CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-06-17 20:31:17 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

Architecture

There is not much I am going to say about this photograph. The theme is architecture. Halifax airport.

#WeeklyPhotoProject2013 +Weekly Photo Project 2013 curated by +Andrew Willard , +Iain Harley and  +Tiina Niskanen
Week 24: Architecture

2013-06-17 01:30:21 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Announcement of Possible Retirement of the Daily Photography Themes Calendar

_EDIT: Looks like there is still room for the calendar, as it features themes, even the without pages, as the DPT G+ page does. So I will try to catch up and make sure it is up to date. It's good to know that some find it useful. Until the actual directory includes themes without pages, I will keep it going. _

Sometimes a great idea that is useful for a time comes to andend when a better solution is developed. In my opinion the DPT calendar is an example of precisely that. It was useful, if a bit clunky to implement. But then +Philip Daly and the team at +Daily Photography Themes  #dailyphotographythemes  came up with the G+ Photo Pages with its searchable functionality and bit by bit I began to see the calendar as redundant. I don't use it myself now, as the multi-themes page (seesec... more »

2013-06-15 13:57:59 (19 comments, 1 reshares, 63 +1s)

Our Squirrel Family Has Grown

As +Steven Kennard has been away all week it has fallen to me to do my best to introduce you to our young family.

I think there are three babies, but it is hard to get all three together (and in focus) in a single photograph as they move around so quickly. Here are two of them. I hope you enjoy our cute additions and that they help everyone to have a happy Squirrel Saturday!

Squirrel Saturday  curated by  the squirrelicious +Beth Blackwell +Skippy Sheeskin #SquirrelSaturday +Squirrel Saturday

2013-06-14 15:56:15 (25 comments, 4 reshares, 57 +1s)

Along With the Sunshine There's Got to be a Little Rain Sometimes

The few bright moments of the day yesterday found this peony about to burst the bonds of its protective cover. 

Wishing everyone a happy Friday and sunnier (and warmer) days ahead for those of us plunged back into cold damp weather. 

FloralFriday  curated by  +Tamara Pruessner +Beth Akerman +Eustace James +Kiki Nelson #floralfriday +FloralFriday
FLOWER POWER  curated by  +Edith Kukla #flowerpower +FLOWER POWER
FlowerFriday  curated by  +Angie Davila +FlowerFriday

2013-06-14 12:10:34 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

It took four years but I finally got it.

A rotating supercell. And not just a rotating supercell, but one with insane structure and amazing movement.

I've been visiting the Central Plains since 2010. Usually it's just for a day, or three, or two...but it took until the fourth attempt to actually find what I'd been looking for. And boy did we find it.

Read more at the video below!

2013-06-13 14:27:37 (18 comments, 4 reshares, 54 +1s)

Red Boat - Baxter's Harbour Rainy Day

Plus Post! Week #2

A trip down a little lane on a rainy and very dull afternoon brought me to this little bay. The red boat pulled in as I was setting up to take my photographs and was a perfect foil for the grey and muted colours. As you can see, the tide will rise quite high on those rocks up the side of the cliffs, as it does in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.  

This photograph was taken as part of a wonderful mentorship that I am currently participating in.  I was just delighted to be selected by +Sairam Sundaresan to be a part of his exciting program entitled "Storytelling Landscape Photography" which is a part of the greater +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers . When you see his own work you will see why I really wanted to learn at his virtual feet! It is certainly hard work and challenges me every dayto ... more »

2013-06-12 15:09:47 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 13 +1s)

My Blog Post on PetaPixel

2013-06-11 15:43:17 (23 comments, 2 reshares, 71 +1s)

Hummingbird Rescue Service

The only hummingbirds that are native to this part of the world are ruby throated. For a reason we have never fathomed, they frequently fly into +Steven Kennard's workshop and get confused (well who wouldn't?) so they can't find their way out. They fly around until they are tired, or Steven manages to direct them into a receptacle of sorts so that he can take them outside and release them. Or until, as in this case, they get entangled in a cobweb.

You can see from the size of them that a cobweb represents a serious fetter to them, like a chain might be to us. They do use cobwebs to build their nests, but in this case, an accidental blundering into one meant that his beak and legs were firmly wound with that deceptively strong web. Steven gently removed the webs from beak and legs, but this little male seemed almost too weakened by his... more »

2013-06-11 14:56:24 (19 comments, 1 reshares, 41 +1s)

Vapour Trail Blazer

A sunset on Long Beach, on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia frequently features jet trails. This one seemed to shatter the clouds as it passed through. No editing this photograph is straight out of the camera (SOOC) as it was taken.

