A-Z Challenge 2021 - Photo Shoot: W - Wood Pigeon, Weddings, Whitby

 Wood pigeons are very common in our village and currently a pair are building a nest in one of our hedges. Still they can take a rest from time to time.

Two wedding photos separated by more than 60 years - I'll let you decide which is which.

We live quite close to Whitby, the North Yorkshire town associated with many things including Captain Cook, Dracula and of course the Abbey.

Whitby Harbour

Not all visitors are allowed in the Visitor Centre and some then decide to get in everybody's way.

Others just find the walking too much to handle.

A-Z Challenge 2021 - Photo Shoot: S - Sam, Sveti Stefan, Soo, Scout

 In the beginning the brother and sister were - 

Sam and Maxie

Maxie appeared earlier under 'M'.  Sam was the Golden 'Yellow' Labrador who would not go into water deeper than his knees.

Deep snow didn't bother him

Unfortunately when he got older he suddenly went blind, but this did not stop him getting about.

If you have time you may read an article about him which was published in Dogs Monthly (a UK magazine) - you will find it at When Darkness Falls

Now that people are thinking of foreign holidays again it has reminded me of a place we visited what seem like many years ago.

Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan is a small island on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro and is reached by the causeway you can see in the centre. Accommodation is in individual cottages.

Finally today it's the dog owned by our younger son.

Soo - ready for action

Not bad for a Springer.

But there is another dog. He insists on having the last word.

Scout

A-Z Challenge 2021 - Photo Shoot: L - Lions, Lilly

 It's unlikely that I will ever get to see lions in the wild so I have to be content with shots at Newquay Zoo.

When it comes to dogs however I have many from which to chose. One of those always got attention.

Lilly in her bandana

Lilly in the shade

However I don't think we would ever get her to do this - a performance by another Lilly in our village - 

Coming out of her lake was a different matter altogether.

Sunday Stamps - Dogs and Horses: Great Britain

As the theme this week is something we may choose ourselves I just had to stay with reminders of what I see on my walks (6 days each week).

I talk to most of the dogs I meet ..

Welsh Springer Spaniel

.. but I must confess I've not seen one of these.

The Westie I saw on Saturday went by the name of Monty.

West Highland Terrier

(These were from a set about dogs issued 7 February 1972)

I also try to talk to some horses from a riding school when they are out in a field. They are not like those on a set of stamps issued on 5 July 1978.

However to 'match' the dogs I have chosen - 

Welsh Pony

Shetland Pony

To see choices made by others just visit the links at Sunday Stamps - P

Staring at trees

Carmi Levy recently posted ' Staring at Trees' - here.

Oscar has a fetish to do the same ... 

ever since once catching a squirrel.

However Gaby is too slow to ever help him out.

Daily Walks in Michigan

Going for a walk in Michigan is certainly different when you are 3.2 miles away from a paved road. Not that there are any sidewalks (pavements even there)

At least I get the chance to walk the dogs.

Finn and Oscar in Stoneycreek Metro Park

Although it's more usual for me to walk them one at time, in turn, on separate days including Gabby, a Labrador.

On rare occasions in England I may see a deer, more often that not just as road kill. Here I can seen  them daily along Oakwood.

One of many viewed through the trees.

I still have to see one along the aptly named Deer Trail where I walk the dogs.

At home I record the types of bird I see each day and occasionally I'll see a heron circling the village. Here I just have to look outside to see whether - 

Harry's home 

Other birds are more difficult to see in the dense banks of trees. All I have managed to see reasonably clearly is this unknown in a tree in the back compound.

When it comes to insects the dogs were nosing this on the garage floor.

Fortunately there have been no flies this size on me.

Yesterday along the side of the Detroit river I was glad that I don't see buildings this size on my walks at home.

GM Renaissance Centre

Another thing that that is different here is that I can watch a Premier League match on TV - no subscription required - Burnley v Liverpool shortly.

Your Choice

A question for you all.

