Damp day - cosy tea room - # 08/69

The blossom outside seemed to lose it's charm when set against the hot tea and buttered toast on a damp, windy, quite cold Saturday.

Springing in the rain - # 08/67

So...we went from stunning sunshine and high temperatures on Friday to cold wet and windy on Saturday, and then even 5 cm of snow on Sunday - (in London where it rarely snows!!).

Nevertheless I ventured out on Saturday and chose this contrast of magnificent colours, and trees in their white blossom coats set against the wet cobbles and the grey skies. (I had a lot of fun capturing this and found it hard to chose which image to show, so I hope you like it).

Terrace Gardens, Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park - # 351

I tried this in B&W but decided I liked it best in colour. The sun is brilliant but it was quite cold. Those who know Richmond will speak enthusiastically about this spot. And it's great for plane spotting, too!

Shapes and shadows - # 350

Just me playing with textures and light and shapes.

Blocks and shapes and shadows - # 349

This probably won't set the blood racing through the veins of my "lookers and lurkers", so why is it here?

As said a couple of days ago, I like the effect of buildings glimpsed quickly through trees etc. and I'm intrigued as to why the blocks, curves and corner angles of buildings "please" us. I'm also intrigued as to why they look better (often, but not always) in B&W. What is it about variations of grey? This building is nothing to "write home about", but it has pleasing features that are worth picking out. It's location and view from the top of the ridge looking out from Richmond Park is stunning.

Over the next few days some more blocks, shapes and shadows will appear.

Camera: Olympus C7070 WZ

Discussing theme and composition - # 338

Thank you Richard (Zurich forthemedia) for your comments on yesterday's post.

You are right. It's the house. I was drawn both to the trees and the house, but uppermost it was the house. Certainly "the house in context with the trees", but the house came first, with the trees an important "supporting actor". (Why then call it "Oak Tree"? Answer, "to disguise my secret passion".)

The curve of the house, and the bay windows somehow "whispered" as much and more than the rest.

Here is the whole ensemble. It like this view.

(Thanks to Jilly of Menton DP for revealing the secret of "big images").

Lunch on the terrace - # 253

Now you can all see what yesterday's pigeon found so interesting. The terrace at Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park is enjoyable, rain or shine, and if you look hard you can see the pin prick that is Windsor Castle about 15 miles away, and even all the way to the Chiltern Hills.

P.S....sorry, Richard, but the photographic fashion model is just out of shot beyond the right hand border. You have to take my word for that.

The Opportunist - # 252

Friday was gorgeous: in full sunshine up on the west facing scarp of Richmond Park, enjoying the terrace of Pembroke Lodge, the lone pigeon (strangely alone in fact - where were all his pestilential allies?) surveyed the lunchers and "Kaffeeklatschers", the photographic fashion models visiting their mothers for the weekend, and entrepreneurs hatching new retail concepts in congenial surroundings. He waited for me to capture him on his perch and then swooped down across my table just to demonstrate his superb flying ability. I love to watch pigeons flying. They are so skilled.