Bee's 2010 Photo Challenge

New blog

2011-01-03T22:26:00.001+02:00

http://beesgratitudeblog2011.blogspot.com/Now that I have completed a whole year of photos I am starting a new blog called my Gratitude Blog. This year I'm going to focus on something for which I am grateful every day. You will find a link to my 2011 blog on the right of this blog.

Friday 31 December 2010 - Endings and new beginnings

2010-12-31T16:29:00.000+02:00

I started this blog on 1 January 2010 with a photo of my husband lying in this hammock. Today I end the challenge with a photo of our grandson, Nicholas enjoying the same comfortable hammock. Nicholas was born on 27 January this year and he is a major blessing. It's been a wonderful year with many exciting events - our trip to East Africa, our eldest daughter's visit in November and visits with our children and two grandsons being other highlights. I have learned a little bit about photography, I've realized what a wonderful Creator we have, I've learned to appreciate nature in a new way through the lens of my camera. It's been an awesome year and I thank my friends on Facebook for their encouragement and guidance as we've completed this challenge together. Wow! What a year. I wish all my family and friends blessings upon blessings in 2011. This will be the last entry into this blog as I'll have to start a new one for 2011.

Thursday 30 December 2010 - Deadlines

2010-12-31T16:13:00.001+02:00

Today I was quite late getting my picture. I went outside after 6pm searching for a subject. I was standing in front of the Abelia bush when I spied this frantic little bee searching for nectar so late in the day - he also had to make the deadline. Together we met the deadline.

Wednesday 29 December 2010 - Raindrops

2010-12-29T18:07:00.000+02:00

I love these blue agapanthus flowers. We have a few in bloom at the moment. Today has been drizzling with rain all day. I took this photo of some of the raindrops on the flowers.

Tuesday 28 December 2010 - Finished!

2010-12-29T17:50:00.001+02:00

Here is the completed jigsaw. Mark and I finished it today. Very satisfying....

Monday 27 December 2010 - Final Day

2010-12-29T17:31:00.000+02:00

Our last day at Doodsklip. This by the way is the rock from which the place gets its name. I played with the camera whilst Mark was tying everything back onto the roof of the Jeep for the trip home....

Sunday 26 December 2010 - Mountain Biking

2010-12-29T17:14:00.000+02:00

Today was bike riding. The rain let up enough for us to get out onto the road. This is a view from the top of a long hill that we pushed the bikes up. You can see the road snaking away in the distance round the mountain. Of course it was great fun free wheeling down the other side...

Scenery in Baviaanskloof is breathtaking and of course it's unspoiled. There is so much variety. The reserve has seven of South Africa's nine biomes. A truly beautiful place.

Saturday 25 December 2010 - Christmas Lunch

2010-12-29T15:13:00.000+02:00

We had a very simple Christmas lunch in our "dining room" under a huge fig reminiscent of the Magic Faraway Tree. It rained all day but thanks to Mark's great tarpaulin skillfully hung from the tree we were able to remain warm and dry. We spent most of the day reading and chatting. We had the whole campsite to ourselves so it was truly "peace on Earth".

Friday 24 December 2010 - Baviaanskloof

2010-12-29T15:04:00.000+02:00

We are spending the Christmas weekend at a campsite in the Baviaanskloof wilderness area - far from the madding crowd. Mark and I had the campsite to ourselves. This is a view of the mountains from the plateau on the way to our site. The flowers in the foreground are pincushion proteas.

Thursday 23 December 2010 - Jigsaw Puzzle

2010-12-29T14:54:00.000+02:00

Holidays mean time to do jigsaw puzzles. This is the one on the go at the moment - very difficult but absorbing. We are getting help from a couple of nieces.

Wednesday 22 December 2010 - Storm Lily

2010-12-29T14:45:00.000+02:00

This is a storm lily. There are many of them popping up in my garden. I really hope we will have a storm - and lots of rain!

Tuesday 21 December 2010 - Leaf me

2010-12-21T20:29:00.000+02:00

A macro of a leaf today. I held the leaf against the sun. I love the ragged outline of the leaf against the sunlight behind it.

