Holiday photos

Monday Photo Shoot.

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:28:59 GMT

We've got some fine, summery skies here these last few days, which inspired this week's Photo Shoot:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Capture something in flight. Birds, insects, planes, bats, whatever -- if it's getting around in the skies, it's fair game for this photo shoot.

Here's mine, a bi-plane over Brighton during the London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally and a heron taking off in a bayou just outside New Orleans.

Photos of China.

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:29:43 GMT

These are a little late in being posted. As all of you who read my other journal know I visited China in November/December last year. It was very cold, below freezing in fact, but very beautiful. I went to Shanghai, Beijing and Xian. We visited the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, saw a performance at the Peking opera, visited the Summer Palace, Tiannemen Square, the Wild Goose Pagoda, the Temple of Heaven, the Ming Tombs and more Buddhist temples than you could shake a stick at!
I've added some photos above. I took over 1,500 but I'll let you off seeing all of them!
I hope you like the selection I picked out to show you, I'm surprised AOL would download them, so many of you have been having trouble getting the pics on journals recently.

Photo Scavenger Hunt #93

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:38:22 GMT

Photo Scavenger Hunt #93

Photo Scavenger Hunt #93 will be due on Sunday. October 22, at 11:00 PM EST.

The subject this week is: "broken, torn, or run-down"

To play take some photos of the given subject and leave a link to your entry at Val's journal. Val has very kindly been looking after the Photo Hunt since Krissy has been spending her time looking after John.
I had to have a forage through my old entries for this subject. I only seem to take pics of nice looking things.... pretty coloured trees, cats and scenery. I found a few run down things though!
The first is the West Pier, the only Grade 1 listed pier in the country which took a severe battering from storms and arson attacks leaving it fit only as a roost for gulls and other birds.

The second is a pair of old petrol (gas) pumps that I found at Stanmer Park this summer. They were part of the museum exhibits. I vaguely remember pumps like these, just shows how old I'm getting!

Next is an old tractor I saw at Morse Maple Syrup Farm in Vermont last year, I definitely remember seeing farmhands out on these when I was young!

Last is a very old plough also at the maple syrup farm. These old farm tools are quite a work of art!

Have a good week!

Photo Scavenger Hunt #92.

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 22:57:46 GMT

Photo Scavenger Hunt #92 will be due on Sunday. October 15, at 11:00 PM EST.

The subject this week is: "Trees, leaves, and anything changing!"

It's time for the Photo Scavenger Hunt hosted by Val who's looking after it till Krissy is ready to take it back.
I'm putting on some more photos of New England this week ( Just how many did I take?! )
The fall colours are absolutely exquisite there, it really is better in real life than any publicity photos. So, with no more ado here's my entry.

Photo Scavenger Hunt #91

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 23:48:57 GMT

It's photo scavenger hunt time again.

This weeks subject is Sunsets and sunrises or the sky in general. I don't get to see the sunrise but as my flat faces west I do get a great view of the sun setting. Just lately we've had the tail end of a few tropical storms which produce great clouds that make the sunset good viewing.
Thesae are my selection for the hunt this week, hope you like them!
Thank you Donna for the appropiate signature tag!

Photo Scavenger Hunt #90

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:58:48 GMT

Photo Scavenger Hunt #90 will be due on Sunday, October 1, at 11:00 PM EST.

The subject this week is: "Autumn"

Interpret this any way you like and have fun!

Oh! This one's easy! I just have to go back to my New England pics for this! It was great sharing fall with the people up in New England last year, such a wonderful place with spectacular scenery. Riding up mountains in cable cars, going to the top of the Olympic ski jump in a chair lift, visiting maple syrup farms, whale watching off Cape Cod! It was all such fun and I came home with lots of pics and memories.
Here are a few of the photos I've picked to share with you.

The third one was taken at Dollywood the year before last but I thought I'd include it as it was the fall when I was there and I love pumpkins too!

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:22:29 GMT

Photo Scavenger Hunt #89.

Photo Scavenger Hunt #89 will be due on Sunday, September 24, at 11:00 PM EST.

Once again I'm playing Krissy's Photo Scavenger Hunt. I looked through past photos I've taken to see what I clas as my favourite things. Here are but a few!

Firstly there's flowers, these I took at Leonardslee Gardens in May this year.

Second is the season of autumn which is coming up fast! I took this photo in New England last year.

This I took as we crossed Lake Winnepasaukee in New Hampshire.

My next favourite thing is Yellowstone Park, Wyoming. The geysers and lakes were awe inspiring!

I also love the beach, I think this one in Province Town was so pretty!

