weekly photo challenge: up

In a new post specifically created for this challenge, share a picture which means UP to you!

Walking in the beautiful sunshine and blue skies of the park on Saturday morning, we could hear the sound of a helicopter, and looked up.

I was using my phone to take these photos, and the distant one is a bit blurry.

A small yellow speck getting closer.

It’s coming nearer now and we think it looks like an air ambulance.

Yes, it is an air ambulance.

A policeman had appeared by this time and asked people to clear right back so that the helicopter could land.  After it landed, and no medical team had jumped out to go and attend to a casualty, curiosity got the better of me and I asked the policeman what was happening.  He explained that they were waiting for a medical team to come from the local hospital (where there is nowhere for a helicopter to land) to go and attend an incident.  We waited for a little while, hoping to see it take off again, but decided that the call of our morning coffee was too strong and carried on with our walk towards the tea rooms.

This post is for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.  Go and have a look to see more interpretations of ‘Up’.

 

 

weekly photo challenge: change

In a new post created for this challenge, share a picture that says CHANGE

I think these giraffes at Woburn Safari Park last summer were hoping for a change in the weather!

As we drove round the road towards the giraffes they were all out in the field, watching the world go by, grazing or doing a bit of whatever giraffes do.  Then a sudden shower started and they all made their way hastily into the shelter – it was quite funny to watch!

This post is for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

weekly photo challenge: colour

For this week’s challenge we were asked to  share a picture, or pictures, in which colour takes centre stage.

License plates found in Wheaties cereal boxes 1953 – 1954. Photo taken at Beltrami County History Center

Canoes

Hydrangea

Babe the blue ox, Bemidji, Minnesota

Florida tree frog

Mini narcissi

Red geraniums in Crete

Cage bird hanging at entrance to CD/DVD store in Chania, Crete

M and Ms

1953 Clyfford Still. Photo taken at Tate Modern, London

Purple Converse

Blue iris

Autumn colours in my garden

This post is for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

weekly photo challenge: phoneography – future tense

In today’s challenge we want you to grab an image from your world that holds the promise or portent of the future.

I decided to focus on the two words ‘challenge’ and ‘future’.  I had a new jigsaw, which I thought I’d start on Sunday because the weather was so grim, and it looked a bit of a challenge.  I hoped that I might get it finished some time in the future!

I was right – it was a challenge!  It was quite a bit harder than I thought but, thanks to the miserable weather continuing during the week, I did it!

There’s a little story behind the jigsaw.  I bought it on my trip to Dallas in January when I went into a fabulous Barnes and Noble bookstore.  I love jigsaws and they had a vast selection of them so it seemed wrong to leave without buying one!  I spent ages in the shop.  Mr Decisive (for whom bookshops do not hold such attraction, indeed any attraction really) even bought a book – but then went and had a coffee while I looked round every floor, and every display shelf.  I was in seventh heaven – books, cards, stationery, jigsaws, card games, small gifts, lovely children’s books – it was all wonderful.  Our only local ‘proper’ bookshop has closed down, which is such a shame, so I was enjoying this one while I could.  It was about 8.30 in the evening when we were there, and the place was busy – some people browsing the shelves, lots of people sitting in the comfy chairs reading, a group of teenagers chatting on some floor cushions in the children’s department – everywhere I went there were people making excellent use of the shop.  So, when I was doing the jigsaw this week I had happy memories of Barnes and Noble.

weekly photo challenge: phoneography – lunchtime

It’s phonoegraphy month, and what do we love to photograph with our cameraphones? Food. So why fight it? This week’s theme is “lunchtime.”  Time to show us your lunchtime.

During my most recent trip to Scotland it was Mother’s Day/Mothers’ Day* (10th March here in the UK) and my sister and I took our mum out for lunch.  We decided to go to a small tearoom in a small village called  Brig o’ Turk, which is on the road between Callander and Aberfoyle.  From the outside it is very unprepossessing, and you might even be inclined to drive right past, but we had been there before and so knew that it was excellent.

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

The tearoom was built in the 1920s, of wood, and has been preserved very much in its original style.  The inside is lined with dark wood (walls and ceiling) and the tables and chairs are sturdy and mismatched, which adds to the charm.   The owners are a lovely, welcoming Hungarian husband (the chef) and wife (everything else) and, in addition to Scottish dishes they offer there are some traditional Hungarian ones on the menu.

I decided to be adventurous and try a couple of the Hungarian dishes.  First I had a Hortobagyi pancake – a thin crepe filled with minced meat, folded up with the ends tucked in and served with a creamy paprika sauce.  It was delicious and went very well with my glass of red wine.

Hortobagyi pancake
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

Next I had a slice of a delicious Hungarian cake, Dobos Torte.  Apologies for the blurry photo – my phone obviously doesn’t take such good close up pictures as I thought!   The cake was thin layers of sponge alternating with chocolate buttercream and topped with a thin layer of hard caramel/toffee which reminded me of the toffee you get on the outside of a toffee apple.  To finish I had a cup of peppermint tea.  I love the fact that the cups, saucers, tea pots and cake plates are all different.

Dobos torte
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

Here’s a link to the website – if you are in the area I recommend a visit.

* It always used to be called Mothering Sunday and I’m not sure when, or why, it changed its name, but I wish it hadn’t because then there would be no apostrophe confusion!

For more lunchtime photos go to WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

weekly photo challenge: phoneography – my neighbourhood

To kick this off, grab your phone and head out the door. That’s right — get on your feet and go outside to explore — and document — where you live.

When this weekly challenge pinged into my Inbox last Friday, I was away from home, but I thought it would be interesting to do it anyway.  My mum and I were staying at my sister’s house (in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park) looking after her pets while she and her family were away, so these phone photos document where she lives.

view from the front door
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

another view from the house
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

at the bottom of the garden
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

the track from the house to the road
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

the road – on a busy day!
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

For more neighbourhood phoneography visit the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

weekly photo challenge: lost in the details

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week is to get lost in the details.

Here are some of the details from a school trip I went on last year – it was a residential activity week with climbing, canoeing, zip-wiring and other exhausting things!

how high can you climb? photo © iusedtobeindecisive

canoes lined up photo © iusedtobeindecisive

climbing grips on wall photo © iusedtobeindecisive

wet shoe drying out photo © iusedtobeindecisive

head protection photo © iusedtobeindecisive

stepping into safety harness photo © iusedtobeindecisive

muddy tyre on assault course photo © iusedtobeindecisive

weekly photo challenge: unique

I’m sure there can’t be another water clock like this one in Suffolk, on Southwold Pier.

Southwold Pier water clock
photo © iusedtobeindecisive

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

photo © iusedtobeindecisve

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

For more unique photographs look at the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

 

 

weekly photo challenge: illumination

Sunrise on Lake Bemidji, Minnesota.

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

Click to see more entries for this WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

weekly photo challenge: resolved

This year I am resolved to spend more time in our local park/woodland.  Since we lost our dog in September I hardly ever go there and I feel I should – not just for the fact that it is beautiful, but also for the excercise!

photo © iusedtobeindecisive

Look here for more takes on the Weekly Photo Challenge.