Monday 20 December 2010 - Dandelion

2010-12-21T20:23:00.000+02:00

A photo of a dandelion growing in a hidden corner of the garden. Life is fragile - just like the dandelion - and so we need to handle it with care and prayer.

Sunday 19 December 2010 - Gazania

2010-12-21T20:19:00.000+02:00

I love gazanias. I particularly like these bright orange ones that are flowering in my garden at that moment. I sat around for ages hoping an insect would visit these blooms but no luck today.

Saturday 18 December 2010 - Butterfly

2010-12-21T20:14:00.001+02:00

This is one of the few photos of butterflies I have been able to take. This one settled on the lavender bush and stayed there long enough for me to take a photo. He was enjoying a spot of aromatherapy early in the morning.

Friday 17 December 2010 - Two Electric Blue Insects

2010-12-17T10:11:00.000+02:00

You'd think that with all those daisies on the bush he'd find his own flower to land on.....

Thursday 16 December 2010 - Temptation

2010-12-16T13:40:00.000+02:00

This morning we went to the shops early to stock up with anything we might need until the Christmas rush is over. We bought a couple of packets of festive chocolates at the same time. Of course as soon as we came home these chocolates started calling us from the cupboard. Save us from temptation.....

Wednesday 15 December 2010 - Electric blue bug

2010-12-16T13:29:00.000+02:00

It was quite late when I went out into the garden yesterday and at first I battled to find a subject to photograph. I found this beautiful electric blue insect on the daisy bush. I struggled to get the light right - I had to change the ISO to 800. I'm still struggling with getting the settings right on my camera.

Tuesday 14 December 2010 - Puzzle

2010-12-16T13:15:00.001+02:00

Today Mark had to leave me at the cottage whilst he went off to a site meeting about two hours away. The weather was rainy all day so I had the luxury of staying warm and cosy in the cottage and enjoying the absolute peace. Mark has been working on this puzzle and I spent most of the day adding to it. Sadly we had to break it up later in the day before we left for home but it was fun whilst it lasted.

Monday 13 December 2010 - Hoggies Cottage

2010-12-16T13:14:00.000+02:00

We visited this site in an area called the Edge at Hogsback. Beyond this Labyrinth there is a cliff which drops to the plain below - hence the name, the Edge. This Labyrinth is designed along the lines of the famous labyrinth at Chartres in France. It's similar to the one at Botha's Hill in KwaZulu Natal. I prayer walked this labyrinth today. A total of 1.4km to walk to the centre and out again.

Sunday 12 December 2010 - Hogsback Arboretum

2010-12-16T13:05:00.000+02:00

We are spending three nights in Hogsback at our friends cottage. Hoggies is a unique little community high above the town of Alice. It's like a little bit of the KZN Midlands Meander in the middle of the Eastern Cape. Today we visited an area called the Arboretum. It's a forested area with a waterfall called the 39 Steps Falls. Trees from all over the world have been planted here. It's a really attractive park-like area where one can walk, enjoy nature, have a picnic and just chill out. This is a shot of the lower part of the falls.

Saturday 11 December 2010 _ Christmas with Grampa

2010-12-16T12:48:00.000+02:00

Today we were invited to lunch at my Dad's home for Alzheimer's sufferers. It's called Heartfelt, a wonderful place of love and caring. Here are some of the staff setting up the tables for the dinner. In fact this is the only formal Christmas dinner we will have this year. Mark and I are going to be alone this year and we're taking the opportunity to go camping. Thank you Hearfelt for a wonderful day.

Friday 10 December 2010 - City Lights

2010-12-16T12:31:00.000+02:00

Today was the last day of our school year. A whole five week summer break ahead of us. Yay!

We were invited to friends for drinks and snacks in the evening. Their home is on one of the best sites in the whole of PE with magnificent 180 degree views of the city. This is a shot of the city lights. The foreground is in the suburb so not so many lights. It was a relaxing and convivial evening with friends.

