A trip down memory lane

Today I put the final pages together for my brother’s 40th birthday photo book, it’s a little late but I’m sure he’ll love it, for all is ‘toughness’ he is really a big softy and extremely sentimental. My Mum rummaged through her suitcase of old photos and looking through them brought back some very funny (to me anyway) and heartwarming memories which I’d like to share with you.

The tent was a Christmas present and we decided to camp out in the backyard.

My muddy brother and I getting hosed off in the backyard, my Mum decided to photograph such a special moment and I was not happy.

My brother and a friend with their home made scarecrow, can’t remember whether it sat in the paddock or atop a bonfire.

My brother in Honolulu airport in 1992, we had to spend a few hours here waiting for a shuttle into the city.

My brother, cousin and I meeting a new foal for the first time.

My brother sleeping with Cecil the cat, Cecil loved making himself at home in our beds.

Scooter as a pup, he was the second dog we had as children.

Ready for school with my fluorescent pink bag.

My brother and I on the road from Christchurch to Wanaka

My brother and I in typical bad seventies fashion, I remember loving those boots.

Our old dog Missy having a bath in the wheelbarrow, she used to love rolling in stinky things.

With my cousins in the back of an old ute, cruising the family farm in New Zealand

Our pet cows: Caramel, Sweetie and Horrie

Enjoy your weekend

Travel theme: Paths

Today’s collection of images is motivated by the latest travel theme from Ailsa of Where’s My Backpack. Paths can take many shapes and forms: straight and narrow, long and winding, smooth or bumpy and it is the variety that makes life interesting although I notice most of my images of paths feature gardens and trees, wonder what that says about me

Eely Point Walk, a path that takes you around part of the scenic Lake Wanaka on the South Island of New Zealand

Autumn colour brightens the footpath in Wanaka, New Zealand

A few years before the earthquake that wreaked havoc in Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island, I walked through the lovely rose garden in the Botanic Gardens, Christchurch.

Sandy path over the dunes at Ruakaka Beach on New Zealand’s North Island

Rainforest walk at O’Reilly’s, Queensland

Take a relaxing stroll through the Botanic Gardens at Mt Tamborine in the hinterland of Queensland’s Gold Coast.

One of many paths between the beautiful gardens of Versaille and the elaborate palace.

View from above, Villa Monastero garden path, Varenna Lake Como

The path through the gardens of Villa Monastero on the edge of Lake Como, Varenna.

The Via dell’Amore as it winds its way between Riomaggiore and Manarola on the Cinque Terre

A walk through the park in San Gimignano, you can see two of the medieval towers in the background.

Umbrella Pines, Palatine Hill, Rome

Albert Park, Auckland

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Signs

Cee’s latest Fun Foto Challenge is all about signs this week and when travelling it is easy to find a variety of styles from the very elaborate to the functional and instructional type. One of my favourites from our travels in Europe is the ‘Slow down your on vacation’ sign, we spotted it in Assisi and we had been on the road for about 6 weeks and were feeling a little tired.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bridges

Phew! Just made it

I wanted to participate in the latest Fun Foto Challenge from Cee but had completely forgotten about it, the week has flown by and it is now almost 9pm on Friday night and surely the next challenge must be just around the corner. Photographing bridges is quite a common theme in my travel photography, from small rocky footbridges (wish I could find that photo) to large steel constructions and I know that should I ever return to these places then I will photograph them again, just can’t help myself.

Happy Friday!

Travel theme: Light

…and Ailsa at Where’s My Backpack says “let there be light!” for this week’s travel theme.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Which ways – Featuring steps or stairs

This week Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge focuses on steps or stairs and if there is one thing that we discovered on our trip to Europe was that there were plenty of stairs to climb.

Such a beautiful Autumn morning

This morning we are up early, before the sun rises and long before our two black doggies usually get out of bed. Outside the air is cool, inside the aroma of freshly brewed coffee motivates me to get moving and get dressed for a trip to the beach. You may well wonder why anyone would want to go to the beach while it is cold and dark, but with a beautiful day forecast we know the temperature will rise and it is a perfect time to practice my photography and capture a sunrise. Eventually excitement reaches the dogs and they happily sit on the back seat of the car with tongues out and the drool slowing dripping onto the console and window sill of the door. As we cross the bridge that takes us towards the beach they start to fidget as familiar smells and sounds reach them, both are itching to stretch their legs on the sand, splash about in the waves and maybe roll in something dead and smelly.

I set up my tripod in a couple of different spots, clicking away madly whilst the dogs take turns dashing across the sand, retrieving sticks and balls for my husband. Soon Maxi joins me for a rest, at her age there is less dashing and more strolling, she still loves to paddle in the surf and can never resist digging holes in the soft sand. Only one other photographer has joined me on the beach, we aren’t at the most picturesque spot on the coast nor the most popular place for surfing so for many there is probably no reason to venture onto the sand, camera in hand, but for me and our little family it is the perfect place.

Looking back I realise that I should have focused more on the clouds as the rays of sunlight peeked through, experimenting with capturing the motion of the waves and the reflections distracted me yet I am happy with these few images that I am sharing with you and hope that you will be too.

Travel theme: Benches

Thank goodness for travel themes and photo challenges, my travels and spare time have been quite limited of late so I’ve been taking inspiration from others to come up with content for my blog. Benches is the latest travel theme for photographs from Where’s my backpack? and I’ve managed to find a few suitable images to share.

The love seat, Via dell’Amore, Cinque Terre

Hubby relaxing in a park near the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Hubby napping after walking around Versaille all day

 

Bench seat in Varenna

Enjoying a beer on bench seats at the top of a mountain in Bavaria

Coffee in Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

Chillin’ in Amsterdam

Hubby resting on a park bench in the Boboli Gardens, Florence

Sensing a pattern? My dear Hubby loves travel but after being dragged from pillar to post wherever we went he needed some down time and who am I to complain, it allows me time to wander in peace and to also get some shots of him snoozing in some very amazing places

 

 

 

Travel theme: Pale

Embracing the pale in my travel photographs was an interesting activity, pale often has such negative connotations but seeing the beauty in pale is actually very easy, there is something so appealing about delicate white blooms, snow on a mountain and the lightness of colour as the sun sets and rises.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Circles and Curves

This week Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge focuses on circles and curves and instead of selecting all the photos from my archive of images I decided to seek out some circles and curves and take new photographs. My selection contains a mix of the old and new, some travel photos and some taken in our backyard or in someone else’s backyard.