Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Global Warming?

27th November and this little daffodil has sprung up amongst the autumn leaves. They have been flowering earlier every year, but not this early. Usually appear towards the end of February or early March.


Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Sunday, 18 November 2007

Fun at the park

A cold day at the park but the children enjoyed it. Stuart doesn't like the swings but he enjoyed pushing Jakob and Jasmine.



Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Street children

Whilst shopping in Rawalakot I came across a group of 5 children begging. I gave them some money and as I tried to take a photo of them a shop keeper came out and chased then away. I just manage to catch these 2 girls with bare feet.


There are always children begging everywhere in Pakistan and kashmir. Whenever you stop in the car at traffic lights they knock on the car window asking for money. Even late at night in the shopping centres they follow you around. Some pretend to have injuries and fold their arm inside shirt sleeves to make you think they have lost it. Mothers with young babies also beg for money for milk. I have seen several with bandages wrapped round their babies heads with blood stains on them. Whether they really have an injury is anybody's guess. The disabled are also more or less forced to beg as I don't think there are any benefits for them there. It is not unusually to see legless men sitting on boards with small wheels on them reaching up from the road to knock on the car windows. I am sure many of them receive even more injuries from the traffic.

Saturday, 10 November 2007

Solar Powered Dishwasher

My SIL is just having her kitchen extended and it will have cupboards and a sink with hot and cold running water. This is Muzzer her hired help doing the washing up. The green drum is filled with water which heats up in the sun. I'm sure he will find it great to have a proper kitchen at last, especially as the winter is coming and it does become rather cold.

Baffled Bird


The house windows are made of oneway glass with mirror on the outside. The poor birds weren't sure whether to be amorous or aggressive to their reflections. It was easy to photograph them as they couldn't see me.