So, quite a few weeks back I was awarded the Liebster Award, which I have got before but I decided I would do it again anyway, but before I got around to doing it I was tagged yet again and now, if you are reading this, I have obviously got around to finally doing both of them in one post.

As always the procedure to follow is:

• Link back to the person who tagged you
• Answer 11 questions
• Try To Tag 11 bloggers
• Ask them 11 questions
• Let them know you've tagged them through social media
• Have Fun 
• And (in this case) answer the other 11 questions

I was tagged by both Susannah Joy from Frosted Woods Dreamer and Katie from Sparkly Ambitions. 

Susannah's Questions and my answers:

1. Generally speaking, how old do you think you should be when you get married? And how old do you want to be when you get married? God's timing is best. But I think it is good to be able to be married when young. As to how old do I want to be... I suppose that would be not much older. So lets say 21. 

2. What is your favourite thing about blogging? Taking photos for posts, and getting comments, and being able to connect with people from all over the world, it is really so amazing!

3. Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate? Coffee is definitely the worst. Oh wait, you meant which do I like the smell of most? That would be tea, just please don't make me drink it. Hot chocolate is okay to drink sometimes, but only when it has marshmallows floating in it because what is hot chocolate without marshmallows?

4. What is your favourite website? (Not a blog) That is a tricky one, can I say Goodreads? I go there a lot of the time to review and rate books I read. EVERY book I read gets some kind of review and ones I read ages ago usually just get ratings because I can't remember enough.

5. What's your favourite hobby? Photography, and if you say I can no longer count it as a hobby then I shall say just art in general, like sketching and photo-shopping.

6. What's your favourite Bible verse? F-A-V-O-U-R-I-T-E, see that word, makes this very hard to answer, impossible in fact. I could give you some verses that I like so much I am currently memorizing. 

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

 Psalm 71:14

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 
Psalm 138:3

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 1 Corinthians 3:18

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

7. Do you play any instruments? Nope, nope nopety nope.

8. What's your favourite season/time of year? Autumn, which is right now! Any other time when it is not stinking hot and preferably not too cold will also do... but wearing long jackets is a plus if it is rather cold.

9. Do you have any pets or animals? Chooks and a duck. The duck is an ancient useless Muscovy duck. One of my chooks (Speckled Sussex) is also old and almost useless, I have two Australorps and three Araucana.... and all the rest of my chooks died recently from various different illnesses....

10. What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years from now? I have no idea, lets just imagine a nice possibility though. I have a fair sized photography business, and a small family of my own, and in the spare time that I no longer have I am editing a book of mine for publication. Unlikely but we can dream, right?

11. What's your favourite book to read, and what's your favourite book in the Bible to read? I almost never re-read any books..... I have re-read The Lord of the Rings, and I will do so again. I have re-read a lot of kids books, and read some to my little brothers that I read to myself when little.... but they are not really favourites. Other than LOTR I can't think of any others I have re-read at the moment, so it must be my favourite. As for the Bible, I have re-read it a lot of times. I am always reading through Psalms or Proverbs though, because one chapter from those books is a great way to start the day. 

Katie's Questions and my answers:

1. What's your favourite hang out spot? It can be anywhere, from a special spot in your back yard to a nook in your bedroom. Where I am now, at my desk, it is kind of in a nook in the schoolroom. If I really want to imagine there is no one else around (impossible anywhere in this house) I get out my earphones and listen to an audio book while editing photos or something similar. Then I can just imagine I am alone. Other times I just wander around the yard, go see the chooks or go down to the big swing attached to one of the largest gum trees down the back.

2. What do you think your best day ever was? That is a hard question. I am not sure that day has come yet. Ultimately I think it will be when I see Jesus the first time... but maybe those days will only get better and better, which kinda makes this question harder to answer.

3. What's your idea of a perfect evening? Most fun evenings definitely involve watching a fun movie with my family, preferably one that I have not seen before. But sitting by the fire in winter listening to mummy read a really good chapter from the read aloud we sometimes have is also pretty much perfect.

