Nicky's 365 in pictures

365/365 Here I am, this is me...

2009-12-31T22:50:00.005Z

The final image for my 365 is a self portrait - one if the hardest images to produce as I am so much happier photographing than being photographed, even by myself!?! I have had a very interesting journey, I thank all those who have shared some or all of it with me, its been great having you along, I hope you have found it interesting too. Drop in on my new blog sometime, it isn't a 365, but you didn't think I could give up completely now, did you??

The title is inspired by a Bryan Adams song for the animated film Spirit. Read them here.

364/365 Blizzard at Curbar Edge

2009-12-31T21:00:00.004Z

Doesn't it look wintry? What you can't really see is the horizontal snow, the gale blowing, the stinging eyes and the fingers with no feeling in them... Can we go when the sun's out next time please?!

363/365 Dad's little helper

2009-12-29T20:26:00.003Z

Jodie likes to help us when we're painting. And we like to let her help. I always remember wanting to help my Dad with decorating when I was around Jodie's age, and he never let me. So we let Jodie help, on a bit that doesn't matter or can be easily rescued :0)

362/365 Hospital Corridor

2009-12-28T19:34:00.006Z

This scene would usually conjour up nightmares for me. I don't mean my good friend Shelley in the wheelchair, I mean the hospital corridor. Since a childhood trauma in a casualty dept. (ER), I have been terrified of hospitals, (very long story, some of you know it already!) and that was the driving force behind my choice to have homebirths, which I did very successfully with my two girls, but sadly not so with my son.

Paradoxically, I have been able to visit Shelley over the last few weeks without freaking out. We think the reason for this is a combination of factors: I first arrived in the dark, and this little hospital does not look or smell like a hospital; and I was very busy in the run up to Christmas, but fitting in short visits which involved concentrating on Shelley - learning how to collapse a wheelchair, mastering the best approach to getting it in the boot (trunk) - all she had to do was chuck herself in the car! - and accomplishing the task set me for each visit. Really, I didn't have much time to think about where I was going. I am amazed at how chilled I have been when inside St Oswald's Hospital in Ashbourne. Of course, the real test will be when I next go to a particular acute hospital... but I feel encouraged, as I have set myself a personal challenge which requires me to be able to manage this irrational fear in the not too distant future.

Originally, St Oswalds was built as the Ashbourne Union Workhouse. Able bodied inmates in the workhouse performed stone-breaking - aggregate then sold for road-making, while the elderly were employed in picking oakum - rope fibres which were then mixed with tar to use as caulking on the hull of a ship.

See here and http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ for more details on Ashbourne Union Workhouse, including images.

View to St Oswald's Church from the hospital's drive.

361/365 Susie

2009-12-27T22:46:00.004Z

This is my wonderful sister-in-law, Susie. She is married to my eldest brother Steve. They have 3 girls, Holly, Katie & Thea, but lost their only son Harvey, between Holly & Katie. Harvey left a footprint on her heart, as Kim left one on mine. (See 96/365) We drove down to see them today and swap Christmas gifts. A long drive for a short visit, but worth it to see them.

Here's Katie!

360/365 Christmas shadows

2009-12-27T00:04:00.003Z

We had some winter sunshine today, it streamed in through the conservatory and fell upon our Christmas tree. I realise there are quite a few images on this blog featuring shadows... well, as has been said before, its all about the light, and shadows can be fascinating.

359/365 Rip, rend, tear... !

2009-12-26T23:37:00.004Z

Another tradition in my family: on Christmas morning, open presents first - before anything else, before breakfast, still in PJs, that's a rule!!! (I remember so many years when I was little of waiting and being so unhappy about it!) Oliver was thrilled to get his top two hopefuls, a phone and a particular PS2 game. Result! His phone has a camera function (I use the term 'camera' loosely here!) and once he found that, he immediately shot his game! LOL! Jodie got a pony game which she has played on the laptop, Playmobil (pony/unicorn!),
lots of arts and crafts things, and they both got lots of books. We had a very relaxed Christmas Day, we all got something we really wanted.

