Photo Scavenger Hunt : The First Link Up

Today is the first of the link ups for the Photography Scavenger hunt led by Mary-Lou. You can see the list of items to be found and photographed and the other participants if you click here. I have already made a head start on trying out a few of the items and you can have a look at these if you click on the label Photography Scavenger Hunt on the right hand side of this page.

I have made a start on No. 6 A pipe. These pipes are lined up at the back of the kitchen garden ready for use. Some look like they haven't been used for a while.

Up at the house there are some pretty fancy drain pipes all marked with the date.

I bet you don't have anything like that on your house!

I have also made a start on No. 8 Rust or Something Derelict. A wander round the farm seemed a good start. We don't keep much equipment that is now redundant but I did manage to take a few abstract rust pictures.

This is th cattle crush used to hold a cow while any care is given to them. Still in use but looking a bit rusty.

 Then there is the farmers' much loved Daihatsu. A real old work horse used for transporting items back and forth from the hen house. It's beginning to look a little worn and definitely a little rusty.

This large horse shoe from one of the farm's long gone working horses is hung above our old tack room. Hung carefully the correct way up not to let the good luck out!

Now I'm off to see what everyone else has found so don't forget to go and have a look.

Take Three Thursday: Domes Inside and Out

 The remit for Mary - Lou's Take Three Thursday is to post three photos that have come to one's attention and that all follow a theme. This week I have chosen one of the items on the list for the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I have chosen No. 13 A Dome.

 Yesterday I had a couple of spare hours in Cardiff while waiting for my daughter. I decided to head to The National Museum partly to get out of the heat, also because it is free but also because it's large range of exhibitions was sure to have something of interest. I spent a few moments admiring the exterior and the adjoining building which is the Cardiff City Hall. It soon became obvious that this was a good opportunity for a dome!

You may recall from yesterday that my camera has gone for a bit of a MOT so I only had my iPhone with me. I really am not very good at taking pictures with this but sometimes needs must! So taken with my iPhone are 3 buildings with domes in close proximity viewed from Cathays Park.

1. The ornate dome above Cardiiff City Hall topped with a sculpture of a Welsh dragon.

2. Cardiff National Museum with it plainer but still majestic dome.

3. Seen through the trees to the left of the City Hall are two domes which are part of Cardiff Crown Courts. I believe they are matching turrets.

Anyone who knows me will know that I find it hard to stick to the rules. Today I have 3 more domes for you. Inside Cardiff National Museum the interior is quite impressive. This view from the first floor gallery looking down on the foyer below the dome gives an indication of its grandness. This was the venue for a ball that my daughter recently attended.

Then here are the interiors of three domes within the museum.

1. The interior of the large dome.

2. and 3. Two domed windows at the museum.

The Sundial

I have taken photographs of the sundial at Tyntesfield before but on this visit it had been decorated with an array of flowers. This also could be a possibility for No. 22 A dial for the Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt.

Here are a few views of the dial.

From the seat behind.

Looking back from the kitchen garden.

A close up.

Made from Wood

My visit to Tyntesfield gave me the opportunity to make a start on one of the items that Mary Lou has put on her Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. She has kindly taken on the hunt this year and No.15 on the list is Something Crafted from Wood.

The old farm buildings at Tyntesfield that would have been Home Farm in it's heyday are now made into the Visitor centre. Close to the ticket office in the former farmyard are the premises of the Somerset Bodgers who work with the public making items from green wood that has been sourced on the estate. This character is one of their creations.

We made another discovery at one of the children's play areas where giant garden visitors created from wood adorn the area.

A slug.

Ladybird.

And snail.

The wonderful creations are being gently polished by the children as they play on them. It took me quite a while to take these pictures patiently waiting for children to move on!

A Chance Encounter with Bubbles

Yesterday my sister, mum and I visited my niece and great nephew. This is my sister in the garden. What do you suppose she is up to?

Although it may appear that she is practising ballet steps she is in fact chasing bubbles.

When my niece got out a giant bubble blower to deflect Theo from a moment of upset I was off to find my camera.

Item no. 2 in the Summer photo hunt is bubbles. I managed to catch a few.

What a lucky catch!

The question now is which one should I use?