4. Do you like Taco Bell? So I had to google what this mysterious 'Taco Bell' was, and it turns out it is a chain store/restaurant that I assume is quite common in America and there are apparently a few in Australia. But I have never heard of it before now. Infact I looked up Chain Stores in USA and got this result for Taco Bell "Leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain, with more than 5,800 restaurants in the US; serves tacos, burritos, signature Quesadillas, Grilled Stuft Burritos, nachos etc"

Whatever all that meant... I probably would like it, but I probably would not like it. Although I like the taste of a lot of fast food and other places like that I don't like eating it because I can't help but think of all the horrible things that are probably in the food: preservatives, colours, flavours and stuff like that.

5. What's your top 3 favourite blogs? That is a hard question, I follow a lot of different kinds of blogs.... So my favourite book review blog is Paper Fury and I follow so many photography blogs but one I read today was Eliz Alex Photography and I also follow a lot of writing blogs and some other ones for the story the writer is posting on there but my favourite story at the moment is The Firewall Saga (PG rated, a lot of violence and weirdness, but an epic story so far) And that is three, there are so many more though, but those will have to suffice. 

6. Coffee or tea? Yes, let us outlaw coffee so that no one ever has to drink or smell it ever again!

7. What's a show you could binge watch all day long? The only 'show' as in tv show I watch is um.... Doctor Who and that is back with the 10th Doctor.  And I really would not want to spend a whole day watching that, or any tv show really. That would be a rather wasted day.... Unless, say, I was not feeling well. Still, reading a book could be more productive, but imagining I was so sick I could not concentrate on any book... I would like to sit and watch all of the hobbit and Lord of The Rings Movies or all of the Star Wars ones, that would be rather fun.

8. How about a movie that you could literally watch over and over? I would need Captain Literally to force me to watch anything over and over. There are some movies (like the Princess Bride, Bourne, Sound of Music and others I can't think of atm) I do like watching over and over but months and months apart please.

9. Favourite nail polish colour? Like brand and colour. I don't actually ever wear nail polish....ever.

10. Time travel forward or back in time? Can I come back again? If not, I shall go back, but not back too long ago, maybe 100 years. But if I can return, then I shall go as far forward as I dare and then come back and write the most realistic dystopian book EVER!

11. If you found a genie's lamp, what would be your 3 wishes? Well I suppose I could do all those unselfish things like stop all bad things, feed everyone in the world, and make Jesus return. That is actually a kinda boring answer though, a very boring answer. 

So assuming that the genie could not grant wishes for more wishes or anything that was not material... and being selfish, I would ask it for, a flying island with a giant library stocked with every book I will ever want, in the middle of some paddocks of horses. And an invisibility cloak because I have always wanted one of them and some way to fly up to my private island. Okay, I will share it with some people but they'd better not harm my books, otherwise....


Now I have to think of questions and award people. Well, I award any person to uses the word 'eyeball' in a comment and anyone else who wants a flying island or a giant library. If you don't want to do a post, just answer some of the questions in a comment.

Questions:
1. What do you sort your books by? Would you sort them differently if you had enough room?
2. How many centimeters long is your hair?
3. If you had a flying island would you share it with anyone? Who?
4. Have you ever dressed up medieval?
5. What was your favourite game to play when you were little?
6. What is your favourite board game?
7. How is your flying island normally attached/anchored to earth? 
8. What colour are your eyes? and what book character has eyes that colour?
9.What does your family cook on the BBQ? (and if you are American, do you know what a BBQ is?)
10. If you could bring back one item from a dream what would it be?
11. How do you tie your hair up?

So hopefully someone will answer some of them, I went to all the trouble of thinking of them. Come on, I know you want your own floating island! If you do do a post, link to it in the comments, and have fun.

How many tags/awards are there? And why do most of them get awarded for no particular reason? This one is called the Infinity Dreams Award but what does it have to do with dreams? I cannot answer these questions.

 Well, as you may be able to guess I was awarded another award thanks to (you would not have guessed) Lydia from C'est La Vie, so thank you Lydia. And this award has rules which I have kinda broken as I often do.

