India went by in a blur ....

.... at times like this

sometimes like this:

or even like this!

For some of the time things were quite clear, and I knew where I was, where I was meant to be, and what was going to happen. Here, Laxman (our Indian guide) was getting us together to take tuk-tuks back from the old city in Jodhpur after a brief visit to the market area. Behind his elbow are a couple of men with placards, selling rat poison.

Here we are setting off towards our bus, the airport and our flight back to Delhi in order to head home.

We had a fantastic three weeks, and I was just getting accustomed to the hot temperatures (around 30 C in the daytime) when it was time to come home. Between my camera and my phone, I took 2831 images, of which only a few were rubbish. Many were taken from the coach, and have partial reflections, but it was better that than not at all. My battery charger died about halfway through our 10 day journey in Rajasthan, or I would have taken more. I think that gradually I will put together themed postings rather than purely chronological. It will just take some time to think it through first.

A little late - colours of October

I was unable to post these images earlier, as we were in India for the past 3 weeks.
So look out for a different range of colours soon.
It will take me a while to choose them as I took nearly 3000  pictures between my phone and camera.

But first, here is a quick choice of garden images for the earlier part of October. Many years ago we gave our neighbours the old chicken coop we found in the garden when we moved here. In exchange we got some plants. This viburnam is one of them. It looks good at all times of year as long as there is enough rain.

These snaps were taken in hast with my mobile, so are a bit blurry at times. Judging by the number of berries here, we could be in for a cold winter.

Our annual climbers have perked up as the months have gone on, and look better than during high summer.

This small azalea in the front garden has suffered from some bad times over the past 15 years, but usually bounces back just as we think that it has died. Having put on a new set of leaves it will get another chance now.

The front door clematis has a mixture of late flowers and would-be seed-heads at this time of year.


This rose is having a second flush of flowers, and it is still going strong in mid November.

In the back garden this geranium has a touch of bright red amongst its leaves. 

We emptied out the stones from the small wooden trough by the front door in order to remove the potted annuals we have there in the summer. Here on a damp day, an adventurous slug goes wandering by.

This is a great time of year for shadows with the low winter sun. The new (2 years ago) back garden fence has toned down from its rather bright colouring now.

Using some pine needles as mulch seems to have perked this blueberry up. Maybe next year we will get some fruit from it.

Our winter salad stuffs are looking great, as you can see.

This feverfew grew here on its own, I've no idea where it came from.

Likewise, this opportunistic chilli plant, which we will leave here in the hopes that it survives the winter.

I find it hard to resist shots like this one, looking up to the sky and if I'm lucky, capturing a spiders web.

Whoops, nearly forgot to link this in to Sue's blog!
I'm so glad she still had the link open.