Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity

This photo was taken at St Jame’s Park in London.  The mother Swan and her sygnet’s looked very serene gliding and preening through the calm, sunlit water…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Saturated

I thought I’d go with the saturated by water element of this weeks challenge and post a photo of my beautiful Mutley looking very bedraggled after spending an afternoon on a beach in Cornwall with us this summer…

In the boot of the car, worn out after her beach adventures!

Mutley loves going into water as long as it’s not too deep or moving too fast! This was the first time she’d actually been into the sea deep enough to get completely saturated… my son was throwing sticks in for her and she finds a stick very hard to resist! 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable #3!

Time’s running out… how could I not post a few photo’s of Mutley for the weekly photo challenge with a theme of ‘companionable’ it would feel so wrong of me not to!  Mutley is, after all, my constant companion… she is loyal, never judges, makes me smile and is always totally ecstatic every time I come home!

This is Mutley…

Loves anything that involves a stick…

… chewing on them especially!

The trouble with chewing sticks… they make your tongue dirty!

With one of her doggy companions!

Those pesky squirrels!

My beautiful companion, Mutley

Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable

These two were fishing together, taking it in turns to go ‘bottoms up’ for food!  They looked very cute and companionable so thought it rather apt for this weeks photo challenge…

Mrs Duck goes fishing first… delicately does it…

Mr Duck threw himself full throttle into a nose dive… get those tail feather’s up!

They did this for quite a while… sometimes both at the same time which was wonderfully funny!  Wish I’d captured one of those!

Pigeon… In My Lounge!!!

I had just made myself a lovely lunch and a cup of green tea… everything was arranged and I was just about to get comfy to enjoy some peace and quiet… apparently not!

I heard some noise in the fireplace and upon inspection found some soot had fallen out and onto the rug… as I stood and watched, more and more kept falling down and out in front of me.  There was a few moments of nothing then again more fell out… Ohhh nooo… I looked at Mutley, Mutley looked at me… and promptly took off upstairs!  Fine protector she is!!!

I was left looking at the fireplace and said out loud “please don’t let anything dead fall out!” and then “actually, no, please don’t let anything live fall out!!!”  Literally two seconds later a pigeon landed unceremoniously in the fireplace and took flight into the room, missing my head by two inches as I ducked and ran for the door!  I flew for my camera whilst screeching to my son… “There’s a pigeon flying around the lounge!”

Doesn’t look too ruffled or dirty… all things considered!

My son arrived on the scene a little bleary eyed and dishevelled, having just woken up (he’s 17… say no more) armed only with an old childhood dressing up Spiderman glove, recently found in a loft clearout!

Spiderman glove meets pigeon, pigeon’s thinking ‘what the hell is that?’ and my son says… “Ah, can we keep him?!”

Flash back… to when he wanted a German Shepherd and promised to walk her and pick up her poop… Ha! Not falling for that one again!

Decided he doesn’t like Spiderman glove…

… and takes off only to fly straight into conservatory door!

Looking out of my blinds to freedom, whilst pacing up and down on the back of my sofa … and pooping on my hand stitched Indian throw!

Mutley… proved to be a bit of a ‘fraidy cat!

Of course after she realised it was only a bird, not something sinister and could hear it flapping around she tried her best to get back into the room, nearly tripping me up everytime I retreated with my camera when the pigeon flew in my direction… he had already proved he wasn’t great at navigating!

All wrapped up and ready to go!

Armed now with some more sensible gloves, my son managed after several attempts to throw my youngest son’s jacket over the pigeon so that he could pick it up and carry it out…

Making a break for freedom!

My son ducks to the left while the pigeon makes a break for it to the right!

I’m free, I’m free!

He looks a bit bewildered but focused on his destination towards the rooftops and hopefully away from chimneys… mine anyway! 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: The World Through Your Eyes…

Nature and animals are what inspire me most.  Being among nature and around animals always makes me feel calm, happy and peaceful… literally makes me feel alive, the only time I really breathe deeply.  I’ve always wondered what the world looks like through animals eyes so that’s why I’ve chosen these for this weeks photo challenge…

I couldn’t not include Mutley’s beautiful eyes… she looks dopey because she’s just been rudely awoken by my camera! Sorry Mutley! 🙂

This horse was in an enclosed field but I love to see them running free and wild!

Ah Swans… so beautiful and elegant

This little squirrels eyes were only interested in where the next nut was coming from!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves

Swans are so elegant and beautiful… I chose this picture for this weeks photo challenge because of the graceful curves of the Swans head, neck and body… the curve of the lake and also because of the curved wingspan and tail feathers of the pigeon flying over it!

I think this is ‘Mr’ Swan, he seemed to be enjoying posing for the camera! If you look in the background you can see ‘Mrs’ Swan approaching with the Cygnets!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting… #2!

I have been trying (for some time now) to capture some squirrels on camera… unfortunately for me, Mutley normally spots them either at the same time or before me and sends them scurrying up the nearest tree!

Squirrel watching Mutley…

This one stopped to watch Mutley just long enough for me to click but not as sharp as I’d like it!  Maybe next time the moment won’t be so fleeting…

… Mutley watching squirrel… hoping it comes down the tree she’s just chased it up!

Look at that face intent on the squirrel… give it up Mutley… it’s never gonna happen!

The Serpentine… Hyde Park, London

Just a few photos taken at The Serpentine in Hyde Park a few weeks ago…

The Serpentine & a moody sky!

The Serpentine, from another angle!

Mine…mine…

…mine!

Come back… I didn’t mean it!

It’s in here somewhere…

… here fishy fishy…

It got away…!

A wet neck & water up my nose for nothing!!!

I’m still following you… you’re stuck with me for life you know!

Through the railings!

Try something different…!

Three lovely ducks chillin’ on the banks of a river… wanting to do something different but not quite knowing what… the conversation (Jungle Book, Vulture style) goes something like this…

1st Duck…

So, what do you wanna do?

2nd Duck, looking at 3rd Duck…

… I dunno, what do you wanna do?

3rd Duck…

… I dunno, what do you wanna do? ……….. 1st Duck… sighing… shall we go for a swim then?

There’s a buzz in the air…!

Every year when I see the first Bee of Spring I get really excited… Summer’s on the way!  After, what seems like the longest Winter ever, I was more happy than ever to see this wonderful busy Bee collecting pollen from the blossom…

I heard the buzz before I saw the bee…

Bumbling about his busy afternoon…

perfect delicate wings…

My first bee of Spring… wonderful!

Introducing Mutley!

My beautiful puppy dog, with snow on her nose!

What now? I’m trying to eat this stick!

First run in the snow!

Boxing in the snow?

We’re only playing…

… really we are, promise!

Imagine what they look like when they’re not playing!!!

I’m going for it…

Gotcha!

This is Tala (Mutley) dog…

… it’s fair to say I take a lot of pictures of her…!

… I apologise in advance for when you get sick of them!!!