Catching up from last week's #WeeklyPhotoProject2013 +Weekly Photo Project 2013 curated by +Andrew Willard , +Iain Harley and +Tiina Niskanen 
Week 23: Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC)

*******************************

#NovaScotia   #novascotialandscape   #bayoffundy   #canada  +Canada  #canadianlandscapes  

Also for Sea Tuesday  curated by  +Julia Anna Gospodarou #SeaTuesday +Sea Tuesday
Sea- & Lakescape Photos  curated by  +Robert SKREINER +Sea- & Lakescape Photos

Landscape Photography  curated by  +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul tbeard +David... more »

2013-06-11 12:13:15 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Profile Photo For Community Won't Stick

Has anyone found that in a community when they set a profile photo it won't stick? I am using Chrome browser.
I picked a photo and set the crop.
I click save.
I am given a notification that the profile photo has been set. I can see the image looking as it should, while in the edit page. I then click Save to set the changes.
The image is blank. When I click edit the profile again, the image is blank and the whole process starts again. No way to make it stick.

I have submitted feedback, but this still leaves a community looking rather barren with no profile photo.

This must be a new development as I have not had issues in the past.

Any help would be appreciated. Cheers!

Any Google employees please help out here, if you know what might be the issue.

2013-06-06 17:59:12 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

Then There Were Three

Well that was a pretty traumatic lunchtime live Peregrine Falcon watch!  

UPDATE

From the page feed: " Breaking news. We can confirm that the largest peregrine chick at Norwich Cathedral has successfully fledged and is sitting on the tower below looking a little surprised but fine. Parents are around and keeping an eye on it. "

So we have watched these four chicks pretty much since they hatched and developed into these lovely birds, almost ready to fledge, which should have happened in about a week from now. (http://upp.hawkandowl.org/norwich-peregrines/live-peregrine-web-cam-2013/) And then today, within seconds of turning on the live feed while we ate lunch, one of the chicks who was stretching on the ledge fell over backward! And disappeared. 

This is all written about on Twitter, which I really do notg... more »

2013-06-05 12:28:42 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 48 +1s)

Farm

2013-06-03 15:28:03 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Invitation to Follow Evergreen Theatre Page to Get Latest News and Ticket Giveaways!

This invitation is being sent out as a special one time notification to those in my NS circle.

As a special promotion,  we will be giving away a pair of tickets to the Christina Martin concert (concert date is Saturday June 8) on Thursday, June 6th, in the evening. Enter here by
1. Adding the page to your circles
2. Making a comment on the event page at this link telling us why you would like to win the tickets! https://plus.google.com/b/111979749634978499473/events/c9uja9dodb9app0p52eop7q8irk

The Evergreen Theatre, located in East Margaretsville, NS, is an intimate venue that is dedicated to bringing live performances (music, theatre, and dance) to the extended community of the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Performers come from within Canada and around the world.more »

2013-06-02 16:41:36 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

"So How Can You Tell Me You're Lonely, and Say For You That the Sun Don't Shine?"

Everyone sang this, including me, in the pubs, folk clubs etc. And often it was sung really badly. Here's the man singing it to remind us of the sun that we do have shining in our lives and how it is missing in the lives of so many.

2013-06-01 15:31:20 (22 comments, 1 reshares, 52 +1s)

Doing Time

The best place for this thieving squirrel is behind bars. Which is where he put himself. He loves the new squirrel feeder. It protects him from all those greedy big birds.

Wishing everyone a happy #squirrelsaturday  

Squirrel Saturday  curated by the squirrelicious  +Beth Blackwell and +Skippy Sheeskin #SquirrelSaturday +Squirrel Saturday

2013-06-01 13:29:00 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 66 +1s)

Hood Canal, WA

I've written up a detailed 'making of' article that runs from getting out of the car, to look at a nice view, to making the print.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/photo-tips/making_a_picture.html

2013-05-31 21:52:20 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 38 +1s)

Ain't it the Truth?

This week's theme for Black and White photography project is Technology. 

For various reasons, including another mentorship that I am taking part in, I have been working hard on other subjects in my photography. But not wanting to miss this week, I submit this from Leonard Cohen, taken in the car, obviously. Ain't technology grand? (When it works, that is!)