358/365 Tradition

2009-12-26T23:09:00.002Z

Since becoming a grown up and raising a family of my own, I have enjoyed establishing one or two traditions. On Christmas Eve we always leave a glass of milk, a mince pie, and a carrot on the hearth. When I was a child, we may have left sherry rather than milk, but the modern Father Christmas doesn't drink and drive ;0) The carrot is for the reindeer of course. The children delight in making these preparations. (Well, Jodie still does anyway!!)

357/365 All wrapped up

2009-12-26T00:13:00.004Z

All the presents are wrapped and hidden away, ready for tomorrow. I love to use curling ribbon and make tags, but don't always have time.
We have to get some presents for the kids, just in case they haven't been quite good enough through the year for Santa to bring some ;0)

356/365 Family Hands

2009-12-25T23:41:00.002Z

My brother has my father's hands. Roland came to visit us today with his four children and was telling a story - he has very expressive hands, though I don't remember if Dad used them in this way quite so much. As he ages, Roland looks more and more like our Dad.

355/365 Snowflake

2009-12-25T23:25:00.002Z

This is one of a set of 6 tree ornaments hung on our tree every year. I love the fine detail in them, they are all different. Ironically, we have real snow on the ground now! The kids are so excited. Not long now...

354/365 Snow in Allestree Park

2009-12-20T22:38:00.003Z

The winter sun shone brightly, the sky was an amazing blue, and a thin covering of snow from yesterday brought excitement for many. I walked down to the lake, which was mainly frozen - those trees are lakeside.

And later, a fabulous sunset...

353/365 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2009-12-19T22:39:00.005Z

It's SNOWING! We have just had new street lights installed and they look much better in photos than the old orange ones! :0) This scene has had the topaz treatment.

Jodie helped with the tree this afternoon.

352/365 Morphy Richards

2009-12-19T22:35:00.002Z

Treated myself to a new kettle for my new kitchen :0)

351/365 Techno-butterfly

2009-12-19T22:31:00.001Z

This tiny metal butterfly has settled on my new monitor base...

350/365 Traffic

2009-12-16T22:39:00.001Z

I was stuck in traffic in the dark and rain earlier, on my way to the flu-jab clinic. It had been a grey wet day all day, no photo-opps. Oh well, some days you win, some days you lose...

349/365 A Christmas Star

2009-12-15T23:55:00.002Z

I went to Jodie's school Christmas service this afternoon at St Nich's Church. They have a fabulous nativity scene by the pulpit and the star reminded me of Kim, (96/365), because we said to Oliver that Kim had gone to be a star. He was only 3 at the time. We have a votive holder with a star design on it that comes out every Christmas since we lost Kim.

348/365 Sunset & tree

2009-12-14T17:05:00.002Z

Tonight's sunset was a fabulous sight. I had to pull over on the way home from school and backtrack on foot to capture the tree in silhouette, then I used a Topaz plug-in to enhance the image. (Jodie was very patient while I took some photos, as usual, what an angel.)

347/365 Two out of three

2009-12-13T21:41:00.005Z

Seeing as Oliver the reluctant won't sit for a photo, it was just Jodie and her Dad this afternoon, not smartened up but looking good nonetheless, before I packed away the kit after a busy week's shooting. I've had a fab time with it, Jodie has thoroughly enjoyed playing to the camera, and I've captured some great images for some good friends - thanks all for helping with the fun! And thanks too to PM for kindly lending me his kit! Now, how long will it take to save up for some lights of my own...?
"Dear Father Christmas, Haven't written for a long time, but..."

346/365 Jurys Inn Reflected

2009-12-12T23:59:00.002Z

I love crisp wintry days with endless blue skies and fabulous sunshine. I can ignore the cold if the sun shines brightly, and today I was glad to capture a few images on the way to run an errand and make a small start on the Christmas shopping. Jurys Inn was glowing and the windows of the offices opposite were distorting it's reflection. See 308/365 for the JI itself.

