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

Take a walk - Thematic Photography

A high proportion of what I show each week are taken on my daily walk, so today will be no exception.

This winter/early spring has brought some strange things to our hedgerows.

Hawthorn branches covered in green lichen

Not that the riding school horses in the field are concerned - they just appreciate the grass.

Another of my favourite subjects every year still stands proudly against the sky.

Dead ash tree

Other trees make an arch for a distant copse.

My next shot is a bit of a disappointment as the sun distorted the shades of another dead tree,

That branch on the right has lost all its bark and is as white as snow.

However nothing can dim the colour of what could have appeared last week too.

Crocus - open to soak up the sun

Waiting for the bees and insects to come along.

If you visit Thematic-Photographic-403 you may take a walk with others.

Horses - Sunday Stamps II

This proved a harder theme that I thought as I have used all my stamps of real horses before.

However Iceland and Sweden rode to the rescue with a horse or two, even if the Iceland stamps show a pony.

Iceland - Icelandic pony 1958

My Swedish stamps are slightly newer, the first from a postal history and nature series.

Sweden - 16 October 1967

From an earlier time in history a block of four,

Sweden - Horse & Viking ship, 26 April 1973

A mosaic embroidery sheet  issued on 26 November 1974 depicted some horses. I don't have that sheet but one of the horses is in this pair.

Sweden - 1974?

Now you may ride over to Sunday-Stamps-II-85. and follow the links to some splendid 'real' horses.

Farm Animals - Sunday Stamps II

The small farm in the village where I was born was noted for its ...

Rooster

and its early morning calls.

This stamp is one of a set of eight from Poland showing:

Cows

Horses

The three stamps that I do not have depicted geese, pigs and sheep.

On the same day that I found them I also acquired a first day of issue of British Cattle - magnificent beasts.

Great Britain - British Castle

The stamps are on what appears to be a card (nothing on the back). I wish it had been intact in view of the cow's horn at the bottom left.

The beast are:

• 16p Highland Cow
• 20.1/2p Chillingham White Bull
• 26p Hereford Bull
• 28p Welsh Black Bull
• 31p Irish Moiled Cow

I had not heard of the Irish breed before. The name Moiled is derived from the Gaelic "Maol" and refers to the fact that they have no horns.

I continue to learn from participating in Violet's Sunday-Stamps-II - No. 46, this week.

You can take a horse to water ... - Sepia Saturday

From the time I saw this week's prompt first appear ...

I been trying to get some local horses to take a drink.

However they all are quite happy to

Munch away at the grass

The smallest one might take a drink - 

If there was not a fence in the way.

He just has to be content to look at the water trough where others have been when I've not been about.

Police horses in a park alongside the Paint Creek Trail in Michigan have to do as they are told, but they do get a rest from time to time.

Rochester, Michigan - 2009

They even get taken to see the Clinton River nearby.

A drink for one

And them both on a hot summer's day

I'll try again with my local horses again tomorrow. If I do not succeed I know where I need to go to get a drink thanks to a special kind of horse.

The Cleveland Bay, Yarm

After all if you can't make a horse take that drink, there is nothing that says you have to abstain.

Cheers Sepians at Sepia-Saturday-271.

Edible - Thematic Photography

Although it's cold enough for a winter coat and there is a dusting of snow, thank goodness for something edible.

The grass not the horse!

"Nothing is more pleasant to the eye than green grass kept finely shorn."  - Francis Bacon (what an edible name!)

However I like to raid

The fruit bowl

even if somebody has beaten me to it.

It must have been someone needing the zest for life.

I'll just have to make do with bread and jam.

Lunch plate

I'm sure it's not a case of sour grapes.

For more edible favourites stroll over to Carmi at Thematic-photographic-324.

Pets - Thematic Photography

Having just completed the A-Z Challenge with 26 posts about dogs I must try to resist showing more. 

My morning walk continues to be productive for thematic shots.

Tortoiseshell Cat waiting to be petted

It never has to wait long.

Friendly Cat and Dog

The dog, Skye, appeared on the A-Z but as she and the cat get on so well together she deserved to be in the shot.

Even larger pets get pampered in our neighbourhood.

Inca in her coat

We are still getting frost at night so that's why she is all wrapped up in the morning sunshine.

Going back in time our children only had one pet who has appeared on Thematic Photography before. She was the escape artist extraordinaire.

Deirdrie, the hamster

She could hang onto anything - the curtains or

Especially a treat.

We may have had only the one pet but that did not stop us from looking after others.

Hoppity in Andrew's arms

His escapes were more spectacular than Deirdrie's as he could run much faster.

Guinea Pig

Who owned this I do not remember, nor can I recall its name.

It is also so easy for pets to change into pests. After all, it is just a question of an extra 's'.

A pesky squirrel

It's the wild ones that cause all the trouble.

At least it's eating the grass

And the problem with rabbits, tame or otherwise, is that they multiply.

Add caption

I''m not sure what this lot get up to now as they are over 30 years old.

Still if they look out of the window from their perch on top of a wardrobe they can watch another 'pet' feeding itself.

Shooting pets, or pests, can be a lot of fun provided you use a camera. To see what others have done follow the links at Carmi's Thematic-photographic-293.

2012 Favourites - Thematic Photography

I've taken Carmi's tip to show two or three or ten of my favourite photos of 2012. You will have seen some of these before.

March was the driest month of the year, just right for walks on a North Yorkshire beach.

Huntcliff, Saltburn beach - March 2012

 

Horses. dogs and people use the beach.

Sunday morning ride - Saltburn

Flower of the month in July was this;

Lily

Butterflies were in short supply during the very wet summer but we did attract one or two.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on Buddleia flower

 

Meanwhile one of my grandsons had a successful surfing year.

Angus in action

In October there was this rather splendid fungus on a dead ash tree that I walk by several times a week.

Fungus on dead ash

No year would be complete without some photos of my daughter's dogs. Photographing black dogs is often a difficult task but here is one of the best.

Gem

She was part of this group on the same day in November.

Scout, Cody and Gem

As usual Scout has two balls in his mouth, one probably belongs to Gem. At 15, Cody is resting  with his ball within reach. They are all looking at what's going on down in the lake where there's -

Lily - searching for her ball.

 

That's my ten favourites for the year.

Happy New Year to all in 2013.

Don't forget to check out other people's favourites at Thematic-photographic-faves-of-year