Sky Watch Friday - Anchor Away!

Storm clouds have continued to dominate my skies again this week, but @ least this one caught my imagination, perhaps because I'd love to up anchor & sail off in search of some sunshine...
SkyWatch is now big, with over 300 participants a week!

Belated Birthday Greetings Nellie!

So, much for having a Birthday Book!

It's not much benefit if you don't check it regularly, but I was convinced in my minds eye that my Canadian friends birthday was later in the month and not yesterday!

Opps!

If it wasn't for our mutual friend Wilma, I'd be even later sending my best wishes!

I've known Nellie as long as I've been visiting Prairieland, quite a while.

She loves elephants & collects them in every form, so much so, when ever I see elephant memorabilia I think of her straightaway hence her blog name.

And, posting this painting, simply titled 'Royal White Elephant' by American artist Sundara Fawn...

Apologies, Nellie I hope you had a great day with good wine.

True Colours Thursday & Color Carnival - My COLOURS!

Now, I'm sure everyone, presumed I'd be posting BLUE today, as it's without doubt my very favourite colour!

But, not wanting to do the obvious, I've taken a totally different tack!

For a while now, a little ditty about colours that I remember from way, way back, has been running through my head.

It's the 'The RAINBOW Song'.
Twee maybe, however, I'm going with it, as my theme today.

The lyrics go like this:-

"Red and yellow and pink and blue,

Orange and purple and green.

I can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

You can sing one too!
Listen with your eyes,

Listen with your eyes,

And sing everything you see.

You can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

Sing along with me.
RED and YELLOW...

and PINK and BLUE...

ORANGE...

and PURPLE and GREEN...

You can sing a RAINBOW...

Sing a RAINBOW...

Now you've sung one too!"

I hope no one minds that I've used a variety of images from my Photographic Archives!

But, I'm loosing the will to photo with this wet wet British Summer, that is keeping me, unusually housebound.

To join True Colours Thursday, all you need, is to post a photo/photographs & text, or better still both, on the specified colour of the week. If you simply want to use the idea as a 'prompt' for a post, as I do now, with many memes, that's fine.
But, if, you'd like others including me, to visit you, please leave a comment below, so we know you are 'IN'!
For this meme only, I lift my 'Comment Moderation' to help players connect with each other.
Everyone, who to my knowledge has participated recently, is named in the TCT Roll Call in my side bar.
And, I will try to up-date throughout the day.
Next weeks TCT colour - CHOCOLATE brown - think comfort food!

Martha is the creator & host of Color Carnival, that just requires a colourful photo.

Wordless Wednesday - Lets Go, I Wish!

The Pet Folder Tag!

Guess, I'm getting a little bit - well, a lot, more stir crazy than usual, due to the constant localised rain, that's keeping me bored, frustrated & restricted indoors - Grr!!!
But, seeing this 'open' tag on The Rocky Creek Scotties blog I thought, I'd play along for the nostalgia fix!
The rules are:-
1) open the folder that has your pet pics in it
2) choose one you haven't posted before
3) tell it's story
4) tag 5 friends

Most of my late beloved Springer Spaniel's photo's have already featured on my blogs, yet, I'm unsure about this one?
Here is Hero, in Springtime with 'Percy Penquin' his all time favourite 'squeaky' toy...They/we had great fun together.
Percy Penguin, minus his hat's top [nibbled away] & squeak [lost some where???] still lives on today, sitting on my kitchen window sill in remembrance of Hero, as sentimental me just can't bare to throw him away...Re tagging, as so many have already played, it is hard!
But here goes:-
BJ,
Pansy,
Dina,
The Professionals ie Brodie & Doyle
Hero in the Azores!

Todays Flowers & Two Fer Tuesday - Hollyhocks!

