Rocking Your World 2021: Week 45

Today's post is mostly about the sky. It has been an uneventful week, but the skies have been majestic so here is what has lifted my spirits and made me smile this week. (Apologies to my Facebook friends who  may have seen this before!)

First up is something I saw in the sky.  I was hanging my washing out on the line when I glanced up and saw a huge number of birds very high up, wheeling arund in the clouds, (probably enjoying the thermals up there). I knew they were not the birds we usually see here, and presumed they were some kind of raptor,  so I posted on my Facebook Wildlife page and was soon informed that these were griffon vultures.

They would be pretty huge down low, as I could see them despite their height. I zoomed in as far as I could to try and see their outline shape better. I reckon that there were between fifty and a hundred of them, in two groups. One circling and the others in a file. While I watched them, the file started to move off, and then the others joined them, also forming a file, and off they went towards the sea. I am thinking they were resting in the thermal air currents on their migration journey.

I felt very priviledged to have seen them and realised that had I hung out my washing ten minutes earlier or later, then I would have missed them.

The other thing that has filled me with delight this week is the sunsets. I have the 'condition' known as Face Pereidolia, which means I see faces in every day objects. This week it was the sky I saw them in, and here are a collection of some of the photos I took. You may, or may not be able to see the faces, but either way you can't help but be inspired by the majestic skies.

Having posted these on facebook, I was surprised to go out the next night and see another face; quite a friendly one with a feint friendly smile.

Then the next day this one appeared! Not such a friendly one. The clouds are constantly moving in the wind, so these faces are only there for minutes, even seconds sometimes, so it is just luck if my camera is at hand at the right moment.

And of course, not all sunsets bring hidden faces so here are a couple of sky photos that I liked for their own sake. You may even spot pictures in them. Every one's perseption is a little different. My family often say I am 'making it up' because they can't see what I can, even when it is really clear to me.

This one is a reflection of a sunset in the clouds looking towards the east.

And this one is a sunrise. One of the few days when I was up early enough to see it!

But now I will leave the sky and look more down to earth at the garden. I said last week that our roses were trying to have a second flowering and this week they are lovely. These are all on one plant.

Behind them is this pink rose which grows a bit taller every year. We think it is also stronger this year and has some lovely flowers at the top.

This is another plant that I really love. It's most common name is simply Pink Trumpet Vine, but its botanical name is Podranea Ricasoliana, and it has several other names too including, Canpis Radicans, Port St.John's Creeper, Queen of Shebe Vine, Cow Itch Vine, and Hummingbird Vine. I think the Pink Trumpet is as good a name as any. It has the odd flower almost all year but it comes into its own in this season.

This one is growing in next door's garden, and her groundsmen cut it back quite hard last time they came, which seems to have done it good. As well as growing all along her front railings, it also hangs over our side fence. We too have to cut it right back when it gets too invasive, but right now we are just enjoying its lovely flowers.

And that's about it for this week. I haven't really been out far except to do the essential food shopping. I have had lovely long chats with my son and my sister, and put the world to rights with them. I have made my last few Christmas cards as I need to post the UK ones by the end of the month, and of course I have added a couple more rows to my crochet project each evening. I was a bit optomistic when I said I had done a quarter of it last week, as I found I was only on row 30 out of 160, but I am now on row 40 so I guess I am a quarter done now. Not that there is any rush. It was always meant to be a long-term project.

And finally I will leave you with my absolutely favourite photo that I have taken over the last few weeks. I hope you think it is beautiful too.

And with that I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles and enjoy reading about what every one else has been doing.