Ummm...Time has really flown!!

I actually cannot believe I haven't written my blog since June 2014 - although it was the best weekend ever so maybe nothing topped it for a while!

The last year has flown by, it was a mixed year with a visiting childhood friend of our daughter's, I wasn't in the best of health and we didn't get out much! I am happy to say that part of life is over now and we are enjoying 2016 for what it is!
 "What is happening so far?" I hear you cry - well we have had some rather special events so far this year - a 70th Birthday a 50th Wedding Anniversary, a 24th Birthday and a 21st Birthday all in our family....we still have a very special occasion to follow another Birthday - but that is not until July ;)

Our youngest turned 21 in  May....

Lucky me - Birthday girl :) incentive to just keep swimming right there ;)

We also welcomed a rather darling puppy dog to the family - our eldest has finally the dog of her dreams - a King Charles called Bilbo!

SO the year this year has been good so far, we have had some interesting weather - as in lots and lots of rain (so theoretically shouldn't have a hose pipe ban this year!)

We have had some lovely sunny days which meant we could finally start getting the Hut back into order as a Poplar tree fell into it making one heck of a mess during a storm in February! We were quite upset at the time as we spent a lot of time and effort on it over the last few years, however we have made some improvements including removable windows!!  And as always we have more projects to undertake very shortly :D

The best part of summer arriving is that the Bees, Butterflies and HummingBird Hawkmoths start their work!

We were also lucky enough to have a little Jenny Wren nesting in The Hut - I didn't want to disturb the babies too much but did take a couple of photos!

Wild Geraniums in the garden..................

So now here we are in June, and as of the Summer Solstice we have fallen into Summer! It's been so lovely and scorchio .... trouble is it's a case of run and hide for the shade, and where better than our Summer retreat - The Hut :)

 Beautiful Clematis enjoying the sunshine....this is the time of year that I love going around gardens - there are so many amazing flowers!

It's so easy taking photographs on the go now - what with the Samsung Mobile, a new birthday present in the form of a compact Canon (with a snazzy retro case of course!) and the big cameras are always to hand - especially since investing in (another) a 70-300mm macro lens last year but having the chance to use it - this year I can enjoy getting out and using it properly!

So that's about it from PJP - the year in a nutshell - or a short blog in this case! I am looking forward to getting out and about and particularly to our celebration next month!

Thank you for reading and don't forget you can follow me on my FaceBook Page for everything "Life through the Lens" https://www.facebook.com/PamelaJaynePhotography/

PJ

April excitement at PJP Towers

Well what a busy few days it's been, we are halfway through April, which is scary in itself as we are ever nearer to May - Birthday Month!

I have had much fun since the first of April deciding to record those happy moments on a daily basis - using camera, tablet or mobile I have so far captured 18 days of Happy for my #100happydays album, 100 Happy Days which can be seen here - of course sometimes I don't post on the actual day - that would be silly now wouldn't it? But I have been keeping on top of it, it goes to show how many happy moments can occur on a daily basis!

I have had a photo shoot this week as well, plus a call to take photos for a disabled gentleman for his photos for the Permis de Conduire, whilst there I was asked to take photos of himself and his wife, their first "official photoshoot" in Twenty years!

This followed the very hectic but enjoyable "Making Memories" photo shoot, 3 great grandchildren all under 5 to one very lovely Ann and her granddaughter Jenni.

And before I turn the PC off for the weekend I would like to introduce you to my new page! I have been working on it since February - this will work so well with the new website as well once it's launched!
PamelaJaynePhotoraphy Portraits & Wedding Services  is purely about  Making Memories sessions on the Weddings that I have had the chance to be part of.

And finally  - Happy Easter to you!

Have an enjoyable weekend whatever you do - we are hoping to head to the coast - photo opportunities abound!

PamelaJayne 

April it's April?!?

When did that actually happen - well on the First I suppose but really? Who stole the time - again? We left March to beautiful weather, Saturday saw 5 of us pounding up and down the pool in Ruffec taking part in a Sponsored Swim (Nagerthon) we wanted to achieve 100 lengths in the hour, and we did! A nice way of fundraising for the Rotary Club to donate the money raised for a Garden for Disabled people in the town! We then completed a  bike ride of 15.5kms (that .5 is really important!) on Sunday which for us was a good ride as it was the first back out this year! And we found every hill imaginable in our area, as well as the D9 which who knew was so hilly?

I was commissioned to take photos of a very lovely Chambre d'hote La Belle Epoque in March, but have been waiting to share some of the photographs, we were there last year for a Vintage shoot so it was lovely to go back and take photos of the house now ready for the busy Season ahead! Good luck to Olly & Baz :)

The garden is coming along beautifully - I think all the rain in February helped - Spring has Sprung!

