Ephemeral Things

I was reading an article in Hotshoe magazine about the ephemeral in photography. The word ephemeral derives from the Greek word ephemeros "lasting only one day" and can be used to describe a number of disappearing things - things that vanish at variable rates, things that leave traces or clues to what once existed. Anyway, I was at panic stations this morning washing up and clearing the kitchen before bringing my beloved home from her scrapbooking weekend, and, eureka, I saw the ephemeral Fairy Liquid suds in the bowl and took the photograph before they ephemerally disappeared!!

Not Much Sand!

It was a beautiful day here in Bournemouth today. I thought these pebbles on the beach near Hengistbury Head made quite a striking picture, especially after I did a bit of photoshop editing. This effect is called Poster Edges in the Filter Gallery.

Relationships

I know it's very cold and windy down here near Poole Quay today but I reckon he's got a lot more on his mind than just the weather, talk about doom and gloom, maybe it's her, there's not a lot of luvvy duvvy going on is there, I think the spark has gone out of their lives, what a shame!

Disappearing Bun

I took Ruth to the Bay View Hotel in Bournemouth this morning for a scrapbooking weekend with a lot of other ladies, I have to pick her up sometime on Monday. Now, Ruth is a wonderful wife to me, she makes sure that I have everything I need to survive 3 days without her. She even went out yesterday and bought me a pack of 6 hot cross buns and said that would be 2 for each night, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This morning I woke up and found that one had escaped, I wonder where it went!!

My Studio

As you can see I haven't moved very far today, it's very cold and windy out and I sort of lacked the necessary enthusiasm to go for a walk or anything silly like that. So I took a shot of my work space with my blogsite on screen showing yesterday's post.

Bistro on the Beach

The Bistro was closed but the kiosk was open, boring job because there was nobody about. It was very cold and windy, big danger of sand in your icecream if you were stupid enough to buy one but it's hard not to feel sorry for the person manning the kiosk, desperately trying to earn a crust to feed the poor starving children at home!!.... got to stop this, my imagination is starting to run riot!

Desperation

I went out today to one of the charity shops to collect some plastic bags full of toys for Samaritan's Purse. I took my camera with me expecting to get a fantastic photograph for my blog. Nothing inspired me so I decided to get a picture of this orange before I ate it. At least it's not as gross as contemplating my own navel. I did think about it though!

Towards Boscombe Pier

Another nice day, this scene was taken from the top of the slope leading down to Southbourne Beach where the Bistro on the Beach is. Quite a tranquil scene, nothing like it will be in the Summer.

Me and my Shadow

Nice sunny day, had a walk down by the river to see what was going on, not a lot, not many people about. There are three or four ferry boats, like the one in the background, up on blocks for the Winter. They will be plying their trade again as soon as the weather improves.

A Flower Study

We have had this Poinsettia for some time now, it has been in various parts of the house and I am always amazed at how long it lasts. It's an ideal plant for indoors when there's nothing to look at in the garden, except for a certain pair of Polyanthas and a bit of scraggy Winter Jasmine on the garage wall!! 

Not the real thing

This little chap has spent his life, since joining us, on our conservatory windowsill. All the real hedgehogs are still fast asleep in hibernation, of course. I did enjoy having a hedgehog in our garden and I do miss her, Tiggy we called her. Hedgehogs are mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. I really felt that you needed to know that.

Some more Art!

We had a bunch of really nice Tulips from our next door neighbours the other day, they are yellow but I like them better in monochrome toned with blue/sepia + platinum. I showed this to Ruth and she said "Oh, the colour's not very good, is it".

Abstract Art

This is a solarized version of the original piece of abstract art which I took early this morning. The image started life as a frost pattern on the window of our car. Ruth needed the car so I, of couse, "volunteered" to defrost it. I saw the possibility of a picture here. It was very cold in Bournemouth and it was quite a job clearing the windows.

Work in Progress

I got out again today, must be a record. We went to the Samaritan's Purse warehouse in Christchurch with a car packed full of bags of cuddly toys, and loads of other items suitable for the next Christmas shoebox appeal which we have collected from charity shops. Before Christmas we sent from our warehouse 8104 shoeboxes to Haiti and 8713 to Belarus. In the picture are some of the cartons filled with shoeboxes destined for Swaziland. The reason they have not gone yet is that we are awaiting delivery of a considerable number of boxes which people have prepared through an online link. They have to be checked and packed in cartons to join the others. It's the first time the online scheme has been tried and is designed to encourage extremely busy people to complete boxes who, normally, wouldn't take part due to time constraints, etc.

Sunny Bournemouth!!!

Well, the sun is shining a bit through the clouds. I got out today, dodging between the showers. The photograph was taken looking across the bay from Southbourne.

