Postcard from Chelsea - One

This week for the first time ever my husband and I went to the Chelsea Flower Show . The primary reason of this, other than it was on my bucket list, was to get inspiration for planning our tiny courtyard garden (somehow it seems much more difficult to plan a small space than a large on as there is no room for mistakes). Naturally I took my camera as well.

The challenges of taking photos at Chelsea are immense. First there are the crowds which mean that you are lucky to get close enough to any of the exhibits to see them never mind photograph them. Then there is the fact that you can't spend half the day fiddling with your camera settings as you will (a) annoy those people jostling for position to view the gardens and (b) annoy your companion who is, after all, here to look at the gardens himself. If you then throw into the mix difficult lighting conditions around some of my favourite exhibits ,it seems a wonder that I took any pictures worth sharing at all! But here goes.

I'm going to start off by sharing one of my favourite gardens in the Fresh gardens category which represents the cutting edge of small concept gardens

This is the World Vision Garden inspired both by the beauty of the rice fields of Cambodia, and the fact that many children are existing on 2 bowls of rice a day. The golden rods represent the rice and the dark water the fear of hunger.

Other dangers lurk beneath the waters for those who work in the paddy fields and these are represented by bowls of cacti

Hope blooms in the garden too, represented by the Irises and other delicate flowers that are able to thrive, as Cambodia's children must.

This Garden appeals to me on multiple levels. I love the colour and the visual impact, but I also travelled to Cambodia a couple of years ago and visited Honour Village, a children's centre founded by a friend of mine. This foundation is doing much good work to help children and families in Cambodia.

New Discoveries

One of the great things about moving to a new place is discovering new things about the environment. Today we went for a country walk in the city and the possibility of doing this is one of the things I love about Salisbury.

We started off on familiar territory going through Elizabeth Gardens on our way to the industrial estate. There we followed a grassy track down the side of one of the units which led to the river. It was like entering another world, green peaceful and a million miles away from the industrial estate we left behind. During this part of our walk we only came across two other groups both walking in the opposite direction.

On the other side of the river were stunning views of the cathedral across the water meadows.

There were lots of wild flowers but my favourites were these yellow 'flags' or irises

Then there was the wildlife, families of geese with their goslings,

I love this one with mum (or dad) eating a fish,

A beautiful grey heron,

and last but not least an egret.

Across the river we entered a more wooded area where we spotted some magnificent fungi

Finally on the way back more views of the cathedral this time with sheep!

In all a fabulous country walk without leaving the city boundaries, or having to get into the car.

If you are in Salisbury and would like to try this walk it is detailed in the Salisbury & Wilton Walking map available from the Tourist Information Centre

Come walk with me to Shalfleet Quay

Sorry couldn't resist a bit of of rhyme! We were back on the Isle of Wight last weekend for the bank holiday and I have to say the weather wasn't great. On Sunday there was a sea mist which lingered all day but produced a beautiful soft light that complemented the emerging greens along the river

If I'm really honest though, I have to say I would have preferred blue skies and sunshine - still as the saying goes 'every cloud has a silver lining" and here you could also 'ride a white swan'

Further on there were hundreds of dandelion heads which when you look closely at them are amazing works of art whether viewed in colour

or black and white

As we neared the quay there was the odd splash of colour - a bright boat hull

and some coloured mooring floats reflected in the water

Then there is the little garden, virtually unchanged from when I was a child with a dilapidated shed

and some old caravans, which despite their unpromising exteriors are definitely in use in the summer

On the way back more colour was provided by this bright yellow litchen

and additional interest by a number of oyster catchers at the waters edge

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems”

— Rainer Maria Rilke

The Joy of Small things

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything”

— Aaron Siskind

Our house is a mess, we have the builders in - among other things they are putting in a new kitchen. Its all been very hectic hence the lack of posts. I've not really been out with my camera and inspiration has been a bit lacking!

Then I thought, what if in the middle of the builders chaos I went round the house with my camera and took pictures of things that brought me joy? So here you are - some of the things in my house that bring me joy!

This is a glass heart I bought while staying in St Ives, Cornwall. Each year my young son and I would travel to Cornwall to visit his godmother who had a flat in St Ives. These were always special times and the heart reminds me of them.

