Photographs

Shadows in the night.

A tall, leafy plant casts long, dramatic shadows on a wooden wall in a dimly lit setting.

I received this electronic sticker by email today. My first vote in a US Presidential Election since becoming a US citizen in 2022. The Hawaii Primaries.

Auto-generated description: A circular, orange sticker features the text Hi Voted 2024 Primary Election with a rocket ship design.

Young puppy, Mochi, my step-daughter’s little French Bulldog getting curious about the sheep next door. What is not shown is the other sheep and cow looking on. How wet it was that afternoon. How I had to push my way through a hedge to get to Mochi, and go back through it once I had Mochi. How Mochi was in no hurry to be picked up, and by the time that I did get to him, he was covered in mud…and then ran straight back down to the animals once I had cleaned him off.

Oh the mischievousness of youth…whatever the breed.

A small brown dog and a white goat are meeting through a wire fence while a person wearing flip-flops stands nearby.

This jigsaw puzzle was very satisfying to do, and the collage of images looks better in the completed puzzle than the image on the box. Some fun, whimsical pieces in there as well. 🧩

A completed jigsaw puzzle showing a colorful collage depicting various pub exteriors and signs from around Britain, each with intricate architectural details and vibrant storefronts.

Playing around again with Cinemin by Tinrocket, a couple of evenings ago.

A cozy interior features a vase of flowers on a table, books, and a candle, all softly lit in a purple hue.

I’m in the middle of doing this jigsaw puzzle showing a collage of various traditional British pub exteriors and signage. A puzzle that my mother gave to me. I love doing puzzles. The process relaxes me. Doing this one I’m finding is also making me homesick. There is nothing like a British pub and I am no longer around them. I miss them.

A collage of various traditional British pub exteriors is depicted, showcasing intricate architectural details and classic signage.

This morning’s rainbow 🌈

A rainbow arcs over a grassy field and a line of shrubbery, set against a partly cloudy sky.

I’ve been playing around with Tinrocket’s relatively new app Cinemin. While admiring what they can do, I do not normally choose to use apps that give photographs a artistic look, this one I am enjoying though. The images that Cinemin produces is,

Inspired by traditional animation art and films

Here are a couple of my first dabbles with the app, conjoined by Tinrocket’s collage app, Photo Tape.

A collage of two photos. On the left, a view from an airplane window shows the wing and a vast expanse of clouds under a clear blue sky. On the right, a serene waterfront scene is illuminated by a bright sun on a clear day with boats gently floating on the calm water.

This evening’s sunset view from home.

Between the rainbow this morning and this sunset, the day has felt oddly discombobulated. Slowly productive, but sort of disjointed along the way.

A picturesque sunset sky, painted with vibrant hues of pink and purple, stretches over a tranquil grassy landscape and distant trees.

This morning’s rainbow, accompanied by the moon 🌈

A clear blue sky with a faint rainbow arches over lush greenery and distant treetops, with the moon just above its apex.

A part of the ruin of the old Sugar Mill in Paia, Maui.

An aged, rusty watchtower stands among dense vegetation under a partly cloudy sky.

I was out last night searching for slugs and snails who might be eating our young lettuces, and instead I found this spider standing guard.

A largish spider is perched on a lettuce plant illuminated by a flashlight, or torch, in a dark setting.

The moon casts ghostly shadows over the landscape last night. The images were taken through the windows of our house.

Four photographs taken during a moon lit night, are arranged in a grid, each showcasing a different perspective of a lush, green outdoor area with varying sky conditions from overcast to partly cloudy.

A boat moored on the River Sado. The photo was taken while out on the River Sado in a more modern boat, powered by solar power and completely quiet.

A sailing ship is docked at a pier during sunset, with a calm body of water and a distant bridge visible on the horizon.

The weather cleared this morning and the fire burning on the side of Haleakala is clearly visible. The good news is that forward progress of the fire has been halted, it is 50% contained, the size of the fire has been downgraded to 355 acres, and there have been no evacuation orders.

A lush tropical landscape with various palm trees is set against a backdrop of hills, with a plume of smoke rising in the distance.

Grilling two evenings ago.

A grill with a pan and skewers of meat and vegetables is set up outdoors on a grassy area with chairs in the background.

A large egg has appeared outside of our front door.

A large stone sphere sits on a landscaped area with dark gravel, concrete pathways, and greenery in the background.

Cadaqués, Spain by day and by night.

A collage of two views of Cadaqués, Spain. On the left by day, on the right by night. Both are looking across the bay towards Cadaqués with boats in the bay and the town, backed by a church spreading around the bay and up the hill. Green Mountains surround the town.

Nautical scene, Cadaqués, north eastern Spain.

A metallic “L” shaped object standing upright on the water’s edge. Behind is an ocean bay with an old sail boat anchored off shore

The Bullring in Alcácer do Sal. I believe that there are very few bullfights there, maybe two or three a year. One was due to take place just after we left Alcácer mid-June.

