade santa decoration. I wonder if I wish hard enough, my paper santa will magically wrap all the rest of my presents for me!?!?

HPT - Winter Viola's

Happy Purple Tuesday!! I planted these little fellows only hours before we had all our snow. It's pretty much all cleared now, but I was amazed to see they had survived! I love these winter flowers, they are so vibrant and colourful.

Winter Blues

After a couple of days of the temperature being above freezing, the snow has finally begun to melt in Kent. What better way to blow away the cobwebs than going for a winter walk.  So off we went to Hever Castle for lunch and a stroll around the grounds. I got a few interesting shots today but this winter scene caught my eye just as we were leaving.

Zingy Lemon

Its Macro friday over at www.bloggingfrombolivia.com. The last couple of days have been busy trying to decorate and clean the house before my husband gets back from his business trip today. I'm sure the tidiness will last only a short time after he's back! But I like nothing better, than to sit down with a cup of hot lemon tea after finishing the housework. I find it very refreshing after all that exercise!

Wear one's heart on one's sleeve

It's Happy Purple Tuesday!! Rummaging through my cupboards to find something to shoot today I came across my purple heart cufflinks. I thought these would be a perfect subject for today!!

Exercise your mind

Today's prompt for Picture the Holidays is 'Tools for peace of mind'. I chose to capture my crossword. Not only is it a tool to exercise your intellectual faculties but we also associate it with down time. Being at peace with one's self and taking a break from the everyday demands of modern life.

Bags of Brew

There is nothing better than a big mug of English tea to lift your spirits on a cold winters day. I've been saving these tea bags all week to get the shot for Macro Friday over at Blogging from Bolivia . A pleasant change of subject away from all the snow!

Icicles

It's still snowing and is nearly up to the top of my wellingtons! When will it stop?!? It's been sliding off the roof because it's so heavily laden, creating mounds around the house. Icicles are forming, some are up to two foot long. I can't remember the last time it snowed so much!

Grateful for ....

It's day one of Picture the Holidays over at Big Picture. I must admit not a good start as I struggled to think of a subject to shoot. What I'm not grateful for is the bad weather in Kent. We now have nearly a foot of snow which is very beautiful to look at but very inconvenient. My bamboo and bushes are so laden with snow and stooping over they look like they could break with the weight!

Let it snow, let it snow!!

One of my garden visitors

They said the South East of England was going to get some snow but I wasn't expecting 5 inches worth and its still snowing!! It's also the last day of Justine's B&W November so I need to get a shot. I think a snow shot will be rather apt. I just need to drag myself out of the warmth of my den!

Afternoon tea

I was a little cheeky Saturday evening. I cut all my guests a slightly smaller slice of Tarte au Citron, just so I could have a piece for todays afternoon tea! I was also a little crazy today. Whilst at the garden centre I spotted my perfect Christmas tree! I had to buy it, then I remembered that I had my car with me. There was only one thing for it! Roof down, tree in the passenger seat and the heat on. I certainly got some strange looks!

Brush Strokes

Its Marco Friday over at www.bloggingfrombolivia.com For me it's also the end to a busy week of painting the bathroom and preparing the house for guest arriving tomorrow. I think tonight I deserve a well earned rest and a glass of very expensive vino! Have a wonderful weekend!

Love it or hate it!

It's the last week of Black and White November with Justine. I'm really enjoying shooting in B&W. I find you see so much more detail and a subject so simple can become so interesting. I was just going to put this jar in the recycling but thought it would make a good subject. Now I'm craving Marmite on toast!! I think this will link up well with Justine's 'The Sunday Creative' prompt - Indulge! Nothing better on a winters evening when I don't have to cook, eating Marmite on crumpets or toast. Just heaven!

A stitch in time saves nine!

I wish I could stick to using this proverb more. I seem to find myself nowadays thinking it will be easier to come back to a problem once I've thought about it a bit. It inevitably causes me extra work later!

Getting Creative

It's Saturday morning, nursing a bit of a heavy head from too much wine from dinner last night. What do you do? Go to Leeds Castle for some fresh air and pop in to the Christmas Fair of course! Packed up the camera and off we set. Being a bit grey and dull I thought I'd experiment a bit. I saw this tilt technique in a photo magazine. It would probably work better on an area which had more contrast. Basically all you do is find an area of trees which are tall, slim and uniformed. You need a shutter speed of around 1/30 to 1/8 sec. Compose your shot and focus on the nearest trees. As you take the shot tilt the camera up or down  as smoothly as possible. Post processing was added to create more depth.

And this little piggy

was having so much fun and making so much noise playing in the mud with his brothers and sisters. I just couldn't stop laughing. The shot was taken at my local garden centre which has a wonderful wildlife walk within it's grounds. It took me a number of attempts to get something in focus because of me laughing and the the slow shutter speed I was having to use due the wet and dull weather this afternoon. Normally I would try and focus on the eyes but in this instance it was his snout I wanted to show.

My Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Its Happy Purple Tuesday! Although I'm not sure my broccoli is particularly happy. We had a severe frost this morning and my winter vegetables are looking a bit sorry for themselves. I'm hoping that the sun will warm them up!

Peace

My guests have now left. It's quiet and tranquil around the house. I can while away an hour or two in my oasis of serenity.

