Twilight Sailing on Diyawana Lake

I can’t think of any situation in my life when sailing off into the sunset – either metaphorically, or simply for a couple of hours twilight sailing by myself, or with a friend – wouldn’t be the ultimate escape! Colombo now has two lakes where one can take off onto the water to escape the rat-race of the city and feel the freedom of the wind in your sails – and your hair:  here in the freshly dredged Waters Edge section of Diyawana Lake near parliament, and at Beira Lake, in the city.

Pop over to see other escapees here.

Apropos of Patterns …

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Apropos of patterns, I want to show you the ultimate in biodegradable recycling – palmyra fences and kadjan modesty screens. From the rather scraggly dead branches of the bristly palmyra palm come fences of character and finess that are so … Continue reading →

The Unmistakable Patterns of Upcountry Roofs

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The early colonial settlers – the Portuguese and the Dutch – brought, or recreated their gorgeous terracotta half-round tile roofs when they built, down around the coasts but upcountry, in the Kandyan Kingdom, things were different.  Upcountry roofs bear a … Continue reading →

Standing on a Mountainside, Gazing from a Tower

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A little gremlin has been poking around in my old archive files and I’ve discovered some shots I haven’t seen in almost forty years! Since several of them could have been tailor-made for this week’s  WP theme – From Above, … Continue reading →

Sorry Chaps!

Sorry chaps – couldn’t resist!

Good to see them struggling manfully, eh?  The last laugh would be on me, especially like this, as seen from above.  :)

Guess Whose Uncle was Up in the Custard Apple Tree?

This gallery contains 9 photos.

The other day, early, I heard the boom boom whoop of the old boy, high up in the trees behind the house.  It’s been a while since the troupe visited – too long – it’s been lonely without the familiar … Continue reading →

Anicca – Impermanence in a Pot

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Funny – when I saw this pot of water lilies I immediately thought of impermanence, and I purposely shot it showing the stages of growth and decay – then the next day it rained. There are lots of different interpretations … Continue reading →

Leopard!

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Wilpattu National Park has only recently re-opened after twenty years in no-man’s-land – a buffer between warring parties on the northwest coast of the island. Mo and I spent five wondrous hours in this wilderness on our way back to … Continue reading →

What do St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland and Sri Lanka Have in Common?

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Green!  This is a green island – and I can tell you, for a girl from a sunburnt country, green’s the most enticing colour in the world!   Let me show you just a few more green scenes, shot over … Continue reading →

Lunch on the Ramparts

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In traditional families – or where you can get home for lunch, the major meal of the day here in Sri Lanka is at lunchtime.  Whether it’s a vast array of fragrant dishes, or a simple ‘packet’ lunch with just … Continue reading →

The Modern Kingdom of Kotte

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Strange co-incidences happen, don’t they?  After leaving The Girls with Mr. P., I spent the rest of the day and evening with a friend rather than go home to an empty house.  Still at a bit of a loose end … Continue reading →

An Artless Arrangement

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I love arrangements – making them, looking at them, enjoying the benefits from organising one’s affairs just so – but sometimes what I admire most are the artless arrangements of chance or nature. Click on any thumbnail to activate the … Continue reading →

Lost in the Monkey Puzzle Tree

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I’m waiting for Mr. P. to come to pick us up and take us to The Girls’ new home.  They’re a little suspicious of all the bags – “is she off, again?” – and I’m so jittery the only way … Continue reading →

A Hillside in Paradise

This gallery contains 24 photos.

To set the scene –  an extended weekend retreat in the Knuckles. Now, close your eyes  …   We turn left off the main road and almost immediately decelerate into first gear as the van labours up the steep twisting … Continue reading →

The Mountain Road

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Turning off the bumpy ‘highway’ at the 18th km post at Digana –  just where the mighty Mahawelli Ganga executes an extravagant bend and is gobbled up by the Victoria Reservoir – the road is noticeably newly tarred.  Narrow, but … Continue reading →