This bowl also comes from St Ives and was a 50th birthday present from the same friend.

I was very struck by the reflections and colours in this copper kettle, amazing how fairly mundane things repay close attention

and I love this heart, part of a string of lights from Ikea, against the ancient wood of our beams.

I love vibrant colours so this chest which allows my scarves to peep out is just perfect

This pink bird is one of a string of paper birds that hang in my studio

and finally this iridescent candle holder in my favourite pink

I'd love to know about the little things that bring you joy

A Sparkling moment Captured!

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky.”

— Tagore

On Monday I had to go to London for a meeting. I took the train from home and arrived back in Salisbury at around 4:45. While on the train I had become aware of the beautiful light and wondered if there would be a stunning sunset to see on the walk home from the station?

The Walk home takes me past Elizabeth Gardens, which run down to the water meadows, and as soon as I got there I realised the sunset was shaping up to be something quite special.

I was completely taken by the fact that I was still in the middle of the city, on a routine walk home, and all this beauty was unfolding around me as if I were in the middle of the countryside.

In the distance the trees were highlighted the ridge of the hill displaying their pink tips like ladies fans,

but what really caught my eye was the way in which the reeds were lit up by the setting sun

This effect intensified as the sun sank lower until everything was aglow

As I resumed my walk home after this short detour I really felt that I had captured one of life's 'sparking moments' Hope you found some this week too!

Class Outing

On Sunday my photography class had a field trip. We headed out to the coast at a place called Calshot which is right next to the Fawley oil refinery and also boasts an activities centre run by the local council.

In addition to these delights there are ships, wildlife, marshes, beach huts, and a host of other treasures. Our brief was Go Explore!

I started with the wildlife and was charmed to find this egret pottering about the base of the old castle before taking off to sit on the top.

There were also lots of Oyster Catchers enjoying the low tide

and it's a long time since I saw so many shells on a beach

As well as these natural wonders there was man-made detritus on the shore too, such as old tyres.

But I was getting chilly, maybe it was time to explore inside. Calshot was an airfield from 1913 to the 1960s and the activity centre is housed in the old aircraft hangers

The main attraction indoors from a photography point of view was the velodrome

I've never been inside a velodrome before. It was impressive! I still can't work out how they mange to stick to the walls

It also gave me a chance to practice panning

Back outside again I focused on the more industrial landscape

boats and chimneys

before ending up with a visit to the beach huts

verdict - cold but fun!

Settling In?

We have been in our new home for about 3 weeks now and are beginning to settle in a little. There is still loads to do, more boxes to unpack, decisions on where to place things to make, and and urgent need for more decluttering especially in the book department! All of this has meant that I haven't been out with my 'big' camera very much. Instead I have been taking opportunistic shots with my iPhone . In particular I have been taking sunrise shots from my bedroom window

The template here comes from the Project Life app which I am enjoying playing with as I make an effort to record our first year in Salisbury. I want to document the changes in our lives. We are walking more, for example, on an every day basis rather than having to take the car to get anywhere

Although we lived in lovely country before the walks directly from the house weren't that great, with a lot of shady lanes and gloomy woods when, in winter you want any sunshine that's going. So our first Sunday walk through town was a great success

While we are loving all this it does take time to settle in and begin to feel 'at home'. What is helping is small corners of the house that give a respite from the chaos of the rest and a sense of purpose to some of my outings. I captured this on Tuesday

As you can see I am somewhat addicted to using the waterloque and brushstrokes apps at the moment!

It will take a while to feel fully at home here - after all 33 years was a long time. But I see little glimmers as I place loved pieces of furniture and other objects in their new positions and think - yes that looks right! See you all soon.

New Year, New Life!

Well we made it, we are now living in Salisbury and our loving our new home. Though I have to say we will be loving it a whole lot more when we have unpacked all the boxes and can use the whole house properly. I didn't declutter nearly enough!

In between Christmas, which we spent with family in Kent, and New Year we have had some sparkling days so we played hooky from the packing cases and went for a walk.

At every corner there are wonderful views, many of the cathedral

But as usual I also like to concentrate on the detail as well as the big picture, the frosty tiles on the medieval roofs, unexpected angels, and frost encrusted walls with reeds behind looking as if they are covered in bronze.

The 'big picture' is often the cathedral, here with an already really blue sky made more vivid by the use of one of the Lightroom presets I downloaded in the pre-Christmas sales. The star discovery of the walk, however, was this tree outside one of the churches which was hung with silver balls which complemented its pink blossom.

Happy New Year to you all and enjoy your adventures in 2015

Time to Say 'Goodbye"

We now have just three more nights left in our home of 33 years. We are mostly packed up with just the bed, a sofa, a table and a couple of chairs to see us over the weekend. Plus of course my trusty Mac!

This has been a great house for us, and when I look back, what really stands out are the parties. We were pretty young when we first moved here and each year we would hold a summer party and invite everyone we knew. Later on we celebrated major birthdays and anniversaries and of course there were the children’s parties, usually themed in some way.

In the pre-teen years it was usual to go and do an activity before coming home for a barbecue

Over the years I came to realise that although I enjoyed the parties themselves, what I really loved was the planning and preparation. Although some items were bought in, we never used caterers and most things were home made. Of the early parties, the curry party for 100 was particularly memorable as someone managed to set fire to the stove (I’m still not sure how) but disaster was averted and the party carried on (not sure I would be so laid back about this now).

Then we come to the last parties, my husband's 60th in 2010, and the very last party, my son's 21st last year

So its goodbye to the dear old house, but taking so many happy memories forward into our new lives.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, or other festival you celebrate at this time of year, and a happy and peaceful 2015

NB apologies for the different size fonts Squarespace have changed their platform and I con't seem to change the font size and I just don't have time to work out how right now!

Of Sea and Ships

“Darwin may have been quite correct in his theory that man descended from the apes of the forest, but surely woman rose from the frothy sea, as resplendent as Aphrodite on her scalloped chariot”

— Margot Datz

We were at the Isle of Wight this weekend, still engaged in doing stuff for the move, switching furniture around between houses etc. Still I found time to take a few pictures in between all of the above.

We had to visit Newport to go to the DIY store and took a few moments to walk round the harbour to admire the birds

and the boats

I have recently joined some friends on a new Facebook group 'the Monochrome Explorers' so have been experimenting with all things back and white. This is one of my favourites

I like these ones of birds too, particularly the light patterns on the water

But when all's said and done my first love is colour - I've taken a picture of this particular hull before but I still love the rich colours and textures and couldn't resist trying again

Back home there was just time for a quick trip down to the beach before sunset. It was cold but worth it to see the kite surfer swooping and jumping

and the sunset reflecting on the beach cabin

All in all it was a good day for connecting with beauty

Garden Colour

“To-day I think
Only with scents, - scents dead leaves yield,
And bracken, and wild carrot’s seed,
And the square mustard field;

Odours that rise
When the spade wounds the root of tree,
Rose, currant, raspberry, or goutweed,
Rhubarb or celery;

The smoke’s smell, too,
Flowing from where a bonfire burns
The dead, the waste, the dangerous,
And all to sweetness turns.

It is enough
To smell, to crumble the dark earth,
While the robin sings over again
Sad songs of Autumn mirth.”

— Edward Thomas

Whilst autumn has arrived around here, its not really at full stretch in the countryside yet. The native trees are still to reveal themselves in their full glory and its early to be crunching leaves underfoot. In the garden, however, things are a bit different.

There are browns and golds, seed heads and sedums

pots hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

The colours are glorious, there are rich reds

and pinks

and things that shine

Whether naturally or with the intervention of man. Almost certainly our last autumn here I will savour every moment.

Head & Heart

As you may know I'm not posting very regularly at the moment, the reason is that this moving house business is all consuming. If all goes well (and with moving there are always plenty of things that can go wrong!) we might be in by Christmas, or maybe early January. There is really a panic inducing amount to do, we have lived in our current house so thirty-three years so you can imagine the amount of clutter we have collected!

I have recently started a photograpy course in Salisbury, the city we are moving to, which is around an hours drive from our current home. Our first assignment was to produce two pictures one illustrating where our heart is and the other where our head is.

This is what I am taking to class tomorrow night -

My head picture. This is attempting to illustrate that I am wearing way too many hats at present. Wife, mother, employee, project director to name but a few. I like the writing on the phrenology head as it references how much my head is buzzing with stuff, different projects, different lists, different agendas. I know it will get worse before it gets better, but it WILL be worth it! (I should perhaps also add that my husband is pretty busy too!)

This is my heart photo, I took it last week on a photo shoot with the class.

“the Cathedral was enlarged upwards between 1300 and 1320, by the incomparable tower and spire. This development was not unique to Salisbury – the cathedrals in London (old St Paul’s) and Lincoln both had taller spires, if only of timber and lead – but this one has proved the longest-lived, and since the late 16th century has been the tallest in England, standing at 404 ft/123m. ”

— http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/history/adding-spire

My heart has definitely moved to Salisbury and the cathedral, especially the spire, is the symbol of Salisbury. You can see it from almost everywhere in the city and it acts as a marker or guidepost in the city's life. I choose this photo because I liked the way the birds were juxtaposed with the spire and the black and white really draws attention to this, although I also like the coloured version with the evening sun turning the stone a glorious gold

While I'm here I can't resist adding a picture of the chapter house from the cloisters. This magnificent building houses one of the 4 surviving originals of the Magna Carta

“Magna Carta is famous as a symbol of justice, fairness, and human rights. For centuries it has inspired and encouraged movements for freedom and constitutional government in Britain and around the world. But when it was issued by England’s King John in June 1215 it was an attempt to prevent a civil war between the king and his powerful barons.

Magna Carta means simply ‘big charter’. A charter is a legal document issued by the king or queen which guarantees certain rights. This charter has over 60 clauses, covering many areas of the nation’s life, including the right to a fair trial. It is one of several copies written immediately after King John agreed peace terms with his barons at Runnymede, which were sent around the country as evidence of the king’s decision. Salisbury Cathedral’s copy is one of four which survive from this original issue. It was written in Latin by hand, by an expert scribe, on vellum (preserved animal skin). Medieval documents like this were not signed, but sealed, and at the bottom of our Magna Carta you can see the marks where King John’s seal used to hang.”

— http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/magna-carta/what-magna-carta

Finally I had to include this - I haven't seen a clerical hat like this in the UK for decades - welcome home Father Brown!

Yes, there is no doubt about it, my heart has definitely moved to Salisbury!

City of Dreaming Spires

“And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,
She needs not June for beauty’s heightening,”

— Matthew Arnold

Last weekend (well it was when I started writing this!) I was lucky enough to attend the 'Call of the Wild Soul' art retreat in Oxford led by Wild Souls, Erin Faith Allen, Tamara Laporte (AKA Willowing), and Claire Russell. The retreat took place in the beautiful Magdalen College which is one of the most beautiful places on earth to spent a weekend.

The college is unique in that it has its own deer park, home to Red & Roe Deer, a tower where the chapel choir sings at 6am on May Morning to welcome in the spring and a most spectacular set of cloisters which seem to be the heart of the college and my favourite place there.

I thought the planting of green Hydrangeas interspersed with what I think was a dark Berberis was inspired, and I don't think I have ever seen quite so many gargoyles and statues in one place!

A particular treat was to hear members of the Genesis Sixteen practising for evensong in the chapel . The acoustics must be truly wonderful as from outside of the chapel the sound seemed as if it came from the choir of 100, on investigating however, I found there were only 5 people responsible for making this glorious noise!

The Sixteen's conductor Harry Christophers and singer and practical scholar Sally Dunkley introduce this year's Choral Pilgrimage tour.

Everywhere you looked there were ancient artefacts and items of everyday use that had been crafted with love and care

Then there were the gardens - an oasis of calm and colour especially the stunning herbaceous borders - always a favourite with me,

enjoyed by college members and visitors alike

Even with a fair sprinkling of tourists around the sense of calm and peace prevailed, and this, together with the hours dedicated to making art and connecting with kindred spirits, made for a very special weekend

“Outside the open window
The morning air is all awash with
angels.”

