New Year’s Eve 2011 is here…
So while you stroll through the photos how about a little ABBA !!!
It’s also summer here in New Zealand.
Not that you’d know it today.
This was issued by the Met Service for the area I live in – Bay of Plenty – plenty of rain – which usually happens here on Christmas Day:
Bay of Plenty – FORECAST
Rain, with heavy falls, is forecast to continue through to Sunday morning. In the 24 hours from 9am Saturday to 9am Sunday, expect another 90 to 120mm inland, especially in the eastern ranges, with 50 to 70mm possible about lower lying coastal areas. Heaviest falls this morning and afternoon may reach 25mm/hr in the ranges. Note, further rain or showers possible during the remainder of Sunday.
In 1984 I spent my first Christmas in Holland and it snowed on the day as requested.
I loved winter in that magical land.
These are some photos from my first white winter…
Dad came over for Christmas...
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And if you still want to see more: Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter
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And on this note I would like to wish everyone a wonderful 2012 !!
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Remember no man is a failure who has friends.
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For some insight into Auld Lang Syne and its history visit ‘New Year’s song has a convoluted history’.
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Earlier Photo Challenges
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This is what i missed to your post Jo , A photograph with a thousand meaning
Great Entry for this week Theme
Thanks Jake – I always know I’ll feel good after reading a comment from you !!!!!!
I like the first one and the 1st windmill best. Way cool shots!!!! Thanks so much for the ping back!!
You’re welcome Cee – glad you liked them
I love your windmill photos. Thanks very much for the pingback!! Happy 2012
Thanks.
These photos are gorgeous. I love the windmills!
Thank you so much for the ping back
Glad you liked them – I do too !!!
I wasn’t expecting Holland! We have a windmill here too, they are SO photogenic. the Abba. Happy New Year to you too.
I like to surprise…hehe
enchanting, especially the last photo of the river. great entry.
Thank you
Happy New Year!
Thanks.
marvellous photos jo, i had a white christmas in michigan in 1967 …. since then it has always been the beach! Happy New Year!
Thank you – we spend a lot of Christmases at the beach down here as well.
your photos have captured the essence of…winter…beautifully…
hugs for a joyous 2012…and many, many more years of celebrating life…
Thanks hugmamma – I wish the same for you as well.
Wonderful photos from Holland! I’ve been there, but only for a short trip to Amsterdam.
Do you remember the photo challenge when I posted a picture from a violent demonstration and you said you wanted to see more from that day? Well, now you can
http://cardinalguzman.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/follow-up-on-the-violent-demonstration/
Thank you for remebering – amazing shots. Thanks for liking the photos – you should go back to Holland if you can and see more of the country – it is a wonderful place.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ What a great film! A local cinema here still shows it during Christmas every year. Thank you for the pingback.
Happy New Year Jo!
I love it to – just smacks of Christmas time…you’re welcome for the pungback – loved your post.
Loving the hint of Holland in the photos, my second home.
I think it was a bit more than a hint – I love Holland and have many wonderful memories from lovong there.
Not many of my friends could understand – but I loved the summer-Christmasses in Australia, too! I wish you a Happy New Year! Greetings fromm Germany, Uta
I loved them too – and I do love them here. I have many wonderful memories of boogie boarding with the kids at the local beach, barbecues, magnolia scented evenings on my deck but those wintery Christmases do have a special place in my heart.
What “wonderful” photos.
Happy New Year, Jo.
Thank you Nandini – they are quite special to me.
Loved those Holland wintery photos! Oh, Abba – good one – I’ve loved them since forever. And It’s a Wonderful Life – my all time favorite Christmas movie. It’s a ritual for us to watch it every Christmas season.
So happy that you obviously found so much to enjoy in this post. I love ABBA, and I doubt that A Wonderfil Life will ever lose its magic for me…
Absolutely brilliant! Abba and Its a Wonderful Life all in one blog. I think the windmill photos are super. Happy New Year Jo.
Thank you so much for saying so – I am so glad you found something to like in this post.
Happy New Year 2012 Jo
My Wickedly Fine Friend
Androgoth XXx
And the same to you my very wicked friend – may it be full of joy !!!!!!
lovely photos…Happy New Year Jo!
Thanks Gracie.
Wonderful, wonderful photos!
So happy to hear that you think so.
super cool!
Thanks Joshi – a compliment indeed coming from you.
Love the windmills.
Happy New Year, Jo.
Thanks Isobel.
Oh, and just seeing your anti-battery stance, today is the first day when keeping hens cooped up in tiny cages so that humans can have cheap eggs becomes illegal.
Hurrah!
Not the end of the road though. I understand many countries are not yet complying, and the living conditions of hens, ducks and turkeys still need improving.
We are still not up to where we need to be with legislation concerning caging animals – I think that many people would be surprised at how farming operates here in New Zealand – we are not as CLEAN and GREEN as we like to portray SADLY.
great entry for this weeks theme. happy new year
Thanks Amar – Happy 2012.
Beautiful photos with the windmills and the snow. The photo of your dad cleaning the snow from his car reminds me of why I moved to Southern California. Happy New Year to you!
It was pretty cold that year – Dad was a bit, well out of it all in those temperatures…
Happy 2012
what a treat this post was – views of winter that leave you feeling warm and thankful for all the wonderful things. and at the same time knowing that the best things are not things at all.
thank you for sharing & happy new year to you, too!
Thank you for such a lovely comment.
I hate the snow, but great post! Great shots and your usual literary greatness.
Thanks Hook – as always you are generous in your comments
Love the beautiful images of Christmas in Holland. It is indeed magical. As for Abba…always been a fan( don’t tell anyone…it’s our secret..ha,ha,ha…) Wishing you a blessed and bountiful New Year.
So glad you liked the images – as for the other – there are a LOT of secret ABBA fans out there…hehehe
Brrrr! Those pictures sure look COLD! Happy New Year, Jo! Thanks, as always, for the comments and for making this blog one of my favorite places to visit.
Looking forward to another year of your style of Illusions!
Awwwwwww – thank you so much. Happy 2012 to you dear lady.
Great photos!
Thank you.
Perfect photo’s that reflect the theme. I love snow on the first day when it is soft and white. It isn’t cold that day, either. But when it starts to get cold and look dirty and forzen hard … UGH … not my fav. BBBrrrr ….. I spent many a cold day going to work in NYC with slush and cold temps. I’ll take sunny Florida anyday.
It’s been grand visiting your blog this past year. I hope that you continue to be prolific for 2012.
Happy New Year 2012 ….
Isadora
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/a-toast-for-the-new-year/
Thank you Isadora – I’ve had a ball this year blogging, and will be trying to keep it up. Thank you for you wonderful comments, and I hope to see you here often in 2012.
Wow, a great serie for the winter theme
Thanks for the share!
Thank you for saying so.
I love seeing your photos – I feel like I’m going on a journey every time you post some.
i am so happy to hear that – thank you !!
I am just trying to catch up with everyone, I am glad I didn’t miss your photos, they are wonderful. I like the snow covered windmills, I usually only see them with tulips. a very nice treat. and a great photo collection.
I don’t have a photo to enter in your challenge but I did post on my blog today a photo I took on Saturday (postcardficiton.com). It’s cold and bleak and the song “Sound of Silence” comes to mind. I live in Toronto and it hasn’t been much of a winter this year so I was just happy to get out and get some pictures of snow.
Hi – lovely to see you here