Birdworld, Farnham Surrey

We spent most of the day at Birdworld in Surrey. 26 acres dedicated to birds of all varieties as well as Underwater World. I specifically liked the bird display as there were some cheeky characters. Charlie the Macaw who flew from his cage to the display circling the skies, Lou and Harold, the Laughing Kookaburra's, Stanley, the Striated Caracara, and Boris the the Grey Owl who has a habit of swooping too low skimming the crowds heads.

Charlie Mac

Charlie and Keeper

One of the Kookabarras

Boris, the Grey Owl

Stanley

The back of Peacock feathers - rarely seen

Pelican

Flamingo





















Entrance fee was around £8 for an adult and £7 for a child of 3 and above. Well worth the visit. There was also the Jenny Wren farm which included hens, peacock, turkey, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Rye, East Sussex

The main reason for visiting Rye, as part of our week in London, was to see the most photograhed Street in Rye - Mermaid Street. From photos that I have seen, I envisaged a long walk up a hill, but when we turned the corner, it was fairly steep but not as bad as I thought.

A beautiful cobbled street beckoned us lined with old houses, climbing roses and creeping ivy.

It was extremely hot, one of the hottests days this Summer.

An enchanting house that we came across further up the hill.

Lunch was spent at an outside Cafe, under umbrellas to keep us cool.

A really quaint little town near Hastings to visit. Highly recommended!

Interviewee

What is your favourite makeup?

I love Benefit makeup. I love California kissin’ for lips which has sparkles in it and tastes like toothpaste and makes my teeth shiny. I use benefit birthday suit for the base of my eyes and get figgy for colour. I also use strut which gives a smokey eye effect. I also love Benefits brow shaping kit which just adds a bit of colour to my eyebrows and shape, its great as it includes a tweezer and powder for filling in the gaps.




What products do you use for your hair?

I have very curly hair, mostly frizzy as my hair has changed in the last 7 years. I’ve discovered Kevin Murphy range which I got from my local salon. I use the motion lotion which I just scrunch in my hair and creates defining curls. Its expensive at £14.95. Then for treatments I am using an Intense Curing Mask by Schwartzkopf which has Goji berries in and is organic and it also smells gorgeous. I also have the shampoo. All these products are used weekly. I am lucky in that I never get greasy hair so am able to wash my hair once or twice a week as my hair is very thick.

What’s your favourite accessory at the moment?


I have a new mobile phone or gadget as I say. It’s the HTC Sense Desire from Virgin Media. It’s a touchpad phone and I use it on the go for Twitter, Facebook, Email. I am on a contract and these phones new or pay as you go are £399. I love it. I am feeling rather tech savvy at the moment.

What inspires you?


Many things , even just something very simple like a leaf dancing in the wind; other artists work or I just get an inkling. I portray my inspirations through my photography, and then my writing skills come through that. Photography has always been a passion from a young age. My father did photography as a youngster so I feel I have inherited those genes. I then studied for my AS Level photography in 2003 and it was on this course that I found my love for black and white photography and photo-journalism. Many years before I began my photography journey on a manual SLR (Zanuzzi) which was the basis for me learning about apertures and shutter speeds. I then progressed to a Nikon Manual SLR and my current camera I’ve had for 6 years (a Canon EOS 300 D). I won £500 in a National Photography Competition in the UK in 2004 and that paid for it. Just last year I bought a 70-200 Tamron Lens and have been experimenting with macro and shooting subjects from a distance.

What particular subject do you enjoy?


I love everything and anything. I put a lot of variety in my work. I have yet to discover my favourite genre. I capture life and the living. I do enjoy images that tell a story and I am amazed at what black and white to colour can portray in deciphering the story behind the photo. They are very different. To me colour is Real but black and white shows more of an emotion. I have always loved the emotive photo of a "migrant mother" taken by Dorothea Lange, that is definately a favourite. 


Who do you look up to?


Definitely my parents. I am – because of them. They really have supported me through the thick and thin. I could not do without them.

How long have you been blogging?

I have had a Live Journal for around 8 years however that is mostly private musings and this blogspot is fairly new. I felt that I needed to document my photographs and thoughts and this was the perfect avenue to start out at. Long Live Blogging!!