Macro Friday - A Passion for Living

Its Macro Friday over at www.bloggingfrombolivia.com. This morning with the help of the in-laws we started our end of year tidy up around the garden and house. I couldn't believe my eyes when trimming back the passion flower this little beauty uncovered itself. We were making good progress until the rain finally got the better of us! Oh well, more of the same tomorrow I guess.

The Moon and Stars

This sounds pretty crazy but my mother rang me this evening and asked if my camera took photos in the dark! My response was "well kind of" having no idea what she was going to ask me. Then she preceded to tell me there was a beautiful clear sky with a amazing moon visible. Out into the garden I went whilst still on the phone. Initially I couldn't see if but then spotted it behind the trees. If anyone was watching me they would have thought me totally mad. Off to get the camera, tripod, shutter release, long lens and coat. Manage to get an ok shot as it gradually moved amongst the trees once again. The things we do!

Naked Beauty

Last night after a few glasses of red wine my husband and I decided that we would go out for a bike ride this morning. After kitting up we left home hoping the rain would stay away and the sun would continue to shine. What a glorious morning it turned out to be. Well worth getting cold and very muddy for. Cycling around the countryside I was surprised by the diverse foliage colours. Some trees are still green others are golden yellow and rich reds. Alas there are some unfortunate ones which have been stripped bear of their leaves. These I felt, stood proud amongst their nakedness. I would say 'beauty is only skin deep' also applies to trees.

Whole lot of lichen going on!

Today was a good day to be outside. The sun was out, it felt warm and enlivening. However, walking around my garden it would have said otherwise. It look very sad and uninspiring. That is until I inspected my very old apple tree. The trunk and branches seem to be enclosed in this complex organism. On close inspection I released just have beautiful and extremely detailed these tiny plants are.

Sowing the Seeds of Life

For B&W November I choose to capture the functionality of the pine cone. At the beginning of autumn it rounded wooded female fruit opens it scales to release the seeds inside. Its truly amazing how natures reproductive system works.

Female European Black Pine cone

A Stroll in Knole Park

What better ways to spend a Saturday morning than putting on your wellies, wrapping up warm and going for a leisurely autumn walk in the park. Knole Park is a wonderful medieval park close by to us which is bursting with wildlife. Its also home to many Sika and Fallow deer which are free to roam amongst the colourful array of ancient oak, beech and chestnut trees. A wonderful place to start any day of the week!

A Stag assessing his parklands 

Macro Friday - On the Button

Its Macro Friday at Blogging from Bolivia. This week has sped past and I have been neglecting my blog and my photography. Seems there is always something more pressing to do. My husband has been asking me for new buttons to sew on his shirt and I have finally got round to getting them (punctuality is not one of my strong points). Sewing them on is another question though!!

'On the button' : punctually, exactly right

The act of repeating oneself

Todays Picture Fall topic is 'Repetition'. This is such a everyday occurrence, from getting the milk out of the fridge to the delicate intricate petals on a flower. From the pattern of your wallpaper to constant noise of the magpies. The first thing that came to mind when I read the email, was the film Groundhog Day. Life can be so like this, its only down to us to change that.

Returning from an amazing trip to Chicago and North America, I've decided to try and do simple things differently each day. I wonder how long I'll last for!!

The intricate repetition in the common Dandy Lion.

Autumn

Its an amazing season, with the change of colours that surrounds us.

The word Autumn has evolved from more modern times. Before the 16th century, this season was referred to as Harvest. As more people moved into towns than working the land the word Harvest lost its reference to this time of year. Now it is generally only used to refer to the activity of reaping itself.

Morning Coffee

Enjoyed a visit to Borough Market in London on Saturday. So much delicious food to choose from and sample. From fresh vegetables, meats to cheese and olives. A real foodies paradise! The main reason for going into London was Origins Craft Fair. So many beautifully crafted items. Every stall had something I could buy! My visit was inspired by a fellow Flickr member exhibiting her ceramic work. Hanne Rysgaard http://www.hannerysgaard.com/. I loved her cups so much I decided to treat myself. I'm very much enjoying it!

Ladybird?

Ladybird?
Originally uploaded by Grimble2010

Another gorgeous day. Although I understand it may be one of the last of the summer. This little fellow was basking in the sun. Quite an odd looking ladybird!

Garden Chores

It's 'Purple Tuesday'! Whilst strolling around the garden for shots to take,  I was amazed to see more plants re-flowering this late in the year. The Buddleja has a mass of flowers, the Fuchsias and Red Hot Pokers are amazing. I also noticed how well the weeds are doing. I'm sure when I pull them out one day they are back to revenge me the next!  I decided they was not worth getting stressed about, it was coffee time and such a beautiful day. Not a day to be weeding.  A day to relax,  read magazines and basically chilled out in the garden all day!

Chive Flower

Toadstool

Toadstool
Originally uploaded by Grimble2010

Saturday morning and had a list of garden chores to to do. I thought I'd quickly get a shot of this tiny toadstool before my husband cut the grass. It was such a delicate thing. The day got even better, the sun was warming and to top it all a Great Spotted Woodpecker arrived on my garden fence. It was only a brief visit but it certainly brightened up my day! The list the chores? It only seemed to get bigger, the weekend weather was way to nice to do jobs. A bike ride and reading the Sunday papers was as far as we got!

Celebrations!

I finally got to sit down today at my computer and create this Blog. It's not totally completed but hang in there with me.  Its Friday and the temperature is dropping but I would like to wish you all a bright and happy weekend!