Here are those rules: 
Use the Infinity Dreams Award picture
Thank the blogger who tagged you
Tell us 11 facts about yourself
Answer the 11 questions
Tag 11 bloggers

Eleven Facts About Myself:

• I like using my own pictures for things. So I googled Infinity Dreams Award trying to find if the original picture was any better. Which is the original though? As you can see I found lots.
• I have a pet peeve about photos that are not clear or are pixelated or even just almost pixelated. Hence I could not while staying in my right mind use the "Infinity Dreams Award" picture which is probably not the original anyway. SO I used six...aaannd made my own.
• Anyway I spent hours on Friday making the picture at the beginning of this post. And this is a perfect excuse to show it off because is it cool.
• I made the picture out of seven separate images

• I am currently wearing a dark purple cloak for no reason whatsoever and also a purple and white check shirt and jeans.
• I now have my own computer which is so convenient.
• The person in the photo is me and that me has almost published 500 posts on her blog! And want's ideas for what she should do for the 500th post. (I have a few draft posts which make it look like there are already 500)

• I can really walk on spiderwebs...... oh okay, but I can.... they are just squished and trampled in real life.
• I did not take any of the photos deliberately for the picture, I just decided I wanted to make one and looked back through my photos to see what I had.
• I am currently reading: The Roots of Endurance by John Piper
• I can sew shirts, well I have made two (tunic shirt things) one of which I am wearing in the photo. Obviously it would be difficult to wear two at the same time. (and now that is eleven or I can't count)

Lydia's Questions for me to answer:

1. What is your biggest hobby?
Photography, it is a lot bigger than a hobby now and yet it still is that too.

2.Who is your biggest inspiration?
Ah...God and his creation, and his everything.

3. What is your favourite piece of music (can be either classical or modern)?
Whatever I want to listen to at the time... I do rather like the song "I Still Call Australia Home"  I am not musical in a lot of ways but I can sing I don't know how I do I just do and according to musical people I sounds really good, and they are the musical ones, so I believe them.

4. What is something you wish you knew more about?
A Time To Rise..... I want to know what happens but it is not published yet and so I wait. Other than that I just wish I could remember stuff I already know.

5. What is your favourite quote?
My favourite! I have no favourite, too many, but here are the ones I have added to my goodreads quotes place most recently.

6. What is something you look forward to doing each day?  
Eating breakfast .

7. What is your favourite way to get exercise?
Um....walking... playing badminton...neither of which I do often enough.

8. Describe yourself in three sentences:
I am thoughtful, and like to know things, but I am good a keeping secrets, probably because I forget them. I stand and watch and don't like large groups, but I really like talking in small groups or one on one; I am better at listening than talking unless you get me onto a subject that I am passionate about. If you wanted to know what I look like then use your eyes and look at the photo of me. back near the beginning of this post, or the one on the sidebar.

9. What has been your biggest life achievement so far?
Having my own photography business.

10. What is something you learned recently?
Sometimes things are not worth doing if they are not worth dying for. "If it is not worth dying for it is not worth doing" If you know it is right and biblical you should be doing it even if you may 'die' (or be heavily persecuted) for it. I was struck by this one because it has come up in my lectures on world view things, and on a video we watched and possibly some other place too.

11. Where is the most interesting place you have ever gone?
Well there was this time I walked on spiderwebs, and another when I went to Elsewhere and I found that I could change whatever I wanted, but I also wanted to to be believable so everything has to happen so that people would still have enough suspension of disbelief  (Elsewhere is the world my novel is set in). I don't know which was the most interesting, but recently I was just sitting on a lounge babysitting and I drifted off to a far place or cyborgs, princes and Luna queens. So I suppose I have been many kinds of interesting places. 

Okay now I need to tag/award other people if you don't want to do it that is fine, but if you do have fun:

Sarah @ Novus Papilio
The other Sarah @ Trusting in the Lord
Emily @ Amity
Jessica @ Dreams Really do Come True
Julia @ The Barefoot Gal
Sophie @ The Techno Maid
Zach @ Zach's Abode
Rosie @ Rosie's Treehouse I will tag you just so see if you are still alive there, I have't heard from you for so long.
Hannah,Anna,and Emma @ The 3 Musketeers That actually makes 11 if I count each of you as one :D

Here are your questions:

1. Do you often dream when you sleep?
2. What is the scariest dream you have ever had?
3. What is one of your dreams for yourself for the future?
4. What is one for your dreams for the world?
5. How many tags/awards have you done?
6. What is a question you want to answer?
7. Can you answer it for me now?
8. What is your favourite dreamy/relaxing music or soundtrack?
9. What is infinity times eleven?
10. What is a dream of yours that had been fulfilled?
11. What place have you been where the scenery seems to go on for an infinite distance?

