My Neil

Probably should have mentioned that I like taking pictures of humans too:)

I've already got great subjects...

Dawg Days

Those of you that know me will not be surprised to hear that "pet photographer" is on my list of dream jobs.

Or at least to do it on the side here and there.
Lucy and Laser have had their fair share of photo shoots
as have Belle and Beau (my parents dogs)...
but I'm ready to expand my horizons.

I think capturing the personality of our furry friends would be a lot of fun.

So when I came across the work of Li Ward via Elements of Style, I was smitten
and even more convinced it would be a fantastic gig for me. (One of these days)
But for now, I will enjoy the work of others as I continue to scout out my own subjects...

Dogs rock.

Badge of Courage

I had my first encounter with a badger last night.

I was walking home from the gym and it was dark outside.

I was walking up our front path (which is flanked by unruly shrubs right now)

When I saw a rather large animal in the middle of it, back facing me.

First I thought it was a cat on steroids,

then it turned and looked at me with a huge snout and white stripe down it's body

I immediately thought skunk and ran. It ran too.
Then in my head I thought no, it was a possum.
I guess my sneakers allowed me to quietly "sneak" up on it because we were both caught off guard.
Well there happened to be a woman walking by and she saw me running toward her and stopped.

We both looked back where I was running from and I told her there was a possum in front of my house.

She laughed and said there are no possums in England and that it was probably just a big fury cat.

It was no cat. I know what I saw.

It was one of these.

It may look harmless, but it's foreign to me.

I didn't know if it would attack, spray, strike.

I ran inside and proceeded to tell Neil the story.

I think he only half believed me. So I kept looking out the window but it was gone.

But one day he will meet Mr badger on the walk and get flustered too.

I may be walking home with sticks until daylight savings.

Spot on Milan

They have done again my friends.

Those Italian women continue to make fashion statements on their Vespas.

This shot is by one of my favorite street photographers, Scott Schuman, of  The Sartorialist blog.

He no doubt photographs some of the most fashionable people on the streets around the world.

And Vespas often creep into the photos in Italy and France...

Let's not exclude the men in this equation.

You are all aware of my love of classic bikes, and the biking culture in Europe.

Men commuting to work in a suit?

They are a (welcome) dime a dozen in Milan.

 They just know how to get from point A to point B in style.

And what better way to make a statement but on a two wheeled mode of transport?

Borough Market ~ London

A few weekends ago we had our first visit to Borough Market in London on the South Bank.

It's a bustling and vibrant market with food vendors, artisan cheeses, fresh fish, and produce.

It's just beside the Southwark Cathedral, 

and their grounds seem to convert into picnic areas when the market is open.

It's a great place to grab a great burger and a pint of cider and people watch. 

I highly recommend a visit if you haven't been. 

Meringue

Rhubarb

Squid

Stinky cheese

I also recommend going during the day on a week day when it's not as crowded.

Saturday afternoons are not for the faint of heart.

I was back in London last weekend and paid a second visit to Borough Market.

It's really great fun.

Oh and we finally had a pseudo spring day.

Blueish skies and some trees blooming...

St. James's Park

North Bank River Walk

 We happened upon a little changing of the guards.

And had a jazz serenade on Millennium Bridge.

I'm looking forward to warmer weather and jacket-less pictures.

I feel like I've been in the same coat all winter since I only brought a few over with me.

Have a great weekend!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sadly nobody is wearing green in the office today, but me.

Must be an American Irish tradition because everyone is looking at me funny when I pinch them.

Oh to be in Ireland today.

I only assume it's magical and more green than it normally is.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig



Birthdays and more

Well today is quite the day.

Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, Women's Day and Neil's Birthday! Haha.

Women's Day is new to me - but big in Europe.

We just went out for pizza in Jericho and are now watching a movie.

I feel bad because Neil has killed two massive spiders tonight. 

They're back, so spring must be around the corner.

A very happy birthday to my best amigo, and spider catcher. 

More fun news to share, take a look at this Italiano beauty. 

Mr Smith has done an AMAZING job on the Vespa. 

Makes you want to go for a ride with the wind in your hair, no?

Torpids

Yesterday we had a very "Oxford" kind of day. 

We watched the last day of the torpid rowing races on the Thames. 

The Torpids are different because its a bump race.

Bump racing started in Oxford because the river is too narrow for normal side by side races.

Instead, boats are evenly spaced apart to start and the goal is to pass or "bump" the boat ahead of them.

Colleges compete against each other each year for the title of "Head of the River"

You can see here that the pink boat is about to bump the white.

It even got pretty exciting when a cox got thrown from her boat and we helped get her out of the water.

Hope you all had a nice weekend!