Thursday 9 December 2010 - Flax Flowers

2010-12-16T12:23:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I drove from Qumbu to Gonubie where I spent the night with my dear friend Claire - we've been friends since primary school. I then got up at 5am and drove south to Port Elizabeth, arriving at school at 8:30am.

At home I looked for a photo topic in the garden and was amazed to find this flax (pink and green leaved plant) with an orange and yellow spray of flowers growing from it. It seems incongruous somehow. The pink flower back left is a pelargonium that is very prolific in my garden. I never even knew that Flax got flowers .... I live and learn.

Wednesday 8 December 2010 - Wall Feature

2010-12-16T12:12:00.000+02:00

I always marvel at how creative people can be. This attractive wall feature is so simply created using a trellis and planting diplodenia to creep up it. This is at the entrance to my guesthouse in Mthatha. So pretty but simple.

Tuesday 7 December 2010 - Mthatha traffic

2010-12-16T12:09:00.000+02:00

Mthatha is a hub town in the Eastern Cape. The main N2 highway passes through it on the main street and it's a commercial centre for a vast rural area. The result is constant traffic chaos and absolutely no respect for traffic laws. There are plenty of police around but they seem incapable of controlling the drivers - especially at intersections where the local sport seems to be to create a gridlock. One just have to keep one's sense of humour and be patient. Road rage is definitely not an option in this situation.

Monday 6 December 2010 - Training Venue

2010-12-16T12:03:00.000+02:00

This is a view of the training venue and a few of the teachers hard at work. The computers were not networked and there was no Internet of course but we managed to get through the three days of intense work. It was a real privilege meeting people from a small town I've only previously driven through. Their enthusiasm and friendliness made me feel welcome.

Sunday 5 December 2010 - Off to Mthatha

2010-12-16T11:55:00.000+02:00

I spent a large chunk of today on the road and only arrived at my guest house late in the afternoon. This is the view from the front verandah of my unit. I'm here to do Intel Elements training in Qumbu for three days. It's quite an adventure driving for six and a half hours on my own and staying in a strange place. I'm looking forward to the training and meeting the teachers in Qumbu.

Saturday 4 December 2010 Yellow_ladybird

2010-12-04T19:04:00.000+02:00

After an afternoon nap I woke to cloudy skies and wind. I thought I was too late to find any insects in the garden. I actually found a few - aphids on the roses, a spider and this little yellow ladybird. Very cute. He was the one who came out the clearest on macro.

Friday 3 December 2010 - At Home

2010-12-04T19:00:00.000+02:00

Friday night at home. The end of the week, time to relax. We bought take-aways and settled down to watch Notting Hill on TV. So relaxed....

Thursday 2 December 2010 - The Medicine

2010-12-02T16:40:00.000+02:00

Well here it is. The drugs are from the doctor and the chocs are from a friend in our cell group. Yum. One for you - one for me; two for you - one, two for me; three for you - one, two, three for you.... That's how it's done. :-)

Wednesday 1 November 2010 - Awards Morning

2010-12-02T16:24:00.000+02:00

Today our grade 3 class graduates. Unfortunately our school only goes up to grade 3 so they have to move on to other schools. Here is our principal delivering her last Principal's Report. She retires at the end of term after 14 years at the school.

Tuesday 30 November 2010 - Fragrant Red

2010-12-02T16:21:00.000+02:00

My beautiful red rose is in bloom again - actually there are a number of blooms. The rose has such a gorgeous scent and always looks so velvety and luxurious. Amazing flowers, roses.

Monday 29 November 2010 - Dirty old fly

2010-12-02T16:16:00.000+02:00

The garden is very dry at the moment and all the lovely flowers are fading. I managed to capture this dirty old fly settled on a dirty old daisy. We do need rain.....

Sunday 28 November 2010 - Solitary Beacon

2010-11-28T20:35:00.000+02:00

Today was our monthly hike - a group of us from church do a hike on the last Sunday of the month. Our hike was in the Cape Recife area - the southernmost tip of the greater Port Elizabeth area. It's a marine reserve and there's so much to see. We had a great walk even though it was windy and raining at times.

