CCC084: Spirit of Fire

Posted on April 30, 2026 by crispina kemp

Spirit of Fire, thee I admire
Bright upon the forest floor
Beautiful Butterfly, thee I adore.

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Poems (Some Silly), Prompt | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #084

Posted on April 29, 2026 by crispina kemp

Every Wednesday I’ll post FOUR photos (if you want to get a head start you’ll find them marked in that week’s Sunday Picture Post and Tuesday Treats). Lots of choice!

And here they are:

You respond with something CREATIVE. Perhaps an  answering photo, or micro-fiction, or a poem, or just a caption

As before, there are only two criteria:

!!!!! Your creative offering is indeed yours !!!!!

!!!!! Your writing is kept to 150 words or less !!!!!

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it.

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Prompt | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Tuesdays Treats: Blossoms and Other April Treats

Posted on April 28, 2026 by crispina kemp

A collection of blossoms etcetera seen along the way on 16th April 2026. Enjoy

16th April 2026

🔼 Bird cherry 🔽 Wild cherry

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

🔼 Apples and 🔽 pears (I think)

16th April 2026

🔽 Blackthorn, almost over now

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

Not blossoms 🔼 The pinkish-brown newly birthed leaves of the Black poplar hybrid 🔽 the ‘catkins’ of the osier willow

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

Spring flowers 🔼 stitchwort 🔽 primrose

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

The common 🔼 ground ivy, it gets everywhere 🔽 and not so common early purple orchid, a delight for our eyes

16th April 2026

🔽 And of course, bluebells

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

Now for the butterflies, two of the less common ones 🔼 orange-tip 🔽 and comma

16th April 2026

Hope you enjoyed. We certainly did!

More photos next week

 

Posted in Photos | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Sunday Picture Post: Green Grows My Humble World

Posted on April 26, 2026 by crispina kemp

16th April 2026 begins beneath clouds, but those clouds soon move away. Time to put on the hikers, check batteries and water, and hop on a bus. We’re not going far, just to the next town. You’re welcome to join us…

16th April 2026

Our path begins on the outskirts of Acle and heads out to the small village of Burlingham, and everywhere – EVERYWHERE –  is green 🔼 except where it’s yellow with the canola crop 🔽 and white with blossoms

16th April 2026

🔽 GREEN!

16th April 2026

🔽 GREEN!

16th April 2026

There are very few houses along the way 🔽 except here, where it looks like the garden gate isn’t often used

16th April 2026

🔽 Have I said before that most farmers around here hold to the old, organic ways? Free range, field bred chickens and pigs (Mum’s just out of shot)

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

Into the woods 🔼 where bluebells and celandines greet us 🔽 and the sun, now it’s rid of those clouds, paint the bramble-briars in muted gold

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

🔼 We’ve seen this little pond stretching wide and filling this basin. It’s a sump, collecting water from the claggy fields to south of these woods 🔽 When first erected these posts were brightly decorated, the work of the various children’s groups in the area; the ‘installation’ named the Burlingham henge. And a worthy tree it is, to celebrate

16th April 2026

16th April 2026

🔼 Ah, sun. Beech trees turn magical when the sun’s upon them 🔽 But the sun seldom lasts for long. Time to find a seat, rest awhile, then turn around and go home.

16th April 2026

Hope you enjoyed our very green walk!

For the flowers, of which there were plenty, see Tuesdays Treats on 28th April

Posted in Photos | Tagged , | 10 Comments

When the Light’s Caught Right

Posted on April 25, 2026 by crispina kemp

22nd April 2026

I was working on my garden in the evening light when… well, you can see what. I rushed indoors for the camera, and caught this

B is for Bright, my April choice for Maria’s Photo Challenge.

Posted in Photos, Prompt | Tagged , | 19 Comments

Power Up

Posted on April 25, 2026 by crispina kemp

Image credit: Crispina Kemp

What excites me
Gives me a challenge
What opens my head
Food mixer in
Power on
What?
It’s a conundrum

20 words written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Conundrum

Posted in Poems (Some Silly), Prompt | Tagged , | 19 Comments

CCC083: Little Jimmy

Posted on April 23, 2026 by crispina kemp

He idolised his Uncle James, did Little Jimmy. But how I wished he wouldn’t try to emulate the man. Ha, emulate. Whoever told Jimmy that a fisherman was a master knot-tier needed his gullet sliced.

