On the windowsill

 We recently rented a cottage in the country and I was surprised to see stuffed birds under glass again. It's something I distinctly remember from my childhood, hours spent studying stuffed foxes and dogs under glass.

chairs and a window

I had to search through some old photos to find something that would follow on from the previous post ( a beautiful chair and curtains, with a lovely widow behind).  I wanted to take a photo of a window but my windows here are not all that interesting. This photo was taken a few years ago-  wandering in an old part of Sydney- possibly looking for photo opportunities with Justine for our two takes project. 

I do love the reflection in the window, the weathered bricks and the pop of sunlight on leaves at the top. 

 

The perfect chair

 We went away to a hotel in Devon last week and I just wanted to take this chair and curtains home with me.

a sittiing spot

This verandah outside the Pilates studio that I go to has a perfect sunny spot for these chilly* mid winter days.  

*chilly for the cental coast of NSW, Australia :) (currently 16 degrees celcius)

 

Summer shadows

Summer in London with seats too hot to sit on
 

winter flowers

 Some white winter flowers with wet petals on the deck.

It's nice on a grey day to see some pops of light...

summer poppies

 Poppies are everywhere at the moment and they always make me smile

winter grey

I really love the silhouette of winter branches against a grey sky. It's beginning to get a bit chilly in my part of the world. 

 

Silhouettes

 I love how you can create silhouettes in the evening light.

Pinks and purples

The beautiful pinks and purple of the night sky in central Australia.

 

Spring

 My street is now full of cherry blossom and it goes so well with the pink door I pass on my walk most days

Seasons

In my part of the world it's mid autumn and leaves are starting to change and fall. Our temperatures are pretty mild so we don't get as much dramatic colour as a cooler climate but it's always good to see the seasons change.

 

Geraniums

 I love the smell of geranium leaves, crushing them in between your fingers and releasing that magical smell, pure heaven. 

smell the flowers

"You are only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry and be sure to smell the flowers along the way" - Walter Hagen 

Good advice for people and dogs.

 

Noticing

On my walks with Max around the neighbourhood I am constantly on the lookout for beauty in the ordinary and here a splash of orange and yellow can make all the difference. 

 

noticing

One thing I love about photography is that it helps me to focus on the present, to notice things and to stop.  On my walk the other day I  noticed this bedraggled pelican cleaning himself and drying out. Spending time in nature can be so grounding. 

 

The little things

 It's the little things in life that make you happy. Walking in the park with my dog Max (seen here in the photo). He potters along and I look at the water and the sunshine and feel content. 

cosy and content

Hygge is a feeling of cosiness and contentment - a state of being that many people would aspire to. This morning's version  of hygge is coffee at a van, situated in nature opposite a section of the national park. I went for a walk with a new friend and we had coffee afterwards. 

A lovely way to spend the morning.

 

A bit of hygge

 It is still very cold here in London and I like to dash into my local coffee shop and order a flat white and wait for my glasses to un fog after stepping in from the cold into the warmth.

lemon

Sliced lemon in some iced water, the perfect summer drink.

 

Winter colour

I seem to be always searching for colour in these winter months and luckily blood orange season here which does the trick perfectly.

Peek a boo

 A photo from a month or two ago- loving the trees and the shadows and the giraffe having a rest.

 There is something magical about the English countryside in the winter light at the moment. It's very cold but the light coming through the trees is wonderful. 

a bird's nest

I was hoping to post a new year photo with beautiful sunshine because it's summer in Australia and the weather initially had gotten off to a great start for 2025... most mornings we have been walking and swimming early at the beach. But the last few days it's been quite cool, windy and rainy. We woke up this morning to this bird's nest that was blown out of a tree. I'm pretty sure it belonged to a magpie family that moved on months ago but I'm always struck by the beauty and intricacy of a woven bird's nest. 

 

Happy New Year!

 January in London is looking like this, beautiful frost and snow predicted for tomorrow night