We passed this beacon on the beach. I don't usually like putting the subject of my photos in the centre but with the fanned out cloud formation there was no other way with this one. The beacon stands as a lonely sentinel.....

Saturday 27 November 2010 - Mom and Baby

2010-11-27T21:56:00.000+02:00

This mom and baby were stepping out in the Harpoor Dam area of Addo Elephant Park today. He is still quite young because he doesn't yet have control of his trunk - it just sort of flops about. He was really cute and really serious about walking off with Mum.

Friday 26 November 2010 - Night_shot

2010-11-27T21:48:00.000+02:00

Another day when I got to the end of it and still didn't have a photo. Time to try out my night setting on my camera. This was taken at 7:38pm - just before the the last light of the day disappeared. Drama and shadows.

Thursday 25 November 2010 - Stick Thin

2010-11-27T21:39:00.000+02:00

My latest macro attempt. I enjoyed shooting this little guy. I have to go and sit down the side of the house on my little green stool and wait for something to come along. Today this chap posed beautifully for me. I really need to get this macro thing taped.

Wednesday 24 November 2010 - Busy Bee with Big Eyes

2010-11-24T18:55:00.000+02:00

I continue to try to improve my macro shots. Today I stood near a tree with these fluffy flowers which is attracting bees. This little bee buzzed by and I managed to get this shot. Still now the perfect shot but I'll keep practicing......

Tuesday 23 November 2010 - Caterpillar Crunch

2010-11-23T18:29:00.000+02:00

Today whilst enjoying my usual walk around the garden I saw that something had been eating the nasturtiums. I started looking for the culprit and spied not one but a whole cluster of caterpillars munching away at the nasturtiums. Well I only hope they'll turn into beautiful butterflies.

Monday 22 November 2010 - In a Jam

2010-11-23T18:20:00.000+02:00

I put a pot of apricots and sugar on to simmer while I was watching an episode of "My Family" on TV. Inevitably I forgot to check on it and this was the result. Oh no!!! one big sticky mess. The jam turned out just fine but there is lots of it missing.....

Sunday 21 November 2010 - Offspring

2010-11-23T18:16:00.000+02:00

Here is the best looking bunch of children and grandchildren any parents could wish for and each of them is a really special person in our lives. Thank you Sam for giving us an opportunity to get together. Happy 35th birthday.

Saturday 20 November 2010 - Big surprise

2010-11-23T18:11:00.000+02:00

Our daughter, Sam is having a birthday lunch tomorrow. One of her greatest wishes was to have her whole family with her but unfortunately her Dad was going to be at a staff function. Well the function was canceled so he flew up to Durban to join us - as a big surprise to Sam. Here she is finding him at our gathering for the first time. Surprise!!!

Friday 19 November 2010 - Fruit Bowl

2010-11-23T18:01:00.001+02:00

I flew to Durban today and went to stay with brother Gav and his wife Jill. I suddenly realised I hadn't taken a photo all day. Jill placed this beautiful bowl of fruit in front of us at the end of supper and it became my photo topic of the day. Really delicious and healthy.

Thursday 18 November 2010 - Feather

2010-11-23T17:53:00.000+02:00

We have a lot of doves that visit our garden - sometimes after the wild bird seed and sometimes after the dog food. This feather was lying on the lawn. I wonder who lost it....

Wednesday 17 November 2010 - Creepy Creeper

2010-11-18T20:46:00.001+02:00

I was wandering around the garden looking for a suitable picture when I saw this section of the wall creeper. I'm always fascinated by the little suckers that stick the plant to the wall. They remind me of those little tree frogs and their little feet stuck to a wall or tree. Interesting plant.

Tuesday 16 November 2010 - Fiscal Shrike

2010-11-16T20:08:00.000+02:00

This shrike has been hanging around our back garden lately. He must be finding lots of insects around our parts to attract him. It will be interesting to watch his habits in the coming days.

