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Tuesday 26 February 2013

Picture This 188 - Your Neighborhood

Picture This Our neighborhood.
Hello Heidi you came up with a great theme. Thanks for hosting.

We have two Eagle nest being built in our neighborhood.
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This is our Neighbors Horse. The try to keep him dry. He always wears a raincoat.
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This is our yard last Summer Garden in Summer photo horse_zps2e1dacb0.jpg

Sunday 24 February 2013

PICTURE THIS #188: YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD ~ BELITA

When I look off one of my windows I see...

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When I go for a walk I pass by...
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When I've products that can be recycled,  they are dropped off at recycling bins decorated with different designs. This is one of them.

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Saturday 23 February 2013

PICTURE THIS #188 - Your Neighbourhood ~ Marianne

As most of you do know, I am Danish lass living in South Africa and no, we do not have Lions or Giraffe  in our backyard.............I wish ( at one stage I did, but many years and moons ago, when first arriving here in Mpumalanga)

I now live in a small suburb of Johannesburg, called Fairlands. Fair it is and we love it , as we managed to get our dream  house in 2002, large enough for our combined 6 children, mother in law, housekeeper, 4 dogs and 3 cats, several species of birds plus space to move the business home too, to save on travelling and rental in town. 

This is the entrance to our home, which is the original Old Farm House of Fairlands with the original driveway lined by Jacaranda Trees. 



  our home

The road down to the local shopping centre also covered with blooming Jacaranda in November

PT-Street Scene 

Overlooking the town on a natural hill, koppie.


    My town2


We are situated in a valley and close to a lot of natural beauty, like hills and farm lands.

  Farmland

I think I could keep visitors busy here for 2 weeks within a 100 km radius, very easy.... we have The Botanical Garndens on our doorstep with natural waterfalls,

our waterfall



several nature reserves and game reserves, the elephant sanctuary and the Cheeetah Reserve plus The Vaal Dam and Hartebeepoort Dam within an hours driving distance. We live in a city but within range of natural African beauty.

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You are all welcome to come visit any time. 

Just give me a call.

 Much Love Marianne

Picture This #188 ~ Your Neighborhood

These are pics of my immediate neighborhood. This first one is looking toward the first block of Eastern Parkway, where I live. On the right is the Brooklyn Public Library where we spend many wonderful hours listening to concerts and poetry readings and such. To the left is Richard Meier's 15 story "Glass Tower". 

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This second picture is of Grand Army Plaza and the Sailors and Soldiers Arch, which is just to the left of the Meier building in the first photo, and across the street from that is our beautiful Prospect Park designed by the renowned Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

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 This last photo is of The Bailey Fountain
 that stands directly behind the Sailors and Soldiers Arch.


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Picture This 188 ~ Your Neighborhood

Hi all, and thanks to Heidi for this weeks theme.

I am very lucky in that my Neighborhood is right on the edge of a small village in Dorset England and surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England. 

Even more so as my house in right on the edge of the village just a few minutes from a forest plantation. 

I have chosen my 3 images this week to reflect my 3 favorite parts of my Neighborhood. 

They were all taken within 10 minutes walking distance from my home. 

Have a great weekend;)

My Garden, Spring in HDR

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The Village, the old Vicarage, West Moors Dorset England

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The Forest and its wildlife. West Moors Plantation, Red Deer in the morning sun light

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Picture This #188: Your Neighbourhood

Many thanks to Heidi for hosting this week's challenge. A very good theme she has chosen. It'll be fascinating to see photos of the different areas and countries where our members live. 

I live in a small village in south-west Wales, called Lamphey. I haven't taken many photos of the village itself, as I tend to go further afield to do my photography, and those I had taken I couldn't find!! I eventually tracked them down to an untitled folder on my external hard-drive. 

1) This is the view from my bedroom. The building you can see is the Lamphey Court Hotel. It is a Georgian mansion house built in 1823. It was purchased and restored by the Best Western hotel group in the 1980's. 
Across The Fields

2) Lamphey Church. Has one of the tallest towers of any village church in the county of Pembrokeshire. It's proper name is the Church of St Tyfai & St Faith, and dates from the 14th Century.
Lamphey Church

3) Lamphey Village. This is the main street of the village, a very busy road, as you can see!!
Lamphey Village

Picture This 188 ~ Your Neighborhood



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Picture This 188 - Your Neighborhood

I live in a 44-square mile township which is comprised of seven small sections. Three of these sections are on the bayshore, including where I live. The township is semi-rural, with a busy highway running through the center. There are a lot of farms here, both produce and horse farms. There's a ton of parks, all of which I've visited and where I've taken a lot of photos. We've taken a few huge hits in the last few years. I think most of you know about Hurricane Sandy and the devastation it caused along the Jersey shore. This area was badly hit, and even now, 4 months later, there are people still not back in their homes, abandoned and destroyed houses still standing. As bad as that was, with the loss of personal property, what I think was worse was the loss of life from this relatively small township as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Thirty-nine people from this town died that day, and my first photo shows the Middletown Memorial Garden dedicated to each of them. Each person that died has a headstone engraved with their name, date of birth, and a photo etched into it and line a beautiful walkway through the gardens.
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One of the many beautiful parks here is Thompson Park. Its probably one of the biggest parks in the township, and offers a ton of activities, both in the summer and winter. This photo shows the walkway over the lake that's a favorite of the fishermen/women. The good thing about the using the lake is that no gasoline engines are allowed. Its either paddle your own boat or have an electric motor

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And for the section where I live, on the Bayshore, a photo I'm sure a lot of you have seen before of the marina down the street from my house. This marina was destroyed during the hurricane, the beach is a mess, houses right at the marina were washed away, but they've been working on getting it all back. It'll take a long time:

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Picture This 188 ~ Your Neighborhood

My neighborhood in Madrid, Plaza Mayor
 the neighborhood of love, joy, and happiness.


