Random Photo of the Day 19: Tobago

Tobago rainforest (after a violent storm), July 2005

The Gallery: Sparkle

Austria: Fuschl-am-See, near Salzburg, July 2007.

The evening of a stormy day, now still & warm. Relaxing with good company & good wine in the hotel’s lakeside bar / restaurant.

The Sun sinks slowly towards the jagged horizon formed by the nearby hills & mountains. Fishermen try their luck in the gathering dusk as a golden glow gradually fills the sky. The reflected sunlight turns the lake to liquid gold, sparkling like C-Beams glittering in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate*.

I need a holiday (sigh)

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Lots more sparkly photos & prose over at Tara Cain’s Gallery at Sticky Fingers: why not have a look

* film reference. Name it & you’ll have made a new friend 🙂

The Gallery: Black & White, (The Sequel)

Yes I know I ‘ve already made an entry this week to Tara Cain’s Black & White themed Gallery at Sticky Fingers!

It’s a really good one this week, not that they aren’t always, of course.

I’ve been looking at some of the brilliant entries there, & have been inspired to make another entry.

I have been assured, by the lady herself, no less, that it’s not cheating. Well, that it is, sort of, but it’s OK anyway. Very easy-going, is our Tara.

Because however there’s a prize though, I don’t want it considered for that. (As if!)

So here ’tis:

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I loved this photo when I took it, but turning it black & white gives it a whole new flavour again; really brings out the textures, shapes, patterns & reflections.

And, you know what? I’m not going to say what it is! That’s the main thing I love about it: it’s so abstract, yet the subject matter is entirely natural.

Maybe it’s completely obvious, & I’m just being annoying. Wouldn’t be the first time…

But I’d like to invite guesses as to exactly what, or even where, this is. Then I’ll tell you if you’re right or not. Eventually. Probably. 🙂

Why not check out the other entries to this week’s Gallery? They really are very good

The Gallery: Black & White

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These photo’s were taken in January this year, during the Big Freeze (obviously).

At midnight.

I took them, & many others in the garden that night,  on a standard point & shoot digital camera. Using only available light. There is *no* retouching, photoshopping, tweaking of any kind, apart from the watermark.

The light was Freakish. I don’t know if there was a full moon, or if the Council had turned all the street lights up just for a laugh, or if aliens were trying to see their way to a landing strip. Maybe the heavy snow was reflecting the moonlight, street lights & house lights, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’d never seen anything like it, nor have I since.

Very Spooky!

Creatures

My wife & I are not an ordinary couple, thankfully.

So when we married, we couldn’t see the point of just  honeymooning on a sunny beach. For a special time we wanted a special holiday!

So instead we did a cruise around the Galapagos Islands, spent a night in Lake Titicaca, climbed the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, then stayed in the Amazon Jungle.

I got mugged & had my wallet & passport stolen in Cuzco, had a nightmare getting a temporary passport from the bureaucrats in Lima, nearly missing my flight back, got very sick from the cold & the altitude in Titicaca such that I thought I’d have to pull out of the Inca Trail climb – but I wouldn’t change it for anything else! Absolutely loved it.

So when I saw Tara Cain’s Gallery theme this week was ‘Creatures’ I immediately thought of the Galapagos & the amazing wildlife we saw there.

I’m sorry, but I found it impossible to  select just 1 single image so here’s a few (click any image to enlarge):

2 Sally Lightfoot Crabs having a neighbourhood dispute

A Galapagos Finch: instrumental in Darwin formulating his Theory of Evolution

"So - have another branch dear - you would not believe what I heard from that Doris next door..." Coffee morning, Galapagos Tortoise-style

Pretty Flamingoes

A Magnificent Frigate Bird in flight

A friendly local Sea-Lion tries to tell the stupid tourists that they're going the wrong way

An 'iggy pile': Galapagos Marine Iguana huddling together for warmth

Albatross mating ritual

"What are you looking at?!" I think they're Falcons

Galapagos Land Iguana

An unknown bird (possibly a Finch) in flight

A Pelican surveying the seas, considering the vastness of the Universe & pondering the great mysteries of Life. Or maybe just looking for fish

Nesting male Magnificent Frigate Birds displaying to attract passing females

A Blue-Footed Booby

Booby chicks

And maybe the most amazing Creature of all:

I am Man; and I am being Silly