Clematis -(Cee’s flower of the day)

At last, a flower growing in my own garden that I was able to photograph for Cee’s flower of the day challenge!

Don’t have many flowers in our garden sadly, lots of greenery but not a lot else. Anyway this time last year I planted a clematis to grow over a little pergola, so this year it has it’s first blooms – well, two so far. So when the word Clematis popped up on Cee’s flower of the day and even better the sun wash shining I popped outside with my macro lens and captured this…

Just so happens that we have another Clematis which grows over our garage roof from our neighbour’s garden. It has a proliferation of bloom and I just wish it was in a position for me to look out at rather than being at the ‘wrong side’ of the house. Anyway, about a month ago it was in bloom and I rather liked this one – again a blue sky is the backdrop but  don’t be fooled 😉 We are enjoying a rare settled spell of warmth and sunshine here in Northern Ireland (we call it “exam weather”), sadly we will be back to more normal NI weather tomorrow, normal service resumes! Thank you Cee, for making Clematis your flower of the day today whilst the sun is shining and I have one single flower in bloom!

That Tree, always in Black and White…

Part of Cee’s B&W photo challenge  – Open Topic

I have photographed this tree at the Giant’s Ring Belfast a number of times, of course at different times of year and in differing lights, however, I have always turned it into varying B&W effects. Perhaps my first attempt was “the original and best” but I am posting a selection of them as it seems to me that this tree naturally tells me that it needs to be in B&W to do it justice and create the atmosphere. For that reason it seems to me to be the obvious choice for Cee’s B&W Challenge Open Topic this week.

needless to say the little boy and his pup make the photo for me

same tree, different angle

don’t know just decided to take this with the tree and the stones as background rather – was enjoying the meadow that they have allowed to grow up in recent years

the original

a different day, different light, like the sky

 

Cee’s oddball photo challenge: week 20

Saw this and thought of you….r photo challenge Cee!

Went venturing out one day in the hope of finding vultures on the ground to photograph and had stopped in area where we had spotted them on passing. Unfortunately just as we stopped to turn the car around a motorbike revved passed and they all took to the air thus my opportunity had passed. Nevertheless we got out of the car and had a wee walk around hoping they might reappear. They did not. However, I did find this loo perched neatly under a bush, completely undisturbed by the motorbike and passing photographers (me). My husband never understood why I photographed this but for some reason I did, and now I know why… it has it’s place in Cee’s oddball photo challenge

And whilst on the subject of facilities in odd places… I photographed this bathroom sink in the narrow streets of Castellar de la Frontera, Andalusia Spain

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Distance

I do like these photo challenges! This one is part of Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge – Distance  and it has inspired me to post two very contrasting images on that theme.

The first is “Rhianna’s Tree”… This tree (now sadly deceased) made the headlines here in Northern Ireland when the farmer, having previously rented his field to Rhianna for her to film her latest music video, discovered that she was ” was in more of a state of undress than a bikini top” in his field. When she appeared to be topless (she may indeed have just been wearing a bikini top unlike any one he had ever witnessed) he drew a close to proceedings and sent them packing, after telling Rhianna that she and her film crew should become acquainted with God.  The filming later appeared in Rihanna’a We Found Love video which went on to win the best video of the year award at the MTV VMAs.

Rihanna’s tree: This tree makes for a peaceful scene itself, however, when I stopped by the roadside to photograph it one day (with a long lens at it is quite some distance from the road) I was delighted to be able to pick up the little old tractor sneaking up into view, for me making the picture and wondering if it was “the farmer” who didn’t quite realise that his actions were about to give him his 15 minutes of fame. I love the simplicity of this photograph, there is no foreground distraction, nothing in the sky, just three simple attractions.

The second is a view of downtown Calgary, Alberta Canada taken from the Olympic Park Calgary, a distance of approx 15km.

Even though, like the photo of Rhianna’s tree, there is no distraction in the foreground, the greenery somehow does create that sense of perspective. Yes you would never guess that the City Centre is 15km away but it is. 

Huge, I hope you like my first venture into your world of blogging. I’m just in the early stages of blogging and trying to learn and build.

