Friday's Fave Five

Friday's favourite five, time to reflect on the week that has passed.
It's going to be very hard picking only five again this week.
It's been a wonderful week.

1. The weather
As I write this I look outside and see another bright sunny morning.
It has been like this all week!
Now, if you lived in Belgium, you'd know that this IS something to be grateful for.

2.The Daffodils and Primulas are in bloom. I love their vibrant colours on my patio.
Buzzy busy bumble bees are gathering pollen from the Pussy Willow flowers.
I spotted the first ladybug of the season...
The Great Tits are trying to make up their mind about which nest to choose.
Wonderful wonderful Spring ...

(Click to enlarge)

3. Spring always seems to give me so much energy.
I painted my kitchen ceiling last week.
It involved a hell of a lot of work, but I'm very happy with it!

(click to enlarge)

4. On Tuesday I had a little St.-Patrick's day celebration of my own.
I went for a photo walk in Antwerp when I came across this pub.
There was a sign outside that said they had Irish Stew on the menu.
It was noon, and I was hungry, so I decided to try it.
There was a delightful ambiance with Irish music I enjoyed so much.
The lady of the house told me how her Irish grandmother used to peel potatoes so thinly the peels that came off were translucent.
The stew was delicious, and so was the dark velvety Guiness I had with it.

(click to enlarge)

5. The best news of the week was an invitation by a befriended blogger friend.
I'm sooooo looking forward to cook for them in that kitchen of hers!

A wonderful week ...

Visit Suzanne's place and read all about other people's Fave Fives!

Melli's ABC ... The Much Dreaded Q and R

It's time for Melli's Alphabet Challenge, and we've reached the dreaded week.
Today we have to come up with our Q's and R's.

I must have grown an alphabet brain since I got started on this challenge weeks ago.
Finding Q was easier than A!
I found my first Q when we went to Leuven. That was in the second week of the challenge.
It's the one on the bottom right.
All I had to do was to tilt my camera a little to get the right angle.
And once I knew what I was looking for, it was EASY!


There.
Boring huh?

Oooohh, Suzie Q!! Ain't she pretty!

And how about this one?
As for R ... Let's see...
Now wait a minute!


With a little bit of goodwill? That's Q and R in one picture.
Now ...


Two R's in one picture?

Two more?

And now for my little "pièce de résistance"...

Q and R right next to each other.
Okay okay, I can hear your protests!
" Those were probably meant to be!!"
Let me assure you, they were NOT.
Look ...
This is where I found them.

There.

Nothing more to add!


Find more Q's and R's at Melli's place.


Unless?
It looks like I'm going to have to do a little shameless begging.

Have you enjoyed my Scavenger Hunt pictures I published earlier this week? In case you haven't seen them, they're here. They're a great way to get to know Belgium and the way we live a little better. If you like them, would you do me a favour?
Would you vote for them please?
You can cast your vote here.

I hate to beg, but look ...
I'm in fifth place at the moment and the voting continues until the 31st of this month.
It's not that I want to WIN, it's just, I just don't want to drop down?
So please, pretty please?
Thanks!

Nicole's Scavenger Hunt

NicoleB's Scavenger Hunt.

I'm participating in NicoleB's Scavenger Hunt today.
The idea is to post pictures representing different aspects of your own country.
People from all over the world are participating in this challenge.
It will be a very interesting trip around the world.

And what does the winner get?

can choose between either 8 postcards, 3 Greeting Cards, 2 magnets or 2 key chains
Shipping is included

Here’s the list (it’s a bit focused on the “local” theme):

1) local currency

People in Belgium pay in Euro.

2) local flag

3) local food

Belgian waffles.

4) something rusty

5) local wildlife

Well, it IS wild and it's local. ;-)

6) local nature

7) local stamp

This was in the window of a stamp auctioneer.

8) part of your neighbourhood (it can be a very small part )

View from my patio.

9) traditional house

10) a local person

11) local weather

Capricious.

12) local transportation

13) traditional local clothing

14) night sky

Christmas lights in Bruges.

15) sunrise

16) local product non food

Art at the local garden show.

17) something furry

Yeah well, I just could NOT resist this! ;-)
It IS furry, right?

18) something feathery

19) a sign of the season

20) a part of you

21) your main hobby

Photography.
Just in case you're wondering, this has not been photoshopped.
The reflection is a real reflection. I took a zillion pictures before I got it right!

22) a local shop

23) a local restaurant

24) a street sign

No dogs allowed.
Even those on a leach.

25) a local mail box

Weekly Winners How Funny?

How Funny...
I've been playing Weekly Winners every week before I even started this blog.
Lotus was the one who invited me, we "met" through Nablopomo.
And in a way she has been the drive I needed to take up photography in the first place.
Before that, I took some pictures now and then while on holiday or something, but that was it.

Through Weekly Winners I have started to look for things to photograph.
I am thankful for the encouragement and the inspiration I got through this meme.
Making photo walks and visit places just to get enough pictures to publish each Sunday became a new and fascinating habit. Looking at other people's photographs both inspires and educates me.
A year and a half later, I take pictures of just about anything.
And I love it.



But what amazes me the most, is that now I can see things I would never have seen before.

Great textures in an old tree trunk.

Or an exotic palm tree in Antwerp city?
I would never have known it was there before!

Some things make me smile, like this display in an antiques shop.


Or this bike. Fully equipped for Belgian weather.

I do take pictures of just about everything. I do.
I caption this one " Anticipation".

Colours at the local market.

Always remember to look up.


Because if you do, you discover even more.
This is the logo of the railway company, it's at the train station in Antwerp.
I had never seen it before. Even my husband did not know it was there!

And sometimes things can make me smile ...

And wonder...
Dangling shoes?
I don't know why they're up there.
Does anybody know?
I've seen it on other blogs from other parts of the world.
It always makes me wonder why on earth people would hang their shoes outside?

"Now where do you think you are flying off to? "

Go on over to Lotus' place AKA Sarcastic Mom and discover more Weekly Winners.