Today in pictures

[davemac]

Part 1. Today in Pictures ,another wet day, so nothing wonderful.

1. Conifer on the towpath.
2. All Saints Church.
3. A wander around the graveyard.
4. Side door to the church.
5. Vents.
6. Path up to the private bowling green.
7. Monkey Puzzle Tree.
8. Fungus on the activity equipment in the park, possibly Tremella mesenterica.
9. There only foals and horses.
10. When you look around we are knee deep in Orchids.

[davemac]

Part 2. Today in Pictures, at least it stopped fine.

11. Grass seed head.
12. Horses doing horse things.
13. I cant walk past a droplet

[Margaret Pilkington]

I went to Manchester today...took the camera, but it properly hissed it down....so I took nothing......was almost 3pm when I got back and my innards were growling because I missed lunch...then the tinlids were in from school...those are my pousy excuses for non participation today.
Dave lovely pictures again...and some of them, (because of the angles from which they were taken) had me foxed for a minute or two. Great shots.....especially the droplet.
You and water go together far better than whisky.

[davemac]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I went to Manchester today...took the camera, but it properly hissed it down....so I took nothing......was almost 3pm when I got back and my innards were growling because I missed lunch...then the tinlids were in from school...those are my pousy excuses for non participation today.
Dave lovely pictures again...and some of them, (because of the angles from which they were taken) had me foxed for a minute or two. Great shots.....especially the droplet.
You and water go together far better than whisky.

I managed a dry walk, but only just, hence the droplets, I am on a quest to find the perfect droplet, I cant tell you what it looks like ,but I will know when I see it.

The thread has always been an occasional "Today in Pictures" project, as we all from time to time get sidetracked or to busy to participate, so no explanations required.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, I did go out prepared to take some evidence of my day, but reckoned that the inside of a banking establishment just didn't cut it.
We know we can rely on you for the greenery, the flowers and the wickies.

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by davemac

I managed a dry walk, but only just, hence the droplets, I am on a quest to find the perfect droplet, I cant tell you what it looks like ,but I will know when I see it.

The thread has always been an occasional "Today in Pictures" project, as we all from time to time get sidetracked or to busy to participate, so no explanations required.

I think you are quite the H2O specialist Dave -love the droplets -amazing reflections you manage to capture in them every time.

Will try myself to photograph one one day -at the moment there is no surface water around here -it's all evaporated and we have a drought!

Enjoyed the Woodlands photos too -used to walk through there often from school down to my friends house on Woodlands Drive

Italy has a lot of beautiful places it's true but you can't beat England's green and pleasant land for me!

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I think you are an undercover picture postcard photographer.....seconded to the Italian Board of tourism.
These pics are beautiful and should be on Flickr.
I love the balcony shot with the wicker chair.....I can see myself sitting there facing the lake...watching the changing colours of the scenery as the light fades.
Is that your Mum and Dad in picture three of the third set?

It is them Margaret - we went to have a short break with them 2 years ago.

Try Googling Hotel Gardenia Gargnano - they have a very interesting website -you can read it in English too. It is a lovely Hotel -perfect for a romantic break! The little village has added interest as DHLawrence stayed there while finishing his book Sons and Lovers

Also Mussolini lived there between 1943-45 in a place called Villa Feltrini. The hotel was a private house then and was comandeered by him to house some of his ministers.

(I swear i do not work for the Italian tourist board!)

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by mobertol

It is them Margaret - we went to have a short break with them 2 years ago.

Try Googling Hotel Gardenia Gargnano - they have a very interesting website -you can read it in English too. It is a lovely Hotel -perfect for a romantic break! The little village has added interest as DHLawrence stayed there while finishing his book Sons and Lovers

Also Mussolini lived there between 1943-45 in a place called Villa Feltrini. The hotel was a private house then and was comandeered by him to house some of his ministers.

(I swear i do not work for the Italian tourist board!)

I do not know your Dad, but your Mum looks very well.
I will have a look on google later.
And as for working for the Italian Tourist board.....they would do well to employ you.....I'm sure it would whet the appetitie of the tourists, to see your lovely shots.

