OB......is that really you??!!

24 comments

With tentative steps I dare to show my face again on GoY and I am truly ashamed to say that it has been two and a half years since I graced the pages of this fine site and I cannot believe how quick the time has gone.

Much has happened in that time and if I’ve realised anything, it’s that I’m not a winter gardener!! Work has taken up much of my time and Alison’s health has been sparodic but she’s a trooper and I love her for that. She now has had tinnitus for the past year or two and it drives her mad. She recently went for an MRI scan on her brain just to make sure all is okay and is awaiting the results – I told her it was a positive thing that they had actually found a brain!!

Anyway, the garden has seen a fair bit of neglect over the past year especially but we have had the huge conifers cut down at the side of the garden but did keep the Rowan tree for the birds. We still get them and have lots of feeders out and still have 2 sparrows nesting just under the roof for 3 -4 years now.

Because of my neglect of the garden plus my time being taken up in other ways, I felt unable to post on here as the garden looked poor at best. However, we have made an effort to clean things up – it wasn’t ‘that’ bad – and now have a bit of colour back out there again. We spent a day yesterday having a bit of a move around and Ali has got her runner beans out of the GH and in their trough along with potatoes planted too.

I have got more into photography in the past few months and am slowly learning but still know nothing about aperture and shutter speed! I just see what I like and snap away so it is with that in mind that I shall share some pics from the garden over the past few weeks and months and say that I fully intend to get a blog on here in the near future. We are waiting on a quote for a new fence out back and wall out front so that’s a blog in itself!

Hope you enjoy my pics and I look forward to finding a regular time slot to meet up with some old friends again.

Spring arrived and it’s amazing what a little sun and a walk can do…..

Now some of my favourite pics taken recently:

Alcea: Nigra

Not much else to say now except hope all my friends on here are well and I really do hope to be back within a month or two with a new blog.

Goodnight all……

5 May, 2014
6 likes

Comments

Lincslass

Why Hello There!!!
Great to see you back Ob, I always wondered about you and Ali and hoped you were both ok, winter is for armchair gardening, plus a little time spent in the g'house, lol.
Sorry Ali has been having it rough, lets hope she gets good results, I can imagine that tinnitus is horrible, there are a few members who suffer with it, good and bad days from what I gather..
Looking forward to catching up with your garden Dan, bet it wasn't bad really, lol...Your photo's are really lovely so I guess you've learnt something, mine are all aim and fire, then delete the rubbish, lol, no nothing about the depth of field and all that, I leave that side of it to hubby.
Its been a grand springtime and the gardens are blooming marvellous, lets hope it continues into a grand summer for us all.....

5 May, 2014

Pamg

Welcome back Ob.....its lovely to see old friends x
and gosh your photos are brilliant, our local paper run photo competitions and I think you'd win!

6 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

Now this is really strange Dan, as yesterday I was moving some plants around, as you do, and re-sited the Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow' which you kindly sent me back in July 2010! And you've popped up the very next day! Sorry to hear Alison struggles with her Tinnitus, must be difficult for her, but I'm sure your love and humour help her greatly. Your photos are fabulous, so clear and defined, clever man! Lovely to have you back on GoY ... :o)))

6 May, 2014

Nannijii

Wonderful photographs - impossible to pick a favourite

6 May, 2014

Steragram

Some great photos there - if those are what you take when you are a learner I look forward to the excpert ones - they'll be prizewinners.

6 May, 2014

Gee19

Goodness, how strange. I thought of you yesterday as I admired the coming blossom on my little rowan tree. So good to see you back. Sorry to hear about Ali's problems and hope they abate soon. Your photos are brilliant :)

6 May, 2014

Seaburngirl

don't be ashamed of your spell away, its fine to be interested in other things - isn't it? [I hope so ;p ]

as for the photos they are stunning. are the ones into the sun using a polarising filter? love the clarity and you clearly have got the depth of field sorted. fav has to be the dandelion clock.

6 May, 2014

Sarahm

Hey,ob, love the pics. I am fancying get a new camera as mine is over 10 years old. Your pics are great , would you mind spilling the beans on the camera you are using?

6 May, 2014

Oddbillie

Lincslass: Hello there! Thanks for the kind words and much like yourself, I just aim and fire with the camera and delete many in pursuit of a nice shot! The garden was never really bad I guess but it has lacked colour and interest for 2 years, which is my fault but other things have taken up my time and frustrating as it has been at times, I just haven't maintained as I should have. Still, we have taken the first seps in the past few weeks to adding some colour back out there and are growing a few bits from seed so hope to update a blog in a few weeks or so.

