HFF

One of the last photos I took before my back went and I didn't take any more new photos for some time. I had an operation for 4 fractured vertebrae (apparently caused by long term cortisone treatment as part of my chemotherapy). Then immediately after suffered a detached retina so another operation, then quickly after that, covid in a big way (5 months in hospital including 2 months in an induced coma). Funny how these things pan out; on the day I took this photo, I'd walked 30,000 paces and felt really really good! Hubris or what? A song I've always liked and a band who always inspired. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnH_zwVmiuE

Same fig tree - looking towards the back of the house. Simply irrestible! Sight and Sound, I haven't heard this in decades. Here it is now; www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGw_cOgwa8

The storm and storm cloud seen here had been above us about 15 minutes beforehand and with almost tornado-like gusts of wind! All the garden furniture was scattered around the neighbours' gardens and we acquired a fair sprinkling of theirs! Figs still not ripe.

A view from the upper (third tier) terrace down to the back garden and vegetable patch.

Why bats? Because I was attempting to capture at least one clear shot of the pipistrelle bats that come out to feeds at dusk! They simply move much too fast! Oh well, there is one fairly obvious bat here and maybe two. These bats roost in next door's eaves and are accepted happily for one very important reason and that is they help to keep the mosquito population way down and for that I am extremely grateful! The bat is easier to see on large!

Far too hot for children to play out of doors! (41ºC in the shade). In the far distance, on the right is the Sierra de La Cabrera which looks minuscule from here! (See previous upload for note on Algete's position from there!) Another shot from my twice-weekly walk to the shops! www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYy716zmXcM no reason, I just like it!

Algete's parish church and Constitution Square on a blisteringly hot afternoon. The centre of the town where I live (about 40 minutes walk all uphill from here!) I thought I may have inadverdantly caught myself in the mirror opposite, but it seems not! www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkEd3WgR8qw

Just a few yards down our street where can be found better views of the Sierra de Guadarrama. My sister's shot.

Difficult to see but the harvest was taking place and the distant hum of the combine harvesters kept going until well past 11 pm every day this past week. My niece (whose home this is of course, although she has been a doctor on Lanzarote these past 5 years) says this view reminds her of Tuscany (she studied medicine on an Erasmus couse a decade or so ago in Florence, so she should know!). Except that ... the world famous impression that Tuscany is full of poplars is quite wrong! This only came about because of a famous photo of an aristocratic estate where the owner had decided to have poplars planted on his lane leading uphill to his palacio. The photo became popular, the rest is history .. and a misconception! Please, best on large and then on large again!

A local park. I've taken similar shots before as the railings and trees seem to go well together!

Evening shot. The green awnings are to protect the young and tender veg. shoots from the fierce sun. There is a fence in there somewhere, honest!

The steps down the side of our house leading to the back garden and fruit and veg area. Taken at the end of May but already the lush greens of Spring have all but disappeared under the relentless sun! The two houses are more or less identical, built by the same builder who lived in the house to the right until he died a while ago and both properties were put up for sale at an amazing discount, hence my sister was able to buy the one on the left using a large redundancy payment as a deposit. It was all down to lucky timing!

The Retiro Park, Madrid. I've liked this tree since my first visit to see my sister in Madrid, back in 1981 (and somewhere I may just have some slides of me, my sister and my old school French exhange partner all sitting on this tree! I will try and find them - but on reflection, they've long since disappeared, sadly!)

From the upper terrace. Overlooking the newly built BBQ area. Perhaps better on full screen.

Roadside poppies.

When it gets a bit warmer, this is a nice spot to have breakfast as it gets the sun in the morning. Other meals can be taken outside but round the front of the house as this terrace is in shade for most of the day as it is north facing. I'll post a view from the lower terrace in a few days time, taken on the same day but a little earlier and a rather different aspect and shot. Perhaps best on full screen.

Oleander, Parque de Santander, Madrid. Oleander is ubiquitous in Central and Southern Spain (and Portugal) and its flowers are either red, pink or white. It is used as a border on Spanish motorways in Andalucia (and California, I am reliably informed).

Saint Day, Cornwall. H. A. N. W. E. everyone (and a belated HFF! - although HFF seems to have been removed from the groupd list)