Size Small - Thematic Photography

Every now and Carmi sets us a theme on which I can't wait to get started.

Nature gives us many small sized creatures including those not for arachnophobes.

Its shadow would be enough for me

So here's something much more appealing,

Young rabbit

This year I have been fortunate enough to come across this in a Cornish wood.

Comma butterfly on a bramble leaf

Now that autumn has begun there are some small sized creatures that look for somewhere warmer.

Garden snail inside our tool store

I guess small boys qualify for this theme too.

All alone, dribbling down the touchline, oblivious to his surroundings

Sometimes I find cup-shaped items in surprising places.

Discarded contact lenses

Perhaps it would be better to be wearing them when trying to assemble the fob for our garage door.

Especially for the damned small size

Screw

For creatures and objects great to see but small in size follow the links at Thematic-Photographic-353,

Battles - Sunday Stamps II

I have no disaster stamps although the loser of a battle may have regarded it as a disaster.

This week I have two first day covers to show that commemorate battles of a different sort.

USA - First Bull Run, July 21 1861

The American Civil War broke out on April 12 when Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter. The Union soldiers surrendered the next day.

Bull Run, the first significant engagement of the war, dispelled any thoughts of a prompt resolution of the conflict. The battle took place in Virginia near a stream called Bull Run.

The Fort Sumter and Bull Run stamps were the first in a series commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

In Britain the news headlines this week has featured the issue of the latest Bond film. No mention has been made of the fact that one of the most famous battles in British History took place on October 21, 1805

Great Britain - FDC, Battle of Trafalgar

The battle on 21 October 1805 was the naval engagement in which the British fleet defeated the combined forces of France and Spain during the Napoleonic Wars of 1803 - 1815.

The individual stamps, issued 18 October 2005, are worth looking at.

 Left to right:

• Franco/Spanish Fleet putting to sea from Cadiz
• 'Entrepreante' with dismasted British 'Belle Isle'
• Cutter and HMS 'Pickle' (schooner)

• Nelson wounded on the deck of HMS 'Victory'
• British Cutter 'Entrepreante' attempting to rescue crew of burning French 'Achille.'

• British Fleet attacking in Two Columns

Six hundred years ago today in 1415 it was the British won the Battle of Agincourt. No stamps have been issued to commemorate this event unless you count this one which I have shown before.

Eve of Agincourt (Henry V)

'And gentlemen in England now-a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here.

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon St Crispin's day.'

For stamps commemorating other battles or disasters please follow the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-45.

Fences and a Gate with a messagel

Just occasionally a fence adds to the beauty of a flower shot.

Buddleia overhang

Honeysuckle - but where's the bee?

On a recent visit to Cornwall we had to pass through a gate with a message for users.

Gate (and fence) guarding the entrance to a woodland path

The message

Message for the dogs

Unfortunately we did not have one to exercise and had to settle for a stroll instead.

Sunlit path

A bewitched setting to be linked to Good-Fences-83.

Flags/Maps - Sunday Stamps II

I've used all my stamps showing maps before so I'll just wave flags instead.

Great Britain - 25th anniversary of NATO, 1969

Great Britain - White Ensign 2001

This was issued to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Submarine Service as a set of four in a mini-sheet.

I received four stamps from the USA in 2012 - all the same flag but ...

USA

Finally one from Iceland.

Iceland - 1958(?)

To see other flags waving or to find maps from around the world cross over to Sunday-Stamps-II-44.

Autumn - Thematic Photography

When Carmi sets us 'autumn' as a theme, the trees here in the North of England haven't all changed colour. My tree shot is from 2012.

Avenue of trees - Judges, Kirklevington

In October our annual reminder of autumn is provided by scenes like these.

Sign on a wagon carrying a Crooked Cottage for Yarm Fair.

The annual fair is being held this week in the High Street.

Autumn is a time for berries, so here's a recognition test - especially for my daughter. Feel free to tell me/her what they are.

Red berries (to the right of our apple tree)

Orange berries on the hedge (on the left of our drive)

At this time of year, now that the harvest has been gathered in, the farmers are particularly busy.

Autumn ploughing

They provide some interesting views.

Autumn colours

My previous post 'October Garden' ( http://bit.ly/1NBDY1n ) might also be said to be an autumn post. You will find others by following the links at Carmi's Thematic-Photographic-352.

October Garden

Some autumn colours caught in our garden during early October.

06.59 am

07.35 am - early morning song

Apple harvest

Rudbeckia 

Monbretia and fuchsia

Sedum

All caught before the leaves begin to fall and flowers fade away.

Flowers - Sunday Stamps II

When I was given an old stock album recently a number of flower stamps were included.

The Mississippi state flower is the Magnolia shown on this stamp from 1967.

USA

Camellia (and yellow-shafted flicker)

Alabama became the 22nd State of the Union on 14 December 1819. This stamp commemorated its 150th anniversary and was issued on 2 August 1969.

Two of the set of four stamps issued to commemorate the XI Botanical Congress of 1969, when the first full meeting of 6000 botanists was held in the USA, contained flowers.

USA - Lady slipper and Franklinia alatamaha

The lady slipper is the state flower of Minnesota; the Franklinia is a tree in the tea plant family, which looks rather like a wild rose that grows in the UK hedgerows.

For other flowery offerings check out the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-43.

From a great height - Thematic Photography.

This is a bit late for last week's theme but all the photos were taken then, during our holiday in Cornwall.

St Mawgan - from a third floor window

Mawgan Porth from a cliff walk

Beach with no access from the cliffs along the coastal path

Same beach - no way up if you get caught by the sea

Still looks inviting

From a great height the holiday ends looking down at the clouds.

Homeward bound

There's still time to look down from a great height elsewhere by following the links at Carmi's Thematic-Photographic-351.

Scenery - Sunday Stamps II

I'm a bit late in posting this week but have finally made it back home.

The stamps I have to show this week all date from 1966, one from Poland and a set of four from Great Britain.

Poland - 1966

Pieniny is a mountain range in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia consisting mainly of limestone and dolomite rocks.

The British set shows landscapes from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

View near Hassocks, Sussex

Antrim, Northern Ireland

Harlech Castle, Wales

The Cairngorms, Scotland

For scenery from elsewhere just follow the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-42.