 

My Dog Blog: an introduction

I always intended that my experiences with shelter dogs, especially in Spain, will appear often in story form on my blog. Particularly when I spend time in Spain, I tend to be at the shelter every morning and later in the day I would post on Facebook what has touched me that day, along with some photos. These stories I would like now to collect in a more accessible place, hence they will become part of my blog. Occasionally my updates are sad, sometimes uplifting and some just funny experiences but whichever they are my wish is to raise awareness of animal welfare issues, especially in Spain (which for the record has the worst record of all European Countries for number of stray pets – official figures in the region of 8/900,000 abandoned every year – and this is likely to be an underestimate).

To find out how I, who until about 12 years ago was repelled by the concept of having a dog in the house, who never understood anyone giving to animal charities when there are so many people charities in need and who simply regarded dogs as ‘dirty nuisances’ have transformed into someone who now helps out in a Spanish dog shelter, can hardly pass a dog in the street without reaching out for a greeting, delights in being surrounded by dogs and is never more angry and upset when I see first hand the consequences of animal cruelty and neglect – then a couple of my previous blogs will go some way to explaining. Put simply, life changes that I had never envisaged and were never part of any plan for my own life happened and the person I am now and the things I like to do are the consequences of those changes. ( window and family are two earlier blogs which put some of changes into context )

 

My own two dogs Pepper and Polo – the source of much of my learning and my inspiration

Big Boots, Little Feet and something in-between

Part of Cee’s B&W photo challenge: Shoes or Feet (human or animals)

‘Big Boots’ – I was just about to return to the car after walking the dogs along the tow path of the River Lagan, Belfast when something caught my eye which didn’t quite make sense. Compelled to check it out, this is what I saw – it was so unexpected that it took me a moment to catch on that they of course were not floating as the appeared to be but were sitting on a jetty at the rivers edge and the water had lapped up around them.What made it so cool was that the water was completely still providing almost perfect reflection, that is until the kayaker who had left them there returned – only at that point did the whole scene make sense for me. Thankfully I had my camera with me and managed to snap a few.

‘Something in between’ – A quick foot inspection whilst the baby sleeps in her arms, love this picture.

‘Little Feet’ – these are the feet of baby Tequila, one of the day old pups we rescued with their mum from the roadside in Spain. The hand is that of the very caring vet giving her the once over and treating them for fleas. This was a fantastic, emotional, stressful and rewarding event in which to be involved. The five pups and their mum were given the best of care and I’m delighted to say that each of them has the most wonderful home in the UK. A huge team pulled together to ensure their safety and care but to be part of the rescue, care and homing of this family from start to finish is something of which I’m very proud.

A photo the like of which I have many. These feet are those of a larger puppy and represent many hundreds who have passed through the wonderful dog shelter where I help in Spain. These are the lucky ones…

Poppies…

Part of Cee’s fun foto challenge: single flowers or bud

The word ‘single’ in this challenge has helped me to focus, I have chosen single flowers but also varieties of a single type of flower – the Poppy. Being a less wordy blog, I have simply put a caption with each image.

(Photos copyright of Jenniferwillisphotography)

 

The ‘original’ red poppy growing wild in a Flanders’ Field. Photographed in the evening sunlight hence it is closing up for the night

True blue flowers are rare in the natural world, but the Himalayan Blue Poppy is an exception. Precise growing conditions must be present to produce the blue color of the Himalayan blue poppy. Obviously the gardeners at Mount Stewart Co. Down have achieved those conditions as the Blue Poppies are delicate, beautiful and very blue!

Orange Poppy. Growing wild Andalusia, Spain 

Incredibly delicate Purple Poppy – or is it Pink? Growing wild, Andalusia, Spain

Morning dew drop on a White Poppy. Growing wild, Andalusia, Spain

Hanging, headlands, hockey and many more ;)

Lori’s Weekly Letter Challenge: Letter H

So, this is my first adventure into Lori’s weekly letter challenge and I see that I am joining rather late – perhaps I can fill in the letter ‘a’ to ‘g’ in due course, although with the letter ‘d for dog’ I just might get stuck in there for a while 😉 Nevertheless here I am. As usual I have difficulty focusing on and staying completely on one track on my blog and I, therefore, tend to diversify but I do offer variety I HOPE some decent photos for everyone to enjoy. I am consistent, however, in that I usually include something of my home land, Northern Ireland, trying to show it off in it’s better light, and also my love of animals, in particular dogs. I’m a keen photographer with a huge archive of photos and I admit to enjoying having the opportunity to share a few of them in these challenges.

OK so, the letter H… I came across a photo that inspired me to choose a few others on the same theme – Hanging!

