Welcome all to a new month. Of course we are expecting great things from the Olympics visitors among us!
So, on your marks....

A group of self seeded opium poppies.

shhhhhhhhhh - call them Oriental poppies instead LOL!
Anyway, they're gorgeous : ) Love your fence too

Hmmmm and where did the seeds come from I wonder? !

Possibly the bird seed I put out every day. Either that or blew in from somewhere.

Thanks Jakeroo. The fence is made out of salvage floor boards. Cheap way of doing it when you need a lot, very hard wearing as well and ideal for putting climbers up.

Aha! So you admit you are feeding a habit?

They are beautiful.

This country lane could be virtually anywhere in England, and is however next to the prairies on Dengie Marsh in Essex.

During recent strong winds in the UK, this tree came off second best.

Martin! You were sadly missed! Welcome home.

Here is the other plumage of the variable oystercatcher at the Smithfield rock pools. They are called variable oystercatchers due to some being all black and others black and white.

They are lovely birds, and that is another great photo Howie.

Canada Day fireworks, as seen from the end of my street.

What a fabulous photo.

Thanks Christinap. It was a really great show, and that was one of the prettiest of the lot. I was lucky to catch it.

Why, thank you!
I haven't had much to post lately nor had the time to do it.
I think I found Wally/Waldo though:

This Mickey Mouse was purchased from Disneyland (obviously ) for me by a kind cousin more than 30 years ago now. He's looking well, just had a new nose

Spanishliz, great shot!

I agree, it is a great shot. Fireworks are very difficult to capture.

Not currently an Olympic Sport, but you never know, it might make a come-back.

Christina, I love that pic. They should definitely bring it in to the Olympics. They look so good! I like the horse in the red - there's something extra refined about him/her, maybe it's the way the hoof is delicately raised, is it a royal wave?

It could be the Bristol City colours, of course.

Was that Bristol City, Martin?

Thanks Chavs. The red horse was slightly smaller than the others, and they all bowed on command as well. I think they could definitely have it in the Olympic opening ceremony.

Yes Chavs, it was at a Bristol City match.

As for the jousting, how about having that at the end of a football match instead of penalty shoot-outs? There's plenty of room on the pitch, we've seen that different coloUrs can be worn and it might give England a chance of winning!

What a good idea.

I've never seen photos taken with me or taken them myself of fireworks without a good deal of light persistence, that would have needed a very fast setting and if not taken with a tripod as well is even more impressive as I've tried myself many times and without the right kit it can't be done- I had a go new year's day this year if anyone remembers.

This is a field in pouring rain in Avington near Winchester

I just put my Canon Rebel on the Sports setting and took loads of photos, handheld. A few of them were good

Always useful to know what can manage the tough shots, fireworks are a test of a good camera as such little light combined with a fast exposure stretches them to the limits.

SpanishLiz: You have a Rebel? Am jealous!

Satguru: were you under an umbrella when you took the pic? Because when I try photos in the rain all I get are water splots lol. Lovely photo by the way, quite "ethereal" : )

We're no doubt about to get a huge thunderstorm here. Will try for pics of either lightning (although it's not even close to dark here yet) or hail. Am suspecting the latter, since the temp dropped about 6 degrees in the last 15 minutes lol

Martin, I'm Irish but I grew up in Clevedon, if you know it? My dad was a big Bristol City fan. Still is! He looked like a wally on a weekly basis.

not a very good photo but here is a spotted shag at the Smithfield rockpools