It started the day Jimmy found some string. Off he went to the town library and borrowed a book and there he sat on the kitchen floor. Practicing.

He was a quick learner. If he’d have been a boy scout he’d have had his badge in no time. But did he have to string all the cupboard doors together? Did he have to tie all the door-handles in the hall? Shoes he tied too – annoying when you just wanted to slip them on quick.

In the end I found up a chunky length of rope and told him to practice elsewhere.

The farmer never forgave me.

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Mostly Micro | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #083

Posted on April 22, 2026 by crispina kemp

Every Wednesday I’ll post FOUR photos (if you want to get a head start you’ll find them marked in that week’s Sunday Picture Post and Tuesday Treats). Lots of choice!

And here they are:

You respond with something CREATIVE. Perhaps an  answering photo, or micro-fiction, or a poem, or just a caption

As before, there are only two criteria:

!!!!! Your creative offering is indeed yours !!!!!

!!!!! Your writing is kept to 150 words or less !!!!!

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it.

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Prompt | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Tuesday Treats: Flowers and…Things

Posted on April 21, 2026 by crispina kemp

A miscellany of photos from our walk on 10th April 2026. Enjoy

10th April 2026

The trees are greening nicely now. Though the earliest tree-leaves belong to non-native species 🔼 Here, horse chestnut and here 🔽 and here ⏬ sycamore

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔽 Our native beech is putting forth, though sparingly as yet

10th April 2026

🔽 I was surprised to see a swath of ramsons; these are lovers of wetlands. But then I saw a grid of drains, all in a dip in the land

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

Common wayside flowers in this part of the land shining out in the strong sunshine 🔼 Alexanders 🔽 Red deadnettle and ⏬ White deadnettle

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔽 This petite-petalled gem (a wild geranium) I found on the close grazed hillside

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

Three shots that are not flowers! 🔼 The ragged rope that tied the gate 🔽 A peacock butterfly ⏬ Spleenwort, found growing on the bridge above the train-track

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

And lastly, another non-flower pic 🔽 I’m calling this ‘fishing accoutrements’

10th April 2026

I hope you enjoyed. Our weather is steadily warming up, beckoning the flowers and the butterflies. Who knows what we shall find next week? Join me then.

Posted in Photos | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Sunday Picture Post: ToThe North

Posted on April 19, 2026 by crispina kemp

10th April 2026 is forecast lots cooler than the previous day but with better visibility. That suits fine. We’re off to the North Norfolk coast which requires a bus westward, then another bus northward. For those mathematically minded, the coast forms the hypotenuse, though strictly speaking it’s an arc. So, grab your camera and let’s go

10th April 2026

🔼 A Parthian shot as we head out of town 🔽 A conveniently provided footpath takes us ‘upward’. Where am I taking you? You’ll see

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔼 We pass a field of bleating lambs… 🔽 and sycamore trees, their buds silvery in the sun ⏬ we tramp through a belt of trees (perhaps not open to the public, oops)

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔽 And finally we’re here. Though truth, we’ve been following Weaver’s Way since we left the town. The 61 mile walk begins in Cromer; it ends in Great Yarmouth

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔼 Can my lens ever resist a gate? No, it cannot 🔽 The view from this hilltop sweeps over fields, woods and houses, and so to the lighthouse. But even on a clear day zooming such a distance casts all in mist

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔼 A bridge carries Weaver’s Way over the Sheringham to Norwich line. We’ve no idea when the next train is due, but… 🔽 here she comes. Not the longest train we’ve ever seen!

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔼 How could we come to Cromer without a walk along the prom? 🔽 And a few shots of the boats and tractors

10th April 2026

10th April 2026

🔼 Then back atop the cliff. But I have to pause to take this shot, landing Viking-style, straight up the beach 🔽 From ‘men of the north’ to impressions of the south. Living in the flatlands to the east, I always think of these houses with their climbing levels as rather exotic, especially with the sun strong upon them

10th April 2026

Hope you liked this little taste of Cromer, not the usual crabs and chips!

Don’t miss Tuesday Treats for some of the plant-life 😃

Posted in Photos | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments