Challenges for 2015

Challenges 2015

PHOTO

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/category/1/sunday-stills/

http://hoohaablog.com/?cat=2482

http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/category/photo-challenge/

http://fatmumslim.com.au/january-2015-week-one-fmsphotoaday-challenge/ (facebook & instagram)

 

READING

http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2015-36071458?crlt.pid=camp.RTlcdYOWNcmE

https://theprettybooks.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/books-are-for-life-the-re-read-challenge-2015/

http://mybookdragon.blogspot.com/2014/11/you-read-how-many-books-2015-sign-ups.html

http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress.com/oddity-odyssey-reading-challenge-2015/

http://www.thebookvixen.com/2014/11/sign-up-2015-romantic-suspense-reading.html#.VIx4-yvF-HE

http://itstartsatmidnight.com/2014/12/2015-discussion-challenge-welcome-sign-ups/

http://www.literaryescapism.com/new-author-challenge/new-author-challenge-2015

https://adventureunderthestairs.wordpress.com/2015-book-challenge/

https://bibliophilica.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/its-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-deal-me-in-2015-sign-up/

CROCHET & KNITTING

https://craftyprojectsilike.wordpress.com/tag/2in6/

http://crochetchallenges.com/next-challenge-january-2015/

http://www.knittingnotepad.com/knitting-challenge-2015-christmas-socks-knitting-pattern-preparing-to-knit/

http://www.guild-mach-knit.org.uk/news_events/challenge.php

http://geekygirlsknit.blogspot.com/2014/12/january2015-ggkcraftypad.html

http://itsalittlecraftyinhere.com/category/creative-challenge-15/

   

My New Year’s Day visitor.

ONE UGLY S…

 

 

 

 

 

 

:o

Toadstool houses.

I came across this interesting edited photo and although I don’t have photoshop I took a basic picture editor and took a bash at coping the image.

http://www.thephotoargus.com/inspiration/30-examples-of-creatively-edited-photography/

We have received quite a lot of rain in the last two weeks and the grass (and pesky clover ;) ) have had a chance to get height. I spotted 3 tiny toadstools and took the best photo possible to replicate the one shown above. It took some time and it is harder than it looks. What do you think?

 

Do you want to show me that your editing skills are better than mine? Well go ahead take any of your photos or have fun with my original photo (below) and I will follow your link and have a look. If you are  familiar with Photoshop I would love to see how an expert does it :D

Free images to use on your blogs.

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I have compiled a neat post on which sites offer free professional images and photos.

Some of them do however require you to acknowledge credit to the photographer.

The main reason why these sites made it to my list is that I chose sites where you don’t have to register, pay or which have as few ads as possible.

The list can be found here.

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Lava fascination.

A bet it is a nuisance to locals but to me, lava is beautiful.

 

A daredevil photographer dangles his feet over an erupting volcano as it looks like he may jump into the boiling lava. Iurie Belegurschi dangled his feet from the side of the helicopter he was using to shoot Holuhraun, a lava field more than 25 miles from the active Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland.Picture: Iurie Belegurschi / Barcroft Media

 

 

The eruption has produced more lava than any eruption since 1947,

and it could soon surpass even that one.

 

 

 

 

Spring is here ….

The last time I blogged about mousebirds / muisvoels I got a good response in the comments section. I know very little about them except that they are insect eaters and as you can see in the photos taken this morning they love to perch with their stomachs facing the sun.

 

 

 

Info from Wikipedia : Mousebirds are gregarious, again reinforcing the analogy with mice, and are found in bands of about 20 in lightly wooded country. These birds build cup-shaped twig nests in trees, which are lined with grasses. Two to four eggs are typically laid, hatching to give atricial young which develop quickly and soon leave the nest and acquire flight.

 

For the past week the morning air was filled with the sound of “kwe .. kwe”, “kwe .. kwe”, I blindly focused my camera into a far away tree where I could hear the bird song coming from and only when I downloaded it could I see the elusive Grey Loerie.  The Grey Loerie is a large bird and usually perches right at the top of the highest trees. The small berries on this tree might have enticed it to climb in amongst the branches.

 

 

 

 

Info from Wikipedia: The grey go-away-bird (Corythaixoides concolor), also known as grey lourie,grey loerie, or kwêvoël, is a southern African bird of uniform grey with black beak and strikingly pink gape. It is widespread in savanna woodland, a clumsy flier though extremely agile in clambering through tree crowns. It has a distinctive loud alarm call “quare”, fancifully sounding like “go away”. The crest is raised when excited.

Its diet is mainly fruit (such as wild figs and berries), flowers, buds, leaves,termites, and snails. The habitat it occupies is dry open savanna woodlands, farms, parks, and suburban gardens, often near water.