345/365 Mother love

2009-12-11T23:13:00.002Z

There is nothing more precious in this world than a baby, and no love as strong as the love felt by a mother for her child. I was honoured to be able to shoot S & baby L today, such an emotional time, as we have both lost precious babies, and we'll never forget them. (See 96/365)

344/365 Its all about the light

2009-12-10T22:05:00.006Z

I am always reading that photography is all about The Light, chasing it, catching it, waiting for it, the golden hours of dawn and dusk, and with so many grey days in the UK is it any wonder that I'm learning about how to control The Light, artificial light, studio light? Flash still has me baffled although I've achieved good results more by accident than design with a Speedlight 430EX. Now, I'm trying out studio kit and loving it - I covet PM's lights! And RB's! (see 341/365 and 342/365) However, I still get a thrill when I catch natural light falling in a way that pleases me - here I caught reflections of my new space in my new desk lamp's glossy black shade. To the left are the two roof skylights, to the far right my monitor, and off centre, the window to my right - bright autumn sunshine was falling on the houses across the street. It's all about The Light.

343/365 Misty morning, wintry tree

2009-12-09T23:37:00.004Z

The mist lay across the fields this morning as I took Jodie to school. It wasn't looking quite so impressive by the time I returned, but I couldn't have gone back for cam without making her late. The mist passed in front of a weak wintry sun.

342/365 Jodie

2009-12-09T22:56:00.004Z

Although Oliver was not keen to be photographed, Jodie was! Outfit changes, gel colour changes, hair tied back, hair loose... What can I say? The camera loves her!!

341/365 Oliver, the Reluctant

2009-12-08T22:52:00.004Z

Oliver was reluctant to sit still and have his photo taken, but patience was rewarded - he sat with his back to me and I kept very quiet until he could not help but turn round to see why I was not hasseling him to turn round :0) Gotcha!

340/365 Sunset

2009-12-06T22:12:00.003Z

This evening's sunset was pretty dramatic. This is shot from our loft room.

339/365 Standin' in the Rain

2009-12-05T22:51:00.005Z

I caught this shot at IKEA, I'd driven there in the dark and rain, and the brightly lit lobby looked so welcoming! Retail therapy. Just the ticket! :0) One of my favourite ELO songs is "Standin' in the Rain (Concerto for a Rainy Day)" and lets face it, we get plenty of rain here in the UK! Listen to it here.

338/365 Delicious!

2009-12-04T23:22:00.005Z

My husband Mark is a pretty good cook. Tonight he thoroughly enjoyed cooking real food in our brand new kitchen after several weeks of convenience food, eating out and fish 'n' chips! Compliments to the chef!
Cheers! (Hic!)

337/365 Clean Shadows

2009-12-04T23:08:00.003Z

The sun cast shadows of the soap dispenser and the washing-up liquid bottle across new drawers and worktop... I make no apologies for featuring my new kitchen more than once - I've waited a long time for it, and I love it!

336/365 Teabreak

2009-12-04T23:01:00.004Z

Time for a tea break in my new kitchen. We bought the tiles to match the Denby Spice, a pattern now discontinued, and they look fab together! (Thankful for that, seeing as the tiles were purchased more than 12 years ago!!)

335/365 First Frost

2009-12-01T16:21:00.003Z

The St John's Wort was dusted with frost crystals this morning.

334/365 Tiles

2009-11-30T16:42:00.004Z

Graham the kitchen fitter sorted out the tiles today, 3 sets, one for each run. Tomorrow, he'll tile. Cupboards complete, plinths and knobs on, worktops fixed. Just pipes to box in, tiles to fix and grout, and the worktops to oil.

333/365 A long way down

2009-11-29T19:27:00.004Z

Its a long way down from where I was decorating today. The roof space of our extension is open except for the pantry/kitchen part, with 2 velux windows on the south elevation to maximise the light in this north facing room. This shot is taken from on top of the pantry looking straight down the ladder. The red towel is draped on the decorating platform, a roller rests on a paint tray on the floor. (I've messed with this image is PS to make is a bit less dull!)

