Hi to everybody...spotted the top flowers amongst my lilies yesterday...think they must have seeded from somewhere else but very pretty...and the bottom one is just a mass of long blue stems full of flowers with a lovely scent...and can't remember what they're called...LOL...

Great big hugs to one and all...

Been laying laminate flooring (first time ever) and was lent this...............

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Managed to not chop any of my fingers off so I got "Arty"

Regards,Steve

Played about with this and had it printed off and framed,,

Hi to everybody...when we arrived home lots of my plants have bloomed so here are a few of them looking rather lovely... Click on each to see larger image.

This is one of my succulents in my succulent garden...can't remember it flowering before.

This little pansy seeded into my Easter cactus bowl...B&Q gave a little pot of them free on Mother's day four years ago now and it's flowered every year since...the one in the pot died but it has kept going here...

Great big hugs to one and all...

Hi to everybody...last lot of photos I took in Fontenbleau of two of the bedrooms, one was of Marie Antoinette's bedroom and the other was Napoleons, two wonderful ceilings, a fireplace in Marie Antoinette's bedroom, one hallway decorated with marbles and nudes and paintings, the throne room and the grand ballroom with Ray standing in it with his back to us......the last two are of a chateau we visited the day before and the shot from where we were having our lunch at the Museum of Modern Art on the last day...don't need to tell you where we were then...LOL...click to see larger images...

Great big hugs to one and all...

When the Creator paints a picture he really does an amazing job

Cheap paraphrase of Book title but sufficient to finish off my 'Steam Rally' set of pictures. They can be found:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennypoos/sets/72157621701105793/

As usual better seen as a slide show and full screen.

Hi to everybody...here are some shots of Tours, which we loved...unfortunately my camera doesn't take many photos so had to save some for the other places we were going to so didn't get many of this lovely city...click to see larger images.

Bridge over the river Loire in Tours...

Cedar Tree planted in 1804 and is 100 feet tall and 110 feet across...

Me and the tree

Tours Cathedral's aisle

Tours Cathedral's main altar

Great big hugs to one and all...

Hi to everybody...here's a few photos of Chartres Cathedral...I did take the beautiful stain glass windows but they didn't come out clearly...it was very dark inside it...and the last one is the back of Leonardo Da Vinci's chateau where he eventually died...lovely place...click on them to see larger image

The plaza in front of Chartres Cathedral

The back of the Cathedral with a good view of the flying buttresses...currently being repaired.

The Front Door

Back of Leonardo's chateau

Great big hugs to one and all...

Hi to everybody...here's some photos I took of our visit to Monet's garden...it was a lovely day so well pleased about that, but the lily pond was absolutely packed...took us ages to escape from it...LOL...click on pics to see larger image.

The Lily Pond

Butterfly and Bee.

Back of Monet's house

Hubby outside front door of Monet's house

View of one of the many sections of Monet's garden

Great big hugs....

Seen at the steam rally.

I had to stick my head inside a big yellow tunnel to take these two shots - I can't imagine how stupid I must have looked - thank goodness there were no other cameras about!

Following my previous post with its link to this poem
I was prompted to post my picture of a violin (and its owner) It was taken at a Folk festival a couple of months ago.

This picture is a good example of how not to take a photo of a horse - Sometimes I make the most basic errors

At the moment I am learning tips from here hence; if you click on the horse, it links to a poem about a horse! 'tis fun

I am!

The above was taken on 20 July, early in the morning.

This was on 08 July shortly after the moon was so red, but unfortunately that wasn't the case anymore when it became full. Or maybe it was too light to see it.

I took out the bit at the bottom left as well. The bit that looked like four fingers. I should have done that in the first place. Dur.

Yesterday I went to the annual 'Steam Rally and country fair' at netley Marsh near Southampton. As is the norm I took shitloads of photographs and so-as not to bore you too much by posting a different pic each day, I've linked them to this page. To give you a taster, here's a wooden mushroom.

The rest of the days valliant efforts can be found:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennypoos/72157621701105793/

Best viewed as a slideshow, full screen

Dennypoos..........................is certainly putting it about a bit this year.

Dennypoos....................has also seen that he should have cropped out the tree on the bottom righthand side as it adds nothing to the picture.

Dennypoos .........would also like to say he's lost the page where a kind person took pity and explained how to do the 'look HERE' thingy when doing a link.

