Trick or treat or just laugh

Halloween party

We had a lot of fun last night. I'm still feeling a tad delicate, even though I didn't drink all that much... 

These first two pictures were taken at home, just before we left for the party. 

    A menacing vampire

    A matronly, grumpy zombie

The party was at a great restaurant by lake Bournazel. I posted loads of pictures of the lake and surroundings before. 

We were given complimentary drinks on arrival, with the choice of red or blue:

I did my best to look menacing, but Peter went for the cheeky vampire look: 

I can smile!

Friends came in assorted costumes:

    Peter with Hilary 

    Moi with Steve

    Keith and Hilary 

    David and Steve 

    Geoff and Lisa

    Tim, Simone and Jocelyn 

    Brian and Darren

    Brian, Symon and Darren 

    Symon 

    The band

I took my wig off at some point and it proved very popular with everybody. 

These people are just a sample of the number of people who sported the wig: 

    Hilary with Lisa plus wig

    Geoff

    Darren 

That's all for now, folks! (Oh, and I lost the wig...)

Halloween suggestion for TW

We're going to a Halloween party tonight. I'll post photos of our costumes tomorrow...

Great photos of cats

There are jokes about the internet having been invented so people could share pictures of cats. I'm among these people, but these photos are not of the cute variety...

Patience is the name of the game

This is a carved olive stone, believe it or not! It was carved by Chinese artist Chen Tsu-chang in 1737. It measures 16x34mm (3/16x3/8in.) Small, eh?

Trying to do our bit

Tomorrow we're going to be very busy helping to sort donations to a Facebook group that helps refugees. A refugee camp nicknamed "The Jungle" is being dismantled as I write this. Thousands of families that lived there were fleeing war zones, hoping to get to England (not a welcoming place). They are being dispersed around the whole of France. Two families from Afghanistan were housed about two hours away from here, in very precarious conditions, with only the clothes on their backs.

This woman and her wife started the Facebook group and now have a hub to receive and deliver donations they store in their barn. They also coordinate mini hubs throughout the region. We had some surplus items and were just going to drop them, but ended up volunteering to do more stuff. It will be good to meet these Facebook people in person, have lunch together and have a laugh, all for a good cause.

The situation in Calais has been going on for many years. Conditions in The Jungle were far from ideal and the area around Calais was becoming very unsafe. The locals were unhappy with it and some bright spark in the UK came up with an original idea: build a 14ft wall to keep the refugees in! The French government decided to address the problem by dispersing the families throughout France.

There are immigration officers from the UK on this side of the channel, but the number of refugees concentrated in the area poses a problem for the French. Brexit didn't help at all, because the UK government is being very arrogant and the French have had enough of it.

The Jungle:

   We all have to learn to live together like brothers, otherwise we'll all die together like idiots

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I mentioned Brexit, which is my latest bugbear. Thanks for the "likes" and comments on my two Facebook posts. I've been contacted by some people to help coordinate a media strategy. We need to get the message across to the people who regret voting to leave the EU and also reach put to the elected officials who will ultimately decide the fate of some 65 million people. I love the internet!

Difficult decision

GrannyJ sent us this conundrum. It's topical and will test your morals. Thanks, GJ.

MORALS

Are you as moral as you think you are?

This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.

By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally.

The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision.

Only you will know the results, so remember that your answer needs to be honest.

THE SITUATION:

You are in Florida, Miami to be specific.

There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding.

This is a flood of biblical proportions.

You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster.

The situation is nearly hopeless.

You're trying to shoot career-making photos.

There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water.

THE TEST:

Suddenly you see a man in the water.

He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the debris.

You move closer.

Somehow the man looks familiar.

You suddenly realize who it is.

It's Donald Trump!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under forever.

YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS:

You can save the life of Donald Trump or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most powerful Republican men hell bent on the destruction of America.

THE QUESTION:

Here's the question, and please give an honest answer.

"Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?"

[I would go with black and white. The orange is a bit too much...]

Cute froggie

Still running around, so let's have a cute photo.

Food art

Pieces of food art by Martin Roller. 

Diverging preoccupations

Although I've been following the US presidential campaigns very closely, at the moment I'm very absorbed in campaigning against Brexit becoming a reality. We feel very despondent at times. Stupid politicians exist and thrive everywhere! Making the country great again seems to be a priority for shortsighted, xenophobic people on both sides of the pond...