Summer Splash!

A splash of cool water to ease the summer heat! 

A shot from earlier this week when the kids were having fun at the water fountain to ease off the summer heat...

Summer Splash - Fountain at Bedford Town Centre

Have a lovely weekend! 

Stay smiling!

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Reflection...

Be a reflection of what you’d like to see in others!
If you want love, give love, 
If you want honesty, give honesty,
If you want respect, give respect. 
You get in return, what you give!

Weeping Willows - Reflection by the Embankment, Bedford

TGIF!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Peace and Love...

Livingsta :-)

Bedford Dragon Boat Race - July 2013

This one is from the Dragon Boat Race here in Bedford today and this was in aid of three local charities (Autism Bedfordshire, Bedford Foodbank and Bedford Sea Cadets). 

Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition. The three crews you see here are the ones that made it to the finals.

The three crews that made to the finals at the Dragon Boat Race here in Bedford today!

Tried a video and sorry about the shake. I was managing to take pictures with my mobile whilst doing this video.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. It's almost Monday. Have a great week ahead everyone!

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

In search of the black swan...

Wandering in search of the black swan, I managed to spot him last Saturday during my walk down the river. I have always been fascinated by these beautiful birds, their pretty red beaks and the beautiful plumes. 

This black swan has wandered into our little town, not sure from where. He is alone, and the mute swans do not seem to give him any company (as far as I've observed)...

The Black Swan in The River Great Ouse, Bedford

Sighting him first around 10 days before as the bus home from work crossed the town bridge, I got all so excited. Impatiently waiting for the weekend to arrive, I set off looking for this beautiful bird wondering if I would be able to find him, because of the size of the river, its streams and also wondered if he'd flown away.

These birds are native to Australia and are kept in captivity in other countries including the UK. This one may be even just one of those that escaped captivity. There are just a few breeding pairs in all of the UK. 

The Black Swan all by himself in The River Great Ouse, Bedford

He has become popular in the town, he's made to the local news...Yay..!!

Black swan makes a splash in Bedford

There are also reports of people having sighted a pair in the Woburn park and would this one be one of those? Not sure. These birds are generally a bit more aggressive than the mute swans, but this one seemed not, may be because he is alone and getting used to the new place.

I managed a few pictures, not perfect ones! 

I remember seeing a pair in the Trivandrum zoo last year when I visited my hometown (*DEEP SIGH* Missing home like hell :-((((( huh..).

The wired fences prevented me from having a good glance and picture of them. Still, sharing one here...They are pretty birds, aren't they?

The Black Swan at the Trivandrum Zoo, Kerala, India

Hope you're all having a good week. The summer's set in here and I am relaxing with my favourite iced tea with lemon!!!

Citrus Iced Tea

Hope you all enjoyed the evening and the sunshine wherever you were!!!

Peace and love...
Livingsta :-)

Walk by the river

Photo from my walk down the river today, a long few hours walk after a long few months break. I need to start doing this more often. 'Twas a lovely extra warm day, but the most wanted after the long winter and rainy and cold spring. We  hope this lasts for sometime. 

Bit frustrated about my camera's battery these days, as it dies out pretty quick. Time for a replacement I guess after 5 years of use! Sharing the guys from the boating club on the river!

Boating on the River Great Ouse, Bedford, Bedfordshire

Enjoy the warm days while they last, have all the fun in the Sun :-)

Have a blessed Sunday dear ones!

Peace and love....

Livingsta

Ampthill Methodist Church

Sharing here with you all today, the Ampthill Methodist Church that was built in the late 1800s. 

Seriously made me wonder, why all these years, that is after working in that beautiful Georgian town, Ampthill for more than 3.5 years, I never took a chance to walk around that town and explore its historic beauty and other things. I was determined today that I would make my walk to the pharmacy a fruitful one and here I am with a beautiful photo of this church. There are many more churches and places to explore, and I will be sharing them as I visit. 

Ampthill Methodist Church (AMC)

P.S: This little & beautiful town is of huge historic importance and I will be sharing a lot with you here. Stay updated!!!

