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