Photo Challenge – Page 157

Bench series #42

For the month of October I’m looking for a bench with someone or something sitting on it

(any kind of bench will do, but there must be at least one person, animal or object on the bench)

Sculptures on benches in Pashley Manor Gardens, East Sussex/Kent

If you would like to join in with the Bench photo challenge then please take a look at my Bench Series page. No complicated rules, just a bench and a camera required 🙂

Create your own post and title it Bench Series: October
Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
Add the tag ‘bench series’ so everyone can find the benches easily in the WP Reader
Get your post in by the end of the month, as the new bench theme comes out on the first Sunday in November.

My Picks of the Week:

There was a flurry of benches with sculptures last week with a couple from the prolific artist Seward Johnson (click on next at the bottom to scroll through the benches on his site). The first is from Anne who has entered several benches before but unfortunately I have missed them! Sorry Anne! And two from Sylvia. I have a photo of one of his sculptures ‘Kiss‘ that used to stand in San Diego, but yes that’s not on a bench!

Please welcome a new entry from New / Old Amsterdam with ghostly figures and the same sculpture from Elaine but in a different location or take a look at these benches with real human interest, one is sure to make you smile. Geriatrix and friends or Lori’s family having a giggle.
Tish on the other hand has a much more thought-provoking statue as does Elaine. But I’ll end on a sunnier note with an arty shot from Kaz of the most interesting bench shelters I have seen. Oh, how I wish I was sitting there now!

Occupied benches appears to be the favourite theme so far. Thank you all for sharing some fabulous benches and please check out the other links within the comment section.

Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons #10

October already, how the years fly past these days. It doesn’t seem 11 months since I was planning and packing for my trip to Australia and New Zealand. Luckily we have been experiencing an Indian Summer here in the UK. September and October have been mostly dry so far. Misty mornings give way to bright cloudless days until mid afternoon when cloud descends again. Being sunny and unseasonably warm I am not even going to complain about the nights drawing in. For now.

The only issue is that because we haven’t had any cold periods yet a lot of the trees are still very green looking; we need a sharp cold hit to trigger the process that causes leaves to turn colour. Still, I decided that this month I’d take you back along the common where we can get a good view of the town and any colouration of the trees and shrubs from above. Hopefully next month we will see more changes.

Date: October 14 2015
Weather: sunshine and cloud
Temperature: Fresh and sunny (11°C)
Time: 12:00 – 13:15 PM

I’m not going to talk too much this month, I’ll let the pictures tell the story and those of you who have been following this series should recognise a lot of the views.

The ‘daffodil’ bench

It’s that time of year…

There are some burnished golds and copper tints and I see that the meadows have been mown and the bracken is dying down. Continue reading Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons #10

Little Italy San Diego CA

is historically home to Italian Fishermen and their families, many who arrived there from San Francisco after the devastating 1906 earthquake. The area went into a severe decline during the 1970s when the Interstate 5 was constructed destroying 35% of the neighbourhood. Now it is a very popular area. India Street is lined with restaurants featuring cuisines of both Southern and Northern Italy, including Sicilian dishes, and there are cafés with secluded courtyards serving good coffee, paninis and gelato. Delis offer a selection of foods, wine and delicious deli sandwiches and traditional Italian foodstuffs and there are some great local boutiques where you can find unique clothing, jewellery and small craft items.

Angel Mural: (Filippino Lippi)

One great thing about Little Italy, is the abundance of public art displays . Walking around the district you can’t help stopping to look at and photograph the walls. This mural can be found on the corner of Juniper and India, and was created by Dawn Morrison Wagner, a chalk artist.

This is my interpretation of paint for Ailsa’s weekly travel theme.

A Walk on a Wild Ridge

I meant to return to the Stiperstones in Shropshire during August when the hills would be a purple haze. Unfortunately the damp weather conspired against me but on a gloriously clear day in mid-September I did go back. The Stiperstones is a spectacular 10-kilometre ridge in south-west Shropshire rising to 536 metres above sea level.

We started the walk this time from the Knolls car park which lies between the Bog Visitor Centre and the hamlet of Bridges at the base of the Long Mynd. There is a fairly short all-ability trail on a broad, level, well-surfaced track running along the southern edge of the Reserve.

There are resting perches and a tapping rail as well as plenty of benches providing views over the area, although the actual quartzite tors are only just visible. There are no benches on top so make the most of these. Continue reading A Walk on a Wild Ridge

Bench series #41

For the month of October I’m looking for a bench with someone or something sitting on it

(any kind of bench will do, but there must be at least one person, animal or object on the bench)

Guitar Man Montreux — The Guitar Man – Montreux Switzerland

If you would like to join in with the Bench photo challenge then please take a look at my Bench Series page. No complicated rules, just a bench and a camera required 🙂

Create your own post and title it Bench Series: October
Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
Add the tag ‘bench series’ so everyone can find the benches easily in the WP Reader
Get your post in by the end of the month, as the new bench theme comes out on the first Sunday in November.

My Picks of the Week:

Some really cool benches this week inhabited by all sorts of subjects – it is obvious that a lot of people take photos of occupied benches! Take a look at a couple from Pauline: Inside Dunedin Railway Station and one in Crystal Castle a fantasy world in Mullumbimby – how can you resist a name like that? Aletta joins us again with some amusing statues on mini benches that are bound to make you smile as does Lisa’s bench. Both Geriatrix and Isadora show us how to relax and Gilly visits one of my favourite places. Even the intrepid Canadian adventurer Sue joins in (though not intentionally) with a fabulous bench in Montreal.

And two special benches: one from Liz, a nature photographer who kindly gave me permission to share this with you. Honestly it is hard to believe this is in London;
and a very sweet and poignant memory from Sylvia – thank you for sharing this moment with us.

As always there are so many delightful benches to view, I hope you will check out the other links within the comment section.