Ah, the sound of leather on willow

Or to put it another way Number 14 - A person playing with a ball.

I live practically next to the local cricket pitch and it's quite relaxing to hear the sound of cricket balls being hit and a polite round of applause from the spectators on a Sunday afternoon.  Not quite so nice when someone hits the ball so hard it clears the boundary and comes flying over the hedge at the end of our cul-de-sac.  Sometimes there are a few lucky escapes for any cars parked on driveways!  The family whose house is literally sideways onto the pitch once had a cricket ball come flying in through their bathroom window - that was a bit of a surprise. 

When I saw Number 14 on Rinda's list I was quite expecting to have to engineer a game of football in the garden to get a photo, but on my early morning walk today I suddenly realised that there was already somewhere close to home where men play with balls every Sunday!  I've been amazed how many of the categories this year are actually available without leaving town, you just have to open your eyes a little.  I was going to try and zoom in for a close up but thought that it might be nice to see the whole scenario to put it into context.  It feels like a 'spot the ball' competition and so to help you out, the ball is actually in flight and I've given you a clue in this edited version! 



Two more to tick off the list

When I did my post about school uniform on Thursday, it had totally slipped my mind that things may be different outside the UK!  Over here, it is the norm to have a uniform at school, even in the 6th form (age 16 – 18) and I have to say, it does speed up the morning routine when you don’t have to think about what you are going to wear!

So I have ticked off another two scavenger hunt photos.  In a brief period when it wasn’t raining, I took Coco for a walk and noticed that the border between grass and driveway at home would fit the category Number 3 – A border.

This morning I went into town and noticed this whilst waiting for the traffic lights to turn from red to green.  Number 19 – An outdoor stairway

I have to say that if this had not been a rainy Saturday morning, there is no way I would have been able to take a photo of this stairway with no people cluttering up the photo.  It leads to what is undoubtedly the most popular outdoor terrace in town.  On a sunny day, this place is heaving with customers and every table full of people enjoying a glass of wine and a plate of tapas or a cappuccino and a pastry.   This building is what used to be the Corn Exchange in town and as one of the more important historical buildings which dates back to the early 1800s, could double as a ‘historical landmark’!  When driving home, I noticed what may be a better outdoor stairway but by then it was pouring with rain, so I may return there at a later date and see which picture I prefer. 

Exciting news – one of the reasons we went into town this morning was for my husband to buy a new camera!  A digital SLR which I have been hoping he would buy for some time now.  He used to be such a keen photographer back in the 70s when cameras used film and was a regular member of the local camera club.  At that time I was happy to let him have control of the ‘proper’ camera while I used my little compact one, but I have plans to share this one!  I really want to learn how to take better pictures and I am determined to ‘get out of manual settings’ and take control of the final picture.  At the moment the battery is charging and he is busy taking it all out of the box and setting it up but as soon as it is up and ready I intend to get my hands on it as often as I can.  For those with an interest it is a Nikon D5100.  Be prepared for more photos per blog post …

Quiet please

I’ve found Number 13 – A Library.

I had a look at the local library in town as I drove past it a couple of days ago and it’s very uninspiring, and then I had a brainwave.  Where do I work?  A school.  Where do students go to borrow books?  The library.  It was just a few steps down the hall from my office all this time and I hadn’t thought to use it.  Now, the only problem is that because this library is in a school, there are always students using it and data protection means that I can’t take a photo that shows a student.  So, I’ve had to make do with a  book display on the Olympics (very topical) which is just inside the foyer.  You’ll just have to believe me that it is in the entrance to the library! 
When I was little I used to love the idea of working in a library.  I loved the little brown card pockets that they would put the library card into, but most of all I loved that stamp they used to print the date that you had to return the book on the front sheet.  Of course, this is now showing my age, when I last went to the public library it was very high tech.  Not to mention ‘do it yourself’.  You scanned your bar code on the book, pressed a button to say if you were taking the book out or returning it, things flashed up on screens, machines bleeped and you’re good to go.  Walking through a security gate that would pick up if you were trying to escape with an unscanned book.  The atmosphere in libraries is different too.  Gone are the days of silence.  Just a feeling of people browsing, and relaxing, and discovering.  Our school librarian says that most of the many girls who have joined her after school book club come mainly for the chocolate chip cookies and orange squash, but I beg to differ.  They’re there to discover the absolute pleasure of absorbing yourself into a book.  Of discovering new worlds of imagination.  Of knowing that if you have a good book in your hand, you’ll never  be bored.  The choc chip cookie is just an added bonus. 

Hunting down a poster

I don't often go to the cinema.  Even though every time I do go I say that I really ought to go more often!  We do have a cinema in town, but it's in a badly thought out area, right on the edge of town, right by the railway station and there's no easy parking as the closest car park is always full of commuters' cars.  But yesterday as I was walking back to our car after seeing the Olympic torch relay, we had to go past the cinema.  So as Number 18 on Rinda's Scavenger Hunt is A movie poster, I had to make a detour!

Outside the cinema were not one, but four posters

As I was taking the photo, something caught my eye inside the foyer ...

An 'interactive' poster.  You can stand by the side of Ted and 'take a tinkle with Ted' and upload it to their Facebook page.  However, I wasn't sure that was the kind of photo I wanted in my Scavenger Hunt album!  Which picture do you think I should choose as my official Number 18?

An A-maze-ing discovery

Yes, you guessed it, I’ve found Scavenger Hunt Number 12 – A maze, labyrinth or trail.

