19th December photo - Liverpool

Today I journeyed to Liverpool to bring Eleanor home for the holidays. I used the trip as an opportunity to pick up a few geocaches - I found 6 - bringing my current tally to 1033 finds.

I have a collection of photos from the trip - not sure which one I am going to print out for my album yet though (likely the first 1 or 2).

Actually managed to catch a squirrel still for one second in Newsham park - they are very quick creatures - I ended up with quite a few photos of blank trees or end of their tails. I like the gentle sprinkling of snow on the ground.

Even though they had not had much snow - it had been very cold and all 3 of the pools in the park had frozen solid - this one had just started to defrost - love the old red sandstone building behind it. It reminds me of a view from Central Park (I wish !)

Some Canadian geese having to stand on the ice - though there is a little glimmer of the ice starting to defrost - they had better watch out they don't fall in!

I called into a place called Cronton to do a geocache at these stocks. They are very old - but they are sited right in the middle of the village, so everyone could see who was being punished!. They would have usually made a great photo on their own - but this Christmas tree has been put up right next to it - so for some reason necessitating a metal fence around it - which spoils the whole effect - so this one is interesting but won't be my POTD.

Just some info about the stocks.

I saw these new metal signs on the motorway gantries, as I drove in and thought they would make a good photo - but they don't really. I prefer this shot below - which just focus's on the the metal painting.

18th December photo - christmas tree decoration

Sorry not a very dynamic photo today. I have been practicing taking photos of the decorations on the tree, but as most of them are shiney - I keep getting feflective blobs on them from the flash. This is a nice little matt reindeer without a flashy blob and a good DOF - so this is the sole contributor for POTD!

17th December photo - Twas the night before Christmas

Continuing my festive family round up - today's photo is of a very old book which my Auntie sent over from America when the children were very little and it soon became a family favourite, to be read on Christmas Eve. Obviously the children are too big for it now - but it still comes out each year for us to look at.

We all love the line drawings and the cheeky father Christmas. Over the years we have looked at many different versions of this story, but have not found any to compare with this old battered copy.

Do you remember signing your name in it when you were just a little girl, Eleanor?

16th December photo - advent calenders

I am not taking part in Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class, nor Ali Edwards festive album event, but would like to record some of the Christmas festivities that happen in our house, so with only a few days left till the big day - I thought I would focus on some of our festive happenings. Today's photo is an advent calender, though I am not sure which one to choose to put in my album.

This first one is the card that Jessica bought for me & Steven and we take in turn to open a window each day. I love the Santa scene!

This second photo is Liam' advent calender. My sister very kindly sewed one for each of the children many years ago - we thought that they may be too old for them this year - but 'no' they insisted they must have them out and filled with goodies. Unfortunately Ross goes around swapping his treats for better ones out of Liam & Jessica's - they are not daft and have cottoned on - so each evening things are swapped back!!

15th December photo - bikers annual hospital jaunt

I took these photos on my mobile phone on Sunday, but forgot all about them until today - so do you think I can use them for today? Its a bit of a cheat - but they are quite interesting and I do want to print one for my album. Sorry about the quality - this is what happens when I venture out without a camera - you would think I would have learnt after a year of missed opportunities!

Steven & I went to town on Sunday to do some Christmas shopping and arrived just in time to see the annual bikers ride, up to the hospital leaving from the Square. They do it every year and it has become quite an institution now. Lots & lots of them - I would guess about 500, ride from the Square and present presents to those in hospital.

I am not a biker, but I must admit the sights and sounds of all these bikes roaring off was very impressive. The traffic was held up for about 15 minutes while they set off. I think those at the front would have arrived at the hospital by the time those at the back had just left!

14th December photo - frosty grass

I awoke to a lovely frost this morning, so I ran outside in my dressing gown and took some close up shots of the frozen grass, before the sun melted it! Not very exciting - but quite seasonal.

13th December photo - Christmas Decorations

The Christmas decorations went up yesterday and they look very nice & festive. I had wanted to take a nice photo of the Christmas tree decorations for my POTD, but as my photos have to be in landscape orientation for my album and the photos I took of the tree decorations have come out better in portrait mode, I have decided that this photo of the decorations over the fireplace looks better, so this will be my POTD.

Close contender for POTD - some of the tree decorations.