At the centre of your being you have the answer, you know who you are and you know what you want ~ Lao Tzu

Saturday, April 20

Focus on Life - Week 16

This week's prompt from Sally at The Studio Sublime was Take a Walk!

My first thought was to get on my disability scooter and show you the sights of Grantham - not that there are any... 

But then, I thought, 'No, I will take the prompt literally, and walk into the back garden!'

Now, this is no mean feat for me, as there's a BIG step out of the patio door, and it has been incredibly windy in our part of the UK this week, and wind can knock me off balance... But with my trusty stick (and my camera), I made the 15 metres or so, there and back without incident - phew!

Then I played in Picasa, trying a different effect for each photo...


I have no idea what each flower is, as they're all self-seeded, but they all show that Spring is finally arriving in our part of the world... hooray!!!!

And in the same mood of celebration, can I draw your eye to the Birthday Giveaway I'm having - hit this link, scroll down to the previous post, or hit the button on the righthand sidebar, and leave a comment if you'd like your name in the hat... 

I didn't want fill up this post with the details :)

One quick, final note - the sharp-eyed will notice a new profile picture...

This is Quinlan*, my new companion, who also had his photo taken outside.


He is my early birthday present to myself (using expected birthday pennies from my Dad!). He is a very fine fellow, handmade by Rowan, over at BearBovis, and I already love him dearly :)

*Quinlan is Gaelic for 'a gently shaped fellow', which means 'eminently huggable', in my book!

Have a great week xx














20 comments:

Niky Sayers said...

Loving the flowers I can't wait to see more coming out here the past few days have been partly sunning so should not be long now!

Islandgirl said...

First two flowers are both primroses last two are both hyacinths... I'm still at the crocus stage in my garden!

Your bear is adorable... eminantly hugable!

Anonymous said...

Nice flowers in your garden, Claire. I love the primrose. Really love Quinlan! I took the word "walk" literally too. It's the best way to observe!

Bonnie said...

I love the flowers in your backyard. They are lovely. Quinlan is such a handsome fellow. Definitely huggable!

AntiquityTravelers said...

I did notice the new profile and did a double take to make sure I was at the right blog! Good for you for getting out in the backyard - those flowers are gorgeous! happy spring to you :)

thewovenspoke said...

Fantastic Claire! I'm so glad you took the challenge to walk to your garden. Your flowers are beautiful too:)

LoriF said...

Yayyyy Claire! Conquering the first step is the hardest...sometimes literally. So glad to see you have some Spring cheer in your yard, and a huggable companion to love you!

Beti Horvath said...

Wonderful that you could walk in the garden...and come back and play with your photos, too! Love Quinlan, I'm sure he will be an excellent companion!

Honey from the Bee said...

What a beautiful boy, Quinlan! He looks at home outside. Lovely flower shots!

Annette said...

I love the flower photos! I'm so glad you were able to make it there and back. Quinlan is adorable!

Alice said...

What beautiful photos of the spring flowers! Thank you for making the trek out and back.

Quinlan is just adorable!!

Therese's Treasures said...

Hi Claire,
I love the beautiful flowers and your new companion Quinlan is a very cute little fellow. Happy Birthday!
Therese

EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC said...

Hi Claire,
Love your flower photos and I think they are hyacinths - the only reason I know is because I helped mom transplant her hyacinth's to the back yard :)
Love your new friend and I am sure very loveable too!

glassbead, isinglass design said...

Lovely flowers! So glad Island Girl identified them. I got the primroses, but was blanking on the hyacinths! Sweet bear...

Paula, Chief Bead Officer said...

Hi Claire, I think you have created many Quinlan fans. We all need a bear like Quinlan to squeeze! And happy almost-birthday. But I think you have the giveaway all wrong - shouldn't we be showering YOU with gifts? :-)

Adrienne said...

What amazing flowers, glad you got to get out and capture them!

Alison Scott said...

Well done you, getting out and about. The flowers are gorgeous. I always smile when I see them out now, they really cheer me up.

Alison Scott said...

Ps. Quinlan is very handsome. Well worth a cuddle!

Tam said...

We're heading into winter over here. Lovely to see such cheerful blooms.

Becky Pancake said...

Claire. Kudos to you for taking that walk. My husband had a stroke so I can relate to a short distance being a great accomplishment. I am not a flower expert but they look like primrose, hyacinth, and snowdrops to me.