Plaza Mayor ~ the neighborhood of love
Plaza Mayor, Lovers


Plaza Mayor ~ the neighborhood of joy
Plaza Mayor, Joy


Plaza Mayor ~ the neighborhood of happiness 
Plaza Mayor, Happiness


all three photos were taken in Madrid. Jan 2013 
 

Picture This #188 ~ Your Neighbourhood


~ Your Neighbourhood ~

Living in the middle of the country our neighbourhood is a medley of wide open green spaces ...

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... secret hide away gardens

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and super friendly neighbours ....


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~ oOo ~

Friday 22 February 2013

Picture This 188 ~ Your Neighborhood


When I get to know people, I am always curious about where they live and what their houses look like.  So when I saw this theme, I thought "Bravo!" Well, done, Heidi.

Ten months of the year, I live in Michigan, which is in the upper part of the US. We live in a semi-rural area and our house is on land that once was a pig farm. We get snow, many years, from November to March.


Michigan in Winter

We were lucky to find this house, which was built in 1938.

  CloudsBirches

Across the street from our house is this tract of land which developers wanted to use to put up office buildings and apartments. So the city and township bought the land, with help from conservationists, and now it is a place for people to walk and be with nature. There are deer, fox, and many birds in this area. I try to walk a mile or two a day here.


Pond Florida

February and March we live in Florida, 1350 miles or 2,200 km south. We rent a house on this man-made lagoon, which has many birds and fish. There are supposedly alligators here too. I have never seen anyone swimming in here, so that is possibly true. This is taken from our tiny dock. No one has boats either, which lends credence to the alligator story.

Picture This 188 ~ Your Neighbourhood

I live in North Switzerland at the foot of the Jura Mountains in a very small village, Feldbrunnen,  where the cows and the birds say good night to each other.

Let's start on the main road, our connection to civilisation. On the left you can see the seat where I sit when waiting for the local train to Solothurn. Naturally when it is covered in snow, I have to stand.



Snowing in Feldbrunnen
I live on an estate, with various appartment blocks. Most are bought, but some are rented. We bought ours about 12 years ago. Very much emphasis is made on keeping everything natural and wild flowers are planted between the various houses. My big fat cat Nera can be seen on this one, taking a walk. She appreciates nature very much, especially the small animal life.


Feldbrunnen
This shows how near we are to the River Aar. Our estate can be seen up on the rise on the left. We can walk into the town of Solothurn along the footpath. 

Getting nearer home

PT CLXXXVIII - Your Neighbourhood

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PICTURE THIS 188 ~ YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

HI MY FRIENDS I WILL BE YOUR HOST THIS WEEK  MY NAME IS HEIDI
HELLO TO ALL
HOPE ALL HAD A GOOD WEEK AND NOW IT IS TIME FOR FUN
THOUGHT WE WOULD DO A TOUR OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SINCE WE HAVE A FEW NEW FRIENDS FROM FAR AND WIDE--SO ENJOY AND HOPE THIS WILL BE FUN

I LIVE IN A LITTLE GERMAN TOWN CALLED WEHR IN SW GERMANY ON THE SWISS & FRENCH BORDER

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OUR MILL STREAM

 MILL STREAM

OUR LITTLE POND
POND IM SCHLOSS PARK

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Tuesday 19 February 2013

PICTURE THIS #187 - HUES OF BLUE by Marianne

Apologies for lateness or tardiness yet again ........... had computer trouble , do not ask............!

wonderful theme, Danette, thank you for hosting. Of course , the worst is having to choose. I choose images from what I call my Blue Day in Cape Town. Everything I shot that day, was in hues of blue. The light was so sharp  that cold winter day. I shot with my old Sanyo as the man had forgotten the other camera and the binoculars of all things at home on our surprise visit that June day.

The trouble was to narrow it down to 3 ..... *smile*


 Table Mountain in Blue


Hues of blue - Table Mountain


Blue Penguins at Boulder Beach.

Hues of blue - Penguins at Boulders

All in blues ......Just Nuisance, the Naval Mascot in Simonstown


Blue hues - just nuicance

Sunday 17 February 2013

Picture This #187 ~ Hues Of Blue

One of the most picturesque places I visited was the island of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon. The houses are painted in bright colors. I liked the image of this shuttered house.


I like the challenges posed every week because it leads me to research through the folders of my saved images. I would never consider this next image worthy on its own but it fits our theme nicely. This was taken in Sedona, AZ. There is a chapel carved into the rock and there is a flower garden. Here is Saint Francis in blue.

We were on a seal watch in August, 2011 off the shore of Chatham, MA. A sailboat was ahead of us. I placed in the corner of the image to show the horizon.