Daily photo challenge round up (week 3)

It's amazing but I'm out and about hiking this Friday with Andrew again (he's taking a holiday day to capture this amazing weather) and thus I will be taking my photo for today ('T') whilst doing that. I'll have to do another updated post 😄

Also, and this shows what an idiot I am... I forgot to share with you my triumphant return to the allotment last Saturday! I understand if you "tut" at me but I will make reparations and fill you in soon. I shall tease you by adding that we had a great wee harvest and the place looked, umm, memorable.

Anyway the weekly round up in association with Fat Mum Slim,will wait for no-one!

N is for Namaste, friend

O is for Organ in a church in Ballycastle

P is for Pink Petals and Penpal letters

Q is for Quintessentially Toby. He loves a darn good nap in his cosy bed but pick up a camera and that eye opens instantly! 

R is for Rich Radiant Red Boston ivy in the back garden. A stunner already 🍁

S is for Skull. in this case a badger's skull.

T?

The Carntogher History Trail

"Carrie, thy name is Vanity!" I rebuked myself out loud...

Why was I was wearing foundation on my face whilst out hill-walking? That's not me. Dear friend, lashings of factor 50 was what I needed on this gorgeous and sweaty day. But then I only realised that when we were half way up this strenuous mountain climb battling through waist high flax and bog.

OK, it was actually just a gorgeous big hill with some dodgy mucky areas, then an old cobbled carriage road under foot; perfect for my first hike in months. It was just that the sun was blazing, there was no shade and my hip hurt...

Welcome to the Carntogher area near Maghera (County Londonderry), a very important archaeological and environmental area with the best ever views of our wonderful countryside. The walks there are signposted by a local group called 'An Carn' and facilitate 'a greater understanding of our past and [tracing] man's impact on the local environment from the neolithic period to the present day.'
(Their logo is also in the shape of the hill we climbed :))

All was flat as we started our ascent

Getting right up to the top and looking back

A a bronze age cyst on the way down :)

Gorgeous old farms and abandoned farm houses along the way

Very quiet country roads for miles

Love and hugs
Carrie

Daily photo challenge round up (week 2) UPDATED

Thank you for your comments you gorgeous people - I do so love you and feel well and truly welcomed back  to the blogging world - *hugs* I will get around to reading all your posts very soon!

I'm off on an adventure with Andrew today looking at some important archaeological sites; he was going for work and I asked to come along. So, my Friday photo will be taken whilst I'm out hiking I'm hoping.

So here we go with this the letter prompts for this week G to M 😀. Thanks as always go to the fabulous Australian Fat Mum Slim.

G is for Gorgeous dark Grey stones in my new birthday bangle. (Plus a Gorgeous rose!)

 H is for..Heather in bloom up in the wilds of the Causeway Coast.

I is for Incense

J is for jigsaw!

K could only be for Knitted. I knitted this person when I was a kid and they have guarded my books gallantly ever since.

L is for Lichens and Leaves on the forest floor.

M is for moss. I love moss

Love and hugs

Carrie x

A new start and weekly photo challenge round up (week 1)

Sometimes my intentions aren't easily converted onto actions. I struggle with myself and the things I want to do are foremost in my mind but simply won't come to fruition.

I've had photographer's block and writer's block; that is, 'bloggers block' for a very long time now. So long that for me writing even this is like pulling my own teeth.

I shall just get this awkwardness over with and say "Hello dear friend, I'm back!"

I'm starting up with the weekly Friday 'daily photo review' again. If you remember I joined up with the fabulous Fat Mum Slim last year, doing her prompts for daily photography inspiration (I did a total of 27 weeks running)along with hundreds of other people all over the world.

This month we are doing the alphabet to begin with so....

A is for Advertising

B - Box of Belgian Chocolates.

 C is for Coffee beans

D is for Diana F+ 😁

I haven't used this and I ought to, shame on me.

E is for Elephant and rather extravagant one too.

F is for Ferns in the Forest.
Beautiful Glenarm forest last Sunday

Hugs and love

Carrie

My grandfather's brush

You know the old saying, that you're still using your grandfathers yard brush; it's just had the handle replaced 5 times and 7 new heads. I love that and but it's slowly happening to my camera! There's a little story....

I've been away for some time now and first it was illness, then it was a walking holiday and then serious mental illness upon return which has yet to calm down (to be brutally honest).

Let me say Cumbria is a spectacular place, a haven on earth and I encourage you to get there and hike!

Whilst we were there there was an accident with my camera in that someone (not me) thought they'd carry it for me and unbuckled it from my backpack without a word...it then bounced off the ground, rolled off a hill edge and landed in a rocky stream. Equals busted camera LCD screen and a very shocked and sad me. Plus an eternally sorry ginger haired husband.

So I recently received a new Sony a6000 body and add that to my replacement Sony a6000 kit lens last winter and 'my camera' is still as good as new. Lordy please let that be the end pf the accidents.

Anyway, first outing with said camera happened yesterday when I made my triumphant return to the allotment. Yep, haven't been near the place since the last post.

It was a jungle! There be monsters in there for sure, but with Toby on our team how could we fail to be victorious?

Before

After

Oh those photos aren't quite right, I need to tweak by settings on the new camera body *blush*

Let's talk mismanagement and neglect....
* The garlic died back - there is not one single plant
* The leeks bolted, every single one
* The peas look quite sad

But - the spuds are going great, the broad beans look super healthy and though I couldn't get as far down the weed choked paths to see them, I am assured the apples are lovely (need thinning though).

There was torrential rain which stopped play but we did quite well really. Recently its been touch and go as to whether we continued at all but we're more positive now. Andrew even went back later on Sunday night and planted out some things (squashes and peas?)

For now I leave you with a big hug
Carrie  xx