For Project 52 B&W
Week 22: Technology
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 
#leonardcohen  

2013-05-31 19:20:34 (17 comments, 4 reshares, 44 +1s)

Sun Setting Behind Farms in the Annapolis Valley

The Spring weather was warming the earth, though it was still pretty cold. The preparation and some planting has been done, so the rain was needed to make it all come to life again. The rain had passed and the sun came out just as it was setting, leaving behind a pale pink glow on the underbelly of these clouds, with the farm buildings nestled in just under the ridge.

Enjoy your #farmfriday  everyone for +Farm Friday curated by +Steven Kennard and myself +Ellie Kennard 

Landscape Photography  curated by  +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T #LandscapePhotography +Landscape Photography
Landscape Photos  curated by  +Robert SKREINER +Landscape Photos
#novascotialandscape  +Canada  #canada   #canadianlandscape  

2013-05-31 11:51:02 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 15 +1s)

Added photos to Peter's May Exhibition Event.

2013-05-31 11:40:43 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Yes!

2013-05-30 13:37:35 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

How Do We Link an Existing G+ Page With a Google Places For Business Listing?

I have a verified Google Places for Business  Account for the Evergreen Theatre whose G+ and Google account I manage ( the page listing from Google maps etc currently appears like so: https://plus.google.com/101197966308763433225/about?gl=CA&hl=en-CA ) I also have a Google+ Page +Evergreen Theatre   that I created for this theatre a while ago. How can I now link the two? Is there any way for the real theatre page that I manage to come up as the Google+ page when the business listing is accessed via map or business listing? They are both linked to my ID under my same email address (though the theatre's email address for contact differs,obviously) and both the page I created and the Google Places for business account have the same website which is verified on my created G+ Page.

I havesea... more »

2013-05-29 22:12:09 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Adobe's Message for Photographers Regarding the Creative Cloud

This is encouraging. Adobe is listening to feedback and is reacting. 

"...For photographers, we are looking at potential offerings that recognize the photography community – because it is so broad – has some unique needs..."

https://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/our-move-to-creative-cloud-an-update/
#adobe   #creativecloud   #adobeislistening   #photographers   #photoshop  

2013-05-28 00:16:45 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 55 +1s)

Falling Into the Lilac

The theme is motion and here we have some motion.  Lilacs in our garden against a cloudy sky.

#WeeklyPhotoProject2013 +Weekly Photo Project 2013 curated by +Andrew Willard , +Iain Harley and  +Tiina Niskanen
Week 21: Action / Motion

+SpringFeverTuesday  curated by  +Vesna Krnjic #SpringFeverTuesday

2013-05-24 13:15:09 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 39 +1s)

The Seagull Crop Looks Promising This Year

The gulls often look to me as if they are planted in rows and I frequently think the words of this title as I look at them. With the gulls in the field and the backdrop of the spring colours, with the hazy hills behind and the rain clouds above, it seemed a good share for one of our favourite themes (and the one we moderate) #farmfriday  curated by +Steven Kennard and myself +Ellie Kennard - +Farm Friday 

Happy Farm Friday everyone. I hope your crops are all bumper ones this year, whatever they are!

2013-05-24 12:02:09 (23 comments, 1 reshares, 59 +1s)

Curves of New Growth

Followers of #farmfriday  saw a photograph of the tractor preparing this ground a couple of weeks ago. New growth comes so quickly and here you can see the curved path traced by that tractor and in the planting. Taken (as so often) yesterday on the walk to the mailboxes. The pale growth stood out nicely against the dark damp ground.

Project 52 B&W
Week 21: Curves
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 

2013-05-21 18:29:15 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 37 +1s)

Sanding Before the Finishing Work on the Coffee Table

You see two portraits here, but today's feature is the one of Steven working in his workshop. (Google shows both photos equally, I can't help it.) He is doing finishing work on a coffee table in bird's eye maple. He has a wonderful eye for detail and is a master in a craft that is becoming rare in our world.

People At Work Monday  curated by  +Baki Karacay #PeopleAtWorkMonday +People At Work Monday
World of Work Wednesday  curated by  +Rick Castillo #WorldOfWorkWednesday +World of Work Wednesday
PortraitTuesday  curated by  +Laura Balc +Tana Teel #PortraitTuesday +PortraitTuesday

2013-05-20 20:16:20 (22 comments, 3 reshares, 66 +1s)

The Chickadees Eat The Crab Apple Blossoms

The crab apple tree right outside our bedroom window is the most beautiful I have ever seen it. I made photographs of the window view as it was over the past few days, completely full of pink and green for the contrasting colours theme this week.  It was a nuisance as I had to keep taking the screen in and out of the window. But when it came time to process it, I decided that a closeup would be better as the blossoms were almost too busy. So, even though it is raining today I went back upstairs, took the screen out (again) in the hopes of getting the blooms in closeup. Suddenly right in front of me appeared this wet chickadee. As he clung there, pulling the flowers to pieces, I made this portrait. Portrait of a vandal.

