gardenia

A few weeks ago this plant that had been lying around in the dining room since last year suddenly came into flower again. Each flower only lasts a few days but they were beautiful.

poster

It's by the honeysuckle.

I like the honeysuckle best. Please don't think that this implies any support for Blair's position re Bush and Iraq. But some of the alternatives here, such as the BNP, are just too horrendous to contemplate.

honeysuckle

The honeysuckle is my favourite plant in our garden. It is by the gate so you brush past it as you come to the house. As well as looking so beautiful it smells just wonderful.

leaves, chimneys and blue skies

I came back this evening after a long drive to see my son in hospital across the country. Eating dinner I looked out of the window at this view that is so different from the buds and dark clouds of only a few weeks ago - so I jumped up and snapped it.

buds, chimneys and black clouds

Taken a few weeks ago from our back door.

The buds have burst now - and have probably been seen elsehwere on this site. (Here it is in flower only last weekend.)

more birds

Having published the photographs of the swifts a few days ago it reminded me of these two photographs of gulls that I took earlier in the year. The first was taken on a short break on the east coast of Scotland - near St Andrew's.




The second was taken on a cold winters day on the edge of moorland close to where I live.

swifts

The swifts came back last week. I tried to capture them today in photographs from the garden and later in the afternoon on a short walk. Of course they fly so fast so it was difficult to get anything really - but fun trying.
















I at least enjoyed the walk while I was trying to capture the swifts. Everything is still so green.

sunny Sunday lunchtime

It was a lovely sunny sunday.

My parents came round for lunch. We sat out in the garden with some drinks and nibbles first. I thought - I must take some photographs from the garden.

I only got into a bit of trouble for letting lunch go cold.

people are looking, so ...

... I had better keep up to publishing.

I only started this yesterday evening and overnight I had my first comment even though I had not advertised the blog yet. It can't have been my wife as she was asleep when I published the blog and was still asleep when I came down and found the comment.

(Though I suppose she could have been wandering around in the night. - *thinks*)

So I've just published a companion picture to the last one. I've used this in a banner I have prepared for links - but I'm not sure if it is too good. I'll try to get round to putting it at the bottom of this page and it will be on the 'links' page of my main website.

I hope to publish pictures here that aren't on my main site. I believe this could become a better and more up to date area in time. Changes to the website - which are needed - involve quite a bit of work, whereas this can be an evolving piece of work.

Anyway, must go, the two women in my life are about to drag me off to a favourite restaurant. Sometimes life is so hard!!!!!!!

the sea

Deciding a first picture for a blog is difficult.

I came across this recent one by accident and am pleased with it. If I can include it in the header somehow I may try. Perhaps any techie readers might email me to tell me how.

Also how do I get rid of the adverts at the top of the page - I know it's possible.

Tom climbing

This is a picture of my son Tom climbing in South Africa. He was on his gap year between school and university. He got into some incredible scrapes whilst away.

Needless to say this photograph isn't by me. I will find the source and credit it here as soon as possible.

(Later: I've found a link - http://www.lasportiva.com/ImagesStorico/fotovisitatori/Nelson1.jpg but Google no longer seems to be able to find the index page that gives the name of the photographer. I'll keep looking though.)

During Tom's second year at university it soon became apparent that he had become very ill. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has been ill now for over four years. He is currently detained under section 3 of the Mental Health Act and is in a secure ward at a High Dependency Unit in a private psychiatric hospital.

I have a different weblog that describes all of this part of our lives. If such issues are live for you and you might be interested in reading the other weblog do email me for details.

the first post

I have two websites already for my photographs - neither of them up to date! I'm hoping that this weblog will ensure I publish new photographs regularly.

I promise to try.

Please come back often.