A day out

I have had a lovely day out, my neighbour and I have been to Cricklade, the town John & I moved to when we first came to Wiltshire, we lived there for 14 years and moved out in 1993, boy has it changed, it is so pretty at the moment because it is taking part in Britain in bloom and have really pulled to stops out.

We also found the shop that a lot of my scrapping friends have told me about a fantastic paper craft shop with so much stash in it we were both in our element. It wasn't there when I lived in the town and perhaps it's just as well I would always be in there I think.

Just a few more photos from Cricklade

because I wasn't into scrapbooking when I lived there I never really took much notice of the little things This is the clock on the Roman Catholic Church wall

Then we went on to Cirencester

and had lunch in The Mosaic Cafe really lovely meal and I came out of there feeling rather stuffed.

After looking at a few shops we made our way to the Museum and enjoyed a lovely hour in there taking several photos as well. Isn't it lovely when there is no restriction of people taking pictures.

I came back home tired but having enjoyed my day enormously

Nature's Calendar - River Thames

There is something so calming about a river

Explore - Colour

We are looking at colour today and see what colour does for us.

OK I love to wear Purple but I can't scrap in Purple, I can't work out why but I think it is that the colour is too strong for most photos, and even if you change the photos to black and white it still doesn't work as I would like.
I like to scrap in neutral colours and blends of one colour, I don't feel comfortable with bright clashing designs and colours.

I've also done the weekly challenge on UKScrappers, the criteria for this was to use blue or pink, old stash, different size or shape than usual and finally journalling

the poem is one I did today especially for this photo.
So elegantly he glides along, silently for he has no song to sing to us, but tranquillity he brings to a troubled breast.
As our eyes rest on his white feathered back, we nothing lack if we allow that peace to linger in our hearts
Whenever I write something like this I feel it hasn't come from me but that God has given me the words, this thrills me enormously and makes it extra special.

I've also done a basic layout to record Danny's favourite all consuming game.

Nature's Calendar - Water Fowl

As seen on the River Thames

Does anyone know what these birds are? I have never seen them before

JimJams Blogiversary Blog Hop

Hi Blog friends I am taking part in Jemma aka JimJams' Blogiversary (First year of blogging)Blog Hop. If you want to start from the very beginning please pop over to her place and follow her instructions.
I just love blog hops and especially if there is a puzzle to work out or something to find, which there is in this.
If you have reached me via Mel of I speak Melsh fame then you are already on the hop, if not then here is what is happening:-
Somewhere hidden in this post you will find a number, make a note of it. I think there may well be a prize in this somewhere for a lucky winner. Oh by the way there is a number missing and if you follow the hop right the way through you should be able to discover what it is, when you think you know what it is email it to Jemma

If you have trouble finding the number from my post I can assure you it is there, don't go round in circles looking for it or stamp your feet just look closely and you will find it.
I would like to share this page I've done. It is a single photo that I have split, mainly to get rid of some of the distracting background.
I took as my inspiration a page from Fruitysuet

Here is mine


oops I nearly forgot to give you then next port of call it's here at Mel's place  (the other Mel that is)

Trip up the river Thames to Windsor

Yesterday I had a good day. I went, with my neighbour and ladies from her church, on a boat trip up the river Thames from Maidenhead to Windsor.
So here are just a few photos taken from the river boat

Maidenhead starting point


A Brunel bridge that they said wouldn't stand for very long. Still here still strong


Rolf Harris's home On our return journey we saw him sitting in the garden shame I didn't have time to photograph him.


One of the two locks we passed through, I have been told that they keep the area around the locks in pristine condition and they do.


This bridge is called the Chinese bridge as it was put up by a Chinese couple who lost their son in that spot


The Race Course at Windsor


Nearing Windsor


and of course the Royal Swans are a must to photograph

Nature's Calendar - Swan at Windsor

Nature's Calendar - Seed hanging from a tree

It took some time to get a photo of these, I was on the bridge over the main road in town, with the camera on zoom and the light wasn't that good, most of my efforts were either not in focus or had movement blur, but patience paid off and I got this one

Photo Scavenger hunt - quirky observations - Digital Layout

I have three thing to talk about today so going to be a bit of a longer post than usual, hope you will keep going through to the end.
First of all I have some Graffiti art to share. These photos were not taken by me but by my neighbour who knew I wanted some for the scavenger hunt and saw them in Bristol yesterday.

although we don't seem to have any true graffiti art in Swindon we do have these boards which are a bit like graffiti and a bit like art and a bit like collage these are just 2 of the many that are around the town

and this amazing mosaic panel

I also see we have a proper greengrocers in the town centre, goodness we haven't had one of those for quite some time, and of course like all good greengrocers they hand write their price boards so I can cross that one off my list now

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I have been take photos around the town centre today and came across two things that made me smile.
One of the new shops have what appears to be artificial hedges in their entrance and this was perched on top of one of them.

and here is a face in an old weathered board

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Finally the digital page I did this evening

Nature's calendar - Damson

Nature's Calendar - Late evening sun

Explore - Old for new

I've been playing with a photo today to see what I could do. I did it all on Picnik



I did do a digital layout yesterday this was for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers.

Challenge criteria was to use a punch use numbers in the title and hidden journalling.
the first two were easy as I 'punch' the shape from a patterned paper and found a title that would include a number. The hidden journalling is on the tag that is tucked in behind the photo mat and on my programme I can draw it out and replace it again. I did take a video of the action but the quality is very poor as it is not possible to take very good photos off the computer screen.


I've just had a quick thought, It's great to be young yes, but as you get to be in the latter quarter of your life it's great to look back on how things have progressed, especially if you are able to keep abreast of modern technology.

Nature's Calendar - Sticky buds in flower

I don't know the correct name for this plant but when I saw it today it brought back a memory from childhood. We used to pick these buds and throw them at each other to see how many we could get to stick to our clothing. Our mothers must have despaired when it came to washing as there were always some we would miss when removing them.

OK looked up this plant and it is Burdock (of course I should have remembered)

Observation

Isn't it strange how we take the technology we have today for granted. I was looking to see what was around me that would trigger a train of thoughts. The obvious thing was my laptop of course.

Do you remember your very first computer? mine was a Vic 20

(photo courtesy of google)
I used to programme in games from a magazine then it was a case of making sure it worked properly there would always be little mistakes in the language that had to be corrected and that was the real fun of it. I was never interested in playing the games just imputing them. I even made up my own one once. Can anyone remember what the language was called?
My very first introduction to a computer, however, was in the early 1960s. I worked in a bank in the stationery department so was never allowed near the computer. It was enormous taking up a whole room of its own. Everyone who did work in that department had to wear white coats and cover there heads.
Prior to that of course there was the ticker-tape machines, but I didn't really know anything about them.
In the 1990s I worked for a small firm and taught myself to use their computer when it wasn't in use in the afternoon. It was a dinosaur really I thing a 650 but it did help me to find my way around. Later when Helen came back from Uni she brought her computer with her and I was able to get some tuition from her.
I fought shy of going on the internet for quite a while and even when I did eventually give way I wouldn't have broadband as I thought I would never use it enough to warrant the extra cost. So it was just dial up for me. Boy I just can't imagine not being on the internet now.
My latest toy on here is Skype, it means that Helen and I can talk most evenings as if we were together and of course it is good to see my grandsons and for them to see me.

Nature's Calendar - Red Blackberry