— Richard Wilbur

Into the Light + a Surprise

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever”

— Jacques Yves Cousteau

I think I feel more acutely aware of the light when I am by the sea. It sparkles, it reflects, it picks up colour from the sky, the sun, the clouds, it's constantly changing.

Driving along the esplanade at Cowes on Friday evening on our way out to supper I was struck by how the light was catching the sails of the large racing yachts that were milling about. Of course we had to stop!

The sails just shimmered in the brightness of the evening sun.

Look towards the west however and you get a totally different impression of the light. The sun is beginning to sink, the light is a hazy gold rather than bright, it's hard to imagine you are in the same time and space. This picture is natural colour but it almost looks as if I have put a sepia filter on it.

It's Saturday mid-afternoon and we are walking round the Rofford Marshes at Yarmouth. The tide is out and the waders are feeding, the sun gleams on the mud, the weed looks almost a florescent green

The light is such that we are unable to identify the birds from our reference book,

the colours blend and merge together, the bird seeming to take on the colour of its surroundings.

Looking across the estuary where the glare and gleam of the light is strong, the colour is washed out, so that the difference between a colour and monochrome picture seems almost insignificant.

As we continued our walk we came upon something very unexpected. Our route took us down the old Newport - Freshwater railway track. Closed in 1953 even before Beeching wielded his axe, I have no memory of it other than as a bridleway. Some of the stations have been turned into private houses, others have been demolished and Yarmouth station was a Community Centre. Over the past few months we had noticed building work and renovation going on but couldn't work out what the final result would be. At last we were to discover!

To our great surprise the station had been recreated, painted in the Southern Railways' colours familiar from my childhood, and turned into a tearoom and restaurant. I was not able to take any pictures of the interior on this occasion but it was reminiscent of a 1950 railway carriage.

They have even built a faux signal box which doubles as a bird hide with a wonderful view over the marshes. We can't wait to go there for supper on our next visit to the Island!

The Golden Hour

“Once in a golden hour,
I cast to earth a seed,
And up there grew a flower,
That others called a weed.”

— Alfred Lord Tennyson

Photographers make much of the golden hour and with good reason. You just need to look out of your window shortly after sunrise or coming up to sunset to see the marked difference in the light. Often it is not convenient to grab your camera and go outside (work getting in the way is often the problem here) and I have to confess I'm really not a morning person!

This week however we are on holiday on our beloved Isle of Wight with the opportunity to breathe, relax, and, of course, get out with the camera.

Monday evening we headed off to Newtown, one of my favourite places on the Island. One of my best friends lived here when I was a child and we spent a lot of time round the quay and the creeks, wallowing in the very stinky mud when the tide was low and swimming off the quay at high tide.

I was really surprised as I got older to discover that herons are grey, and it was only coming back to the island that I realised that what I thought were herons as a child were, in fact, egrets.

and of course there were the ubiquitous black headed gulls looking dapper with their bright red legs and matching bills!

We crossed over the footbridge to access the quay where a pair of swans were catching the light

then walked back passed the disused oyster beds

Where I noticed the sun illuminating these marsh plants

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

I have taken numerous picture of Newtown over the years but none at the is time of day - the difference the light makes is amazing! Have a good week, and see you soon!

In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow .........

Yesterday we went to the Tower of London, not to see the Tower itself, but to see the installation commemorating the centenary of World War 1 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat.

I feel a deep personal connection to the First World War. Not only did both my grandfathers serve in the British Army (and survive, so that I knew them both well) but my maternal grandfather's family had lived in Belgium for many years and my great grandmother came over with my Aunty Bessie ( my mothers cousin) as refugees at the beginning of the war and lived with my grandparents. My mother remembered hiding under the kitchen table from the Zeppelin attacks, and Aunt Rose told be the story of her escape from Belgium at the beginning of the war ( see previous post). For me the First World War is not just something to read about in history books but also a collection of family stories

By the end of November the moat will be full of poppies, one for each of the 888,246 British and Commonwealth forces who died. Every evening at sunset the last post will be sounded and a roll will be called of some of the fallen. You can nominate a friend or relative's name to be read out on a certain evening here.