Monday 15 November 2010 - Community Washing

2010-11-16T19:56:00.000+02:00

Our daughter, Sam and her two Kiwi friends Jo and Chris took the opportunity today to catch up on some laundry. I was amused at them all helping hang the washing on the windy drier. Great team work guys.

Sunday 14 November 2010 - Caged King

2010-11-14T19:38:00.000+02:00

I love seeing wild animals in the wild. We saw this poor beast in a lion park today. He looks in good condition and his surroundings aren't too bad but he's closed - he's not in the wild. He can't hunt for his own food. Tragic. I felt very sad to see him here. But he is a magnificent beast. Very regal...

Saturday 13 November 2010 - Love is in the air

2010-11-14T03:30:00.000+02:00

We visited Addo Elephant Park and took the usual photos of elephants, warthog and even a jackal. However I chose these loving tortoises as my shot of the day today. Love is definitely in the air....

Friday 12 November 2010 - Hello Sammi

2010-11-14T03:25:00.000+02:00

Our eldest daughter is visiting from the UK for a few days. We enjoyed sundowners at the beachfront this evening.

Thursday 11 November 2010 - White Agapanthus

2010-11-11T17:56:00.000+02:00

I call these plants Aggie's Panties. This white one has just opened in our garden. Pity the photo is a bit whited out but we get the idea.

Wednesday 10 November 2010 - Branching Out

2010-11-10T19:09:00.000+02:00

I love textures and contrasts. This picture took my fancy today. It's an oak tree in our garden and I love the fresh green shoot against the textures of the bark.

Tuesday 9 November 2010 - Plant Eater

2010-11-09T19:17:00.000+02:00

I spent a good half hour in the most overgrown corner of the garden searching for a subject for a macro shot. I found this little termite on a leaf with evidence of his activities in the background. Macros are getting better but still not perfect.

Monday 8 November 2010 - Gerbera

2010-11-09T19:13:00.000+02:00

This afternoon I took a tumble in the kitchen and fell rather hard. I spent the evening with my foot elevated and ice packs on the sore ankle. These beautiful potted gerberas cheered me up immensely. These are one of my favourite flowers.

Sunday 7 November 2010 - Begonias

2010-11-09T19:06:00.000+02:00

It's been a very busy day today. Gav and I went out to Heartfelt to visit Dad. I was struck by these beautiful begonias in a pot.

Saturday 6 November 2010 - Grasshopper

2010-11-06T16:29:00.000+02:00

This chap is saying, "I'm a grasshopper and hopping is what I do best. So take a shot quickly or I'll be gone in one giant leap!"
I went looking for the little spider again. He wasn't there but this guy was hanging out in the undergrowth. Thankfully he hung around long enough for me to get a few shots. I think I must visit that side of the house more often....

Friday 5 November 2010 - White Flower

2010-11-06T15:04:00.000+02:00

Today I went round the side of the house looking for my photo. I spied a tiny spider and really wanted to practice macros shots on him. Unfortunately his web was quite high and I had to point the camera up at him. This meant I couldn't get a good shot because he was silhouetted against the grey sky and the glare was too much.

Close by I spied this pretty white flower and so this became my subject for today. I love white blossoms.

Thursday 4 November 2010 - Our Piece of the Planet.

2010-11-06T14:57:00.000+02:00

Today I didn't have a photo. There just wasn't anything to inspire me. Late in the afternoon I sat at the garden table and just enjoyed the small garden at the back of our house. The grass is looking so green after the rain last week. Although we still have water restrictions in PE because of the drought we have had coastal showers, which fill our rain tanks but of course our dams aren't filling up in the catchment area.

Wednesday 3 November 2010 - White Spray

2010-11-06T14:49:00.000+02:00

I have this big bulbous plant in the garden. It's one that sometimes disappears and then comes up again every year. When I posted a photo of the plant earlier in the year Maggie said she thinks it will get a lovely white flower. Well this week the flower bloomed and Maggie's guess was correct. It's such a delicate and pretty flower. So unusual.

