273/365+1 : Stripes

This is Andy checking out his new place of work. I'm looking forward to the end of the  4.45am alarm calls and he is looking forward to a 20 minute commute to work - so we are all happy!!

Lots of stripes on the wooden classing and metal whateveritis over the door.

272/365+1 : Bridge

One of my favourite beaches is Lossiemouth West beach - and this is the 100 year old wooden bridge you have to walk across to get there.

Skywatch Friday

A shot to remind me of my Summer holidays - on Croyde Beach in North Devon.

See more skies from around the world here.

271/365+1 : Haphazard

This is just one small part of my craft room - and this ironing basket full of bits a pieces is my haphazard attempt of tidying up!! My theory was to put all the stuff which didn't have a proper home into the basket - then tidy what was left - then I could find homes for all the items in the basket. That was the theory. The reality is that the basket of items is still sitting on the floor and the rest of the room hasn't been tidied. On the plus side I am finally getting rid of some of the magazines I have hoarded over the years - all crafting, cooking, gardening and photography ones. But I have to have a flick through each one before I assign then to the recycling box - so it might be quite a long job...........

270/365+1 : Muted

We are now almost at the end of September and I love the muted Autumnal colours.

I have been having a tidy up in my craft room and unearthing some goodies - I found a couple of gorgeous balls of wool (probably bought to knit another scarf or something) - aren't the colours gorgeous?

I also found some not too nice wool - remember that odd fluffy wool that everyone was making into scarfs a couple of years ago. I seem to have quite a few balls in a range of colours but I can't see me using it - wonder who I can palm it off on to!!

269/365+1 : Vivid

Here is a photo of my current knitting project - another scarf in a vivid blue colour.

Here are a set of photos Andy sent me from work today showing vivid illustrations of the storms we have been experiencing today.

this is Union Street the main shopping street in the city centre.

And this is out on the coat - the houses and cars covered in foam off the sea made me laugh - but I don't suppose for the poor people affected it is much fun!!

268/365+1 : Favourite Colours

At the moment it is teal and green. These a re 2 cheap glass pendants I bought in tesco a while back - I love the colours.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I am about three quarters of the way through Alfie:My Story by Alfie Boe - what a lovely chap.

But for a complete change of pace I have started reading 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross. I first heard of this author when he did a collaboration with James Patterson. I have all but given up on James Patterson books now - he has gone downhill in my opinion. The storyline for 15 Seconds is a bit far fetched but it is a page turning thriller and so far so good.

'A total white knuckle stay-up-all-night thrill ride, (Harlan Coben) from the bestselling author of Reckless and Killing Hour. Fifteen seconds can tear a life apart. OUT OF TOWN Dr Henry Steadman has it all: a booming business, a daughter he loves, and plenty of time to enjoy life. But while visiting upstate Florida, a police-stop ends in the shooting of a local cop - with Henry as the prime suspect. OUT OF LUCK Framed for a second murder, this time of a close friend, Henry goes on the run. His only lifeline is state-trooper Carrie Holmes, no stranger to tragedy herself, who can help prove his innocence. But they are in a dead-end - the police are closing in, the killer is getting away. OUT OF TIME This is not just a set-up, it,s far more personal. Henry,s nightmare is complete when his daughter is kidnapped. Suddenly, survival is not enough: he must save his daughter. Everything has been taken away from him - but now, Henry has nothing left to lose...

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

267/365+1 : On Your Desk

I have to admit my desk isn't usually this tidy - but my computer screen has been playing up (flashing on and off for 10 minutes before it warms up and stays on) so I had to clear some of the clutter off it so Andy could have a look. But it is terminal and a new screen is required :-(

I thought I would make the most of some clear space on my desk and actually do some crafting. I dug out some very old papers and a couple of photos from last summer to have a go at Shimelle's latest Starting Point Challenge. It is finished and I will pop back tomorrow to show you the result.

