Sunday 24 May 2020

Sunday this and that

Hi Everybody!

Have a great Sunday, whatever you are up too!

I have a hybrid piece for Mia's flowers challenge at AJJ. The grungy background is a photo of the lid of a plastic box - I use these lids as palettes for mixing colours. The images are from Mischief Circus, me  and Serif. Way back in the 1980s my dog Scruffy had puppies. We weren't sure how Kitty would react to the birth and little ones. But she was absolutely amazing. She stayed by Scruffy during the birth, comforted her, helped lick the babies clean, and in the following weeks was a constantly devoted nursemaid. She picked the puppies up in her mouth and carried them back if they strayed too far from their mum, and licked them clean as if they were her own babies. It was astonishing and moving to watch. Even when they were getting boisterous, she never lost her patience with them. I was lucky to have such wonderful pets:



 And various photos from my walks in the past 2 weeks:




This magpie was not shy:


Art in the park:


The rail tracks are always planted with seasonal flowers:


Allium growing by the roadside:


The bee was having a feed:



Lovely to see the intricate structure of the flowers:


Irises in neighbour's garden:


Sunny fields:


Cotton blowing through the air and landing everywhere:



People enjoying a tour on the Rhine:


Watching the boats:



The old couple are still sitting in front of their house:




And a blackbird on my balcony:


A hungry pigeon - they are always hungry!


A wonderful, misty morning:



A duck which came for a quiet rest in the back garden:


Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

71 comments:

  1. Great post Valerie, it was good to read about your cat, she was a real Mum to the puppies. The spring flowers are beautiful.

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    1. Thanks. She was indeed a wonderful cat. Have a lovely day!

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  2. haha love the sentiment you added to your cat project, nice reading too my friend....funny how animals adapt to each other in a loving way, pity humans didn't...Great photos and hope you are having a great day.xx

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    1. Thanks. You had had recent experiences of wild and messy puppies! And if only people could adapt so well, that would save us all!

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  3. Good Morning Val! Hope you have slept well and are enjoying nice weather as we are. LOVE your page, and you really had wonderful pets, I remember them both. Great idea to use the lid of your palette as a messy background! Wonderful pics, that bee is a wonderful shot, so clear. The are so important for us. We's having a picnic in the garden today, that should be fun - I hope! Hugs, Sarah

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    1. Hi Sarah! Thanks, I had quite a good sleep, wonderful! Have fun with the picnic!

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  4. Liebe Valerie,
    dankeschön für dieses wunderschöne Posting am Sonntag!
    Es ist was wunderschönes solche Haustiere gehabt zu haben und die Erinnerung ist so was herzengutes und deine Journalseite ist so süss geworden.
    Wunderbare Augenblicke hast du fest gehalten, grossartig die Natur bei dir!Du bist auch eine klasse Fotografien!
    Ich wünsche dir ein schönen Sonntag!
    Lieben Gruss Elke

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    1. Danke, liebe Elke! Es ist gut wenn man solche schöne Erinnerungen hat die immer bei uns bleiben. Die Natur ist wunderschön momentan, ich gehe gleich raus und mache mehr photos. Du machts auch wunderschöne Fotos von deiner Heimat. Dir einen schönen Tag, bleib gesund!

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  5. I love your hybrid piece,the background is great. Love the cat and dog images. Sounds like you had a wonderful cat and dog. Love your photos of your walks. Have a great Sunday. x

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    1. Thanks Anesha. The 'background' was too nice to throw it without saving it as a photo. I was lucky to always have wonderful pets.

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  6. Good morning Sunday-gorgeous post and I really love your journal page

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    1. Thanks Kathy! Have a wonderful day, take care, and I hope your hubby is getting better day by day!

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  7. i do not like pigeons... They make so dirt around...

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    1. That is so true, they are very messy birds. Have a nice day!

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  8. Hi Valerie love your cat project so beautiful. Your pics are gorgeous and those purple flowers are amazing I love them hope you have a lovely day my friend xx

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    1. Thanks Sheryl! Purple flowers are lovely, I'm always happy when I see them. Have a wonderful day!

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  9. It is not only amazing that the cat was so devoted to the puppies, but that the dog permitted it. I am sure it was a lovely experience to witness it all. Once again, Valerie, we came along with you on a wonderful walk, and your attention to wildlife is commendable. It is especially encouraging to see bees pollinating the flowers. We had better start paying attention to these essential pollinators, or we will be in trouble. I am quite enamoured of your red sneakers featured in your header. Your footwear makes a statement! The weekend is almost over but the week is about to begin, and I will look forward to seeing all you create and reading the stories you tell. Until the next time big hugs from your Canadian friend, David.