The thing is I am definitely one of those people that say "Oh Fritillaria they are my favourite flowers", I shouldn't say that as really I love all plants and flowers, but the three above are amongst my Top Ten or should that be twenty!

Of course the other thing about Spring is the blossoms from Apple, to Almond and now the Pear and Peach there is nothing quite like this time of year is there?

Peach Blossom on my sapling!

Pear reaching high!

I was quite surprised to see the Lilac coming out in bud but maybe that's about the right time - it just seems too early!

As the sun started to go down I played around with settings on the camera (as you do!) and took the blossoms with the sun behind - I was not expecting to see a little flying fly though!

We are lucky to have lanes to the back of us - as you may have seen previously, the farmers have been very busy readying the fields for planting - well they were a week ago (or so it seems) now we have an avenue of Colza (rape) which is so pretty - I know it's evil and nasty as it makes everyone cough and sneeze - me included, well until this year!! 

I have to share this as it's Scooby - totally oblivious to the fact there is a great big Hare not so very far away from him! Even when he did look up, there was no obvious sign he would give chase! Good Old Scoobs!

I am guessing the yellow flowers in the photograph below are some kind of wild Geranium, I rather like them and thinking they would look nice in my "wild garden"

Bumble Bee out in the evening enjoy the last of the sun and the colza!

And so's not to be left out - here is our Lily - growing rapidly and enjoying the joys the Spring Garden is bringing her! I am so hoping she doesn't find a Daddy Long Legs as I have heard bad things about them! Mind you I don't want her going for Bees, Wasps or anything else with a sting really! 

I thought I would partake in the "100 days of Happy" basically taking a photo every day of something that makes you Happy! That can be hard as somethings that make me happy - are going to be hard to photograph! 

My first 4 days go like this .......

Our youngest in her final concert of all the Music classes at Lycée made her sad but made me happy as she proved her talent once again!

Everyone loves surprises? this was mine in my plant tub!

Day 3 eldest sang in this church with the Fac de Musico (Poitiers) it was a beautiful setting and the music was pretty lovely as well!

Now Day 4 is a bit harder as I went Swimming and that makes me really happy so rather than subject you to a photo of me looking ridiculously happy (!) here are the essentials in my kit bag!
I now have to keep this up for another 96 days - wish me luck ;)

 It rained and rained yesterday, not April showers but full on all day stuff! And it did give me a chance to play - under my Umbrella, ella, ella.....  Hope it cheers up next week though for the German exchange students, no-one likes going to the coast in the rain do they? Anyway I have just realised it's Happy Friday!





 Have a great weekend!

As always if you wish to join me over at my Facebook page and see my latest images please join me PamelaJayne Photography 
PamelaJayne

Life Through the Lens - Melle partie deux - March '14

I had the opportunity to go back to my exploring of Melle last week, I spent far too much time dallying however as only ended up with twenty minutes to cram in all the places I wanted to get to! No chance.....Melle is actually a little bigger than I anticipated and I still haven't made it to the Market Place as yet! Just reaching the church my place of destination when DD rang to say her rdv had finished and now ready and waiting for me...ahhhh I was now in "rush mode" which meant I wasn't going to get nearer l'eglise Saint Hilaire.

L’eglise Saint Savinien with the Blue skies making a wonderful backdrop!	Managed to miss this last time!
Loving the daffodils, so many more out this week…	looking through….
Shuttered this week and loving the afternoon light on the shutters.
That’s what I call a clean window! took me a moment to realise I was seeing the blue skies through the roof!	Lovely area to sit and contemplate!

I started off from the Old hospital gardens again as I knew I would be able to get to the Eglise Saint Hilaire via the winding roads down. Of course on the way there was so many more things to see this week. Flowers coming out, buzzing Bees and many Butterflies flitting around me, part of me things there was just one and I was being accompanied on my walk!

Honey Bee enjoying the flora!	Another gateway to explore – another day!
The ramparts continue round the back – I have walked down from the gardens.
Flowering Current bush I believe!	Love the colour of the Japonica against the sky.
My destination for this walk – Eglise Sainte Hilare…
Back to our meeting place via yet another route through the old hospital I discovered this really “happy” building! Dating back to the XIXeme ciecle stands the Dêpot Lapidiare which would have been the store room for the Pompiers hand pumps	Another part of the Old hospital -  would have loved to have seen this before it became so dilapidated.
And back full circle!	Last flower photo of the day as well!

So as you can see Melle is really a very pretty town, with many places to discover, I am still quite ashamed that it has taken me this long to take the time to explore but now I have and know that I have a few more places to re-visit which does excite me, back to the church Saint Hilaire at some stage for internal photos!
For more photos please visit https://www.facebook.com/PamelaJaynePhotography