If you could pick one of these two to take home with you, which one would you pick?

I've  made my selection.

Favourites for Thematic Photographic's 400th Outing

Congratulations to Carmi for having the dedication to run Thematic Photographic for over 8 years and for this, his 400th theme.

You always have to think about how to take photos which you interpret will match his theme.

This week choice of your favourite shots enables me to show four of what are/will be among the all time best for me.

In the days before digital cameras my photographs of people were never very good and frequently out of focus as well. However one I'll always cherish is a particular close up - 

Summer portrait at the Yorkshire village of Hutton-le-Hole

Last year I took pictures of hundreds of wild flowers and one beside the River Tees turned out better than I expected.

Another with a water theme was taken on Labour Day at Lake Orion, Michigan. What we thought was a metal statue hidden away in a stream turned out to be -

A rather splendid heron

Dogs have figured in many of my 261 thematic photography posts. This, from September 2016, will always be a favourite with me.

Scout - telling me to put my camera away.

He did not like to hear a camera click and usually turned away.

Unfortunately he crossed the Rainbow Bridge last Christmas and we all miss him so much.

Check out all the favourites for Carmi's 400th anniversary at Thematic-Photographic-400.

Canines - Sunday Stamps II

I have one stamp with a wolf and one with a fox but by far the most of my canines are dogs.

Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has two fine sheets, one for airmail and one for, presumably, ordinary post.

Sharjah - Air Mail, 28 December 1972

Sharjah - 28 December 1972

I have been unable to find any information on the dog breeds but I'm sure that you will recognise some.

For dogs from other countries please follow the links at http://seeitonapostcard.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/sunday-stamps-ii-77.html

Holiday Dogs - Sepia Saturday

I meet many dogs in our village. This is a Lhasa Apso named 

Billy

He gives me my first link to our prompt for this week.

Billie Holiday with a dog

One dog which always has a place in our heart belonged to my wife's sister but resided with her mother in the 1950s. He has appeared on my Sepia posts before, but deserves another outing.

Major

Now when we go on holiday we always get involved with dogs - and they regard it as a holiday too. These two we didn't know but they loved a Cornish beach.

Paddling on Crantock beach

My daughter's dogs in Michigan always look on it as a holiday when we are there. One of them was always content to practise his favourite sport alone.

Cody fishing for frogs

Buster however was always impatient when we took him out in Caranton Woods in Cornwall.

Come on you two. Keep up!

The dog park near my daughter's home was a place her dogs always loved. It meant that they could dive in and climb out up a ramp.

Cody, Scout, Lily and Gem after a swim off the jetty

Of course there was also the ever present tennis ball to play with, if Cody didn't wander off to look for a treat by sitting down at somebody's holiday picnic spread.

Scout was named after the girl in Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' even although he is a boy. 

It seems appropriate somehow to finish this post with him on the day that the death of Harper Lee is announced.

Scout - at rest

RIP Harper Lee.

To check how others have interpreted the prompt this week stroll over to the links at Sepia-Saturday-318.

Tires - Thematic Photography

I was surprised to find how often tyres appear in my photographic archive although not in a tired theme.

I'm old enough to have ridden a bike before pneumatic tyres were common place but I'll leave it to my daughter to demonstrate the hard variety on her bike.

There are occasions when tyres may bring a rider to a hard conclusion.

Don't worry! The rider's only n a scarecrow competition

New tyres on a new car are things to be admired as well.

But large tyres like this have to pass the smell test.

Lily and Scout make sure they are friendly

Some need to be a help in agriculture.

Sowing in progress

When it's too cold to work tyres may even take a rest.

Wheelbarrow awaits the spring

In some cases you only know where they have been by - 

The tyre tracks left behind

I'm pleased to say that when their working life is over, tyres may still provide fun for some.

Swing anyone?

If you are not too tired by now I suggest you swing over to see more at Thematic-photographic-364. while I ignore the red lines under tyres put there by the automatic spell check.