PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT and THROUGH MY LENS (29 FEB)

I put these photographs i took in Costa Rica into draft when I arrived back from that trip over a week ago but did not write it up at the time.  Then my laptop stopped and I STiILL have not got it back!  However I do have the words for Photo Scavenger Hunt in this order and hopefully you can work them out.   

Green, 2, Cool, Somewhere you went, Up, Frame, From a low angle, On the shelf, Writing,  Inside, Line and Shape.  

I am linking with Photo Scavenger Hunt and Through My Lens.
Thanks for your visit and all your comments.

The bird above is the Orange - chinned Parakeet and below are the Blue- gray Tanager.

SUNDAYTHOUGHT

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6:31

Photographed in Donegal, Ireland

Many thanks for visiting also to all those who leave comments.

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Dog at the Bangor Walled Garden, County Down

As my laptop is still out of action I discovered this post that I made last November in draft when I visited Bangor Walled Garden, County Down, Northern Ireland and was there to photograph the flowers and vegetables.  However, I could not resist photographing these four dogs and their owners were very helpful in assisting me. Let the dogs speak!  

Yes I have been playing in the mud and loving it!

You want a side view?

Now this is my buddy, he lives with me, well I suppose I really live with him as he is much older than me.

I have a pink lead because I am a girl, buddy has a more masculine blue one.

Oh I see another dog over there, wonder can I go and play with him?

Is this photo session ever going to end, I wonder?

Now if I roll on the grass enough and get all this dirt off, I might not have to have a bath!

Watch and learn Pup, this is how to make a good pose.  

What's that lady?  Ah you are going for coffee.  Well two of my other friends are over there.  See you around!

Ok, I know I’m cute, everyone loves me.

See, I have the wet nose just so you tell I am healthy.

I'm a bit spoiled, Mama allows me to sit on her knee but I’m not complaining.

Now I know I am not allowed on the table but I cannot see you photographing my friend from my Mama's knee!

You want to take my photograph? 

No one ever does when my cute friend is around.  

I'd be honoured.

I will lie down so you get me all in.

Two head shots lady and then we have to go but I appreciated my photo being taken.  See you next time in the gardens. 

I hope you enjoyed all the dogs and their chat.

I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Many thanks for visiting and also to those who leave comments.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS - South Africa

If you saw yesterday’s post you will realise that this was the car my friends and I were in when we had to stop to let Elephants cross the road just before we entered Kruger National Park. I have added the video at the end of this post in case you missed it yesterday.

I am linking this post with WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Many thanks for visiting and also to all those who leave comments.

GOOD FENCES - Elephants at entrance to Kruger National Park, South Africa

You cannot imagine how excited my friends and I were as we approached Kruger National Park when we saw a herd of Elephants crossing the road in front of us.  I have a video at the end of this post to show you this.

CLICK HERE if the video does not appear.

I am linking this post with GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for visiting and also to all those who leave comments.

Elephants in South Africa

These are Elephants we came across just before entering Kruger National Park.  My laptop has decided not to work and I am hoping that can be rectified ASAP, for if not, after Friday posts may be suspended for a while!  Thanks for your visit and all your comments.

If the video does not appear below, CLICK HERE

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY and GOOD FENCES - South Africa

This is a bird I photographed when my friends and I stopped for a picnic before reaching Kruger National Park, South Africa.   It is a Common Fiscal.

Common Fiscal

21–23 cm

A common black-and-white shrike of open country; often goes by the local name of ‘jackie hangman' from its habit of catching prey on thorn ‘larders'.   Resembles Fiscal Flycatcher, but tail is longer and is white-edged (not white in panels); bill heavier and stance more squat. In most races, female has chestnut flanks. Juv. is greyish brown, with fine dark bars on its head, back and flanks.

Voice: Harsh, grating call ‘dwrrr-wrrrr'; song is melodious and jumbled, often with harsher notes and mimicry of other birds.  

Common resident in most open habitats, including parks and gardens. Solitary or in pairs, in permanent territories; often hunts from 

roadside fences and telephone wires.

I am linking this post with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY and GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for your visit and also to all those people who leave comments.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY and THROUGH MY LENS

• I am back from sunny Costa Rica and having travelled more than 24 hours although not without incident,  I arrived in Dublin very exhausted, missing my bus to Belfast by 30 seconds!  The next bus which should have arrived in 1 hour didn’t arrive for an hour and a half and I was half frozen in temperatures of 2 degrees C.  Once on the bus, I fell asleep and woke up the find this snow scene as I crossed into Northern Ireland.   I was truly back to the COLD.
• The rest of the shots below are from my trip to Kruger National Park in 2014. My laptop is broken and I cannot change my mistake on on IPad.  The geese are Egyptian, NOT Japonese.

This is a Red- billed Oxpecker who as a HELPER to the antelope gets rid of any parasites from its skin.

Now we do not use the word SILLIES in the UK and so I looked it up on Google and this is what it said - No Definition of 'sillies' found - It's still good as a Scrabble word though!

I thought this photograph of the 2 Japanese Geese were 2 SILLIES to walk so close to this Crocodile.

This is a photograph of my nursing friend Marie and myself when I STAGED the shot one morning early as the dawn broke in Kruger National Park.

A wonderful reminder of a fantastic holiday with 2 special friends.

This is a scene my friends and I overlooked in Kruger National Park as we watched animals and birds come down to the water to drink and bathe.  

Can you see the 2 Elephants in this shot?

I am showing you it JUST BECAUSE.

 I am linking this post with 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday and Through My Lens.

Thank you for visiting and also to all who leave comments.