It's 1st December downunder and the first day of Advent so I hope everyone's switching on their fairy lights!


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This is what December looks like where I live.



The County Courthouse in my hometown.

Time sure flies!

Can't believe it's December already.

Just me posting now?

Great! It will fit right in with the rest of my life.

How are you doing today Dire? Oh pretty good, how about yourself?



Believe it or not, this is a picture of the digital display on the front of a space heater. And some new setting I found on my phone.

I just realized that you can see the number of the temperature on the heater where the time lapse first started. Neat!

Couldn't see that fine detail when I was viewing it on my phone.

Ready for spring yet?



Just noticed the bird in this photo.

We're sometimes a bit slow to start a new month...

Anyhow, orchids from Atlanta:

Nice contrast between the green background and the purple flowers. Were those on display in the botanical gardens down there?

The pleasures of collecting. Some years ago someone found one of these signs a few miles east of me. I checked online and found a few more around the estates there, when I got there the one he had was gone and all the others were recent copies.

Yesterday I was adding my photos from a couple of months ago in a neighbouring borough to my map site and spotted another one, and from the borough of Islington which till now had produced nothing historical as every council has a different removal of old signs policy. I hope waiting long enough for something applies to everything else in life.

Rainy day visitor in my yard.



I think this is a box turtle.

Indeed they were in the Atlanta botanical gardens, which we visited with our daughter.

I haven't been there yet, but I have family living in the Atlanta area that told me about it. Last time I was down there we went to Stone Mountain for the laser light show. I've been to the show before but it was many years prior. It was just like I remember it...awesome.

Until now I always thought London Fields was only the name of a station, but they are real and tucked away behind it near Bethnal Green.

I am not amused!



One of the many cats that have allowed me to take care of them over the years. This is Snowball who always had his tongue sticking out for some reason.

Here's a chrysanthemum from Duke Gardens:

That red and gold color seems perfect for Christmas.

Here's one from the warmer months.



A hummingbird feeding on my Canna flowers. I have some yellow ones too, they really draw in those hummingbirds every year.

Make believe you're in a jungle movie.
Watch the baby elephants go by.
The beat is groovy.
It's a brand new dance you ought to try,
Come to the jungle and see the animal attraction,
Baby elephants in action walk.

Snowball when he was just a wee lad.



Same cat as the one above sticking out his tongue. He was so cute as a kitten.

Looks like a little white tiger.

The area by Hendon Police College is being redeveloped, this is the best new building so far.

Hills in Wiltshire

Over the hills and far away?

Is it cheating for me to use a photo collage?



I think it turned out well regardless....

Sudeley Castle entrance in Gloucestershire, the previous visit was in 1971 when I went in and took more photos.

A hill in the Cotswolds.

Stimpy who was always "large and in charge". Made it up to around 25 pounds, he could do a standing leap from the floor straight to the top of the refrigerator.

No joke!



As you can see...I have a thing for white cats.

I have a picture of my first cat sitting on the mat in front of the toilet, but none of them ever sat on the seat.

A silver birch with autumn leaves in the Fens.