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    1. Hi David! It was amazing to see how quickly Scruffy and Kitty joined together as a team - with Kitty as boss, which she made clear from the first! They were really partners in crime. Kitty didn't eat for days after Scruffy died. Bees are very important, I have a lot buzzing on my balcony. I must admit to being the boot-and-sneaker queen of Balconia-by-the-Rhine, have them in all colours and I never wear 'normal' shoes, much to the chagrin of my neighbour, who thinks all women should wear high heels and short skirts....I told him I will put on a skirt and wear heels when he does, which should keep me safe! Have a wonderful day, hope you see lots of fabulous birds and that Miriam makes some of her delectable cooking! Hugs to you both!

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  10. Thanks, cats are like that! Have a wonderful day, hugs, Valerie

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  11. Very cool new header! Those red sneakers really stand out! And your piece is amazing today and made me smile. I also loved the story. Animals have no prejudices once they accept something into their group, do they? Our dog Winnie was a second mother to my daughter when she was born. When my daughter woke up in the morning or from a nap, my dog would come and "tell" me with a special little bark. Even if I was still asleep myself. Loving all the flowers today too. Thanks for sharing this piece with us at Art Journal Journey. It's perfect for Mia's challenge. Hugs-Erika

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    1. Thanks Erika! I think people could learn a lot from the behaviour of animals. I would love to have another dog, but it's a risk at my age as I don't know what would happen to it if I couldn't look after it any more. Have A WONDERFUL DAY!

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  12. What an adorable hybrid journal entry. I enjoyed reading the story of how well Scruffy and Kitty bonded. As an aside, I had my cat I named Dog, and when I got a Chesapeake Bay retriever, I named him Bear. Bear and Dog got along so well together, even though they were both male. When bear was tiny, I told Dog to be nice to him because he was going to be much bigger than Dog very soon. Sure enough, one day I found them sleeping together, like brothers in arms. They both looked out for each other, so I completely understand how Scruffy and Kitty bonded, especially over the pups. That's a wonderful journal page and a good one for Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey.

    LOVE the poppy. Possibly my favorite photo today. I also like the irises, since none of mine bloomed this year.

    Hope you are having a great Sunday, dear. I have blisters on top of blisters. My fingers are bandaged sort of like yours were, but for very different reasons. I'm amazed how fast blisters set in when I work in my yard and forget to wear gloves.

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    1. Thanks E. We can learn a lot from our pets. Blisters are horrible, hope they soon get better. The poppy alone in the field really caught my eye.

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  13. Valerie, I also use the lids as mixing palettes. But what a great idea to use this photo as a background for your great hybrid page. I love ducks, birds and your photos from walks and sunrises and I am very glad to see them each time you show them to use. The old couplie sitting on the front of house is wonderful! I never had dogs but I had cats. Now I have a canary! Hugs, my dear friend, and thank you for joining me again at AJJ. Kisses!

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    1. Thanks Mia! It's always good to make use of things you have! Cats and dogs are wonderful companions, but I never had a canary! Not yet.... Take care!

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  14. Lovely hybrid piece and today's photos are stunning!

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  15. Your photos always bring joy. Thank you.

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  16. The pets are so cute! I love your photos, especially the close up of the bee! Stay safe and healthy everyone ☺

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    1. Thanks. It was fun watching the bee doing its work on the flower!

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  17. I love your hybrid page - the superior cat regarding those playful puppies with such elegance and disdain! And fabulous photos today (love the new blog header too)... the close-ups of the bee are great, and I loved today's bird pictures. There's a large magpie here who would hog the bird table if he got a chance, but there's also a family of three jackdaws who chase him away if they get the chance (one of them saw off a red kite in a very dramatic aerial battle too as I watched). And we also have a pair of ducks who like to sit on the roofs of the houses across the way and sometimes come down to hoover up the seeds which have been knocked off the table by everyone else feeding. Watching all the antics, and gradually getting the robins to come closer and closer so that they are now almost eating out of my hand, has been keeping me sane during these constricted times.
    Alison x

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    1. Thanks Alison. Watching birds is always a worthwhile occupation. Here the crows sometimes gang up to chase a hawk away, there's a running battle for the aspen tree, too, fought out between crows and pigeons. Always fun to watch!

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  18. I love your red Connies in your banner! From Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor (David Tennant 😻) wore them with a dark blue, pinstripe suit. Such a sweet story about your pets and the page you created as a remembrance so pretty. And as always your photos of your walk are a joy to see. Take care and enjoy your day

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    1. Thanks, I love them, too. I have them in several colours! Have a great day!

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  19. Oh I love that story of your kitty and the kitty piece. I've had kitty nursemaids before. One of them that was nannying kittens with the mom had her milk come in. Stunned me.
    That purple Iris is breathtaking.
    YOU stay safe. Stay healthy.
    Hugs

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    1. Yes, it IS astonishing how animals function and how social they are. Stay Safe!