For #WeeklyPhotoProject2013 +Weekly Photo Project 2013 curated by +Andrew Willard , +Iain Harley and  +TiinaN... more »

2013-05-18 20:48:00 (17 comments, 18 reshares, 36 +1s)

Want to Know How to Share a Feature Image in an Album in the New Google+?

I am hoping that this will help some to see how the new album functionality can be used to share the image you want, which is in an album. This instructional series of images assumes that the images are already in the album. If they are not, upload the image(s) and DO NOT share at that point. From there, follow the directions given in this set of images. I hope it helps.

The instructions are in the Image titles, but will also be in the first comment for each one, as if you are on mobile you will not be able to read the image titles, I don't think.
#googleplustips   #googleplusphotos   #newgoogleplus   #googleplushelp  

+Google+ Help +Google+ +Google+ Helper 

2013-05-17 16:13:02 (27 comments, 0 reshares, 72 +1s)

Flowering Copper Beech Tree

I have lived here through 15 Springs and seen the copper beech tree growing and coming into leaf each year without, incredibly, ever noticing the absolutely beautiful flowers that it produces. The young red leaves frame them perfectly, too.

Enjoy your Friday everyone! 

Forest Friday  curated by  +Rudolf Vlček #ForestFriday +Forest Friday
FloralFriday  curated by  +Tamara Pruessner +Beth Akerman +Eustace James +Kiki Nelson #floralfriday +FloralFriday
FLOWER POWER  curated by  +Edith Kukla #flowerpower +FLOWER POWER
FlowerFriday  curated by  +Angie Davila +FlowerFriday

2013-05-17 15:11:08 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 43 +1s)

Framed

New kitchen windows at last! Framed is the theme for this week's Project 52 B&W. Not an earth shattering image by most estimations, but certainly makes a big change for us.

Project 52 B&W
Week 20: Framed 
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak 

2013-05-17 15:17:05 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

"Soley Soley" - Rays of Kindness Through the Gloom

It's been a rough week. Sometimes the things that get to us, such as illness, seem to be relentless. It's been that way for me this week. On top of that everywhere there have been constant attacks and complaints aimed at a couple of large corporations. Negativity drains us - certainly it drains me - and is counterproductive. It dulls creativity.

Through all the pain and gloom and misery has come some bright rays of kindness and love. Someone on G+ who knows who he is (Hugo), knowing that I was not well sent me a song that he says always helps him feel better when he needs it. And it did the trick, made me nostalgic (song is from 1971) and brought a smile to my face. And check out the great boots and the hotpants in this video! . So if you want a lift on your Friday, I present Soley Soley - Middle of the Road.... more »

2013-05-16 18:19:04 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 26 +1s)

Saucy Chocolate Pudding

Another chocolate cakey recipe following on my posting of last night. This is actually the dessert I made last night, although I posted about the 5 minute chocolate cake. So to make it right I wanted to post this recipe. I got it from a book I have had for 20 or 30 years so I have had to adapt it - the microwaves are far more powerful now than they were then. The chocolate sauce in mine also started to overspill the edges of the dish so I cooked it less long than directed and it also turned out fine.

So enjoy!

Ingredients
100 gm (4oz) plain flour
75 ml (5 level tablespoons) cocoa
10 ml (2 level teaspoons) baking powder
pinch of salt
275 gm (10 oz) soft brown sugar (I reduce the sugar by a couple of ounces as I am not a fan of very sweet desserts)
175 ml (6 fl oz) milk - I used Soy milk
30 ml (2... more »

2013-05-16 00:13:52 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 15 +1s)

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

My first posting in the new interface!

Shared for those needing an instant fix. Needs a bit of cream or maybe for the health freaks, yogourt. I like to add a bit of orange marmalade or something to it. Or some orange juice.

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk (I use Soy, you could use almond or rice milk instead of dairy)
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
a bit of something yummy in the way of liquid (tipple or fruit juice)
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and a drop or two of your favourite tipple, then mix again.more »

2013-05-15 12:14:06 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Birdforum.net Kowa Photography Competition

Just out of interest for the bird photographers I follow I thought you might like to see this Kowa competition if you don't know about it already. The prizes are exciting looking. Check the competition rules to see if you are happy with the conditions, of course. It would be wonderful if one of you won!

