Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

Any-Colour Monochrome: Black & White Need Not Apply

My turn to host Leanne’s Monochrome Madness this week. I thought it would be fun to explore those shots which, by accident, design, or clever editing, are monochrome in any colour but black and white. Let’s go…

Winter scenes can often offer opportunities. The camera often seems to re-register those – to our eyes -crisp white snowy scenes to muted greens and blues.

Some years ago, this church in Bamberg took my eye, its doorway saints ravaged by the weather, and presenting to the world as olde-worlde sepia.

Sepia again. It was a sepia-ish sort of day when I spotted this young herring gull in Newcastle.

And this cherry blossom? I had an afternoon of blameless fun playing with the special effects on my camera.

One day – quite a few years ago now – my grandson and I enjoyed ourselves at the Horniman Museum, where a tent was in place bathing us in a range of different colours. Here William is in blue – and inevitably- red, because who knew that eventually, the shot would find its way into Becky’s Squares challenge #SimplyRed?

We’ll finish off in the natural world again.

I think this final shot just about squeezes under the wire as monochrome. What can you show us?

Six Words? A Hundred Word Saturday?

When I posted a version of the image above as part of Becky’s #SimplyRed challenge, no fewer than three readers suggested I issue a challenge of my own: to produce a piece of micro fiction based on that intriguing piece of graffiti. Who’s up for it? You three who suggested it? (You know who you are). I supppose I’ll have to too. 100 words maximum. I gather that this form of story telling is called a drabble. If you’re up for it – by this time next week, please….

As you can see, squared, it was impossible to display the entire cri de coeur in a single image.

Becky’s #SimplyRed.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday.

Indian Friday: In which Gwen is my Tour Leader for the Day. 

My diary, revived from my trip to India back in 2007. This second part details my solo travels during the last three weeks or so.

In which Gwen is my Tour Leader for the Day

Sunday 25th November.

Up, and early breakfast, then took the scooter to New Bus Stand to get the bus for Kumbakonam- the 1 ½ hour journey for 2 of us cost Rs. 30.

Kumbakonam, a not exactly enormous town, has 18 – eighteen – temples.  We saw 3.  The first, Sarangapani is dedicated to Vishnu, and boasts a temple elephant, who for a small sum, blessed us both.  We were much bothered by the monks and so on, but the carvings were magnificent and we did a little shopping too.  Lots of the statues are painted here, unlike those in Thanjavur.

Kumbeshwara, the Shiva temple, was exquisite, with very fine and detailed carving.

The Nageshwara temple was not unlike the first one.Then we went and watched some bronze casters at work using the lost wax technique, and Gwen nearly bought one.

But lunch called and a hard hunt eventually found us a not bad spit-and sawdust lunch.  Then the bus to Dharasuram.  Again, the temple here is superb.  Wonderful rows of miniature and not-so miniature sculptures,  But the pavings were so hot.  Really uncomfortable.  Because of course, on holy ground, our feet were bare.  It was great – we thought – that the sculpture was unpainted.  But talk about sculpture to excess! No surface was unadorned.

On the way back to the bus we came across a park: and this friendly bunch, thrilled that Gwen could chat to them in Tamil.

Our friends in Dharasuram

Then we hunted for the loo and caught a bus home.  We sat at the front, and Gwen saw someone be sick out of the window.  It was that sort of journey.

I’m sorry my entry for this busy day, full of new experiences, was so brief.  We went out for the evening (more about that next week) and I must just have been too tired to write more.

And I hope you worked out that my featured photo is today’s offering for #SimplyRed.

Pounding Round Parkrun

Every Saturday, my grandson and his dad walk up the road to Mountsfield Park, arriving by 9.00 o’clock sharp, to participate in Parkrun , one of the  1,342  5km. running events taking place simultaneosly, country-wide, every week.

Here he is, running not with his dad, but with an unknown individual who gets his 5 minutes of fame by sporting a bright red T shirt, especially for Becky’s #SimplyRed.