Photo-a-Day Day 31

So today's rule is Insect... I did expect all insect life in a 10 mile radius to suddenly disappear, but if they did they forgot to tell Laurence the Ladybird, he was happily crawling around my fig tree.. until I stuck a camera in his face anyway!

Photo-a-Day Day 30

This is yesterday's entry, was a bit busy yesterday and didn't have time to blog it!   The rule for today was Water, I tried to get a dripping tap.. then I took a photo looking down into a glass of sparkly water.. then I thought hang on, there's a blooming river down the road!! So this is my early morning shot of the foggy river, with reflection of a Heron :)

Photo-a-Day Day 29

Woohoo its the last day of green :)

Have been waiting for my red and yellow cherry tomatoes to ripen all summer, last year, I had lots of fresh mixed salad leaves, rocket, spring onions and ripened red & yellow cherry tomatoes all from my garden every day.... this year.... I had to buy the tomatoes as mine were a bit anaemic! 

Picked a few ripened yellow ones last week and a few more have now shown their true colours, but the rest are still green - everytime I look at them I am reminded of one of my favourite movies Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.... I have the book and it has recipe for said Fried Green Tomatoes... tempted to try it with my poor crop!  Anyway thought I'd pick most of them and leave in the sun (oh yes the sun is making its appearance through the fog) today and see if the little blighters will get their act together!

Anyway they came in useful for my last green photo, so not a total loss then!

Photo-a-Day Day 28

Only 1 day left of green after today :)  Happened on tthis shield bug by chance and he saved me having to think of something green for today.. yay!  Of course he wouldn't sit still and pose unfortunately, kept a-buzzing and a-strolling, so I settled on the two best images (one of which you can barely tell he was a Green Shield Bug, as the bright sky was behind him.. so took some more after he buzzed his way to the doorstep!)

This Evening's Walk...

So after work tonight I baked a new dog treat, which I am calling "Duck a'la Bone", whilst they were in the oven cooling, I took Tia out for a walk, bit later than normal!  Sun was just setting and the river was lovely and peaceful, was perfect way of forgetting how crap work is!  Took a photo of the sunset (took lots of early evening photos actually, but most of them appeared really bright and not at all like reality!) 

Photo-a-Day Day 27

For today's green photo I managed to catch a spider having his breakfast, and he didn't appear to be too bothered that I interrupted him - not a green spider but he was in a green bush!

Photo-a-Day Day 26

Didn't blog my photo yesterday, so catching up!  I'm bored of green now, on this mornings walk I'd have liked to have switched to white, as Six swans flew by... I didn't have my camera though and I was concentrating on Tia, repeatedly saying "no", to ensure she never chased them.. scary I can read my dogs mind!

Inevitably one of my green photos, would have to be grass... so here it is

Photo-a-Day Day 25

Still on Green stuff.... I decided to take a photo of my muck boots... which I wear almost permanently in winter, Muck Boots are brilliant, they are cosy wellies basically, they generally keep your feet warm and toasty down to -20 degrees C.... I've never had cold feet in these.  This is my second pair, my first lasted brilliantly, but they had different soles meaning they were actually quite slippy in ice, so when they had worn out, I bought a different design with big chunky soles and so far I've managed to stay upright!  In winter I won't walk my dog without them :)

Photo-a-Day Day 24

So in honour of the Green week, I have green eyeshadow on today... okay it may not have been intentional.. but I thought it would be perfect photo.. alas as with all best laid plans, you can't really tell its green on the photo!!

Photo-a-Day Day 23

Pick a colour for a week - the colour I picked is Green, its my favourite colour.. its a fresh and happy colour!

This is a photo of one of the green glass beads in my hanging candle holder

Photo-a-Day Day 22

Today's photo rule is "yourself" which can be an image of you or something that sums you up.... well my hair is curly from damp air this morning and I haven't even put mascara on.... so I figured I'd go with an image that sums me up....

well that led to a bit of a stumbling block..

eventually I came up with my kitchen notice board... it is full of gig tickets, some photos including obviously Tia, but also my old dog Buster, who broke my heart when he crossed rainbow bridge. Also is a picture of Bonnie, my first ever dog, she passed away when she was 12 1/2 back in 2000 :(

Also is a photo of me with the one and only Mr Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden, taken at the airport on way home from Maiden gig in Trondheim, Norway (for those that don't know Bruce Dickinson is also a co-pilot for Astraeus and had flown me to the gig earlier that day (not just me like, there was a whole planeful of Maiden fans on Flight 666).

There is also a photo of the tattoos on my back, it is actually on the noticeboard as inspiration to diet!

