Brother Love

Soph does love her brother really!! She was so pleased to see Jon in hospital when she was strong enough and awake! I love this photo as it really was new beginnings and so good to see the pair of them so pleased to see each other

Sam and Bonnie

Two cats that shared my life, rest in peace (old) Sam and Bonnie; you were both unique and beautiful in your own way and I will always remember you.

Badgers

A few years ago now, I was lucky enough to see badgers on a farm that I stayed on in the West Country. It was one of the most memorable occasions in my life; something I will truly never forget. The badgers hung around a lot in the afternoons on the farm and then again in the evening, down by the old plum trees. Mostly I would sit on a bank and wait for them to come out, and try not to move to scare them. On a couple of evenings I sat up the plum tree, in the drizzle watching them feed below my feet. This time we also left them some bread which they liked as well. It was magical and amazing ....

My sister's sponsored walk

Nearly four years ago now, my sister Annie decided she wanted to do a long walk to celebrate her 50th birthday (by herself!). She decided to walk the South Downs Way, a walk of 100 miles, over a week. The walk started from Worthing in West Sussex and ended at Winchester Cathedral. People were allowed to join her during the day, should they so wish! At the same time, Annie decided to raise sponsorship for the Meningitis Trust, a cause very dear to our heart in my family, as it was only a few months after Sophie was struck with it. In this picture you will see my sister Annie and my two neices Jen and Liz, together with Jon and Sophie.

Jonathan's birthday

Jonathan's 12th birthday, we were in Pizza Hut celebrating his birthday when I took this one.

My other babies

Sam and Bella - they really do love each other! It's quite amazing really, since they were rehomed from totally different homes, but I got them within two weeks of each other. They really did take to each other straight away and keep each other company and get up to mischief together. If one cries, the other one has to go and investigate. Sam likes to climb on doors and Bella always looks concerned for him! Either that or she just thinks he is completely barmy!

The clarinet's nearly as big as you!

This made me laugh as the clarinet is nearly as big as Sophie! She is now on grade 2 and seems to still be enjoying playing it. I just wish she would practice more!

You're How Old?

Sophie again, this time on her birthday. Usually on her birthday Sophie has an asthma attack! Perhaps it is excitement, perhaps it is just the time of year (January), but poor Sophie does suffer and we regularly end up at the doctors and Sophie being nebulised! Not the best way to spend a birthday, but Sophie usually takes it all in her stride!

Sophie at the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

I love this picture of Sophie I took a few years back now. She had been having great fun walking on the glass floor on the top floor of the Tower and teasing her mum and her Grandma. Well I did have a go too of course, but I have to say it was really scary!

Sam

Animals always seem to know when you aren't feeling very well or a bit upset don't they? Sam my Ragdoll cat does always know when I need some extra loving and makes sure he is always close by. He really is a very sweet little fellow.

(Thank you for running this lovely effect on my photo Merv!)

Merv

Photos of Merv I have taken over the past few months. It's been great getting out with our cameras recently and enjoying the countryside. We had a great weekend recently trying out the cameras and posing with hats!

Holiday

Me with my children Jon and Sophie on holiday in Dorset earlier this year, before we got thrown off the golf course!!

Bella

Bella is a Maine Coon cat and 8 years old. She regularly shown as a kitten and young cat, winning lots of rosettes and trophies. Sadly motherhood was not for her and she was rehomed as an ex breeding queen, aged 3. She is a real softie, very gentle and playful and will do anything for a belly rub.

Acoustic Night

Couple of photos of Merv at Acoustic Night. I have been to the last four of these held at The Green Dragon in Marlborough. It is always a great night for those taking part or just watching, and I just love it!

Let It Go

Last Autumn Merv asked if I would be willing to write the lyrics for a new tune he had written. Well, this is what came to mind and the result was Let It Go

www.divshare.com/download/12126798-071


I have to say I really did enjoy the process of lyric writing - my first ever attempt, and luckily Merv seemed to like them! Sierra Hurtt, from Philadelphia is on vocals. I got to meet up with Sierra in April when she was over here doing a few gigs. She is a really lovely sweet girl and it's been great to meet her. She and Merv wrote the track Believe, which is being released in Germany in the autumn. All exciting stuff!

Merv is an amazing song writer. You can hear more of his tunes here:

www.reverbnation.com/mervcarswell

Summer Sunrise

Having spent half the night creating my new blog (being guided through the process by the lovely Merv), when I eventually got to bed at 5 am, I was greeted by the sunrise. I haven't been up early enough for a summer sunrise for quite a while now. It was quite beautiful! Again I have just captured the moment on my iPhone.

Sunset over Lyndhurst

A week or so ago,

we had a really lovely day in Lyndhurst messing around and having fun. The evening sky was quite beautiful, and I have tried to capture it here, just using an iPhone.

Sam the mad Ragdoll

This is Sam, my Ragdoll cat. He is nearly 6 years old and I adopted him from a rehoming charity when he was 10 months old. He has very weird habits, such as climbing on the tops of doors and meowing nonstop for attention when he is lonely. He is very sweet and loving and loves pink and fluffy things, consequently he goes under the name Gay Cat.

More Itchen Navigation Canal

Another photo taken on the same day near Brambridge in Hampshire, in May 2010; the start of a warm summer.

The Itchen Navigation Canal

My Partner Merv (T-bone Travis - check out his blog), has encouraged me to create my first blog and put up a few of my photographs. I have been interested in photography since about the age of 10, very much encouraged by my father, who gave me my first basic 110 camera, and a couple of years later progressing to an SLR. I was further encouraged further by my uncle Carl Albrecht in America, who was a professional photographer, and regularly had work published in American magazines in the 1950s. He was a great photographer and he used to do all my photographic developing and printing. He sent me a twin lens reflex camera together with loads of lens and I did have lots of fun with that back in the 1980s and 90s. However still today I'm not a technical photographer, but I do enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the world around me, and the little details. Photography is always rewarding for me; to appreciate the small details in my surroundings, notice the shadows , light and shade is quite joyful.

I am starting this blog essentially as an online forum for my photographs that I like, but also I might develop this into a bit of an online diary, with memories of good times from the past and certainly those I know I'm going to have in the future, through photographs.

So, for starters, I thought I would share these two photos taken along the Itchen Navigation Canal at Eastleigh and Brambridge in May.

Feedback on my photos is always welcome - do say whatever comes to mind, good or bad!

Love

Claire x