My first blog was My Life in the Charente which after a number of years got so slow to work with that I started My Life in the Charente 2. Because this was supposed to be mainly about the Charente, the last year has seen very few entries, as thanks to COVID we have just not been anywhere! I mustn't forget of course my third blog My Life Before the Charente, which includes our overland trip from the UK to what was then Rhodesia, in 1953!
While these 3 were ongoing, I started up Photodiarydps which originally had daily entries, but this got a bit too much and I never had enough time! More recently, I was only managing a couple of entries a week and since COVID the updates have been even less than that, but it is still alive!
Then just a few years back, I decided to take the bird photos from the photodiary and start a blog that was just birds. Again I have been struggling to keep it up to date weekly, but most of the time I have managed, with help from Christelle who has sent me photos of birds from South Africa. Sadly we do not visit there often enough, and COVID has certainly prevented visits/holidays anywhere.
I also joined Blipfoto on which I enter one photo every single day. It is very seldom I miss just this one daily entry under the name of "Charente" Quite often they are EMs (emergency photos) from my backup but generally, they look better than I was expecting! It is a great community and I now have so many Blip friends from around the world!
Here are just a few photos over the past years that I have enjoyed.
January 2020 Bluetits (Cyanistes caeruleus) on the window sill.
Your trip of life through photos is full of amazing memories. Your life seems very lovely to me with a nice husband by your side, and all your amazing adventures throughout the world. The nature photos are beautiful. I especially love the little owl on the tiles.
ReplyDeleteThanks Yvonne for the kind comment much appreciated. Only 11 years and it seems I have been blogging forever!! Keep safe Diane
DeleteI have thoroughly enjoyed this retrospective, Diane. It fully epitomises the aspects of your blog that I find so very attractive, and you even managed to include a Little Owl! I am very impressed by your 'before' and 'after' photos of your house and garden. It is clear that you have done a splendid job on both.
ReplyDeleteMy very best wishes to you and Nigel - stay safe - - - Richard
Thanks for the very kind words Richard, much appreciated. Most of the work was on the inside of the house and I was doing much of that alone while Nigel carried on working in the UK to bring the money in. Finally both paid off. Being an old house though sadly there is always a lot of maintenance. I will send you some photos when I update the final steps.
DeleteFirst Pfizer vaccination done and the second one in three weeks. Apart from a slightly sore arm for a day, there were no reactions.
Keep safe and let us hope things will change sooner rather than later. Best wish to you both, Diane
Such great variety in these photos. I enjoyed them!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie, it seems like I have been blogging forever. Take care Diane
DeleteGreat job of retrospection, Diane. I can't even imagine juggling more than one blog. I don't envision myself ever starting a second one. As for cruises, I went on one only and it was decidedly not my cup of tea. I ate at "the trough" most of the time and spent my days pelagic birding, but that was fairly mediocre. I have never owned anything resembling the finery you and Nigel were dressed in, nor ever wanted to to tell you the truth.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave for the comment, as you will have seen by now my reply was on your blog.
DeleteKeep well Diane
Wow, so many blogs, and great photos, wonderful variety! Your sunset is just as good as our African versions, I would say... I need to check on your African bird photo blog now :)
ReplyDeleteKaren there are a few more blogs as well but they are not updated regularly! That was an exceptional sunset, it just needed a giraffe :-) Take care and stay safe Diane
DeleteThere is nothing like photos to bring memories and feelings back to life.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Thanks Amalia yo are so right. Keep well, Diane
DeleteBeautiful series of shots Diane, lovely to see your house and garden, I can see how your garden keeps you so busy, you can see the work you put into it. Lots of lovely trees that look just as nice winter or summer. Your shots of the house sparrows and Scarce Swallowtail are superb. Hope the skies are blue for you this weekend 💙
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, the temperatures are up this week but still very grey skies. It is good to look back at past photos. Keep safe Diane
DeleteBeautiful photos. Your house and garden are big and beautiful. You and Nigel make a beautiful pair.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Nancy for the kind comment. I hope that you are well. Diane
DeleteWow....you have done a lot of work on your home. So does the front door open right up on the drive with no front yard? All your space must be in the back where your garden is. Nice following you along on your blogging adventures.
ReplyDeleteThe front door opens on to the road but there is only one house beyond and they have another entrance as well. The occasional tractor passes by but that is all. Keep well Diane
DeleteFabulous post Diane, so very interesting! Congratulations on your 11 years of blogging :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise, how time flies when you are having fun!!! Hope all is well over there. Diane
DeleteI also like to review photos from my memory archives, through them we go back in time. You were very elegant in the 2013 photo, for dinner on the cruise.
ReplyDeleteExcellent selection of photos, all of them are so beautiful. I especially loved the July 2020 photo of Scarce Swallowtail and the September photo of the sunset, both are fantastic.
Congratulations on 11 years of blogging
Thanks Maria for the kind comment and congratulations, so many memories to choose from. Hope that you are well, stay safe Diane
DeleteI've been blogging so long I can't remember when I started. Happy blogging in 2021!
ReplyDeleteTime flies by when you are having fun. I just kept a record of when I started which pops up every year. But easy enough to see when the first blog was. Enjoy, Diane
DeleteA lovely journey through your blogging years. Well done for going for so long. I've slowed down quite a bit over the last few years. I enjoy printing out each year into a blog book. It is like having a yearly diary on the shelf. I use Blog2Book. Hoping you keep going for another year even though it is not stimulating when in a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI agree it has been a hard year to blog when almost everything is from the house or garden. We have been in lockdown now here one way or another for over 12 months. Keep safe you two, t'other Diane
DeleteHi Diane - loved reading this ... and I've your Before Charente one to read ... so will be glancing through that - hadn't realised the horse connection ... I write Memoir here with two Zimbaweans ... one may well be interested - we'll see. One blog is enough for me ... but your garden looks positively wonderful ... so pleased for you - stay safe - Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary, if anyone asks me my nationality I still say Rhodesian though on paperwork it has to be British!. My blogs are slowing down, especially this difficult year with going nowhere. Blipfoto is the only one I try never to miss but that is only on photo.
DeleteKeep safe and stay well, hopefully next near life will return sort of to normal but it is taking its time. Cheers Diane
What a journey it has been! Who would have imagined 11 years on from the start. (The Yum List)
ReplyDeleteMonica time just seems to gallop by and I can hardly believe it is 20 years since we left Africa. Trouble is a very big part of me still wants to be there though France has been good to us. Keep safe Diane
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