Yes, it’s a Hangman’s noose! Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast. The Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845 and closed it’s doors as a working prison in 1996. It is now a very popular tourist attraction and believe it or not well worth a visit. The Gaol played a significant part in the recent history of Northern Ireland. The last Hanging at the Gaol took place on 20th December 1961. 

Having at last found a use for this photo I then found a few others along the same theme albeit much more fun than this kind of Hanging 😉

The first was taken through the railings of a skate park in New York, this little lad pictured Hanging from the the edge of the bowl, maybe 5 or 6 years old was there with his dad. Clearly neither of them had any sense of fear. The second is one of my boys at this point Hanging during pull ups whilst training at the gym.

Below, just some scarfs and safety gear hanging…

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And back to promoting ‘our wee country’… the beautiful Headlands on the North Antrim Coast – photographed from the west and then the east

Headland from the west looking over Benbane Head, Dunluce Castle, Runkerry Point and Giant’s Causeway Headland beyond.

View from the east of Whitepark Bay, Portbradden and the reverse side of the Giant’s Causeway Headland beyond 

So now some animate ‘H’s from home and beyond…

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Some of the connections to ‘H’ are obvious but for the sake of indulging my fastidious nature let me say in the above collection I have a pet Hamster I photographed many moons ago, a rider on Horseback, Banff Canada, a Hare, Calgary Alberta, swans in Hillsborough Lake Co. Down NI, Heron Strangford Lough Co Down NI, a Hairy chimp, a very Happy wren on my Hedge at my House, a Hawaiian Goose a lady Hunting in a bin for food Calgary Alberta and two beautiful Horses San Roque, Spain.  Fairly random selection.

So now a few inanimate ‘H’s…

The cranes you could not miss if you ever visited Belfast. They are Harland and Wolf gantry cranes, previously used in shipbuilding, now more for heavy lifting during the building of of wind turbines and refurbishment of oil rigs. Then there is a very sad Headstone for a baby, St Andrew’s Scotland, a collection of cowboy Hats on sale Downtown Calgary a Hand-knitted Hat on a Head in St George’s market, Belfast – (another place worth visiting) and finally Stormont Building known colloquially as “The House on the Hill” (where all our politicians work). I have blogged previously about Stormont if you would like to read more. Again, worth visiting.

And finally for my indulgence, no selection of ‘H’ photos would be complete without a of one of my boys playing Hockey, in this case for a team called Harlequins!

I hope you have enjoyed my first entry into Lori’s Letter Challenge. I would love to receive feedback,

Jennifer

Discovering a Bearded Iris!

part of  Cee’s flower of the day: Bearded Iris

I don’t have many flowering plants in my garden at home, but I do in Spain. So today, quite by chance, I came across a bearded iris photo from Spain AND what I HOPE is also a bearded iris growing wild. I’m hoping that Cee will be able to confirm whether it is or isn’t 😉

I’m pretty sure this is a bearded iris (not very good with plants and fauna) taken in the lovely Spanish sunlight

This I saw growing on the steep banks down to the Rhonda Valley, Malaga Province, Spain. Is it a wild bearded iris?Cee’s flower of the day

Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: Roads of any kind

Random Roads from home and abroad…

I am enjoying these challenges as I find myself perusing my archives and reminding myself of photos I kept simply because I liked them, but never had reason to show them to anyone. So, for this challenge I have a little selection – the first three from my archives and three that I took this morning specially for the challenge. I hope you enjoy.

‘The Road Below’ – through the glass floor about 6ooft up in the Calgary Tower, Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

‘The Road to Rhonda’ province of Malaga, Spain

‘Old Access Road to Spelga Dam’, Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland               Cold and exposed, as we say here in NI… “It would’ve blown the head of ye”

‘From across the Road’ – looking straight down my favourite residential road from across the road and though the traffic. Taken 22/04/16

‘Crossing the Road’ – Malone Road, one of the main arteries into Belfast city centre. My settings were set before crossing the road so I did not need to stop, therefore, no photographer was injured in the taking of this photo 😉                 Taken 22/04/16

‘Road to Parliament’, Stormont Estate, Belfast, Northern Ireland                                                        Taken 22/04/16

Normally the Parliament Buildings (home of the Northern Ireland Assembly) at the top of the hill would be my focus for the photo, however, taking up this challenge to make the road the main subject of a photo I revisited these beautiful grounds this morning and returned with this image.