sunset

Six word Saturday

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A hope for peace and harmony

Each morning the beauty of the sky greets us

Each morning, the beauty of the sky awaits us

Unasked, the flowers turn their faces up to us

Unasked, the flowers turn their faces up

With all their shy beauty

With all their shy beauty

Flamboyance

Flamboyance

And delicacy

And delicacy

Each year they awaken and delight

Each year they awaken, to delight

Peeping out of their pots

Peeping out of their flowerpots

Or maybe we've brought them inside to enjoy

Or maybe we’ve brought some inside, to enjoy

Before the sun sets

Before the sun sets

With maybe just a hint of rain

With, maybe, just a hint of rain

And drains the colour from our world

Before the colour drains from our world

It is so simple, isn’t it?  So beautiful.

My wish for you at Easter is peace and love, with not too many raindrops. (and certainly no more snow for my Stateside friends!)

I almost forgot to link to Cate at Show My Face.  Even on Easter Saturday you can still share your six words.  Happy Easter!

 

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Just one last sunset!
Sea defences softened by sunset

Hartlepool sea defences, softened by the setting sun

All of my life I’ve been a diarist and a chronicler.  There’s nothing I like better than to tell a bit of a story.  And these days, to illustrate it with a photo or three.  How, and when, did it happen that my camera became an extension of my arm?  I don’t really know, but I do know that I love putting captions onto the images of my life.

So maybe it’s no surprise that, in blogging, I feel as if I’ve come home.  I’ve found an audience with whom I can share a smile (and the odd reflection).  I try to keep it light.  The world has enough sorrows.  But I’m happy to listen, to encourage, and to give and receive lots of hugs.  This walk around Hartlepool marina, as the sun sets, is my way of saying thank you, to all of you, for a wonderful year in your company.

I love the shape of the breakwater

I like the shape of our breakwater

Its arms stretch out in a great hug!

Its arms stretch out to the sea in a big hug!

The boatyard is gloriously backlit

The boatyard looks great, backlit by the sinking sun

And the Headland is within touching distance

And the Headland is just out of reach, in the distance.

The light just gilding St. Hilda's church

The light gently gilds St. Hilda’s church.

The boats are peaceful at their moorings

The boats are peaceful at their moorings.

But in the Hrabourmaster's Office, a surprise!

But who’s that, up by the Harbourmaster’s Office? He’s a surprise!

The boats are undisturbed by his presence

Those boats aren’t the least bit disturbed by his presence.

The deer seems to sniff the air

The deer seems to sniff the air

And then the sun goes, in a blaze of glory!

And then the sun sinks, in a blaze of glory!

This is the last Hartlepool sunset of 2013 that I’ll share with you.  On Thursday I’m up, well before the lark, and flying south to the Algarve.  Naturally the camera will be as excited as me, and we’ll do our best to bring you back some lovely images.

I hope the New Year will be kind to you, and thank you again, for sharing, and enriching, my world.

Six word Saturday

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Not enough week- too many challenges!

imagesCA3IIGP0So, I’m going to do “a challenge within a challenge”.

PINK! 

How boring, I thought!  That means girly things, flowers and sunsets.  But you know from last week that I love flowers and sunsets.  It’s two years this week since my first post and in all that time I’ve only done the CBBH Challenge four times, though I love Marianne’s work at East of Malaga.  Time to up the numbers!

Pretty pink, in Silves

Pretty pink wall, in Silves, the Algarve

This is the flower I keep seeing everywhere at the minute
Pink perfection, the hydrangea
Or it’s paler friend
This guy is just about finished in our garden
But there’s always plenty of pink shrubbery
Two shy little pinks
The subtlety of these tiny pinks with their protective berries
But for pure flamboyance!

Enough of the flowers.  How about some girly things?  As usual, click on any of the gallery photos for close ups and my cheery commentary.

Anyone got a birthday today?

Anyone got a birthday today?

Such a cute purse!
Sophisticated lipstick holder?
Little girls have such lovely choices these days!
And matching sneekers?
Are you a Minnie fan?
Pooh is gorgeous for tiny tots!
I guess I have to accept it- Winter’s coming

Which sunset to finish with?  That’s the question!

Do you like this one, reflected in the puddle?

Do you like this one, reflected in the puddle?

Or the drama of this one?

Or maybe the drama of this one?

