Blue on blue

 

After lunch at a charming establishment in Pontrieux, Brittany, we took a stroll through the town and crossed a bridge over the River Trieux.

 

Hoping your Christmas was anything but blue, I contribute this image to  Weekend Reflection

 

(trust it was a marvellous celebration with your family James)

Christmas Prayer

 

This little angel was a gift from my niece a few years ago.

 

Wherever you may be in this extraordinary world of ours, I pray that you may be able to share the spirit of Christmas with your loved ones in safety.

 

Thank you for the many wonderful images you have shared through your blog pages during 2014 - I am so grateful for this form of media!

 

With thanks too to the dedicated hosts of all the community blog sites, I link up with

Our World Tuesday

 

 

Day's ending

 

I only saw this sky because its reflected glow bathed the courtyard at the front of my home - I bet it looked a treat from the seashore (less than half an hour's drive away).

 

Joining in (with gratitude to our hosts) at

Skywatch Friday

 

and wishing all fellow contributors a wonderful, safe Christmas.

Thank you for the joy you've brought to my days with your marvellous photography.

Fossombrone

 

The following images were captured in Fossombrone, an ancient town of Roman origin, standing midway up the Metauro Valley and located in the Marche region of Central Italy. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

It was a fun challenge to converse with the locals, as they didn't speak English and I don't speak Italian, but we managed to grasp the basics!

 

Joining in the fun at Our World Tuesday

and thanking our hosts for their dedication to running this community site.

 

Sweet beginnings

This sweet duckling was one of several under the watchful eye of Mother, spotted in the waters surrounding Whittington Castle in northern Shropshire, England earlier this year. (It's apparently the only castle in England to be owned and managed by a community)

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week in the lead-up to Christmas, and now (thanks to the respective dedicated hosts),

joining in the fun with links to

Camera Critters

and

Monday Mellow Yellows

Seeing double

 

524 Yates Street, Victoria, British Columbia

 

Joining in the fun with James' Weekend Reflection

Winter in B.C.

The following images were captured at beautiful Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, British Columbia during my house exchange there in February this year. Some of the Douglas Fir trees in this Grove are over 800 years old.

 

Since our "brothers and sisters" in the Northern Hemisphere are coming into Winter, it seems appropriate to include these in today's post, because scenes like this seem somehow synonymous with Christmas in those regions.

 

Meanwhile, those of us in the Southern Hemisphere - just beginning our Summer - are likely to experience many many days of temperatures in the 30s and 40s Centigrade over the next 3 months!

  

 

 

Well, wherever you are (or will be) for Christmas, may it be a happy, safe and meaningful celebration for you and your loved ones.

 

With grateful thanks to our dedicated blogging hosts, I link up with

Our World Tuesday

Funghi

One morning last month while running my Jessie on a local oval, I spotted these unusual funghi.

 

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.

Joining in the fun at Macro Monday 2

 



Biddulph Grange

 

Following are some images I captured during a visit to the National Trust property Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire, England earlier this year.

 

The splendid grounds reveal an amazing collection of plants from around the world, showcased as "pockets" of other nations' gardens and was created by James Bateman in the 1800s.

 

 

I liked the angular design of this section, and ....

 

... my over-active imagination saw this resembling a face depicting shock and horror!

 

I almost missed this little sweetie hiding amongst the foliage.

 

Joining in James' Weekend Reflection

 

 

Monarto visit

A few months ago I joined a dear friend on a special outing - for those enduring Parkinson's Disease and/or Dementia - to South Australia's Monarto Zoo.

 

The Meerkats are so entertaining, as are the Chimpanzees.  (It was a cold Winter's day when we visited, and the Chimps were carrying around a pink bed quilt - when they weren't wearing it !)

 

 

 

(I've missed catching up with you all over the past month as my new computer had a serious "melt down".  Have also been heavily involved in supporting my dear friend and her husband these past few months as dementia progressed rapidly and it was necessary for her to move into permanent professional care - a devastating time for all. While clearly different from one's own home environment, her new home is bright, attractive and has lovely garden settings with water features which she enjoys and the carers have wonderful attitudes towards those for whom they are responsible).

 

Linking up with Camera Critters

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week with hopefully not too many pressures in the lead up to preparations for Christmas celebrations.

 

Any takers?

While showing my English visitors around South Australia in June this year, we visited the Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide - a fascinating place and worthy of your time as you step back into early history of our Australian State. Experience the on-board accommodation voyagers contended with on their journey from the UK, and hear the creaking of the boat's timbers as "she" ploughs (plows?) through rough seas.

The poster above makes interesting reading, and it caught our eye as my friends live in Truro, Cornwall, UK!

Joining others at Our World Tuesday

and with grateful thanks to our hosts

Braving the elements

This was taken back in June, at the beginning of our Winter 

("down under") and both surfing and beach fishing are popular at Waitpinga on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula.

It was a sunny but blustery day with temperatures in the low 'teens (and that was on land - I wouldn't want to have been standing in that chilling water for long, but these fellows were obviously hoping to catch the big one, possibly salmon trout)

Linking up with others from around the world at

Skywatch Friday

Pretty Plancoet

This is the pretty town of Plancoet in Brittany.  It is a town noted for its beautiful flowers, which grow abundantly, not only in private gardens, but also in public parks and open spaces.

Following is just a sample . . .

Sharing with Our World Tuesday

and Today's Flowers

and thanking our gracious hosts of both sites.

Bright Garden

While spending time in Paris earlier this year, a side visit to Monet's Garden was a must,

so here are some shots from that pretty location as my contribution to 

Monday Mellow Yellows 

(Thank you Gemma for your willingness to host this and several other photoblog sites) 

Wishing all fellow photobloggers a safe and joy-filled week.