332/365 Fish 'n' chips please

2009-11-28T20:26:00.003Z

A regular haunt in recent weeks, managing with no cooker, then no kitchen - once the sink was out, we ate them out of the paper, just like in the old days!

331/365 Mr Blue Sky

2009-11-28T20:23:00.005Z

The sky wasn't actually blue at all, but I had left cam on tungsten and thought, wow, I like that effect, and so enhanced it. It was dusk and I liked the clouds. (Mr Blue Sky by ELO is a favourite song of mine and was the soundtrack to a video of my tandem sky-dive back in '92!)

330/365 And stretchhhh...

2009-11-28T20:19:00.004Z

...and relax. And stretchhhh... Jodie's school has had some chicks to look after - they arrived as eggs in an incubator, and over the first week, 6 of the 10 hatched. The children have been able to handle the chicks too. Cheep cheep cheep!

329/365 Tools of the trade II

2009-11-25T18:21:00.004Z

The new kitchen is taking shape, power tools abound, some of them enormous, most of them noisy, a new shade of dust permeates the house! Not long now... (See 316/365 for the other tools shot.)

328/365 Its a jungle out there

2009-11-24T18:41:00.005Z

This cool cat having a coffee break has amazing hair - I have never seen animal print in a hairstyle before! Her daughter is a stylist, and this is such a cool look!

327/365 Sunset panorama

2009-11-24T18:34:00.003Z

The clouds were amazing, it was wet, the wind had turned icy. This is the view across fields towards Kedleston Hall from the end of my road, and my first (decent) panorama.

326/365 Wheeeee!

2009-11-22T20:25:00.004Z

Wheeeee! Jodie spent some time getting dizzy today in one of our new office chairs. We picked up 2 large desks and 2 comfy red swivel chairs from Finlay today for our new study/office. The builders have gone, there are just a few little bits to finish (vertical rad to install, a wiring issue on the new boiler controller, the skip hasn't yet been taken away...) and the kitchen fitter starts tomorrow, 8am sharp. We've been decorating, even Jodie helped with a small roller! Clever girl!

325/365 Jodie's bobbles

2009-11-21T21:25:00.003Z

These are a pair of Jodie's hair bobbles, she has loads, all different shapes, colours and designs. She's been growing her hair for some time now and has a pony tail or bunches most days. She also has about a million hairslides. (Well, not really that many, just seems like it when they all get tangled up and you can't get them untangled when we're trying to get ready for school in the mornings!) I remember having slides when I was little, but not hair bobbles. My Mum didn't let me grow my hair, so I never learnt about plaits and all that girlie stuff. But I can learn now!

324/365 Wood shavings

2009-11-20T21:43:00.003Z

Harry the carpenter thought I was unhinged picking up wood shavings to take photographs of...

323/365 Turned on

2009-11-19T21:35:00.003Z

I didn't get the camera out until evening time, busy day, so had to think of something, with low light and high ISO. My PC is currently crammed into a small space on a landing outside our loft room, cosy enough (now the heating is on again) but not my usual workspace. I am behind with images, can't wait to get moved into my lovely new space downstairs, but there is much to do, mainly involving large quantities of emulsion and satinwood! I am keen to get started, looking forward to decorating, for the first time in months. Getting excited about watching paint dry... I need to get out more! No! I need to get painting so I can get moved in to my lovely new space and get creative with making images through the winter when I will spend less time out with cam - can I get back on top?

322/365 Raindrops

2009-11-18T21:49:00.004Z

It was another wet autumnal day today.

321/365 Springs

2009-11-17T18:55:00.004Z

We have not yet put the trampoline away for the winter, this afternoon the low sun was catching the springs.

320/365 Watery sun

2009-11-17T18:42:00.003Z

Monday's weather was unsettled. It rained, the sun shone, the wind blew, there was a rainbow, but I didn't catch it.