A black and white photograph of a bullring from the public park next door. In the foreground is a lawn and flowers. Then a fence and the circular wall of the bulging with cars parked in front.
Bullring, Alcácer do Sal

I find myself disagreeing with the idea of a bullfight. I don’t know what the majority feeling is in Portugal and specifically in Alcácer, though I have heard that one of the best bullfighters in the country comes from/came from the town? We were told by a friend in Alcácer that the bull is not killed in bullfighting in Portugal, though I don’t know when a fight is deemed to be over?

My wife and I discussed whether we would have attended if we had still been in Alcácer when the fight took place. I went from not at all to only if I could sit on a seat near to an exit should I choose to leave early. I started to feel that if I lived in Alcácer I had to understand the people and the culture better before offering my opinion.

My repulsion towards bullfighting comes from my sense that it is simply cruel to bulls and in this day and age does not have a place. I have a similar feeling towards fox hunting in the UK which is now outlawed. However, while I come from the UK and use to have fox hunts pass where I lived in South Wales and so had some experiential sense of that activity, I hesitate to call it a ‘sport’, I have not seen a bullfight. Could I critique that which I have not seen - yes, no, maybe? I felt better that I see it. That time will have to wait though.

Back in the land of the rainbows. Here is this morning’s. If you look closely, it is possible to make out a faint second one above the first. 🌈

A rainbow against a blue sky and above green hill, in the foreground is a bed of various shrubs and a lawn

The air, the landscape was so still and quiet this morning. You’ll probably have to turn up the volume to hear the bird song in the recording below.

Blue sky and clouds capturing the orange light of a rising sun, above the silhouette of a long bush and tree

Out walking, pounding the streets of Barcelona.

The shadow of two people walking on hard sandy coloured surface. A foot of each person is visible.

Moon rise this evening near to Cadaqués.

A neat full moon rising over a small island with a building on it that include a turret. Small craft boast dot in the calm water. In the foreground is a smooth dirt road with two trees and two chairs at the water’s edge.

Outdoor spaces at Salvador Dali’s house in Portlligat, Spain.

A collage of six outside shots of the outdoor space of Salvador Dali’s house, including a statute of a monk, a swimming pool, a Michelin Man, a pink lips couch, a white building with pitch forks coming out of it, a paved area with trees and steps up to another area.

This morning’s view.

The view out of a window of a dusty road, two benches one with towels drying on it, two young trees, the ocean and a small island just off shore with a house which in part is made up of a turret

The Caixa Forum, Madrid.

A black and white photo showing a couple walking under a low roof made up of shapes, in the sun away from the building people walk around.

When I was younger and my grandfather came to visit he use to give me the empty end of an ice cream cone. I never knew the reason why, and asking my mother she does not know why either? My wife and I were eating at this very good Gelato place in Possanco, Comporta called Gulato, and I was reminded of my grandfather’s gifts as I bit down towards the end of my cone.

By the way, I can’t say enough good things about Gulato. It is a bit off the beaten track but still not far away from everything else in the area. Hunt it down. Lovely staff, the owner trained in making Gelato in Italy. Delicious gelato all made on the property. A beautiful location.

A hand holding the empty end of an ice cream cone. The hand rests on a table on which is a napkin holder potted plant and a pair of glasses. Blurry in the distance can be made out vegetation and a road.

Some friends in Alcácer very kindly arranged a sunset boat ride for us along the Sado River yesterday evening. This was completely unexpected and a lovely gift. The boat was solar powered and so there was no noise of an engine or exhaust fumes. There was just the sound of water lapping against the boat as we sailed forward along the river, of fish jumping, of the wind blowing through the grasses at the river’s edge. This made for a very relaxing trip.

Drinks and snacks were provided for the ride. The boat’s captain, Manual, shared with us the history of the Sado River, once a busy trade route through the Alentejo area of Portugal and further afield. Earlier that day a new Alcácer acquaintance shared the trade that use to take place between Alcácer do Sal and Cornwall, England. Cornwall had tin and this was used for making steel in Portugal. With the history of human settlement in the Alcácer do Sal area going back 40,000 years, the river has been an important trade route for a long time.

Chatting, eating, drinking, watching, listening, laughing.

If you find yourself in Alcácer do Sal, look up Sunrice boat trips. A good host, great company. We had a wonderful evening.

A composite of photos from a sunset boat ride along the Sado River. Including a table of food on the boat, the sun setting, buildings beside the river, grasses beside the river.
Views along the Sado River at sunset.

Heavy skies over the beach at Carvalhal yesterday while we were out walking. That said it was warm when the sun broke through, and some people were I the water. The threatening clouds came to nothing.

Dark stormy looking clouds over a large expanse of beach with the Atlantic Ocean reflecting the dark colour.