303/365 Alien Invasion VIII

All wrapped up...

302/365 Hoola Hoop

Jodie got a new hoola hoop when we went shopping in town yesterday. Being around me while I take photographs, she's picked up a thing or two and knows I need the tripod to get shots with slow exposures for capturing movement. (My words not hers, but he knows!) She knows about continuous shooting too :0) Of several bursts, this was her fav shot. But I have messed with it in PS some.

Jodie was going to let me have the last Fiendish Fancy today... but this was as close as I got - I answered the phone, then looked back and it was gone!

301/365 QUAD has landed

From this angle it almost looks as if the QUAD building has landed from outer space in Derby's Market Place. Incongruous next to characterful old architecture, it actually stands almost opposite an ugly modern building - the Assembly Rooms.

Jodie and I went on the wheel. Its half term week and the last chance to go on it, and the weather was uncharacteristically mild, lots of children were running round the fountain.

(Day 300 - not long to go now!!)

300/365 Sleeping with the enemy?

I'm something of a control freak, but at the same time, I'm not a very tidy person, but today I had to tidy my towels! Remember that movie with Julia Roberts? I'm not that bad!

299/365 Tree by the Brook

Oliver took Jodie and I to the Brook where he meets up with his mates this morning. It was further than we expected, walking across fields, climbing styles and fences, stepping stones across a stream, but it was great to see where he has his adventures and I got some good pictures too. He even helped his little sister over the styles!

298/365 Blowing hot & cold

The builders are in at the moment, and we have no heating, and the fridge is in the living room, for the duration. So this little guy blows hot when we need it, you can see the fridge in the background!! Another week or so and we'll have a new central heating boiler, and the roof will be on the new extension! Four weeks in and I still haven't blogged the build!!

297/365 Feather

Another found feather for today's blog shot, limited possibilities as I'm under the weather, but I'm pleased with this shot.

296/365 Hellmanns

The water pooled on the lid caught my eye so before I washed up the empty jar to be recycled, I grabbed the cam! What's the line from the ad? "Every sandwich wants Hellmann's."

295/365 Crumpler Man

I'm a fan of Crumpler bags, have 2 so far, used, off ebay. With Jodie poorly today I needed a swift blogshot and Crumpler Man obliged. With Jodie safely asleep, hopefully for the night, I've had a chance to mess around with him in PS!

294/365 Sweets for my sweet...

...sugar for my honey, your first sweet kiss thrilled me so... The lyrics are older than I am, but I remember them well from a single played on an old Dansette record player in my childhood, and they sprang to mind when I placed a sweet-chestnut collected on Sunday's trip to the arboretum on top of a jar of local honey I picked up from a health food shop on Monday. Full lyrics can be found here. It has been recorded by The Drifters, The Searchers, Neil Diamond and C J Lewis. I think I remember playing The Searchers version, perhaps one of my older brothers will confirm that!?

293/365 Eco-friendly

My very good friend Mel thinks green. I had lunch with her today and she had just unpacked the weekly shop when I arrived. I managed to grab a shot of her jute and 'bag for life' shopping bags before she put them away. We had a lovely lunch and caught up on each other's news. Thanks Mel, great to see you, :0)

292/365 Sunshine shadow

Its a pity we didn't have a little of this sunshine yesterday to enhance the colours at Westonbirt, but at least it was dry and bright. The mobile casting this shadow hangs in my conservatory, the top is a sunshine, the curve is a rainbow, the other hanging elements are rabbits and sheep. Its made from felt and is embroidered, its a very cheerful sunshine mobile!

291/365 Autumn Colours at Westonbirt

I had a long drive to get there, but it was so worth it - Westonbirt Arboretum in all its autumn glory. Difficult choice this evening, so many images to choose from! Collage necessary.

290/365 Psychedelic psynch

This was the aftermath from Jodie's painting session this afternoon. The bowls with unused paint were put in the half sink with water for cleaning and when the water drained away the sink was pink! (Mainly!) Jodie loves painting, takes after her Mum with her creativity :0)

I've used PS to boost saturation and add some texture.

289/365 Sew, a needle pulling thread

I couldn't think of a better title, although The Sound of Music is not a film I like at all! This cotton reel was in the kitchen (such as it is at the moment, with the builders here) and the late afternoon sun was catching it. One shot, got it.

And here's the 'drop of golden sun' version!

288/365 Spangled web

After a long dry spell, today is foggy, misty, and a fine drizzle is falling. Everything in the garden is drenched.

287/365 Liquid lunch?

No, we ate.

286/365 Bubbles?

I may have mentioned that we have builders working here at the moment, building an extension to our house. The design includes glass blocks - they came today, what a photographic treat :0) (Messed with in PS!)

285/365 Orange gerbera

Gerberas are a favourite of mine, and when I saw some outside the florist near school, I had to get some. Beautiful flowers, very photogenic.

284/365 Brown Birch Bolete

I spent a couple of hours lying around in a dark damp wood this morning with fellow photo club members, shooting fungi. This little 'gi' is a lechinum scabrum, commonly known as brown birch bolete (I hope I've got that right!). The new tripod was brilliant for getting low down, I took some plastic sheet to lie on, no-one fell in the ponds but one guy got stuck in some boggy mud and had to be rescued! The hardest thing was focussing accurately, not all my shots are sharp in the right place! We were lucky with the weather, a fine drizzle was falling by the time we came away.

283/365 Fairweather bikers

The A6 runs through Belper up to Matlock Bath, where many bikers gather. After visiting an exhibition at The Little Gallery in Belper this afternoon, I caught these guys heading for Matlock. It was a beautiful autumn day with a fabulous blue sky, big fluffy clouds and whispy plane trails.