319/365 One step over the line

2009-11-15T19:58:00.004Z

We had a major clean up today, now that the worst of the mess is past. After many barrows of cement yesterday afternoon, not to mention many dusty boots, crossing this threshold, I mopped my front doorstep this morning until it shone. Of course, the drive is still a mess so it'll be trodden in... but for a short while... ;0)
(The title is also the title of a song by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, listen to it here.)

318/365 Tired out

2009-11-14T22:06:00.004Z

Yet more kittens at my brother & SIL's house! Jodie and I went to see the new litter today, all cute and fluffy! And no, we are not having one!

317/365 Tools of the trade

2009-11-14T21:54:00.006Z

The plasterer's float? Or hawk? The plasterer uses is to spread and smooth the plaster, and a very good job he does with it too. Fantastic, perfectly smooth. The brush is to apply water.

316/365 Me & my shadow

2009-11-12T18:53:00.005Z

Jodie does star jumps in the new extension making shadows on the wall from the floodlight left here by the builders.

315/365 Fungi congregation

2009-11-12T18:45:00.004Z

This amazing group of fungi are growing at the base of a tree outside St Nich's Church on Allestree Lane. Coming across them by chance meant I had to manage handheld and without lying on the wet grass!

314/365 Thoroughly Modern Meryl

2009-11-10T17:55:00.003Z

I attended a funeral today. Meryl Handy lived next door but one when I was growing up, I went to school with her elder daughter and at junior school, Meryl was one of my teachers: Mrs Handy at school, Aunty Meryl at home. She was a lovely lady, selfless and generous, living life to the full even in the face of losing her husband when they should have been starting their retirement together. She'll be missed by many, including me. These flowers and candles graced the tables at the church hall afterwards. "Thoroughly Modern Meryl" was a clipping from a paper she stuck to a mirror in her hallway for years, I remember it well, it suited her perfectly.

313/365 Before the fog

2009-11-10T09:30:00.004Z

The fog was visibly advancing across the land towards me when I pulled over to take this shot. It reminded me of a scary novel/movie called The Fog, but the fog isn't evident enough in this image to call it The Fog.

312/365 Fighting a losing battle?

2009-11-08T14:30:00.005Z

We have spent some of the weekend cleaning up after internal walls were remodelled last week. The plasterer is coming tomorrow for 3 days, so there will be more mess. This is my dining room, looking through to the kitchen, and the conservatory beyond. Everywhere is gritty underfoot... (This image has been messed with in PS!) (Hey, I finally blogged the build!)

311/365 Fuchsia blooms

2009-11-07T19:45:00.006Z

I caught these fuchsia blooms in Darley Park this morning after spending time with NW and her family for a family portrait session near the cafe. I only saw them because I missed the turn for the path back to my car, so was very pleased that I wasn't concentrating or I'd have missed them altogether!
It was great to be out with camera today while dear hubby did some major cleaning up after the demolition work over the last 2 days! And here is a shot of part of my new workspace, messed with in PS, this is where the light switch will be!

310/365 Tea & sympathy

2009-11-06T20:24:00.006Z

I escaped the mess and mayhem for an hour this afternoon. RK invited me round for a nice cup of tea in her warm clean house before we went up to school to collect our children. The prospect of tea and a listening ear was very welcome, but then a huge box of Thornton's chocolates appeared - bonus!! RK is a very good friend :0) Thanks!

Progress update: The internal walls are now rearranged, the sparks came again to wire the kitchen lights and sockets, the plasterer is booked for Mon-Weds. Oh, by the way, you can look at the dust, but please don't write in it! ;0)

309/365 Communicate with me

2009-11-05T16:58:00.006Z

I like communicating with people, I email a lot, and I facebook some, I text, I make voice calls, but I rarely write a letter these days. I used to. I have pen friends in Australia, the USA and Canada I've been in touch with for decades, but we no longer write letters and post them. I like that I can keep a little in touch with a lot of people via the internet, but I do still like to write a long chatty letter once in a while, mainly to older relatives who aren't online! I like communicating via this blog too, family, friends and total strangers land here from all over the world - cool!