Tuesday 2 November 2010 - Mushroom Macro

2010-11-02T19:23:00.001+02:00

Monday 1 November 2010 - Bee Sting

2010-11-01T21:57:00.000+02:00

This bee seems to be saying, "Watch it, I have a sting and I know how to use it!" These two were amongst about a dozen early morning visitors to this flower.

Sunday 31 October 2010 - Prehistoric Camouflage

2010-11-01T21:50:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we went on a walk in a local nature reserve, a very beautiful place with lots of lovely indigenous flowers and lovely scenery. We passed this little chap sitting very still watching us walk past him. I love the colours on the rocks below him.

Saturday 30 October 2010 - Hairy buds

2010-11-01T21:43:00.000+02:00

Today I focused on taking macro shots. It's a challenge for me. I think I get camera shake as I touch the button. This one was about the most decent today. It's a cluster of buds on my pelargonium shrub - you can just see one of the pink flowers in the background. I love the hairy look.

Friday 29 October 2010 - Bee on a Daisy

2010-10-30T14:38:00.000+02:00

I just keep trying with the macros - but today the shadows are a problem. I will get it right one day. ...

Thursday 28 October 2010 - Falling Sky

2010-10-30T14:26:00.000+02:00

I didn't get to take my photo until late today. It's been a tough day and I was unmotivated. I went outside just before dusk and the sky was looking rather heavy. I was sure it was going to fall on our heads so I decided to take a photo before it fell on our heads in the form of rain.... So here it is. The photo doesn't do the dark clouds justice.

Wednesday 27 October 2010 - Crumbling Decay

2010-10-30T14:15:00.000+02:00

This photo is of a small section of our garden wall. The damp has crept in and loosened the plaster. I love this kind of texture photo.

Tuesday 26 October 2010 - Blooming Pink

2010-10-26T20:30:00.000+02:00

The recent rains have brought a profusion of blooms on this rose. This one is a particularly lovely specimen and as a friend said, "It looks like marshmallow". Gardens give one such simple pleasure.

Monday 25 October 2010 - Popped Poppies

2010-10-26T20:16:00.000+02:00

A few days ago I took a photo of two purple poppies "watching you". Today the pods are bare of petals and I have made them the subject of my photo. Interesting little things.....

Sunday 24 October 2010 - Coffee and Crumpets

2010-10-26T20:10:00.000+02:00

Today was cold and rainy so there was no sitting in the garden. However I did find a gardening magazine and sat down to enjoy reading it with my coffee and crumpets. Ah! A great way to spend a chilly afternoon.

Saturday 24 October 2010 - Pelargonium

2010-10-24T17:55:00.000+02:00

These pink pelargoniums just keep on making splashes of colour all over the garden. They're prolific and beautiful. Today I took this shot after the rain.

Friday 22 October 2010 - Cheers

2010-10-24T17:39:00.000+02:00

Today I just ran out of time and ideas for a photo - and so I decided to play around with Photobooth on my Macbook. This is the result. Purely in fun of course.....

Thursday 21 October 2010 - Poppy Eyes

2010-10-21T17:54:00.000+02:00

This is a photo of two poppies that opened in the garden this morning. These poppy-like flowers come up in our garden every year. They look like poppies but I'm not sure that's what they're called. I almost pulled the plant out because it looks a bit like a nettle. These two opened right next to each other. I couldn't resist the photo. They look like a pair of eyes.

Wednesday 20 October 2010 - Before computers

2010-10-21T17:46:00.000+02:00

This is a typewriter I have "inherited" from an elderly friend who died recently. He was 92 and almost blind but he managed to keep touch typing letters for snail mail on this trusty machine. I'm going to put it in my computer lab as a museum piece. I'm sure the kids are going to love it.

Tuesday 19 October 2010 - Glorious Blue

2010-10-19T19:59:00.000+02:00

This afternoon my friend and I went to the beachfront for a walk. The sea was an amazing turquoise colour and the sky was a complementary blue. Unfortunately the chilly wind was blowing but that didn't deter two swimmers who appear as white specks in the middle of this picture. They took a swim out to some rocks. Brrr.