I hope you have enjoyed this brief interview about me.

Love & Light

Tracy ♥

Go on Hug a Tree

Ever hug a tree. Ever feel the energy from the tree, from the roots to its tips. Even trees have their own vibration, like everything else around us. One of the long distant attunements that I facilitate is Celtic Reiki which consists of 3 levels. The symbols used in Celtic Reiki are from the Druidic alphabet (Ogham).. basically Celtic Reiki is a version of Usui reiki that uses vibrations of the earth, specific trees and shrubs to create an environment suitable for healing and manifestation. I am privileged to be able to pass the attunements. When I was pregnant I was attuned to Celtic Reiki and felt the need to go out and hug a tree.

I felt at one with the tree. I wasn't completely able to envelop the tree due to my huge stomach but naturally was amazed that my fingers started tingling which meant that my reiki was flowing and it was a sign that the tree required the healing energy. Here is me hugging at tree at 30 weeks pregnant. These are other photos I took in the area around Grainsby in Lincolnshire.

The following photos are taken from my son's school. I was amazed by the light shining through the trees. I took some time to appreciate this pleasure. It felt glorious having the sun shine upon me.

So, don't forget our Tree Kingdom, very old souls, giants of the Earth that have withstood all things imagineable, standing tall with full of wisdom. We could learn something from trees, Tracy Kelly

Next photo taken in Horncastle, Lincolnshire during Autumn

I leave you with a quote:

And see the peaceful trees extend

their myriad leaves in leisured dance

they bear the weight of sky and cloud

upon the fountain of their veins.

- Kathleen Raine, Envoi

Photo Collage

Being a lover of all genres in photography, I am usually inspired by others work, so I saw the blog of a photographer that had encompassed nature, crystals, objects and flowers as photo collages. I thought I would give it a go and collected all my trinkets around the house. Being in the reiki business, I have a lot of angels, fairy's, crystals, wands and everything of that nature around me so I got them all together to compose a collage. It took almost half of my day. This is what I have come up with but upon thought have decided that this is not the way for me, this type of work needs dedication, time and patience and although I may have the drive and the characteristics, I just don't have the time.... and will leave it to those capable.

Love ♥ Blessings

People's Park, Grimsby

A Park for its people. People's Park opened in 1883.

In 2008, the Heritage Lottery provided funding for it to be restored totalling £2.7 million. Bushes and hedgegrows were removed as the towns down and outs were sleeping rough. Up until then I did not feel safe to walk around the park.

A cafe was built which is run by the local college Grimsby Institute. The park includes a floral hall and an animal house.

This Gazebo has recently been built (2010)

There is an abundance of wildlife.

great for taking the kids to run around, walking the dog, bowling, playing footie on the green, picnics, feeding the ducks, a coffee, cake or two in the cafe or for a casual stroll.

Grimsby - where I've lived for the past 8 years

Grimsby, Spring May 2010

Its taken me 8 years to realise that North East Lincolnshire is where we will remain. After much angst living here, since moving up here in 2001 my life has been a rollercoaster. From moving into our house in 2001, getting engaged in 2003, having our son in 2006 and daughter in 2009.

You see I moved from South Africa to live in 1998 in London. I met Jon in mid 2001 whilst living in Perivale, Middlesex. I was still commuting into the city to work but after September 11th 2001, we both made the conclusive decision to move away up North to Grimsby.

There are many positives to Grimsby; cheap house prices, support for children and parts of Lincolnshire are beautiful and then there are the negatives like any place; low unemployment, lots of teenage pregnancies, drug problems, and in 8 years we are noticing that many houses are being boarded up due most possibly to houses not selling.

So another big decision, we've decided to stay here but move to Cleethorpes which I feel has a wonderful energy. Beach, sea, sun and sand. Glorious walks to be had, night life on the doorstep and beach close by (aka. estuary).

Family (mom/dad/sister) live in Surrey but I feel that rather downsizing down South, we can upsize up North.

In the next couple of weeks I will be taking photos in and around the area and writing about the particular point of interest. I have taken many photos over the years so if I happen to find one of them, I will post with the date the photo was taken and a short inscription.