308/365 Jurys Inn

2009-11-04T22:38:00.004Z

And the verdict is... Derby's skyline has recently been spoilt by the Westfield Centre and this new hotel. There are some lovely old buildings in Derby, there are some less attractive ones as well, but this is something of a blot on the landscape, a thorn between two roses - Derby Cathedral and St Mary's Church.
(PC safely moved, but it won't talk to the internet, so I'm processing images on the PC as that's where all the software is, but blogging via the laptop, which will talk to the internet!)

307/365 No 7

2009-11-03T22:10:00.005Z

I visited my Mum today. She still lives in the house where I was born, No 7, and some years ago she had this ceramic plaque made for the front porch.
By the way, from tomorrow, for several days, although I will be taking a daily image, I may not be able to blog daily - while the builders knock about internal walls, my PC must be moved to safety! Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible, but not soon enough for my liking!! ;0)

306/365 Leaf

2009-11-02T13:28:00.004Z

The cheese plant needed a shower (the builders are in, the dust permeates!) and the autumn morning sunlight kissed it.

305/365 Leaf on window

2009-11-02T13:02:00.004Z

It was a wet and windy weekend. This leaf got stuck to the window. Jodie was running around in the garden despite the wind - she was all in pink, burning off some energy.

304/365 Ivy dressing

2009-11-01T01:34:00.005Z

I dressed a fake gravestone in ivy this afternoon. Its a prop for event photography - a Halloween Ball. I made it from a large slab of polystyrene insulation - there was a youtube video on how to do it! For examples of how cool it looked with various witches, vampires and assorted horror characters, click here to view the Halloween Ball gallery.

303/365 Alien Invasion VIII

2009-10-30T20:30:00.003Z

All wrapped up...

302/365 Hoola Hoop

2009-10-29T19:26:00.005Z

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

2009-10-28T22:26:00.005Z

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?

2009-10-27T23:14:00.003Z

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

2009-10-26T14:40:00.006Z

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

2009-10-25T22:15:00.002Z

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

2009-10-24T21:19:00.005+01:00

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

2009-10-23T22:50:00.009+01:00

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

2009-10-22T20:24:00.003+01:00

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...

2009-10-21T22:17:00.004+01:00

...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

2009-10-20T23:01:00.004+01:00

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

2009-10-19T18:11:00.003+01:00

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

2009-10-18T21:47:00.006+01:00

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

2009-10-17T21:06:00.004+01:00

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

2009-10-16T21:01:00.005+01:00

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

2009-10-15T14:25:00.004+01:00

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?

2009-10-14T19:54:00.003+01:00

No, we ate.

286/365 Bubbles?

2009-10-13T21:04:00.004+01:00

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

2009-10-12T22:56:00.005+01:00

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

2009-10-11T23:08:00.006+01:00

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

2009-10-10T18:35:00.004+01:00

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.

282/365 On reflection

2009-10-09T22:16:00.007+01:00

I revisited the found feathers today. I've acquired a sheet of black perspex, which opens up lots of possibilities.

281/365 Lilac landing

2009-10-08T20:30:00.005+01:00

My stairs and landing are painted lilac ( see 13/365 ) and the stairwell is often beautifully lit. Today the autumn sun shone and I captured the light and shadows of lilac; enhanced in PS.

280/365 Baaaa

2009-10-07T21:31:00.006+01:00

The 104th Annual Brailsford Ploughing Match took place at Grange Farm, Shottle, today. Shire horses and vintage Ferguson tractors pulled ploughs - I never knew ploughing was so competitive. There was also hedge-laying to be judged, plus livestock. It was very busy, plenty to see and photograph - hard choice for the blog again!
Collage necessary.