Early last year, via ABC Wednesday, I found a fellow blue lover Nonizamboni.
We have subsequently became good blog friends, so I know Noni's favourite flowers are Hollyhocks!
They're also rather special to me too!
After moving to my present Victorian house, back in the late 1980's, I scattered some 'collected' seeds, hoping to create a country style cottage garden, as I much prefer old fashioned flowers growing freely to formal borders!
Within a couple of years, I was rewarded with a garden dominated by Hollyhocks, of every hue & colour.

They grew huge & continued to my joy to self-seed in wild abandon.
Hence, happy memories represented by this 1996 photo of my Mother...

Sadly, following Winters were exceedingly wet.

The 'water table' rose & the garden became a mini lake.

It was not home threatening like the events experienced much later, but the Hollyhocks didn't appreciate their roots being submerged & the plants sadly rotted away.
I subsequently re-seeded but never that successfully.
I now, only have, one fine specimen in my back garden with lots of frilly skirted blooms..And, a solitary Hollyhock @ the front, competing with the rambling rose...

But, my neighbours now have them a plenty...

Today's Flowers home is HERE.
Two Fer Tuesday is Jonna's concept.

RIP Charlie - DWB Champion!

16th Dec. 1995 to 1st Aug. 2009

I am regrettably late with this post, mainly due to the Internet - even today I am strugglingling to keep a connection!???!
But, neverless it is still heart felt.

It wasn't till yesterday morning, that I learnt of the passing of Charlie in OZ with his pace-maker to the Rainbow Bridge.

I didn't know him personally, however, he was still a friend via the wonderful world of Dogs with Blogs, of which he was the No 1 pup, as without him & Opy, the Gruff Pup who mainly posted, there would be no DWBs, as it was their humans who founded this wonderful friendly interactive site for dogs who blog with their humans, of which I'm proud to be a 'honorary' dogless member.

I know Brooke & Greg will be heartbroken by his passing, especially after his long struggle with heart issues.

I feel for them, their loss is shared by all in DWB, including me.

May this boy be running now free & happy with the pack he founded!

Another Monochrome for Monday - 39 Steps!

Yesterday afternoon, I went & re-took a local view, I particularly like, specifically for Monochrome Maniacs.
With, it's shadows in rare bright sunshine this Summer, the steep steps, seemed to lend themselves perfectly to an Alieni style B&W photo, even if it is of digital origin...
Yes, it's the bridge as seen in last Fridays Sky Watch reflective shot of the lake.
This angle looks down from the railway's 'fly-over', towards to Hinksey Park.
I posted a colour version last December, that captured my Christmas, with it's solitary December 25th walker - that image is HERE!

Camera Critters Sunday & an early Odd Shot Monday - The Emperor!

I've no idea why this image is painted on a wall on a street corner...Found it whilst walking to Town recently.

Couldn't decide where to post it either - Camera Critters or Odd Shots???

But, guess an Emperor Penguin is worthy of both!

Camera Critters designated site is HERE

Odd Shot's home is with Katney.

Have to add, if anyone hasn't seen the 2005 film, 'March of the Penguins', you are missing a natural history treat of extra-ordinary proportions.

Narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, it's an awe inspiring delight.

It tells the true tale of Antarctica's thousands of Emperor Penguins who each year make an astonishing journey to their breeding grounds on the the coldest, driest darkest continent on earth.

The birds mate, then during the fierce Polar Winter take it in turns to guard their precious egg & trekking back to the ocean in search of food.

The arrival & safety of their adorable fuzzy chicks makes it all worthwhile...

It's an amazing story of survival.

And, beautifully filmed.

Saturday Photo Hunters - Entertainment!

Host tnchicks prompt this week made me think of the many street artists that offer entertainment to the weekend shoppers in Dreamingspires city centre.

But to date, the most hilarious performance I've seen, comes not from there, but Covent Garden in London.

This guy or should I say 'doggy', offered his very own, unique form of entertainment.

He barked, he begged, he talked back to his bemused audience...I know, I've used this image in the past for Katney's Odd Shot Monday.

But thought, it was entertaining enough to warrant another outing!