Remembrance | an inadequate thank you

Remembrance|

a. The act or process of remembering.

b. The state of being remembered: holds him in fond remembrance.

2. Something serving to celebrate or honor the memory of a person or event; a memorial.

3. The length of time over which one's memory extends.

4. Something remembered; a reminiscence.

5. A souvenir.

6. A greeting or token expressive of affection.

 

How can I say thank you enough?

Poppy at 1 on film!

 Happy birthday pretty little puss!

A pile of kittens ...

 

An introduction and a birthday ...

Over here at A Camera's Country View we have some big news. Not only is today the lovely Rhid's birthday (happy birthday, I love you ♥ ), but we have to make an introduction to you.  We have had a new addition to the family, on Friday we brought home a lovely pair of kittens!  A little 12-weed old girl, Poppy, who had been found abandoned and an 8-week old boy, Yoda.  This isn't going to be a long post as I have to get back to playing with them but just wanted to share the news and tell you a bit about them.  Poppy has been such a brave little thing, wandering around and playing a lot.  Yoda is far more timid.  Unused to his surroundings he hid under the couch for about 12 hours but has ventured out and now they've made friends.  To be honest, Yoda was in awe of Poppy from the beginning, following her around and making cow eyes but Poppy wasn't too keen until something happened yesterday afternoon and she just went and slept on top of him!  I wasn't going to blog about them, it makes it even more upsetting if something horrible happens but then I thought about all the good things about posting about Kiki.  I have all the cute photographs and funny stories documented on here.  So I'm giving it another go.  I'll come back over the next few days and share some things, tell you what their favourite things to do are and I'm sure there will be plenty of photographs.  In the meantime, I'm about to eat homemade raspberry and white chocolate cake ('specially requested by the birthday boy), cook up a storm and play with tiny balls of fluff!  I hope that you all have a wonderful day too.

Yoda (left) and Poppy (right) = new bundles of joy

 

An overnight transformation ...

I have some beautiful red poppies close by and not only are they stunning to look at, but they seem to be a creativity stimulant.  Each time that I look at them, I have another idea.  I bowled over by their beauty and feel a burning desire to capture it; every fold, every crease, every shade of red to share with the world.  I'm being taken over by a small flower, an all consuming, delicate yet mighty piece of the UK flora.

 I really wanted to capture the opening of the buds with time lapse photography but I not wanting to leave my precious Nikon out to all the elements, I went to bed.  Leaving the bud bursting at the seams.  I could see the tight folds of the delicate skirt, knowing that the resulting creases in the petals would just add to the beauty of the final performance.  The tough bud protecting its fairy-like (if you ever get such a fiery fierce shade of red fairy) interior.  This morning I was expecting it to have unfolded slightly but was not expecting to see the flower in its full pose.  It was there, bold-as-brass, looking at me and willing me to take its' picture!  How could you stay disappointed with that for long?

 

A tale of the ephemeral and ethereal ...

An oasis of poppy calm in a mad rush of writing and making posters (not as exciting as it sounds, if only it could be done in crayon...) for work.

These poppies are from last year.  I haven't seen so many this year and that makes me a little sad.  But on the plus side, I have a load that I haven't even gotten round to looking at from last year.  That is definitely something to look forward to.  There is something pleasing about the colour blocking and overlapping in this image.  I think it captures the essence of poppies, such delicate stems on their own, with their crumpled tissue-like skirts, but together, they are a mighty force.  An entity united in colour and standing strong in their own ethereal splendour.  Ephemeral and yet eternally captured.

First splash of red this year ...

It only takes one glimpse of those crumpled petals to make my heart sing.  A drop of red, a dash of tissue like grandeur flapping in the breeze.  I just can't help but wish to lie down next to them and stay there all day, all week, hell, forever!  I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing more poppies over the coming weeks.  I even change routes that I travel, adding on miles, to sneak a peak of the little lovelies.  I'll keep you updated, you'll know when they are in their full glory.  Even more exciting this year as they are part of a possible-top-secret-project!  So keep popping back, I'll even provide some cake!

* On a side note, I am making some greetings cards soon, if you would like some especially made for you, please send your requests to me (you can choose photos from the blog, or from my flickr page, why not request something?).  E-mail me rosie (underscore) anthony (at) hotmail (dot) com or leave a comment here and I'll get back to you.

 

It is coming ...

Poppy season is coming!  One of my favourite times of year and it is almost upon us (one of my other favourite times of year is actually here, but more on that in the next few days!).  I have seen my first poppy bud and to be truthful, I can not express just how much I am looking forward to seeing the delightful dots of crimson all over the countryside.  I just wish that there was a poppy field locally.  It is one of my dreams to lie in a field studded with these elegant beauties.  I feel that no matter how many photographs, how many angles I shoot them from, it is never enough.  I can not do their delicacy justice, I can not convey how much I love them.

My lovely friend Sian promised that she would send me the first poppy in her garden last year.  I laughed it off as a sweet thought but unlikely to happen.  Then one day I got an unexpected card, with a lovely pressed poppy inside.  These are the sort of things that keep you going.  The small, delightful pleasures in life.  Knowing that someone cares enough about you to press a flower especially for you, brightening not only your day but a small piece of your heart.  Thank you Sian for the thought and for always being there.  You're wonderful and I miss you being here.


Ps please can you send me another one this year?  Pretty please?