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  20. Oh, that is such a cute story about your cat taking care of the puppies. Unbelievable. Love that picture of the blue pigeon. You won't see it here in Hawaii, where the pigeons are all white.

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    1. Thanks, it was a wonderful experience. Have a good, new week!

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  21. Beautiful page and a sweet story Valerie! Lovely photos as always.
    Alison xx

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    1. Thanks Alison. Hope your new week will be good!

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  22. Just love your red trainers in your header photograph.

    I really enjoyed reading about your pets... and as usual you've shared some fabulous photographs.

    Enjoy the rest of the day and good wishes for the new week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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  23. The birds and flowers and the old are beautiful, but the story of a cat and a dog is more beautiful :)

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    1. Thanks, it is a beautiful story and a great memory. Have a great week.

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  24. Gorgeous artwork Valerie and the cat's comment really made me smile. I love all those photos too, so lovely to see scenery so different from that around me.
    Have a great week.
    Fliss xx

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    1. Thanks Fliss, have a great, new week, look after yourself!

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  25. What a fabulous piece, and such a lovely story! Beautiful photos as always and I love your new header (if it is new, I quite often don't spot things like this for months lol) Take care and have a great week, Sue xx

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    1. Thanks Sue. The header is new, I have a new one at least once a week! Have a great, new week!

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  26. Love your kitty story and your page is a wonderful tribute/remembrance of it. What a great cat! Wonderful thing to see something like that. Love your page with the cute images and fun background.

    Your walk pictures are wonderful as well. Love the old couple and the pictures of the river. Wonderful to see into your world.

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  27. Hope you had great Sunday :) Love the little bee

    https://villemo20.blogspot.com/

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  28. :-) Schönes neues Banner!!!
    Und schöne Begebenheiten - ich lese immernoch "Unlikely Friendships", wir sind doch alle eins :-)
    Ihr habt auch noch Magpies??? Ich muss umziehen! Die seh ich immer nur in Australien!
    Dumme Kinder.. Eltern! - hier, haben die Blüten von den Bäumen geschüttelt, die Eltern fanden es lustig.
    Tut schon weh...
    Schöne Bilder. Leider ist die Oker nicht groß genug für solche Boote. Kalt heute, aber sonnig, dir einen schönen Tag und GlG, Iris

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    1. Hier gibt es viele Magpies und andere Mitglieder der Krähenfamilie. Sie wecken mich immer! Hier ist es auch kalt. Dir einen schönen Tag!

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  29. I love the new header!
    I always love your photos and your hybrid piece.
    The old couple is also gorgeous!
    Have a great week, Valerie! Hugs!

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  30. What sweet memories of the cat and puppies! I love the bright sunny photos :) The feet propped up at the riverside makes a great header!

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    1. Thanks, they were really 2 cuties. I sit there nearly every day for my walking break. Have a great week.

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  31. amazing landscapes! And cute cat story:)

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  32. Gorgeous page Valerie, I love the cute animals you added! Your cat sounded amazing, what a sweet cat to help out so much, great story! Stunning photos today, I love the close up of the bee and all of the gorgeous flowers. Take care.
    Hugs, Tammy

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    1. Thanks so much Tammy. Kitty really was a very special cat. Have a great week, take care!😷

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  33. Wowwwww this is a great page Valerie !! Wonderful for sure. You had a great pets family in the past dear friend, your cat may have been a treasure, so lovely memories. I also keep sweet memories of my cat Lulú, she was so tender. ♥
    I have enjoyed your walks, so fabulous photographs you share with us, thanks so much. Love to see the Rhin, the birds and duck, the lovely bee, and those beautiful flowers, great day!
    I wish you a very happy new week, stay safe, and
    Big hugs, Caty

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    1. Thanks so much Caty. Our pets bring US lots of Joy. Have a good and safe week!😁😁

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  34. That's the best story about Scruffy and the cat. I loved your commemoration piece, too. And wonderful blooms. As always, that alium knocks me out! I love it!

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    1. Thanks Jeanie. They really were a wonderful team!

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  35. I love this page, we had a cat and dog when I was little who got on so well and were very patient when I would try to dress them in my dolls clothes! The flowers looks amazing , especially the wisteria ! Hugs, Chrisx

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    1. Thanks. My daughter used to dress our rabbit and hamster in doll's clothes and they looked like Beatrix Potter figure, and never seemed to mind being dressed up!

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  36. Sorry I am so late calling in Valerie. The photos as always were beautiful and lift the spirits
    Your art page and words have me smiling a wonderful fun page.
    Stay safe.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. Thanks Yvonne, always good to see you, late or early! Stay safe!

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