The Weekend in Black and White...

Poplars - taken in Tanworth in Arden, Warwickshire.

ABC Wednesday - G is for...

Golden...

As in the Golden Glow of late summer sunflowers proving very attractive to Gatherers of pollen...

For more participants click here.

Cats on Tuesday - What Charlie Did Next...

Yes I know it's early but it's the last Bank Holiday weekend before Christmas (!) and I wasn't sure how much time I'd have spare.

So anyway, in the last exciting episode... Charlie was unwell and had to spend the day at the vets being tested with all kinds of implements of torture (he says) by Aga.  The results then came back the next day that he was a diabetic.  Posky is convinced that Charlie has deliberately done this as a form of attention-seeking because he was jealous of Posky having acupuncture etc.  The upshot of it is that his-black-and-whiteness now has to have insulin twice a day, which he's very good about.  He's looking brighter already and lunged at Ralph to chase him over the fence yesterday so must be feeling better.

Diabetes is one of those things that sounds awful but is easily controlled through either diet and/or insulin.  Please get your cat checked out if he's eating more but losing weight, is drinking more or is lethargic, and is urinating more.  The weird thing is that 50% of cats who are diagnosed with diabetes go into remission from it and no longer need treatment

Here he is...

looking remarkably unconcerned about all the worry and angst he's caused.

...Not that you'd accuse him of causing anything

 when he looks at you like this.

David took this - he's still shaking.

... Some of Charlie's stuff he came home from the Vet with.

God knows what he'll write in that diary...

... Here are some of his sharp things and drugs!

... They even gave him his own bucket.

Enough of Charlie.  Can we have a moment of 'Hurrah for Pepper' now please... She received a package through the post telling her she'd won second prize in Leicester Animal Aid's Cat Photo Competition, and won a rather nice rosette and a fish on a stick.

Here she is with her rosette...

... Which she of course presented to her friend the Buddha.

(Don't think he'll get a look in with the fish on a stick though).

For  more kitty news visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

ABC Wednesday - F is for...

Flying Machine... and also Female :O)

Am reliably informed that this is a Tiger Moth aircraft...

Taken at Sywell Aerodrome in Northants (with the 

lovely Caroline modelling her vintage wardrobe).

For more participants click HERE.

Also sharing with Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Cats on Tuesday...

Just a quick note today - can you all send healing purrs for Charlie please? He doesn't seem too well at all and is off to the vets this morning... 

August...

Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,

Ripening fields lush-bright with promise;

Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing

Her fading green glory onto riotous Autumn.

                                            Michelle L Tieme

This weekend central England has sweltered under hot, oppressive August skies... summer has arrived with a vengeance (just in time to say goodbye until next year).  We made the mistake of trying to go to a balloon festival yesterday - never, ever go anywhere called Billing Aquadrome.  You will regret it.    Dreadful place and only three balloons up when we got there - we couldn't stand the idea of hanging around to see if any more arrived so got home very hot, bothered and fed-up.

Today was still warm but at least we were out in the local countryside and I got to take some photos in a field.  Peace, perfect peace... not a hot-dog vendor or fun-fair blasting mindless music into my ears in sight...

The one pic from yesterday that I'm not ashamed of...

Well only a bit,  the others were worse - almost made my camera

put a bag over its head and refuse to take any more photos...

These are from this morning...
my camera was much happier with me.
I'm glad - I hate it when we're not friends :O)

The Weekend in Black and White...

A bit early just in cast I don't get time tomorrow!  Posky again in monotone - giving someone the evil eye by the look of it...

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White.

ABC Wednesday - E is for...

Ewes...
Enjoying some late summer sun.

Elmesthorpe Church...

Believed to have given shelter to some of Richard III's
troops before and after the Battle of Bosworth...

...and Early Morning Light.

For more participants click here.

Cat on Tuesday...

I have failed miserably in my duty as official photographer to the cats this week - this was pointed out to me by Pepper. She went into full-blown drama queen mode at the idea of her picture not being seen on the interwebz and said that her little heart was breaking because of me... (I have a tear in my eye as I type - sniff).  To pacify her here some picture I took a few weeks ago.

I will try and do better for next week - honest!

Pepper...

For more kitties visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

Photo Shoot...

This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening countryside, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders.

Sarah Orne Jewett

That just about sums up yesterday (apart from the fact that I was in Ye Olde Englande and not the new one).  I spent the day with David at Sywell doing a photo shoot.  The model was Caroline who has only been modelling since April, but who was so gorgeous and so professional that it was a real pleasure to photograph her.

I'm a big fan of the style of film noir, and also of Hollywood portraits of the 1940s with that strong dramatic lighting they used, so I took the opportunity to try out a few shots using our shiny new lights.

 

Can not only look like a femme fatale, 

can also obviously do mechanics at the same time...

Brenda Photo Challenge...

Self- portrait in black and white...

Almost forgot about this!  Had to do a very quick photo and an even quicker edit :O)

Portrait of the Artist...

Click here for more participants.

The Weekend in Black and White...

Elmesthorpe Church, Leicestershire

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White.

ABC Wednesday - D is for...

David...

We'll have been married 17 years next month - do you get some kind of award for that?  

(Note how he has a spike coming out of his head.

He shouldn't have annoyed me...)

Linking to ABC Wednesday.

Cats on Tuesday...

A week when...

Posky was diagnosed as having a urinary tract infection and has to take antibiotics for a month.  He blames it on me taking infra-red pictures of him...

... and nothing at all to do with the fact he was caught drinking dirty water from a bucket.

And in honour of the Olympics - whilst Pepper showed off her

'Take your marks... get set'

position on the bench...

... Mrs P showed that the brilliant performance

of Team GB is all down to her and the lucky patriotic

ribbons she's hanging onto for them...

Meanwhile... it looks like

Charlie has a secret diabolical plan we

know nothing about...

For more kitty news visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

The Weekend in Black and White - Feathers...

I have to credit Rosie with the idea for this.  Her beautiful abstract macros of feathers inspired me to collect a few of my own and have a go.

Taken with a macro filter - processed in LightRoom (converted to b&w, took the clarity right down and the brightness up, and added a white vignette).

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White.

ABC Wednesday - C is for...

Castle Park... (and you thought I was going to say 'cat'...).

At the heart of the modern, vibrant, multi-cultural city of Leicester (the nearest city to where I live) lies Castle Park. This 'Old Town' is a scheduled monument with beautiful old buildings, the cathedral, guild hall, riverside walks, museums, and ancient walls and gateways.

(All photos shot in colour then processed in LightRoom with an Infra Red High Grain treatment).

Statue of Richard III in Castle Gardens... 

I like the fact that we celebrate the chap who lost...

Castle Gardens...

...which contain this May Pole...

... which has this Green Man
lurking at the bottom of it...
(frankly, this gives me the heebie-jeebies...
didn't even have the nerve to convert it to b&w!)

Lavender in a garden...

Ye Olde Englishe doorway

 (That's St Mary de Castro Church behind it...)

A bit more of the church...

Founded in 1107, it is said that

Chaucer got married here, and it is the place

where Henry VI was knighted in 1426.

It also allegedly has its own ghost - 'Black Annis'

who is supposed to haunt the church and

the surrounding area...

... street at the rear of the Church...

...I so want to go back here in the Autumn/Winter 

with one of my minions and make them pose for 

slightly spooky photos...

If fog could be arranged that would be great :O)

Linking to ABC Wednesday.