I thought I'd finish the post with a few of the things I love:

Tia, my family, music - pretty eclectic taste but with a Heavy Metal bias, my ipod, my Bose Noise Reduction Headphones - ridiculously expensive.. but oh so good, my long early morning walks with Tia before work, drawing, my new fantastic hobby Field Archery, Iron Maiden, the sun, camping, history, visiting new places, driving, tattoos, reading, Thai food, cooking, Rick Stein, Jake Gyllenhaal, the smell of freshly cut grass, fresh veggies from the garden, baking home-made dog treats for my little angel (and other people's little angels), Early mornings, Hank Moody, All books by S J Bolton, Barcelona, Scotland, gigs and festivals, my independence

Photo-a-Day Day 21

Today's rule is Weather.... well the only weather happening around here today is rain :( Straightened my hair this morning before walking Tia.... 5 minutes into walk it threw it down and turned my hair into frizzy, curly mess!

Photo-a-Day Day 20

Today's rule was "A different Perspective".... so I was going to get down on the floor, but I wanted something interesting to take the photo of.... I was going to take a photo of a cow in the fields from grass roots level..... but since I forgot my camera on both of my dog walks today and I really couldn't be bothered to go out again (especially as it looks like rain!)... I instead got my inspiration whilst browsing the internet this afternoon, for this shot... the one I saw on the internet was so much better and was a photo of a polaroid.. but I don't have a polaroid camera, so I improvised.. you get the gist anyway even if its not exactly a work of art!!

Camping Pics

Not many photos from camping, as most were taken at the Blue Pool and I've already blogged them!  I visited this campsite in July too and took several hundred photos then, so didn't take so mnay this time!

View from the tent

This little bird visited the tent daily and wasn't afraid of the dogs, just hopped in the tent, wandered around a bit then hopped back out!

L-R Tia, Frankie & Diesel, or "Naughty", "Junk Food Addict" & "Terminator"

The bemused Terminator and the "not bovvered" bird

The end of the Mawddach Estuary

Toll Bridge from Dolgellau to Barmouth

Camp Cook

Terminator Diesel!

Photo-a-Day Day 19

Today's rule is looking down, not happy with this shot, but it was a miracle that I got Tia to look up at the right moment! So I'm staying with it!

Photo-a-Day Day 18

So today's rule was looking up and I probably should call this "should try harder!"  Was in a bit of a rush, so I just lay on the bed and took a picture of the lampshade!  So its like my second lampshade in this challenge, I'm getting boring!  I promise not to take any more pictures of lampshades!

Photo-a-Day Day 17

Day 17 = Texture  this is a photo of one of the logs from my log basket...... the only good thing about winter really is the fact I will be able to have some lovely cozy real log fires :)

Photo-a-Day Day 16

Today's rule calls for a macro shot.... so I've taken lots, I like my macro setting on my camera!  Anyway I couldn't make up mind which to have as my photo for the day, I have decided on my Aloe Vera plant, because I like green and Tia stars way too often on my blog (however I have included her eye anyway, since she really wasn't happy about having my camera thrust in her face, I thought I should put it on here too!!)

One Day Left :(

My family brought me home cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me, and said I was full of charm.

They played with me and laughed with me.
They showered me with toys.

I sure do love my family, especially the girls and boys.
The children loved to feed me, they gave me special treats.

They even let me sleep with them -- all snuggled in the sheets.
I used to go for walks, often several times a day.

They even fought to hold the leash, I'm very proud to say.
They used to laugh and praise me, when I played with that old shoe. But I didn't know the difference between the old ones and the new.

The kids and I would grab a rag, for hours we would tug.
So I thought I did the right thing when I chewed the bedroom rug

They said that I was out of control, and would have to live outside. This I did not understand, although I tried and tried.
The walks stopped, one by one; they said they hadn't time.

I wish that I could change things, I wish I knew my crime.
My life became so lonely, in the backyard on a chain.

I barked and barked all day long, to keep from going insane.
So they brought me to the shelter, but were embarrassed to say why.

They said I caused an allergy, and then kissed me goodbye.
If I'd only had some classes, as a little pup.
I wouldn't have been so hard to handle when I was all grown up.

"You only have one day left," I heard the worker say.
Does this mean a second chance?
Do I go home today......

Golwern Slate Mine (Blue Pool)

Some photos of the blue pool at Golwern Slate Mine.... Tia went loopy, running around and being generally crazy, surprised she never fell in..... kinda glad she didn't since I'd have probably had to go in an save her!!

Tia on left, Frankie on right

"where they going?"

Tia off to see what Frankie & Diesel are up to

Tia on mad run back to mummy

Loopy dog

Nearly there, Diesel in background wishing he could chase her

The tunnel into the quarry

Can't see the bottom, it carries on beyond