Monday 18 October 2010 - White Blossom

2010-10-19T19:44:00.000+02:00

These beautiful blooms are just opening on the creeper that covers our boundary wall. They are so pure and pretty and make a lovely contrast against the beautiful green leaves. This is the same creeper where the wagtails built their nest.

Sunday 17 October 2010 - Bug on a Jeep

2010-10-17T17:06:00.000+02:00

Ever since we bought our camera - a Canon PowerShot SX 20 - I have struggled with the macro facility. I struggled again this morning with this ugly bug sitting on my husband's car but the definition is not great. However, what makes it interesting is the reflection of my car in the surface of the Jeep. So the macro practice will have to continue at a later stage....

Saturday 16 October 2010 - Bee in a rose

2010-10-17T16:59:00.000+02:00

Believe it or not there is a bee in there somewhere. He was rolling in the pollen and generally having a great time. I took the photo mainly for the beautiful colour of the rose. It's a sort of muted, old-fashioned pink. It is in the garden at Heartfelt home where my Dad lives. It's always so refreshing to visit him and sit in the beautiful gardens, which are a source of refreshing for all. Thank you Helen and your staff for the blessing of such a beautiful facility for Alzheimer's patients.

Friday 15 October 2010 - Catching drops...

2010-10-17T16:46:00.000+02:00

Today I was watching drops of water fall from the gutter into this open barrel. I took numerous photos trying to catch a drop splashing up from the surface. This was the best I could get. It's a bit grainy and the drop is too far to the left. However it's all a learning curve.... I also wanted to note that we have had 62mm of rain this week. Fantastic.

Thursday 14 October 2010 - Bad Hair Day

2010-10-14T18:23:00.000+02:00

We've had 62mm of rain in the last 24 hours and the garden is looking a bit battered. I found this little dandelion lurking behind a rose bush. They're actually so beautiful when one looks up close.

Wednesday 13 October 2010 - Apple Muffins

2010-10-13T21:44:00.000+02:00

These delicious apple streudel muffins were the coffee time snack at cell group tonight. They are packed with chopped apple and the top is sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. They were served warm and fresh and were very yummy.

Tuesday 12 October 2010 - Lovely Lavender

2010-10-13T21:35:00.000+02:00

This beautiful lavender bush in our garden is looking particular good at the moment. I managed to catch the late afternoon sun lighting it up.

Monday 11 October 2010 - Nasturtium

2010-10-11T19:29:00.000+02:00

Today's photo is of a nasturtium. These flowers are growing in a sheltered corner of the garden, out of the wind. The famous PE wind is blowing so hard there's not much chance of taking a shot of anything else in the garden. These lovely flowers don't have the greatest scent but they're really pretty - and of course they have medicinal properties.

Sunday 10 October 2010 - Peer Coaches

2010-10-11T18:55:00.000+02:00

Today's photo was actually taken yesterday at my last session of Peer Coaching for the year. This is the group of wonderful teachers who have given up eight Saturdays to do professional development. It's been great getting to know them and being a part of facilitating their learning. Well done Gang!

Saturday 9 October 2010 - Flying Lessons

2010-10-11T18:44:00.000+02:00

Here is the man of the moment, Jaws the firstborn. This morning the parents were teaching the babies to fly. Jaws was first out of the nest. His parents fluttered around him for a while as he tried out his wings. He then took off and perched on the roof of the garage where he was able to survey the big wide world.

Friday 8 October 2010 - Hello Reuben

2010-10-11T17:58:00.000+02:00

Reuben is a Kenyan missionary who visited with us last week. Mark visited him in Kenya two years ago and it was great for me to meet this lovely gentle man in person. Safe journey home Reuben.

Thursday 7 October 2010 - Fire in the Sky

2010-10-10T19:39:00.000+02:00

Unfortunately this picture is spoilt by all the wires crossing it but the sky was so dramatically afire tonight. I love the pink and purple splashes.