266/365+1 : A Random Item

This is all that is left of one of my cabbages in my garden :-( Not sure what has eaten it all - but it certainly wasn't me. Very random!!

Photo Scavenger Hunt Final check in

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Rinda's photo scavenger hunt - it added an extra dimension to our summer holidays with the whole family participating and helping me find item to photograph.

I have a few favourite but have managed to narrow it down to just two - both taken at The Eden Project when we visited Devon and Cornwall in the summer.

Item 19 was an outdoor stair way and I loved these rustic stone steps and wooden handrails:

Number 10 was a horse and isn't this wooden horse I spotted in a dispay case just too sweet - and quirky:

If Rinda runs this again next year I will certainly be playing along again - hopefully it will be with a new all singing and all dancing camera!!

And spotted this morning is Rinda's other substitute item - a 4 leaf clover. There is on one my new car which I must have seen everyday for a week - but only noticied it's significance this morning!

265/365+1 : Fruit

The boys are on an orange frenzy at the moment and are getting through a bag a day! But none of your ordinary oranges for these two - their orange of choice has to be a Tesco Finest one - only the best for my boys!!

264/365+1 : Backlit

I now ts is candlelit rather than backlit - but we had a birthday boy in the house yesterday.

Skywatch Friday

Lossiemouth :-)

See more skies from around the world here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

I couldn't get my photograph of number 16 - a bride. Well, I could have done if I could have been been bothered to go into town to see a work colleague come out of church last month. But it was a gorgeous sunny day and we had visitors so we went out and about - and I'm a right ba humbug and think a wedding is a waste of a good Saturday.

So I opted for one of Rinda's substitutions - a heart shaped stone. I walked along Findhorn beach with my mother in law and both of us had our heads down as we looked for the above mentioned heart shaped stone. And this is what we found -

Now Findhorn has lots of stone - you have to walk across an expanse of them to get to the sand. Sue and I both picked up lots of pretty stones. Hers were for her garden and I was only after smooth white one for some unknown reason. then we decided to do this -

I turned this photo into an anniversary card for Andy at the beginning of the month as something  a bit different.

263/365+1 : Negative Space

When I scrapbook I like to leave plenty of white space on my pages and in my photography I have learnt that this is called negative space.

A recent shot of Findhorn Bay with lots of negative space.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Number 3 was a border.

A dry stone wall at The Eden Project.

Keep out sign at a nearby building site.

And a lovely old wooden fence along the path leading down to Croyde beach.

Number 6 was a historic landmark. Here is the commemorative stone for Offa's Dyke. I come from Knighton (Tref-y-clawdd meaning town on the dyke) as there is a well preserved section of the dyke nearby. 

Number 9 was a fountain.

The nearest fountain to where I live is in the middle of Elgin. I did notice the other day it has been emptied off all water and actually looks rather scummy - but on the plus side no chance of getting wet as the wind always blows the water over the pedestrians!

The small fountain in grant park in Forres.

An elaborate fountain at Benmore Botanic Gardens near Loch Lomond.

Number 12 was a maze. Not obvious but Sam is walking through a bamboo maze at The Eden Project.

Number 13 was my second home - my local library.

Number 20 was a swing hanging from a tree. here is the one by the Linky just behind our house - and Callum decided to test it out - all in the name of photography!!

I have one more prompt to blog later in the week - but pop over and see Rinda to see how everyone else has got on over the Summer. 

  1. A pier
2. A clothesline
3. A border
4. A roadside stand selling something
5. A train
6. A historical landmark
7. A person playing a musical instrument
8. A person dressed as an angel or a statue of an angel

9. A fountain

10. A horse

11. A shadow

12. A maze, labyrinth, or trail.

13. A library

14. A person playing with a ball.

15. Someone dancing.

16. A bride.

17. A church, chapel, cathedral, mosque or temple.

18. A movie poster

19. An outdoor stairway

20. A swing hanging from a tree (or a hammock)
21. A picture of you standing with something that symbolizes your nation.

262/365+1 : Bug

We have a few larger than life spiders in the house at the moment but haven't been fast enough to catch them - and I think one is living in my craft room as I type! One did meet a grizzly end after I lamost trod on him with bare feet in the kitchen one morning - I carefully placed a newspaper over the top of him - and then did a tap dance!!

