Although the Winter Olympics are due in Sochi next month I find that almost all of my Olympic stamps deal with summer games so I am going to cheat a bit. I'll start with the man who 'started' the modern games.
Hungary
For winter sports I have chosen two stamps from Norway neither of which are 'Olympic' stamps.
Norway - Skiing World Championship 1997
Norway - Holmenkollen 1979
Why have I chosen Norwegian stamps?
Norway is the only country to have held the Winter Paralympics twice. Once at Geilo in 1980 and once at Lillehammer in 1994.
The 2014 Winter Paralympics are due at Sochi in March.
And I just happen to have a 1994 stamp from the Paralympics.
Norway - Paralympics 1994
For other Olympic stamps please ski over to Viridians Sunday-Stamps-152.
I announced previously (in June here) that I was not a caveman so when I saw the Jenolan Caves tour bus in this week's prompt.
I knew I could not compete with the Aussies as we are staring a whitewash in the face. I decided to come back home to Yorkshire where they still know a thing or two about cricket and to go caving instead.
White Scar Caves & Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales
What are now Britain's longest show caves were discovered in August 1923 by Christopher Long and J H Churchill. The summit of Ingleborough is some 4 km away.
How can you get there?
By Tour Bus of course
Once inside the caves there are many spectacular sights such as this:
Inside White Scar Caves
To make you realise how insignificant we are you can always consult the clock.
Geological Clock
Even the devil will have been there before us and may lick you to death.
The Devil's Tongue - White Scar Caves
While in Yorkshire you do not have to restrict your visit to these caves under Ingleborough in the Chapel-le-Dale Valley in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
You could also take a look at:
Stump Cross Caverns
The caverns make up a limestone cave system between Wharfedale and Nidderdale in North Yorkshire. Their name derives from Stump Cross which in ancient times marked the limit of Knaresborough forest.
So in my Yorkshire tour I have found some caves and a bus, As for men in white coats.
For other prompts all I rely on Clarke Gable
However I suggest that you don't walk away like him before you have visited Sepia-Saturday-209.
Photo attributions:
White Scar Caves & Ingleborough - Alan Murray Rust - CC BY-SA 2.0, Geograph Project Collection
Inside White Scar Caves - Sharon Leedell - CC BY-SA 2.0, Geograph Project Collection
Geological Clock - Immanuel Giel - PD
The Devil's Tongue, White Scar Caves - Immanuel Giel - PD
Stump Cross Caverns - Paul Allison - CC BY-SA 2.0, Geograph Project Collection
In picking my favourite photos of 2013 I have tried to avoid shots that have appeared on Thematic Photography before. But in working through the year I just had to start with one you have seen already.
White Frost - January 2013
We get a variety of birds in our garden throughout the year. In April this cock bird was taking a stroll over a flowerbed.
Cock Pheasant - April 2013
One of the most colourful birds we see is the bullfinch not that you can view it in all its glory in the next shot I've chosen.
Bullfinch in Conifer - May 2013
Next I have chosen a shot of a single flower - the only one of this type we have,
Alium - June 2013
At the end of August we set out to visit our daughter in Michigan. I have shown many pictures of her dogs over the year but my next picture reminds me that three weeks before we travelled, she lost Cody the oldest of her four dogs.
Cody before he crossed the Rainbow Bridge
While in Michigan in September we visited Detroit Zoo. A series of my favourite photos of the animals appeared in Treasured-thematic-photography.
Away from the zoo I came across this chap, one of the biggest I've seen - the metal frame he is hanging on to is 3-4 inches deep.
Grasshopper - September 2013
Back home when we visited York I could not resist taking the next shot.
'Dog' doing what comes naturally - York, November 2013
When it came to Christmas Day a jewel took pride of place.
Ready to Ring in the New
All that remains is for me to wish Carmi and all Thematic Photographic contributors a Prosperous and Happy New Year.
I'm afraid that 'shop' is a four letter word to me which is not improved by adding 'ping'. I usually stay at home when someone suggests, as Carmi has done this week, "Let's go shopping." However rather than be churlish I extended my morning walk today as far as the local shops - all five of them - that deserve our support.
Newsagent's shop
You may not realise that all five shops are shown above - four entrance doors and the white wall of the fifth. The Newsagent sells a range of stationery not just newspapers and magazines. From the front it looks like this,
Newsagents
You can spend some time studying the small ads offering goods and services displayed in its windows even if it is a cold, but sunny winter's day.
Should you get tired of all the Christmas fare you could sample some meals at home from the next two shops.
Fast food outlets
That small notice in the Presto Pizza window says that they will even be open from 4 pm on Boxing Day and New Year's Eve. Should you finish with indigestion than perhaps you may need to visit Whitworth's the chemist shop at the end.
The final shop has changed hands several times in 20 years but has always been a small supermarket. Now it is part of the Group that has been awarded the accolade of 'Supermarket of 2013' by 'Which', the consumers magazine.
If you were to look closely you might see the 'Which' award on the red sign in the front window wishing us a Merry Christmas.
It doesn't seem a year since Alan put up last year's Christmas post but already it's time he said for us to celebrate.
I usually find a link to Dickens and this year is no exception; it's time to let your hair down and have a ball
Mr Fezziwig's Ball - A Christmas Carol 1843 Hand coloured etching by John Leach
Perhaps you would prefer to party outside as they did in 1852.
A Christmas Party
1852 Oil painting by George Henry Durrie
All the weathermen seem to be able to offer us is heavy rain and strong winds. I don't think we will be able to look out of our window and see a sight like this.
Santa Claus may be coming but so far there are no presents under our tree.
Christmas Tree 2013
So I guess that all there is left for me to do is wish all Saturday Sepians (and all my blog visitors too) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from us at:
I'm spoilt for choice this week for Carmi's 'Treetops' theme as we are surrounded by trees in the village where I live. Here are two of my favourites from the small wood down the road which I photographed at regular intervals over a year.
Silver birch which has 'lost' its top
while the trees around have retained theirs. That hole is the result of woodpecker activity.
Spring hawthorns dwarfed by other trees
Treetops provide good cover for small birds like this.
A Blue Tit blends in
And for larger ones as well.
Wood Pigeon in a Sycamore
The tree overhangs our garden.
Ash trees shrouded with Ivy
I wonder how long it will be before the Ivy wins and they lose their tops like the one on the left. Meanwhile I just have to lean back in my office chair to enjoy their presence.
On my morning walks there is a tree I always check to see whether it's still there - it's dead and keeps losing bits of its top to high winds.
Dead Ash tree - December 2013
On the same walk early in the year I can hear noises coming from the top of large Beech trees.
Rookery nook.
One of my favourites is a tree that overhangs the lane.
Walnut tree
It's the nearest one to us that I know and must be the one the local squirrels raid for the nuts that they bury in our lawn.
Across the road from us are treetops that photograph well after a white frost.