On the same subject, I loved Tunnels beach on Kauai, one of the Hawaiian islands. Funny how beaches differ, this one was the setting for the film South Pacific, it was so peaceful.

Another tranquil beach I found was in Borneo, this was at Turtle Island, a beautiful place!

If I'm not on a beach one of my favourite things is to go for boat rides, this was at Cape Cod last autumn.

Stillm on a water theme I love waterfalls, this was one I took in March at Iguassu Falls, Brazil.

And I couldn't really finish this entry without putting in my very favourite things could I?! Nina and Katinka!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my favourite things, I have many more but my mind has gone blank!

Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 12:25:00 GMT

Val's Photo hunt this week is a special one- Gifts for Krissy and John.
My gifts are rhodedendrons and Maine Coons. I know Krissy and John love Maine Coons, their Mr Michael is a beautiful brown tabby MC.

In memory of Moira Smith.

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:46:23 GMT

This graphic shows all those lost on September 11th 2001.

For the 9/11 tribute I was assigned Moira Smith, a young New York police woman. Moira was born Moira Reddy on the 14th February 1963 in Brooklyn New York, her parents were Irish emigrants. She was a popular girl at school where everybody remembered her infectious laughter. She loved sports and when she left school worked in the travel industry where she could indulge in her love of travelling and seeing new places.
Moira joined the New York Police Department on July 11th 1988 working in the Transit Police Department before transferring to 13th Precinct in March 1996. She met her future husband James, also a New York police officer while working in the transit department. They were both avid sports fans, their first date on Valentine's day 1992 was spent at a New York Rangers game. James has said they both fell in love that day, he with her and her with one of the New York Rangers players! Moira and James married in May 1998. They enjoyed holidays together running with bulls in Spain and riding camels in North Africa. Their lives were made complete in July 1999 when their daughter Patricia was born.

Moira had led an exemplary life in the police force, receiving the Distinguished Duty Medal for her part in a rescue operation when a subway train derailed on August 28th 1991 killing five people and injuring 200 passengers. Moira worked through the night in appalling conditions to rescue people. Three years later she was in the news again when a bomb exploded in a subway car at Fulton Street, again she worked to rescue several people.
On September 11th 2001 Moira was miles away from the WTC when she saw smoke rising from the towers, she was one of the first to radio in and report it. She had no need to go there but being the person she was she got there as quickly as possible to help in the rescue. The photo above shows her leading an injured man out from the site and the last time she was seen was inside the towers by the escalator. She was shepherding the workers out, telling them not to look at the carnage around them, just to get out as quickly as possible. The tower then collapsed burying Moira, her police officer partner Robert Fazio and many others in the rubble.
Moira's body wasn't found until March 2002, there had been a memorial service in February for her at St Patrick's Cathedral, her funeral service was held the following month at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Queens village.

Seventy one law enforcement officers were killed that day, Moira was the only female officer to lose her life. She was only the second female officer of NYPD to be killed in the line of duty.
Moira was posthumously awarded the NYPD's Medal Of Honor, the highest award for bravery. A ferry has also been named after her and runs between pier 11, the Brooklyn piers and the East 90th Street dock.
I know her family miss her terribly, may she rest in peace and watch over them as the angel she was on earth and is in heaven.

It's been a great honour to write about Moira, albeit a very sad one. Let's never forget all of the brave people that gave their lives, we lost a lot of heroes on that day.

When tomorrow starts without me
And I'm not there to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today
While thinking of the many things
We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me
As much as I love you
And each time that you think of me
I know you'll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand
That an angel came and called my name
And took me by the hand
And said my place was ready
In heaven far above
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But when I walked through heaven's gates
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me
From his great golden throne
He said, "this is eternity
And all I've promised you"
Today your life on earth is past
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow
For today will always last
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.
So when tomorrow starts without me
Don't think we're apart
For every time you think of me
I'm right here in your heart

Krissy's Photo Scavenger Hunt #86.

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 14:06:24 GMT

Here's my entry for Krissy's Photo Scavenger Hunt#86.
The subject was A photo of your choice. This can be anything old or new.
I decided to put on a photo of a Peruvian Indian lady I took in Cusco, Peru in March. I loved how she looked when she didn't know I was taking the photo, it was just so natural!
The other two are of Nina and one of Katinka, she was six months old and had just been spayed, hence the big chunk out of her fur! I shall also post the same entry in to my photo journal so anyone can go over and look at the pics.
Entries have to be in by Sunday 6th August, 11pm EST. If you want to play post your pics in your journal then go over and leave Krissy a link to the entry.

With Thanks to Angela for my name tag today.