Although these Lilies look and smell gorgeous, their pollen stains clothes and skin so beware!

...

...a funghi.

Crop as you will.

oops. Working on the other one.(edit)

Me-thinks I have a bit of a problem and I don't need to radio 'Houston' to know it.

Me-thinks I have a bit of a problem and I don't need to radio 'Houston' to know it.

Although, in parts of Kent, it is already impossible to take pictures without being illegally bullied by the police.

Here is the blog of the photographer who was treated so disgustingly.

Again, not sure which I prefer!!
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Regards,Steve

An old church in the modern, built in Chekhov’s times (Siberia)--

front door--

flowers in the church courtyard--

The pointy end of a big boat in the marina at Ocean Village, Southampton.

Nowhere near Mottisfont by the way.

Coming to the end of the Mottisfont stuff you'll be pleased to note.

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Regards,Steve

Original...
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HDR.....
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I did contemplate "colour popping" it also.... i.e making it all B&W and leaving the flags in colour, decided against it!!! Mainly due to the fact I cant be arsed lol!!!!
Regards,Steve

Glad I took my big zoom...........
Managed to pick out my son-in-law in the parade
For this one I was sat on a bank and this is how far away I was.

I moved down the banking, was roughly the same distance and zoomed in to 300mm, my son-in-law is in the middle, refer to my previous post of him and my daughter!!!
Pleased with the result..........

Remember....we live in a northern zone so not much luck with our short growing season here in Manitoba. Makes me grateful for whatever I can get to grow.

My Son-in-Law was marching in the parade.........
Made me proud........................

Yet another Mottisfont pic...yawn.

click on image to see whole picture and links to the rest of the set.

Hi to everybody...my friend in the USA has sent me some more photos of her lovely visitors who come each day to her house...they're a brother and sister and very young...gorgeous aren't they...click on each one to see larger image...

Great big hugs to one and all...

My other favorite hobby...raising horses.

A hobby of mine is taking pics of abandoned/deserted buildings on the prairies around here.

The band's conductor looking a little crumpled at the recent home-coming parade in Southampton.

While mooching around and finishing off editing my Homecoming parade photos, I came across the following stuff going on in the background.

Funny, but back in the old days even the vandalism was well executed. Just look at the lettering on these initials that I spotted at Netley Abbey in Hampshire.

Meet my friend, kitty of the name of Sophie Sun--

She is so young. You can judge by the size of her tail how young she is--

Honest M'lud I wasn't stalking this child, I just focused on the scene and she rushed in.

I refuse to answer any more questions without my Brief being here.

Otherwise known as the German or European wasp.  As seen from inside a stationary vehicle.
Look at her front left leg.  She's waving hello!

I've come across a photography competition that may be of interest to some of you folk:

www.igpoty.com/

It's the International Garden Photographer Of The Year, in conjunction with the Royal Photographic Society, Kew gardens and The National Trust.

Also spotted at the 'Home-coming' for troops returning from Afghanistan. The black guy is 'Eyes Front!', the guy behind is looking at the ginger headed girl, who I noticed when she turned round, was a stunner.

Blizzard of 'Ticker Tape' at Southamptons Bargate as troops from The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment marched past as part of their Home-coming celebrations.

Under the fir tree

Nieghbor's front yard in the morning

Photographed in an overgrown corner of a Churchyard.

Sometimes, just some times, the other visitors cease being pains in the arse and become interesting.

See other post for explanation.

X

Not sure what type of butterfly this is, the top side is a beautiful vivid orange and dark brown (black), but when she closes her wings, she is perfectly camouflaged and looks like a dead leaf. I think she is a small tortoiseshell, but cannot be certain as she flew away before I could get a good look at her.

There are still a lot of ladybirds around

The Mock Orange finished flowering over a month ago, but today I noticed a new flower. "There is always one", I thought and then I noticed there are actually quite a few new buds.

Must be the weird weather.

X

Got the hat free in a suitcase from a charity shop.

I was reading a post on Miramaze's blog about butterflies, and I made a comment that I haven't seen many about this year. In the past, Cabbage White's and Red Admirals were the ones that I could recognise and they seemed to be most common, but I haven't seen many of either of them. What is the butterfly situation like in your part of the country/world? Also, can anyone tell me the name of the one that I photographed a few weeks ago?
You can click the photo to make it bigger.

Not enough light to get a fast shutter speed.

