raingirl's photos

Inside one of the conservatories.

From inside the conservatory at Kew gardens, a plant wishes to be taken care of, but can't get in. From my 2022 vacation.

Amazingly, a long nature stretch (with no people!) along The Thames on the way to Kew Gardens. From my 2022 vacation.

The Palace of Westminster from the Thames. Grand old building. But how could I tell it was London if it wasn't raining? (Of all the times I've been to London - a total of 3 - it's only rained one day out of 30.)

I had a busy day that didn't include a photo walk. My thoughts were focused on an arriving guest and the passing of our dear club member, Andy Rodker. So this photo is more about my internal world. I play the flute each morning and sometimes make notes in a journal. Both very personal things for me. (This image is part of the covers of both those things.) We are lucky to be able to share our worlds with each other - I'm grateful for the time we have together. I try and make each moment count. In terms of my photographic world, I learned how to photograph with my mother's Rolliflex and so the world was square for me. Even after getting my first camera, a 35mm, I still envisioned square photos and had to re-learn how to compose in the new to me format. So these days I'm very happy that my phone camera has a square mode, and take most photos in that format once again.

(thanks to PAM for her help deciding which version of this image to use.)

cool camellias to cool my brain on a hot (for me) summer day.

Thanks to Xata I can now say that: Background leaves are this plant: Verbascum pulverulentum, Broad-leaf mullein Flower is: Clematis florida (Asian virginsbower)

A fairy land ending to a great meal. It was perfection. We had to have it repeatedly during our stay. (Yes, still London, still the Bloomsbury's restaurant.)

Prepared for dinner! London Bloomsbury Hotel's delightful restaurant. Of course the butter is hand churned! The hotel was the epitome of elegance. The hotel now has a copy of my husband's poetry book, American Cycle, in it's Seamus Heaney Library.

Can you find the proof that I was in London?

A London wall. Art hiding amongst the pipes.

They opened their home to us - and it was warm and welcoming.

This is the ceiling of the garage where Stanley Kubrick edited '2001: A Space Odyssey'. It's just outside of London. What you are looking at is Kubrick's alarm system wires that are attached to the ceiling. We had the special privledge of getting a personal tour of the house and garage. It is not open to the public. We were very honored that the current owner gave us the tour.

Atop Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, London. (see PiP for fun comparison)