+Sumit Sen - and I have notified my bird photography circle - forgive the notification if it is not welcome. I do not do this except under unusual circumstances.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=250784

2013-05-15 00:43:06 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

An amazing display of self awareness that you don't often see in successful people.

2013-05-13 17:48:29 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 32 +1s)

Break in the Clouds

Yesterday evening when we were on our way into town, the light suddenly broke through the clouds over the red barn and fields of this farm. The week's theme is Sky and Clouds, both of which we have had in abundance, lately, but not often both together (either deep blue sky with no clouds, or flat grey clouds with no sky). So here we have the lovely greens of Spring again, the red prepared earth, with a promise of a brighter day ahead (promise fulfilled, by the way) today. The yellow 'crop' you see is a bright field filled with dandelions. Farm crops need rain in the right amount, specially at this time of year, to germinate the crops. So clouds are a welcome sight.

I have missed a couple of weeks for this project, so hope this makes up for it. A rural #novascotialandscape    #canadianlandscape  in +Canada 

#WeeklyPhotoProject2013+We... more »

2013-05-13 00:06:14 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here's Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World. Space Oddity

2013-05-12 12:25:34 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

Add Most Full Photoshop Functionality to Elements

For Windows users it sounds as if this might be a useful plugin (currently $40 for early adopters) to give a great feature set to Elements previously only found in the full PS version, at a fraction of the price.

If you need CMYK work, or 3D, or 16 bit editing, (which I do), then this is not for you... but otherwise it might bear looking at,

I have not tried this plugin and don't own Elements, but found out about it from +Cary Enoch Reinstein 's posting elsewhere. He references this article: https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/04/02/elementsxxl-plug-in-promises-photoshop-features-without-the-pricetag

2013-05-21 22:45:56 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 16 +1s)

Free Photography Editing Software Choices

For those wanting to explore the free alternatives for working with their photographs, here are some choices.

I have to say that I don't use any of them, so read the information do your own research. I use Lightroom and Photoshop myself. But these seem like a lot of good alternatives.

Another link here: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6648389507/10-photo-editing-programs-that-arent-photoshop

#software   #softwarelibre  

2013-05-11 15:39:42 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 44 +1s)

Always on the Watch

Checking to make sure that Joni is not in sight, this squirrel is always on the lookout. It never pays to relax her guard. She has no way of knowing that Joni has never in her life come near to catching a squirrel. I think, though, they both enjoy the thrill of the chase.

In celebration of Squirrel Saturday  curated by  +Beth Blackwell +Skippy Sheeskin #SquirrelSaturday +Squirrel Saturday

2013-05-11 10:29:15 (14 comments, 2 reshares, 38 +1s)

Spring Greens

Our Springs happen quickly. They are filled with an intense spurt of growth that happens all at once, as our growing season is short and the plants have to make early headway. What I love most about the Spring is the beautiful soft array of different greens. Set off by the red soil they really are the most wonderful sight. Once summer comes they become much darker and more uniform, with far less variation in the tones and shades.

 I posted a photograph of a tractor preparing the field in the foreground for our Farm Friday theme yesterday. Here you see it all prepared. This was taken on another walk to the mailbox. 

For #RuralSaturday  curated by  +*** #RuralSaturday +#RuralSaturday
Landscape Photography  curated by  +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T #LandscapePhotography+Lands... more »

2013-05-10 20:31:40 (16 comments, 4 reshares, 43 +1s)

Preparing the Fields

My neighbour was doing his spring ploughing, as I walked by to go to the mailboxes. I thought it was about time that I posted a farm related photograph for our own theme, of #farmfriday  +Farm Friday curated by myself, +Ellie Kennard and +Steven Kennard 

#novascotia   #novascotialandscape  

2013-05-10 15:18:43 (19 comments, 2 reshares, 43 +1s)

Magnolia Tentacles Pulled in a Pollinator

Right in the middle of these sea anemone-like tentacles is this little fly that I only saw when processing the photograph. It seems as if everything in the plant world needs insects. We might hate them at times but they are responsible for so much that we see around us, as well as what nourishes us.