The roll of Honour is read out by one of the Yeoman Warders of the Tower (AKA Beefeaters) and we were lucky to see this one walking through the poppies to check that the set up for the evening was all OK

I very much hope to visit again in November when all the poppies are in place which will be a truly awesome sight both in terms of the visual impact and what it represents.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

— John McCrae, May 1915

In the Summertime

“Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon”

— Cecil Day Lewis

You may have noticed I have been missing from the blogging world for a couple of weeks, several reasons for this. Firstly we have had lots of visitors, secondly the weather really has been too nice to spend much time sitting indoors at the computer, and thirdly we are in the process of trying to sell out home of thirty plus years and move to the city for our retirement, which, as many you will know, is an extremely stressful and time consuming activity!

this week I did manage to get ten minutes with my camera between meetings at the beautiful Hilliers Gardens in near Romsey - the English Country Garden, what better way to celebrate summer?

There was plenty of variety to choose from, I loved the soft greens and gold here

and I loved the grandeur of this artichoke flower

There were insects aplenty

butterflies and bees

Plants with defined structure

Plants that blended and melded with each other and the 'art in the garden'

and finally my absolute favourite, the burning pink heart of summer ( no idea what it is!)

Hope you are all enjoying your summer wherever you are!

Independence Day

“Where liberty dwells, there is my country”

— Benjamin Franklin

Last week we had some American cousins staying with us and on the days I wasn't working I offered to take them out and about. On Thursday we did Bath and on Friday 4th July it was the turn of Stonehenge and Salisbury.

Stonehenge is in the middle of Salisbury Plain and I love the big skies you find there

Although we had driven past it many times, I had only visited on one other occasion when our school trip stopped off at the stones on the way home to Dorset from London. It was quite magical, the sun was setting and we were able to wander around inside the stones to our hearts' content, it has become a cherished memory.

Later, driving past on frequent trips to visit my parents in Somerset, I saw a large wire perimeter fence had sprung up separating the visitors from the stones - I had no wish to stop as I felt it would only spoil the memory.

Last year, however, English Heritage changed the access to the stones and opened a new visitors' centre as befits a World Heritage Site. The transformation was radical! Gone was the fence, visitors are able to get really close to the stones in some places and, to my great surprise, it was fairly easy to take photographs without hordes of people in them.

It's hard to know if the stones are more impressive in colour or black and white

The stones and the visitors' centre explored, we set off for Salisbury where another stone edifice was the main attraction - the cathedral.

After exploring the main church we set off through the cloisters to the beautiful Chapter House where one of the two original versions of the Magna Carta signed at Runnymede in 1215 is displayed. Again I have only been to Runnymede once, under similar circumstance to my trip to Stonehenge, on the way back from a school trip. We stopped at the Airforce Memorial in the early evening and were infused with such a sense of beauty and peace. Since my visit there a memorial to JFK has been added.

The exhibitions showed links between the Declaration of Independence and Magna Carta and had quotes from various individuals in history who had paved the way to freedom, such as Martin Luther King. I think we all felt it very special to be viewing this historic document on American Independence Day.

“Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.”

— Abraham Lincoln

Photo Heart Connection June

This month my Photo Heart Connection comes from our recent trip to New York where one of the highlights of our stay was a Sunday morning walk along the High Line, the old elevated railway in Manhattan that has been turned into a beautiful park and public space. I will get to my photo heart connection photo in a little while as it comes at the end of our walk, but first I would like to give you a feel for the High Line.

I was particularly impressed by the landscaping and planting

and the juxtaposition of nature and industry

There was the odd view of an iconic building in the distance

some sculpture

people having lunch

or having their wedding photos taken

and pleasing views at different points

But the moment that really made my soul sing was when I spotted this beautiful butterfly right in the middle of Manhattan

It was particularly exciting as we don't get butterflies this big in England, the recent pictures I took of butterflies like this were in the zoo!

It felt such a special thing to happen on the last full day of our visit to NYC, and it even hung around for ages so that I could take lots of pictures

Thanks to Kat Sloma for starting the Photo Heart Connection - do pop over and check out this months posts

New York - The Enchanted Forest

“Enter these enchanted woods you who dare”

— George Meredith

The forest can be approached by land, sea or air, of these sea is probably the most dramatic. The first person you meet is the guardian of the forest and all it stands for,