I hope it is clear that it is a maze, but it’s hard to take a picture at ground level that shows it to it’s best effect.  When they designed the Country Park which is close to where I live, they allocated a large square area that was to be a dog-free zone and has been left as a pasture, except they cut a maze into the grass over the summer period.   At the centre of the maze is a picnic table and benches.   A month ago you could barely see the difference between the pathway and the grass, but now it is starting to show.  As the grass grows I may be able to get a better picture but in the meantime, this is my maze.

Had a text from my intrepid explorer son this lunchtime.  A man of few words, but apparently he’s started his teaching now.  The children are really cute and love him apparently.  I can understand that!  Seems hard to imagine what he’s doing and what his average day is like.  Also hard to believe that it is almost a week since he left.  Needless to say, I spent the afternoon with a happy smile on my face after reading his message.  

The Olympic Flame is coming through our town on Saturday.  For about 10 minutes I think!  I’d like to go and see it on it’s journey but I suspect that it’ll be pretty crowded and at 5’ 1”, I’m hardly likely to be able to see much.  So please don’t expect to see any close up photos on my blog, it’s more likely to be the back of someone’s head.  Has anyone else seen it on it’s travels?

Come in Number 10

Scavenger Hunt picture of ‘A Horse’.  Done.  I drive past a local stable every day on my way to work and so knew I would be able to tick this one off fairly easily.  However, this horse was determined to make an easy photo as difficult as it possibly could.  It’s pretty marshy down by the entrance to the paddock because of all the rain we’ve had recently and I’m only 5’ 1” so I had to be on tippy toes anyway to get a photo with no gate railings in the way.  The minute I had the horse in my view finder, it gave a whinny, shook it’s mane and did a circuit of the field.   We played this little game a few times and just as I thought I was going to have to give up and go home, it got bored and came close enough and stayed still enough for a photo.  The other wildlife was far more cooperative.

Talking of wildlife, my daughter took the dog for a birthday treat of a walk in the forest last night.  We live pretty close to Hatfield Forest and it’s lovely to go for long walks over there.  I knew something had happened when I had a phone call asking me to run a bath for when they got home.  Someone had got rather over excited rolling around in the field where the cows had been grazing.  I’ll say no more.

Back to normal - or trying to

Well, it is now a whole week since I returned from hospital and I think it's time to try and resume normal day to day routine.  Which kind of includes going back to work.  Never thought I would hear myself say it but I can't wait to get back!  ~ remind me about that next time I moan about it ~

Hopefully, leaving the confines of my home will mean I can crack on with some more scavenger photos - there's only so much you can find inside the house or outside in the garden!  But Number 2 A Clothesline was clearly destined to be found at home: 

Five minutes after this was taken, every line was full of clothes that J had put out to be washed after he had done his packing before leaving for Africa.  Boys!
Now, a bit of a technical question for you all.  Is anyone else having problems with Blogger turning their photos sideways?  Any picture I take in a portrait orientation is being displayed sideways - unless I write my post via Windows Live Writer.  I upload them - as normal.  I rotate them and save them - as normal. Then I write a post - as normal.  Click on insert image - as normal.  But it displays it sideways and it is driving me mad!  Is it happening to anyone else and if so, how do I get it to behave itself?   
PS
Received a message from my boy yesterday afternoon: "Today we went up a mountain on motorbikes which was very scary, then we trekked through the jungle with the help of a few tiny boys who dragged us across rivers, up rocks and through bushes!  Everyone here is very nice and we are all looking forward to starting teaching."  Motorbikes?  Did I not put motorbikes on my list of things he shouldn't be doing while he is out there?!

On your marks, get set, go ...

OK, time to divert away from all these hospital/illness posts.  Time to turn the creative part of my brain back on.  Time to start thinking about the Scavenger Hunt over at Rinda's blog.  This was such good fun last year and I was so pleased to see that she has organised it again. 
When I saw number 7 'Person playing a musical instrument' I knew I had to get a picture of my son and his guitar before he leaves for Tanzania tomorrow.  Yes, tomorrow.  How did that sneak up on us so quickly?  It's a gloriously sunny day here today and he was wandering around the garden strumming his guitar - a perfect photo opportunity.

Whilst sitting in the lounge watching Wimbledon on the TV I noticed that the sun was making a really pretty pattern with shadows from the patio table and chairs.  Hang on a minute … shadows?  I’m sure I saw a category called A Shadow.  Sure enough, here’s number 11

I think that today has been a bit of a turning point here, I’m actually getting bored from sitting around doing nothing.  Up until now, I’ve been so worried about moving that I’ve been happy to just sit and heal.  One thing I have noticed from looking out my bedroom window more than I would normally do is this little fellow

I am reliably informed he is a goldfinch, and just look at how pretty his feathers are.  Such colours and patterns.  I did notice he had a lady friend round earlier this morning so maybe there is a nest somewhere close.

I’m trying to guess which will be the category that I have problems with this year on the Scavenger Hunt.  Last year the unicycle beat me; I’m hoping that this year I will make it to all 21.  Are you joining in too?  A friend popped round with a get well present of an acrylic mini book for me.  Just in case I was getting bored, you know.  So I’m just thinking, won’t that make a fab mini book to put my scavenger pictures in?  And there was me wondering what I was going to do tomorrow.  Clear that dining room table husband, the craft supplies are coming back!