279/365 Love is... Autumn leaves

2009-10-06T21:52:00.006+01:00

Continuing the autumn theme here, I added a heart shaped leaf from a shrub that hasn't shed its leaves yet to this arrangement. In thinking of a title I was reminded of a cartoon my late Dad liked years ago in the Daily Mail called "Love is..." created by New Zealand artist Kim Grove in the late 1960s. (See here for more details.) Whenever I see a Love is... cartoon I always think of my Dad.

278/365 Room for a small one?

2009-10-05T23:25:00.004+01:00

I was astonished to discover a huddle of ladybirds this afternoon. We have a brown wheelie bin for compostable waste into which hydrangea prunings went on Sunday afternoon. Evidently at least a couple of dozen ladybirds were amongst the prunings and were all over the lid when I opened it to add some cardboard! (The bright blue is the bin for plastic & metal adjacent.)

277/365 Autumnal teabreak

2009-10-04T23:02:00.005+01:00

This morning was a glorious autumn morning with sunshine and blue skies, and a brisk trade at the cafe at Darley Park. Jodie had an ice cream and I had a cuppa. The sun was warm, the colours were bright, dogs barked at squirrels or at each other, bacon butties and freshly buttered toast were the order of the day over the Sunday papers. As usual we went to the butterfly garden and the swings.

276/365 Jodie

2009-10-03T21:23:00.004+01:00

Jodie didn't want me to photograph her face, just body parts, she said, thrusting her elbow at me! Luckily, I was focusing on her eyes! ;0)

275/365 Love conkers all

2009-10-02T21:19:00.006+01:00

Autumn is one of my two favourite seasons, I love it for the richness of colours and textures. And for collecting conkers just fallen from the tree.

274/365 Quad meets Wheel II: Reflections & Illuminations

2009-10-01T23:20:00.009+01:00

The Wheel is illuminated at night and creates amazing reflections in the QUAD building. I had a chance to put my new tripod & cable release through their paces tonight and try out some long exposures in the Market Place. I've always wanted to do this!! Got some great shots, but it was very cold!

273/365 Birds of a feather

2009-09-30T19:12:00.003+01:00

Two found feathers. One is from a fancy hen, not sure about the other. Fine and soft as silk, markings crisp and rich. Fabulous.

272/365 Arcade

2009-09-29T20:38:00.007+01:00

Looking through the entrance to the old Market Hall towards the Market Place. And from the Assembly Rooms past QUAD towards Morledge.

271/365 Door handle

2009-09-28T18:13:00.004+01:00

We live in a 1930s house and we love the period details. We recently found the door handle that fits on the french door. See 39/365 for part of the original stained glass front door.

270/365 He loves me... he loves me not...

2009-09-27T18:34:00.009+01:00

When I re-arranged the flowers from 265/365 some petals fell and took me straight back to seemingly endless long hot summers of childhood when I remember sitting with my best friend pulling petals off a daisy, he loves me, he loves me not...

So that was the inspiration for today's blog shot.

269/365 Nerine

2009-09-26T22:42:00.005+01:00

These beautiful flowers are growing in a nearby garden. Jodie and I pass it when we walk to and from school. The other day the afternoon sun was catching the blooms but I couldn't go home for my camera without being late for Jodie,
and by the time we'd come home, the light had changed, so this afternoon (with permission of course) I spent some time on the owners' front lawn!

268/365 Where to?

2009-09-25T21:18:00.006+01:00

This cuddly guy has gone to live at my daughter's school, but don't worry - I made him move over so I could drive ;0)

267/365 Thistle seed head

2009-09-24T20:52:00.005+01:00

I caught this thistle seed head on the way back from running an errand this morning. Between breezes I caught a few good shots.
(On the home straight now - less than 100 days to go!)

266/365 So long and thanks for all the fish

2009-09-23T15:01:00.004+01:00

I stepped down as Treasurer of a local charity at last night's AGM and was presented with a beautiful bouquet. I love gerberas, the bouquet is in autumn shades of yellows and oranges, beautiful. As my fellow officers and I step away we leave the charity in very capable hands after over 3 years in office. (For those who are not fans, the title refers to a book by Douglas Adams, the fifth in "The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" series.)