Well, I guess that’s enough pink to complete this challenge, and hopefully entertain my Six word Saturday readers too.  Thanks, Cate, for double hostessing!

With her challenge, Marianne traditionally invites you to introduce two bloggers whose posts you have commented on in the past month.

I have been following Richard at A Bit of Culture since he started his blog, and long before that with his superb, informative articles on Simonseeks.  Go and say “hi” for me!

Having accepted that Christmas might just be around the corner, I thought you’d like to see Cath’s beautiful craftwork on Lizzie Rose Jewellery.  She likes Portugal too, so we’re bound to be friends.

Naturally, a pink logo to finish!  Don’t forget to visit East of Malaga.

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Six word Saturday

6ws-participating-in-bannerSAD victim? Trying not to be!

Sad cloudThis is the time of year I dread, so I’m taking every opportunity to revel in light, beauty and colour.

Is anything as beautiful as a sunset?

Is anything as beautiful as a sunset?

Ever changing moods but constant beauty.
Even when there’s a little rain
Follows the sunshine.
The glory of God washed all across the skies

And there’s always beauty to be found in flowers.  Click on an image and smile.

Be it a bouquet
The blush of a hydrangea
Ever lasting chrysanthemums
Or the perfection of a rosebud
And the pure flounce of a poppy.

So, no reason to be SAD yet awhile.  Share your thoughts with Cate at Six word Saturday.  It’s a friendly place.

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Thursday : Lingering look at windows, week 30
Window box outside the Queen Victoria pub in Durham

Window box outside the Victoria pub in Durham

I seem to have my English appreciation society head on firmly this week so I’m staying with the theme for my lingering look at windows.  On Friday evening I was in the city of Durham as the sun set.  Now there’s a place to be!  Mind you, the company and the wine were wonderful too.

Windows reflected in windows here!
The red and white theme seemed to be going on all along the street
Then I hit a patch of grey, traditional style cottages
I do like those red and white boxes though
And round the corner, brash modernity!
Durham University Library- brand, spanking new architecture
But it was a relief to return to something older

The sunset reflected beautifully for me in that last shot, then I was spellbound by the colours around the cathedral.

It was a good week for sunsets and I captured a couple in windows on our estate at home.

Such a dreamy sky
And then the crazy colours

You can’t get more quintessentially English than the village of Lealholm in North Yorkshire.  Every Summer they organise a Duck Race, and hundrerds of yellow plastic ducks are tipped off the bridge into the River Esk to race for it!  They were selling tickets when I was there last week.

One of the pretty little village shops in Lealholm

One of the pretty little village shops in Lealholm

That’s my English round up for this week.  What do you think?  Let’s get out into our English countryside while this nice weather lasts.

Many thanks to Dawn at Lingering Visions for being our lovely hostess for this challenge.  Do you have some windows you’d like to share?  Just follow the link.

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Flying south, but not for long

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Just a week, in Tavira.  What will I find this trip?

Maybe a little local festival

Maybe, a little local festival?

Certainly a few walks, clifftop or otherwise (can you see the pirate ship?)

Certainly a few walks, clifftop or otherwise (can you see the pirate ship?)

Absolutely some apple blossom

Absolutely some apple blossom

Familiar steps

Familiar steps, leading up to the castle

Some winter flowers in the castle gardens

Some winter flowers in the castle gardens

The drama of those cliffs

The drama of those cliffs

My much loved hibiscus plants

My much loved hibiscus plants

And a sunset or two over the tracks

And a sunset or two over the tracks, as we walk down into town

When I return it’s just days to my daughter’s wedding and I can feel the excitement rising now.  I hope to find a minute or two to post a few pics, but otherwise you know there’ll be a wedding bonanza coming up.

Many thanks to Cate at Show My Face for being our genial lady hostess.  Click on the link or the header to see how you can join in.  The button below will take you to my previous Six word Saturdays.

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Sunrise

Sunrise…

Sunset…

Sunrise…

Sunset…

And all of the precious moments in between.

  

I’m rising to Jakesprinter’s Challenge, Sunrise, this morning.  Just let me fetch another cup of coffee and I’ll be fine.

There now, that’s much better.  I do love that moment when the sun peeps breathtakingly over the horizon, though I’m usually tiptoeing around trying not to wake the other half.

Now we’re awake there’s just time to wander through the other entries for Jake’s challenge this week.  It’s always a source of inspiration.  Many thanks to Jake for hosting this event.  Are you going to join in?