[davemac]

Originally Posted by mobertol

I think you are quite the H2O specialist Dave -love the droplets -amazing reflections you manage to capture in them every time.

Will try myself to photograph one one day -at the moment there is no surface water around here -it's all evaporated and we have a drought!

Enjoyed the Woodlands photos too -used to walk through there often from school down to my friends house on Woodlands Drive

Italy has a lot of beautiful places it's true but you can't beat England's green and pleasant land for me!

just put another droplet on flicker that I didn't post here. I'm sorry you don't have any standing water, we are up to our jacksies here with the stuff.

[davemac]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Well, I did go out prepared to take some evidence of my day, but reckoned that the inside of a banking establishment just didn't cut it.
We know we can rely on you for the greenery, the flowers and the wickies.

Sometime I go out and look for landscape shots, and come back with a camera full of wickthings, and then I will go out for wickthings and come back with waterfalls, it just shows I'm easily distracted or I get lost a lot. Myself I think its both, if only I could remember !

[susie123]

Originally Posted by davemac

just put another droplet on flicker that I didn't post here. I'm sorry you don't have any standing water, we are up to our jacksies here with the stuff.

Dave, just looked at your Flickr pics. I love that one of the droplets on the grass blade, with the hairs underneath. Just one question - doesn't Bob get bored, waiting around for you to take shots like that?

[maxthecollie]

Originally Posted by susie123

Dave, just looked at your Flickr pics. I love that one of the droplets on the grass blade, with the hairs underneath. Just one question - doesn't Bob get bored, waiting around for you to take shots like that?

The droplets are probably off Bob when he shakes to get himself dry as Dave only takes him on wet walks.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by maxthecollie

The droplets are probably off Bob when he shakes to get himself dry as Dave only takes him on wet walks.

Haha Frank, never thought of that! Poor Bob!

[susie123]

As I'm not getting out much at the moment, may I be permitted to post some photos of a not so recent Today in pictures? It's also an antidote to all the Italian sun posted by Dianne, if you need one!

Just two years ago, July 2010, we went on a cruise whose destination was the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, about 600 miles from the North pole. One of the places we visited was the mining settlement of Barentsburg (the islands have a lot of coal). This is a Russian settlement as there is an international agreement regarding exploitation of the mineral resources of the islands. The settlement was abandoned financially by the Russian government in the seventies and although recently some finance has been forthcoming the place is still very rundown and poverty stricken, not helped by the fact tht there have been problems in the mines.

It is however a fascinating place to visit, a timewarp and hard to imagine how people exist in such conditions including extreme cold, several months of polar night and little infrastructure. We only had two hours there, much of which was taken up with negotiating the many steps which take you up the steep slopes. It's one of the most interesting places I've been to and we were still back on the ship in time for dinner!

I've posted some photos from this trip before on other threads, not sure if any of these were included. Apologies if so.

1 This is where we are - the ship's GPS readings
2 That could be it
3 The settlement from the ship
4 The power plant
5 View from the other side of the ship
6 Approaching the dock in the tender boat
7 View of the steps from the tender
8 The power plant from the tender
9 It's closing in behind
10 Crane on the docks

[susie123]

Barentsburg part 2

1 Phew! we've landed - now for those steps!
2 Derelict wooden buildings
3 More of the same - quite pretty though
4 The top of those steps
5 The welcoming doorway of the ex-social club
6 The sports centre, with Olympic pool and palm trees
7 Sign on the hillside - Soviet star and peace on earth
8 Public transport - it does work, we saw it move!
9 The culture centre, with museum and Polar Star shop. Some cracking souvenirs - fur hats, Russian dolls and paintings and poker work by the inhabitants - mainly of polar bears - I bought a small painting and a pokerwork plaque as I wasn't going to see polar bears any other way
My garden gnome on left of picture! He bought a cap with polar bear logo
10 Barentsburg logo - a miner and polar bears with Russian and Norwegian flags