Have a lovely weekend everyone, enjoy the warmth of the Sun...

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Pretty daisies!

Daisies are like sunshine to the ground.

~Drew Barrymore

Pretty Daisies

Almost Friday!!!

Smiles...

Livingsta :-)

A rose is a rose is a rose.....

Editing a few pictures and this rose made me think of the poem by Gertrude Stein, the lines from Shakespeare and the song by Poe!!! So here I am, sharing my rose, 

A rose is a rose - pretty rose in pink!

the poem from Sacred Emily,

.....Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters.
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Page ages page ages page ages.

~Gertrude Stein


lines from the Shakespeare

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600:
....What's in a name? that which we call a rose
      By any other name would smell as sweet;

and the song! 

Enjoy, and yes....have a lovely evening guys...

Night night...

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

The night after the Supermoon 2013!

The gorgeous moon tonight, the night after the supermoon!!! 
Night, night!!!

Supermoon 2013 - The night after the Supermoon, UK

Have a good night....

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Beating the blues with the blues!!!

So finally beaten the blues, the fact is, I am still feeling blue! :-/

The beautiful Iris at my friend's garden...

The Purple / Blue Iris

Hope you all had a good start to the week. Have a great week ahead!

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Shadows will fall behind you!

Overcast with chance of showers.. for 10 sodden years

(But don't worry, chance of sunny spell in 2023)

Oh my my....I am upset!!!

With the weather predicted for the next 10 years, as years with wet summer, I've been sulking! No wonder why I'm feeling too low!:'(

Just glancing through the sunshine pictures and keeping me inspired!

Shadows behind!

Keep your face always towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. 

~ Walt Whitman


Trying to get inspired.....

Hope you all had a wonderful day! Can't wait for tomorrow till I finish work!

Have a good evening everyone, while I gaze through my window at the showers outside!!!

Peace and love.........

Livingsta

Oh those baby Apples....!

These lovely crunchy baby apples are from a tree that I haven't noticed for three years. Yes, right beside my office at the car-park. 

Wondering if the tree did not bear any fruits at all before or if my eyes were that blind! 

Well, was so tempted to have one, but they are still too small / tender. I love unripe apples, their crunchy, sweet n sour taste.....mmmmm!!! 

As you can see, these are still too small....reminded me of guavas! Haven't had them for ages!!! :o) *SIGH*

A bunch of those crunchy baby apples....

I will be eyeing them from now on! The blossoms were pretty a few weeks ago! 

BTW...Still praying and hoping for some sunshine!

A baby apple, with that pretty red tint...!

You can already see the red tint...Makes me smile :-)))

Hope you've all had a superb week so far!

Have a great rest of the week...

Peace and love...

Livingsta

When the Sun goes down!

Loving the beautiful skies these days....
Enjoying their drama through my window!

Sun goes down - Dusky Sky

Don't lose hope. 
When the sun goes down, 
the stars come out. 

If there is one thing in life that you can never lose beside yourself, 
it is the hope for a better day, 
because there will always be one. 

Just as there are bad times; 
there will come good times as well. 

And even though things may seem uncertain in the moment, 
and even though fear may be trying to cloud your mind, 
fill your mind with hopeful thoughts, 
and remember to keep stepping out on faith as well. 

Liked the quotes above and feeling inspired + motivated...

Happy Weekend!

Peace and Love...

Livingsta :-)

The Wild Clematis...

And it's Friday!!!

Loving the sunshine and the beauty it brings to the world around me...

The Clematis near my workplace are in bloom and Dora Read Goodale's poem comes to my mind, it's not August though!

Clematis by the alleyway...

Where the woodland streamlets flow,
Gushing down a rocky bed,
Where the tasseled alders grow,
Lightly meeting overhead,
When the fullest August days
Give the richness that they know,
Then the wild clematis comes,
With her wealth of tangled blooms.
Reaching up and drooping low,
.....
.....

~Dora Read Goodale

Hope you all had a lovely week...