Fortunately this is a plastic one that I keep finding round the house - I'm sure Callum believes I will be fooled!!

261/365+1 : Ground Level

This evening I had a visit to the dentist for a small filling. When I got there I was told the dentist was running over 20 minutes late - good job I had taken my book with me. But the wait gave me chance to take a ground level photo in the waiting room - good job it was empty!!

I had to have two lots of anesthetic as I could still feel the drilling so I had a numb mouth till half past ten at night - I can tell you eating my hot buttered crumpets and drinking a cuppa was a tad difficult!!

259/365+1 : Tree

Today we re visit our tree. Mine is a sapling we planted in the back garden. It has definately grown and is now a few feet taller than the fence. Afraid he doesn't look his best as it was a dull day yesterday - I did try taking photos on Saturday but it was so windy (and the tree so spindly) they were all a bit rubbish.

Growing tall.

And plenty of leaves.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I don't normally read 2 books at the same time - I get easily confused with plots and characters. That is unless they are 2 totally different books.

So today I am reading Before She Was Mine by Kate Long. I don't think I have ever read anything by this author before and it did take me a little while to get into it - but the characters are very well written and I have no idea which direction the storyline is going to take me.

Freya is torn between her two mothers. Liv, her adoptive mother who nurtured and raised her, is earthy, no-nonsense. The total opposite to Melody: with her vibrant, explosive personality and extensive, brightly coloured wardrobe, Freya's birth mother is still apt to find herself thrown out of Top Shop for bad behaviour. Hard as it has been for Freya to try to reconcile her two families, it has been harder for her mothers. Proud of her mature and sensible adoptive daughter, Liv fears Melody's restless influence. Meanwhile, forced to give up her baby when she was just a teenager herself, Melody now craves Freya's love and acceptance - but only really knows how to have fun. Then tragedy strikes, and the bonds of love that tie these three women together will be tested to the max. Can they finally let go of the past, and pull together in order to withstand the toughest challenge life could throw them?

I am alos reading something completely different to I don't get muddled up - Alfie:My Story by Alfie Boe. I have seen Alfie interviewed on the TV several times now and he always comes across and a really lovely chap - and I wanted to find out more about him.

From car mechanic to internationally loved opera, musical and recording star: the story of Alfie Boe...Alfie Boe is the first official bad boy of opera: a musical superstar celebrated not only in Britain, but worldwide. This is the story of his life - the ups and the downs, from finding fame to losing his father - and, essentially, of his love affair with music. Raised in Lancashire, the youngest of nine children and with a father who played opera at home, Alfie's story is not typical of most musical stars. His dreams of singing were only ever going to be dreams until fate intervened in the form of a stranger: he was training as a car mechanic when a customer overheard him singing and told him about a London audition. Alfie tried out, got the part and has never since looked back. This is the tale of how Alfie went from car mechanic to the UK's most popular and well-known opera star, lauded by Baz Luhrman, Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Parkinson as the best tenor we've produced in a generation. Now, for the first time, he has granted his millions of fans an intimate glimpse into the life of the man they adore.

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

260/365+1 : Leaves

Loved today's prompt - just a shame I went out without my camera!

These are some tiny Penstemon plants that I got free from Gardener's World - they were plug plants that arrived through the post so I have to look after them and grown the on and fingers crossed they will eventually get to a size where they can go out into the garden.

Callum had rugby training up at Gordonstoun School this morning - I didn't take my camera as it was raining when we left but it soon brightened up - had to use the camera on my phone for some more leaf inspired photos.

 Here is the tree lined avenue up to the school.

A fallen leaf on the grass.

One of the old dormitory buildings.

The view across the fields.

A not very timid rabbit.

And the teams in action.