Pamg: You're too kind but thanks for those kind words. Nice to be back.

Shirley: I am a witch and I sent telepathetic radio waves to ensure you knew of my looming return.....! Glad to hear the Aquilegia's are still going strong. Like you, I do love them and the varieties you can get. Not sure if Ali appreciates my humour al the time but 10 years together and no rows is pretty good going I guess. Lovely to see you still on here.

Nannijii: Thank you kindly. I'm slowly getting the hang and have bought a book on digital photography , which I hope to read in depth in the coming months.

Steragram: Wow, thanks for those kind words. Much appreciated.

Gee19: My lovely Gee, how are you? I always think of you when I sit in the garden and look at the birds in The Rowan. Funny how certain things trigger thoughts but great to see you are still on GoY and enjoying the Rowan you purchased. I will catch up on everyone's blogs in the coming days/weeks - when I'm not working long days! It would be great to see a then and now picture of your Rowan if you have some? Hope you're well.

Seaburngirl: I guess it's okay but I tend to be obsessive and throw myself into something and then when something else takes over, I don't drop the other thing but my focus is directed away and that, coupled with other factors, has kept me out of the garden and away from GoY. Nice to be back though. As for the sunset, yes, it was one of 3 varying filters I got from Ebay for £9.99 for the 3!! I like the dandilion as well - reminds me of those fairground rides where the seats are on the end of the long poles and they spin around a central column.....!

Sarahm: I have 2 cameras now. My original was the compact Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6, which is a brilliant little thing and takes some cracking macro shots. My latest addition a few months ago is the Nikon D3200. I have yet to understand all, if any of the jargon, settings and know hows but I simply class myself as a happy snapper and hope for the best.

To give you an idea of what can be achieved, follow this link to a great photography site that I have been using and posting on for the past few months. I have about 130+ pics on there from the 2 cameras:

https://www.viewbug.com/member/Darren-Wyatt

Avis: Thank you for that. It means a lot.

Great to see so many familiar faces/names still around and sad to see so many have departed. I see Sanbaz has not been around for a fair while and read her last few blogs last night about her brother - very sad. Hope she's bearing up now.

Anyway, work beckons for another 10-hour shift so I bid you a sunny farewell and hope to catch up soon. Probably be back on here tonight before bed!!

Thanks again for al the wonderful comments!! Truly appreciated.

7 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

Dan - I'm here for as the long as GoY is! It's World Cup year again, so GoY will be my saviour from the endless games screened on TV!!!

7 May, 2014

Pamg

How about tomorrow night Shirley are they going?
my friends were up for last weekend as notts forests not far from here, neither is derby so they're back up on sunday!
The grins last saturday were from ear to ear :0)

the men went to the match. .......we went to the garden centre lol!

7 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

Pam, OH and son are no longer season ticket holders, work commitments and all that so son is coming round to us to watch it live on TV. Sounds just about right ... men to footie and ladies to the GC ... :o)

7 May, 2014

Sarahm

hey, ob, thanks for that - happy summer gardening (and photography) Viewbug pics are AMAZING!

7 May, 2014

Pamg

Thats what I thought Shirley, although she will be going tonight!!
fingers crossed for them x

8 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

The wrong result Pam - son has just left after watching 'a dire performance' by the Albion - :o(

8 May, 2014

Oddbillie

I'm a Man Utd fan for over 35 years so for obvious reasons this season, I will not be participating in this conversation!

Oh, is that a new bud on my Dahlia I spy out back..........

Thanks Sarahm :o))

9 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

Lol Dan, MUFC is husband's second favourite team. Personally I don't watch any games, 'different strokes for different folks' so to speak!

9 May, 2014

Pamg

Was a bit ......hmmmm......just sunday to go!
ManU also supported, things can only ( hopefully) get better.....

Ob, my home team is Leicester City who ( for once) did brilliantly, not like them at all.......it was so funny Shirley, they lost twice......both times to Brighton!

9 May, 2014

Shirley_tulip

How strange Pam! Dan, sorry to have hijacked your blog ... but I am enjoying the pics each time there's a comment ... they are superb ... :o)

10 May, 2014