Have a relaxing weekend!

Peace...

Livingsta :-)

Something to inspire...

So another week is almost there, and the weekend has quietly slid past. We're almost towards the middle of this year and this makes me wonder, "Where have the days gone?"


"Do what you can with what you've got wherever you are."

Never look at others and worry about what you do not have, but instead, be happy and content with what you have and be grateful for that. Do your best, help when you can and wherever you can....

And, posting a picture from Summer 2012, as I still haven't got out of my little den to shoot pictures this Summer. I need to stay motivated......

These are from the gardens by the Embankment.

The pretty Dahlias by the Embankment in Bedford
From the Summer of 2012

I leave you all with these thoughts and hoping you all will be having a wonderful week ahead...

Sending you all some warm smiles...and it is a bit warm here today!

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Year without a Summer...

In the Spring of 1315, 
there began an era of unpredictable weather,
It did not lift until 1851. 
You remember 1816 as the year without a summer.
June 1816, 
a sudden snowstorm blankets all the countryside,
So Mary Shelley had to stay inside and she wrote Frankenstein,
Oh, 1816 was the year without a summer.

Grain couldn't ripen under these conditions,
It was brought indoors in urns and pots.
It'd go from ninety-five degrees to freezing within hours,
A brutal struggle for the people and the starving livestock.

Above lyrics from Rasputina - A year without a Summer

A field across the dark and gloomy sky!!!
© Livingsta

I could not stop singing this song in my mind...

This is how the weather makes me feel...

Hoping for some warm sunshine :-)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

And...

Sending you warm smiles from my corner of the world...

Peace...

Livingsta :-)

Beauty and Purity...

"Rare is the union of beauty and purity." 
~Juvenal

When I shot the picture below, this is what I felt!

Beautiful White Spring Flowers in their Pure form!!!

I am not complaining, but yes, we did not have a perfect Spring, but I am grateful for the precious few days that we had, besides the cold, the wind, the rain and the storm!

The beautiful quote above lifts my spirit up sometimes....

Because it is so true...

When we look at the life around us, we do sense this in 
Every way
Every day and in 
Every walk of life.....

I leave you all with this wonderful and positive feeling....

Have a good evening!

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Twilight is Falling...

Every season of the year comes up with its own and unique beauty of the sky; So has the sky this year in Spring too! This is what awaited my eyes as I looked out of my window for a glimpse of the twilight!


Twilight is falling... 
With sunset painting the sky in silence... 
From cool blue... 
To warm peaches... 

The Painted Sky - From cool to warm!

I hope you all had a good day. Weekend is nearly there, not too far away!

Wishing you all a peaceful evening dear ones... 

Livingsta :-)

Forestry Commission Scotland - Galloway Forest Park Dark Skies

Forestry Commission Scotland - Galloway Forest Park Dark Skies

The UK’s First Dark Sky Park

Forestry Commission Scotland has established part of Galloway Forest Park as the first Dark Sky Park in the UK. Announced on 16th November 2009 in the International Year of Astronomy, it is a massive achievement for the UK and the south West of Scotland.

Spring Rain...

So we've had a rainy week, with little breaks in between and outbreaks of sunshine now and then. Well, spring rain makes everything look pretty. As I am writing this, I can hear the rain water splattering on my window!

As Vivian Greene quotes:

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain.”

I still see the buds dormant in the trees, and so are the bulbs. Not a very cheerful atmosphere. Due to the frost, snow, rain and freezing temperatures, most of the flowering plants and trees look dry as if they've come straight out of a drought. 

And they also say,

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain. 

Off I went, not dancing in the rain, but enjoying the rain! I love it when everything looks so neat and sparkling in the rain. I love the smell of rain, the smell of the earth!

My walk on Monday this week was a bit disappointing but I did manage to capture a few odd bunches here and there and I am grateful for that. 

 The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. 
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I yearn for flowers that bend with the wind and rain. 
~Tso Ssu

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. Have a blessed one everyone.

Peace and love...

Livingsta x