Lovely Pudding

I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel now, or, in this case, the bottom of a pudding dish looking for suitable pictures. We invited Chrissie & Gill to lunch today and Chrissie brought an orange flavoured bread & butter pudding, delicious, this was all that was left, well, that's gone now, I ate it!!

More Garden Stuff

The weather is still bad, I'm not going out so I've found another garden opportunity, got there before Ruth!!Don't know the name of it though. I hope to produce something a little more interesting soon.

Useful Storage Space

I'm getting really desperate now for pictorial ideas. It's a horrible day again today, I didn't fancy going far, Ruth came rushing back from the garage shouting "some things have fallen out of the cupboard, you'll have to go and investigate!" I went to check, didn't find any large beasties and decided I had found my blog pic for today. Lots of junk as well as bags of toys ready for Samaritan's Purse. We will have to have a good sort out when the weather is warmer, we say that every year!!

Winter Survivors

Unbeknown to each other, I went into the garden this morning and Ruth this afternoon, both of us with the idea of finding any flowers which had survived the harsh Winter we have had so far. I found these two little Polyantha blooms, the only flowers in the whole of the garden apart from a bit of Winter Jasmine against the garage wall which Ruth took. It's getting a bit difficult to think of subjects each day, we don't have any children or dogs!!

More depression!

I'm not depressed, the weather is, there's a big area of depression over the country. It's brought a lot of rain and gloom. I didn't think I would venture far from my cosy studio today and I didn't!!

A tale of hardship & joy

We've had a hard life generally speaking, it started off well, we were loved and looked after by children for a while, sometimes for a very short while! Then we started getting neglected, thrown about and trodden on, amazing how fickle some kids are. Eventually we ended up in a charity shop but nobody wanted us and we all knew that the next trip would be to the dump and oblivion. But, we were destined for better things, a very nice lady came and took us home, she had saved our lives but the next phase of our existence was a bit hairy to say the least, she put us all in a washing machine, we survived though and she put us on the window sill to dry. Some of our mates went the tumble dryer route, they told us that was horrible, hot, rough and noisy. From here we have the honour to go to Samaritan's Purse and, at Christmas, we will travel in cosy shoeboxes to other countries where we, once again, will have the chance to make children happy, Hooray!

Sunrise over Bournemouth

This was taken from the velux window in the upstairs room. I really must discontinue the "depression" theme in my posts but I couldn't help thinking of the saying "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning", but I don't do pessimism & gloom, I don't, I don't!!

Our Church

It's the first time we have managed to get to church for a long time. The picture shows the stage area and now you know when our AGM is!!

A day in London

We met David & Sue in London, we were going to see Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall. On the way we passed this night club,"Boujis", which Prince William & Prince Harry go to. Sue couldn't resist posing for me. The show, by the way, was amazing and fantastic, we all had a great day.

Lovelly!!

I was in Christchurch, it was raining, very depressing, I was passing this pub and was tempted to go in but it was too early, so I didn't, Oh well, never mind....It seems that all my posts so far have been depressing, they are I suppose but I'm not depressed, things can only get better, it's being so cheerful that keeps me going!!

Misery

It's pouring with rain here in Bournemouth, We didn't want to go out but Ruth is just leaving for a dental appointment, she is not happy! 

Arcadia

The dreaded moment, just dropped Malcolm & Betty off to join our beautiful favourite ship Arcadia for their cruise to New Zealand. This photograph was taken as we sadly drove away under a cloud of deep depression. We didn't stay to watch the sail away!

Bereft Bauble

I am so sad, all my Christmas decoration friends have gone home without me, they didn't see me get kicked under the table, I miss them so much especially the angels, they are always kind to me throughout the year, not just at Christmas, I know I am only an insignificant bauble but I always look nice on the tree. He has seen me and has taken my photograph but he gave me to her and she has just dumped me on the hall unit. I don't know how long I will be left here, she has probably forgotten me already, woe is me.....

Bournemouth Station

Just a quick snapshot today of Bournemouth station entrance when I went to meet Malcolm & Betty. I was a bit late and was sneaking up on them but Betty spotted me. Malcolm is in the red jacket and was phoning Ruth to find out where the heck I was. I was only 4 minutes late but, unfortunately, the train was on time!! They are staying with us until Wednesday when we will take them to Southampton to join Arcadia for a cruise to New Zealand. I am extremely jealous and very very depressed, to see them off on any ship is bad enough, but on our favourite ship, Arcadia, well, words fail me....... 

What a Waste

The aftermath of Christmas, so much rubbish. We haven't had a collection for two weeks which accounts for a lot of it and there has been a considerable sorting out of the garage so it isn't as bad as it looks.

Diet Delights

I am going to attempt a "One Photograph a Day" project posted to my new blog. After the excesses of the Christmas period Ruth has decided that it is extremely necessary to take drastic action. I thought that, for a first photograph of the year, this was appropriate as it shows the type of food Ruth will be enjoying on a daily basis for the foreseeable future!!