Lens-Artists PC: I choose

I was really happy to see that this week Tina lets us choose what to post. I’ve just had a wonderful Saturday and wish to show it to you. I went Among Humans again, but it started with a bird.

I think I understand now why I don’t do it often, go anywhere out of my immediate neighbourhood. There is the pandemic, but it’s more than that. I wish to keep it amazing.

It was cold but after a few covered days the sun showed itself again and everything felt new.

As I was driving I looked to the left and saw a bird on the fence staring at me. I slowed down and stared back. The bird was so dark that at first I thought it was a huge crow. Was it an osprey? (ADD-IT: Tina says that it could be a hawk which is even rarer.)

I knew that it would be off before I could reach for my camera and click. I did it slowly but still it took off. I caught it in the air and then again when it landed on a sign. I parked and looked for it but didn’t spot it again.

Next I drove to the end of our beach at Ansedonia. The wind was chilly but the views were lovely.

Finally I reached Orbetello by the lagoon, my shopping destination. This year we are celebrating Christmas in Rome again after one-year pause and I bought some presents.

This was the first time in two years that I entered a non-grocery shop. Everybody wore masks and were friendly and the lights were lovely and the many dogs were either playing or barking fiercely as dogs would. But it was the sunset that stole the show.

After a few hours I had just enough money left (on me, that is, I still deal with old school hard currency) to find a good sweetshop and choose four cupcakes to bring home and share with amore.

Here are twenty images to remember this day. Too many like it and the magic is gone.

• 

  The light and the machines. The osprey was sitting on one of these poles a moment ago.

• 

  Here it goes. Thank you for this shot.

• 

  The last look back to see if I was following.

• 

  I parked and strolled around a little in this nice light.

• 

  The spaghetti monster! Behind it the road where I drove in.

• 

  The view from Ansedonia at the end of our 12-km sandy beach.

• 

  I like the reflection. I read that Giacomo Puccini bought this tower on the beach in 1919 and lived here for two years. He befriended the police in the barracks opposite, hunted and fished, but then grew desperate, sold it, and died a few years later.

• 

  Next: to Orbetello on the lagoon.

• 

  Monte Argentario peninsula.

• 

  The light was going but my camera didn’t feel tired.

• 

  The main shopping street, Corso Italia.

• 

  I saw that the sky was getting ready for a show so I hurried out in the open.

• 

  The shops could wait.

• 

  Such crazy oranges. These photos were not altered. It was really like this.

• 

  Orange, blue, pink, palm.

• 

  The Orbetello Cathedral.

• 

  The last light.

• 

  Sheer delight.

• 

  It was cold but pretty.

• 

  Happy holidays!

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Tina at Travels and Trifles: You Choose

This day in my blogging history

• 2014: Honor the space between no longer and not yet. —Nancy Levin

  .

  2014: Any father and son singing a Pearl Jam song would do, actually.

• 

  2015: A collection of our oooops moments

• 

  2016: A Roman staircase

• 

  2017: LJ Woman reports live from Ljubljana

• 

  2018: Hotstepper

  .

  Steps taken
  steps missed
  steps landed
  step-sis
  steps wanted
  steps stopped
  steps welcome
  steps not.

  .

  Step wisely
  step well
  look closely
  beware
  forget not:
  you’re hot

  .

  heavy
  clumsy
  destructive
  mess.

• 

  2019: Nostalgia. This is Ljubljana, my city, until it wasn’t.