I had processed this in B&W (theme being food as it is food for bees, or food for thought....) but posted a different image for that theme. This seemed to be more effective processed in monochrome anyway so I left it this way. #P52BW13   #P52BW13reject  

+In Praise of Polllinators  curated by  +Dusty Gedge #inpraiseofpollinators ++In Praise of Polllinators
FloralFriday  curated by  +Tamara Pruessner +Beth Akerman +Eustace James +Kiki Nelson #floralfriday +FloralFriday
FLOWER POWER  curated by  +Edith Kukla#flower... more »

2013-05-10 15:02:07 (34 comments, 2 reshares, 37 +1s)

Rhubarb Rhubarb Rhubarb

The theme this week is "Food" and although we don't eat the leaves, rhubarb is one of our favourite early fruits. This plant in the field next to us (our rhubarb, not our field) is just starting to grow. As I saw it this morning I thought of an amusing story from many years ago:

My brother was getting married, back in the 70's, in a Buddhist temple in London. Part of the ceremonies included a simple meal for the Tibetan monks and all the guests were asked to bring a food dish as a gift. The monks ate in a separate room to the rest of the guests. At one point, one of them came out and asked a question. The monks wanted to know what the delicious red cooked fruit was. "Rhubarb" was the answer. The messenger went back in and relayed this information. All was quiet for a moment, while this was processed. Then we all heard a general... more »

2013-05-10 10:59:09 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Nova Scotia Artists - Get Your Sharing the View Submissions in Now

We have some wonderful artists in Nova Scotia and now is the time for them to get in their submissions for this great project. Thinking of +Poppy Balser +Alan Bateman +Holly Carr +Ron Hayes  without going very far....

2013-05-09 20:14:20 (26 comments, 2 reshares, 52 +1s)

Sometimes Your Own Drive is the Most Inviting in the World

I was walking up my drive yesterday and saw this lovely splash of colour - pinks and whites in the magnolia tree, flanked with the bright yellow of the forsythia bushes against the backdrop of the soft green of the new maple leaves and deep blue of the sky. The scene was just so welcoming, especially so framed by the dark green of the evergreens.  Welcome to my home.



#close2home +Close2Home by +Brett Sivits +David Pond +Rebecca Johnson +Pia Raben  +Shaun Stewart +José Juan Escudero +Howard Weitzel +john adams
Landscape Photography ~   #landscapephotography  
Curator(s): +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman 
G+ Page: +Landscape Photography 
#landscapephotography +Landscape Photography by +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul tbeard ... more »

2013-05-08 18:42:13 (39 comments, 19 reshares, 93 +1s)

Magnolia Bloom

They last such a short time, these large waxy blooms edged with pink and they fill the air with an intoxicating fragrance which is almost overwhelming. The petals close protectively over the precious centres in the night and they take the punishment inflicted by frost and wind, preventing damage to the future seeds. On a warm sunny day they open generously to allow us to see these fronds, like anemone tentacles.

As soon as we get a good rain and a wind, the beauty of the flowers is blemished and we have to wait until next year to see the magnificence of these blooms again. 

Posting something I was inspired to photograph is more important to me than posting something to a theme that I don't feel. I couldn't fit this into symmetry and see no reason to, so apologies to the  #weeklyphotoproject2013  followers.

#pinkcircle +PinkCirc... more »

2013-05-06 19:44:52 (1 comments, 9 reshares, 14 +1s)

Is Your 'Other' Photo Site Creating Orphan Files of Your Work?

So check this out again and see how everyone stands up as far as preserving embedded metadata is concerned. Flickr is a surprise, at least to me. I should take ours down.
http://www.embeddedmetadata.org/social-media-test-results.php

And the reason you should be concerned is here, in case some have not seen it.
http://www.naturalexposures.com/corkboard/uk-gov-passes-instagram-act-all-your-pics-belong-to-everyone-now/

2013-05-04 10:59:46 (16 comments, 1 reshares, 55 +1s)

A Quiet Moment of Contemplation - the World Looks Pretty Good From Here

Time for a brief moment of rest between dog (and photog) chases. 

Happy Squirrel Saturday everyone!

So glad to share this with Squirrel Saturday curated by  +Beth Blackwell +Skippy Sheeskin #SquirrelSaturday +Squirrel Saturday

2013-05-03 19:18:59 (25 comments, 3 reshares, 61 +1s)

Old Tyme Trucking

Speed? Looks good, but speed is not of the essence for this particular vehicle. A friend has lovingly 'restored' this old truck and was visiting us the other day. Took this speedy shot for today's theme, which is 'Speed'. 

Project 52 B&W
Week 18: Speed
#P52BW13 | +Project 52 B&W 
Curated by +Tisha Craw, +Susan Porter, & +Lauri Novak