Vaulted roof of the sacristy at Netley Abbey, Hampshire.

edit]...8.01am 11/07/09.
I've only just realised that had I taken the shot from a lower point of view I'd have been able to get the effect of the Seaplane actually landing on the water. (the seaplane image is printed onto the window of a shelter along the foreshore and the Solent is visible through this).
Bollocks! Why didn't I see this at the time? Fresh visit, fresh eyes.

Juicy this eh?

More views of 'Child of the Family' for MarikaSS.

Southampton city council now require all public works of art to perform a useful function. Here, 'Child of the family' is seen trimming the Leylandi in the city centre.

Dennypoos.........It's the way I spot 'em.

Strictly against the rules and regs in Southampton City Art Gallery, and contravening, AND infringing copyright. Here's an example of his early work.

From the Market Square that I walk through every day

The problem with teaching yourself by trial and error is there's so many errors. Tried several times to get a shot of the full moon. I got closer tonight than I have before, but still rubbish. Ah well ........ I prefer clouds anyway, much prettier.

If you're wondering what is the point of this photo, I can tell you; the blurred bit in the centre of the image (behind the wire) was what I was interested in. There were several Fox tails hung up like a macabre trophy, but as you can see, I was prevented from photographing them by the undergrowth and the wire fence.

Can you name this plant? Yes! It IS black! Pardon my poor effort at capturing it! Will post the answer later......Have a 'Go!'
*
The plant itself!

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The Flower!

**

Early June and the produce is fairly throwing itself at me:

'Wellington'

Striato d'Italia.

Brittle wax.

Tom Thumb.

Phone pics taken between downpours.

Instead of treatment I took a load of pics, and I am sad enough to say.............. I LOVE the DoF on this one lolol

The last of Sunday's phone pictures.

Have a good rest of the weekend boy girls,

Denny.

click on image to see whole picture.
Good detail for a phone pic.

click on image to see whole picture.

click on image to see whole picture.

click on image to see whole picture and by using the links on the righthand side of the page,'map', you can see where it, and other phone pics were taken.

Sitting in my little garden this evening, surrounded by the sights, sounds and scents of glorious summer, I did wonder, briefly, if I might have died and gone to Heaven. Then the doggies kicked off at something wild 'n wooly and I came back to earth with a bump !

I hope everybody's Sunday is special.

or Without

click on image to see whole picture and verify Sony K800i phone.3.2Mp.

Phone pic, just to show what can be done.

Click on pic to see full image, and to verify sony K800i phone.

These two photos sum up summer to me... blue sky and flowers..

The leaves say there is a rain acoming. Camera phone pic

Nothing done in PP apart from a downsize.....
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I am quite impressed,Regards,Steve

The other day I took my camera to town and did a bit of people watching. This is one of the photos that I took. You can click to make it bigger.

Seeing as I burnt my hand and had no chance to take any new ones I thought / had time to upload these old ones from my camera-phone.......

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Regards,Steve

When I spotted this incident, I couldn't resist going back with my camera. If you look closely at the car in the foreground, you can see the Driver doing a neck swivel.

Slightly fuller tonight but you can still see some of the craters in profile.

Wot about an arty shot?

Quite like this one too, but you can no longer see the markings.

X

The moral is:

If you don't have your camera with you at all times, you'll not be able to capture those bizarre things that you come across from time to time.

The moon is absolutely dazzling tonight, pure gold. I have been feeling a bit rough today, but seeing her in all her beauty has raised my spirits.

I am quite pleased with the detail of this photo as it seems to have captured one of the craters in profile, (I mean on the left of the picture). Unfortunately though, you cannot really see her golden aura which is truly splendid.

BTW, here is a moon map borrowed from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/moon/Map.shtml in case you want to try to identify the markings you can see.

Night night.

X

This was taken 3 hours before I got it treated at the hospital, it got worse!!! I have had the blisters popped with a scalpel, they were advised by plastic surgeon guidelines to not cut off the dead skin in the palm of a hand.... After 5 days........ they have cut all the skin off, may need a skin-graft!!

Finally, I pulled out the ol' tripod and took some photos of the setting moon.  Problem then was of course to focus properly in the dark of the night.  Haven't mastered that yet

Maybe next time ... 

(click the picture to enlarge it)

I just spotted this while rushing back hot and bothered after a walk.

Cheers, Tom.