Wednesday 6 October 2010 - Getting too big

2010-10-10T19:34:00.001+02:00

The wagtail babies are growing and crowding the nest. We're sure it's time for flying lessons - and we're hoping they happen before the leaves on the creeper cover the nest completely. The parents of course are working really hard to keep the babies fed. Such hard work.

Tuesday 5 October - Strelizia Shrub

2010-10-05T19:13:00.001+02:00

There wasn't much to photograph today. I left it very late and the weather is windy and chilly. I took this from the front porch late this afternoon. It's one of those days......

Monday 4 October - Enough of Cameras!

2010-10-05T17:38:00.001+02:00

Nicholas had become fed up with all the photos his Gran was taking. He suddenly turned around and told me off. He's just so cute and so expressive. We enjoyed his visit and now that he's gone home the place is rather quiet. I couldn't resist this little face.

3 October 2010 - Beach Girl

2010-10-03T18:03:00.000+02:00

This is the second time I've posted a photo of a specimen from this rose bush. It's called Beach Girl and it has the most gorgeous scent. This is one of the first blooms of the new season and it's really a beautiful one.

Saturday 2 October - Lioness

2010-10-02T19:42:00.000+02:00

Today we went to Addo Elephant Park on our way home from visiting Dad. It was a heavily overcast day and we'd almost given up seeing something exciting when we came across a pride of lions sleeping soundly just near the road. Further down the road we came across another group of two lions and a lioness. This is the lioness. She was about 15m from our car. Note the spots.

Friday 1 October - Boy in a Bubble

2010-10-01T19:47:00.000+02:00

Today we went for a walk on the beachfront and then went across to the Boardwalk to for coffee. Whilst we were there we watched this boy having great fun trying to stand up in and air bubble on the lake. The name of the restaurant behind him, 34 degrees South refers to the line of latitude for Port Elizabeth.

Thursday 30 September - Child's Play

2010-09-30T20:21:00.000+02:00

Today I took my camera and a rug outside hoping to find and insect or a flower to photograph. I promptly fell asleep on the rug and didn't get around to taking a photo - although I do have loads of video on Nicholas. So here is the evidence of Nich's playtime.

29 September 2010 - Cape Town

2010-09-29T20:40:00.000+02:00

This is a view of the mountain above Rhodes Avenue in Cape Town. We were leaving the city to return home this morning and were just amazed at the clarity of the sky and the mountains. Cape Town is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I so enjoyed being there.

Tuesday 28 September - Fishoek beach at Twilight

2010-09-29T20:34:00.000+02:00

We went down to Fishoek beach after the conference to just enjoy some fresh sea air after spending most of the day in computer labs. I really enjoy the hues of the mountains in the distance. I know why my friend Gwen loves the beach so much.

Monday 28 September - Whale waving

2010-09-28T06:36:00.000+02:00

I went down to Fishoek beach early this morning to meet up with friend Gwen. We've been sharing our daily photos on Facebook and now had the chance to meet. There was a whale in the bay and we had a lovely time trying to get a shot of him, hoping he would breach. This didn't happen whilst I was there but he did give a couple of waves.

Sunday 26 September - blossoms

2010-09-28T06:26:00.000+02:00

Today's photo was actually taken yesterday evening at a farmstall near Somerset West. There was a row of these fruit trees in bloom. I'm not sure which fruit - peaches or plums? I couldn't resist getting a shot of the pretty pink against the blue sky.

Saturday 25 September - Steenbras Dam

2010-09-26T06:13:00.000+02:00

This is a view of the dam as seen from the national road into Cape Town. The weather had cleared and the sun came out. It's such a peaceful scene.

Friday 24 September - Go Away!

2010-09-26T06:01:00.000+02:00

Today I set up my camera at the bathroom window and took some photos as the parents came and went from the nest with meals for Fang and Jaws. At one stage this parent looked straight at me with this menacing look as if to say, "Take your camera and get away from us!"