ahh well there you go - that's my new info learnt for the day, Paul!
We don't allow linking to images apart from Photobucket so I took the image out of your post and just left the link to the photo.

Just after sunset on Saturday night:

A grey and wet Venice. Here is St. Mark's Basilica & square. (At least the bad weather kept the crowds, smell & pigeons at acceptable levels!)

Very interesting MadMags, worthy of the old "what is it?" thread. I'm thinking a bottle cap?

Anyway, here's Precious, helping with the Christmas lights

Charming old house in Healdsburg, California. April 2008. An example of when it pays to use flash in the daytime.

Thank you liz. You're right, it's a Bailey's if I remember correctly. Was taken a couple of months ago, by candlelight. Armchair photography.

Looks like Precious has settled in very nicely!

Back to Lake Garda. I took a boat to the town of Limone. Lots of steep, narrow streets leading up from the lake side. As I was making my way up one, I heard music in the distance & getting louder. In the nick of time I stepped into a shop doorway to avoid being run down my a brass band! (They were heading for some kind of religious ceremony further down. It was all in foreign so I couldn't understand it!)

Martin cube's picture of St. Mark's Basilica & square reminded me of this photo of the ceiling inside the Cathedrale Saint Caprais church in Agen, France.

Oooh, beautiful, lady!

We went to an aquarium again this visit to the UK, The Deep. which is in Hull.

Thank Heavens Sue! Now I know where you were off to: Finding Nemo (and his cohort....)

Flowers on my front porch

Beautiful and mythical looking Barn Owl.

The railway lines looking towards Brent Cross station in Hendon

More from the aquarium.

One of the most disappointing things about the Venice trip was that the Doge's Palace and Old Prison were partially hidden by hoardings to cover up restoration work being carried out on them. The hoardings were advertising something or other, apparently allowed to do so as they were sponsoring some of the work. This left the Bridge Of Sighs looking very sad (IMO):

St. Mary in the Mountains Church in Virginia City, Nevada, built in 1879 during the town's silver mining boom days. I shot this on Kodachrome in September 1966. That's my mother, brother and, mostly obscured, my father walking down the street.

Too bad about the Bridge of Sighs, Martin. It's normally a particularly beautiful, evocative and melancholy sight.

Tredici, I am in awe of your barn owl shot. Absolutely stunning!

I almost didn't post this one, as it's a lousy photo, but a beautiful bird. My gardener pointed it out to me this morning, it took me a good two minutes to see it. By the time I got my camera I had time for one shot only before it flew off. It's a Blue-Crowned Motmot, a member of the kingfisher family. It has a gorgeous long tail with raquet tips which are hidden in this photo by a leaf. (Grr, I know... lousy shot... why am I posting it.... )

You can see the gorgeous tail on this wiki page.
This is the reason why I had such a hard time spotting it.

The original, flanked by the new kids on the block.



The one on the right was the unnamed experimental version, the one on the left is the newer version with the ridiculous name, (which hopefully will be replaced soon), and the one in the middle is the stuff that the wussy English cannot eat.

Just had to post this picture for Satuguru. The train leaving Agen station heading to Toulous, France.

One more from the aquarium then I will stop, these are very small and some kind of eel, they are more like the size of earthworms.

Those look like Garden Eels Sue. Hard to be sure as they are very shy and divers can't get close enough to see them properly - they go back into their burrows whey you approach. Very nich shot.

Fantastic photos, everyone! Tredici, now that everybody has hugged Chicky, it's my turn! I have always wanted a miniature, long-haired dachsund. Mags, your tri-pod photo had me laughing, and I'm inviting myself over for some Baileys.

I was traveling behind this truck yesterday on the New Jersey Turnpike and wondered how Angela felt about having her name on the back of this truck.

While we were in Venice I just had to go to see the Rialto bridge, thankfully unspoilt by restoration works! It really was very interesting to see such a unique bridge with the shops either side. A roaring trade in umbrellas was done on the day!

Nice train Lady! And I have actually driven along what must have been the length of the New Jersey Turnpike when we bussed it round a lot of the States in 1980.

This is a typical view of Hampstead Heath as the leaves turn red and yellow.

Enjoyable aquarium shots, sue, bring 'em on. Lady, that's an interesting roof in your train shot. Martin, another great holiday photo. Ozzz, "the one in the middle is the stuff that the wussy English cannot eat." LOL! . Sat, another nice autumnal shot of England. ClaraSue, funny the things you see on the road, eh? And you're welcome for Bailey's anytime!

Ok, today an artsy shot from me. "Silver ball bearings and Monet-esque flowers"

Thanks Mags, I took a lot yesterday as it was all looking very scenic. Here's one of the many ponds on the heath.

The church looked so pretty with the late afternoon sun yesterday, so I zoomed to max (it was well over a mile away) and captured the geese as well.