Have fun!

Along came another tag and I grabbed it as it passed. Sadly the rules did not manage to slip through my fingers, though they were changed a little. I like riddles, probably because I am good at them...well it's true. So thanks to Katie from Sparkly Ambitions I have been tagged. But I must begin.

Well The other day.... actually more like two weeks ago I hit 19999 page views. I actually saw the number... and remembered to get a screen shot of it. I also have an extra follower or two since then.

In my all time stats the US has also finally topped Australia. I do wonder though just how many of them are fake search engines and how many are real people.

And there are individual posts. I find these stats the most fascinating. Some of them make sense of how they got so high but others? Seriously that one on making door-stopper chickens? That was a very early post full of terrible photos and... well it has hundreds more views than anything else, I would assume someone must have pinned it to pinterest or something. 

The giveaway post is also high... well who does not like a chance to win free stuff? So I have been thinking about doing another when I reach 400 posts, I can't decide what yet. But as for the bottom two I have no idea why they have so many views.... I don't have any idea at all why they are so high. 

The movie review of God's Not Dead makes sense, as it could come up on search engines and people who don't normally read my posts would read and share it. As with the Rangers Apprentice one I suppose, and the DKT. In the case of the Blogger award one, well people like me probably keep finding it by following links back... forever. The riddle one though? I don't know. I never thought they were that good and the answers are there now too..... sure it got high fast originally but why is it still going up?

Ahh the mysteries of stats.....

As for the giveaway I thought it could be a handmade necklace..... that could be posted most places without much cost. 

I really do wonder how many blogger awards there are in the world. I seem an expert at finding them, without trying. I have fairly recently been notified of two new ones, or old ones or whatever, but they are not ones I have previously received. They are "Sisterhood of the World Bloggers award" and "You Are Amazing and so is Your Blog award." So I wonder if there is a brotherhood of bloggers too.... I didn't even know there was a sisterhood before, let alone that I was part of it. 

I did always know I was amazing though, that is just obvious, and  therefor so is my blog, no question about it. Neither seem to have rules, other than you are meant to accept the award, or do some post about it.... amounts to the same thing. 

It really should say; "I am amazing and so is my blog"

There are questions too, one set. Which goes to show that these awards are just an excuse to ask questions. Which appears to be the point of most of them. There appears to be no rule about pictures that I could see, so I made my own..... I would have anyway. 

I also read nothing about linking to or thanking the person that awarded me.... But maybe there is something about that in the secret sisterhood of world bloggers code of conduct or something..... or maybe not. It also said nothing about nominating others.....  Actually there were no stated things about these awards other than that they were awarded. 

I had fun making the pictures, and actually it was not very difficult at all. Mostly just one of my photos, an overlay, and a bit of Photoshop to add them together.

Here are the questions (I must answer on pains of death... warning I can be dangerous when cornered..... and threatened with death....at least maybe I can.... don't think I have been before....) I'd probably would be on the look out for sarcastic and other comments that I don't really mean though. Hopefully you also realized that I have not being serious at all in this whole post.

1. What is your favorite place to shop?
One might think the likely answer to such a question would be at the shops, but in my case it is not... I mean shops are for shopping at. Hence the name shops. I like to buy stuff, I assume that is what is meant by shop, on the computer. Well using the computer, I sit next to it and in front of the screen. Then I like to use Facebook..... there is a page for people local to where I live to buy and sell just about everything from.... Problem is there are a lot of other photographers (I presume) who also see things on there as photo props.... and by the time I see them there is almost always at least 10 SOLD's on it.... or 20...

2. What's your favorite thing to eat?
Well what an obvious answer, must I really tell you.... ok then, its simple really, food, oh and preferably food that I like.

3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Nowhere, a lot of things I often want seem to get there. After I look for them Everywhere and can't find them, I come to the conclusion they are Nowhere or just Somewhere Else, so that may be a good place to go to.

I would often rather go nowhere than somewhere.... modes of transport would probably have a lot to do with it too.

4. Do you like writing letters or emailing best?
I like emailing, it is quick and easy, not time consuming and people don't have to struggle to read my terrible handwriting and spelling. I like receiving mail/letters though, so I do take time to write them, with my terrible messy writing, because I know that I can bless people with my words... even if it takes them ten minutes to work out what is actually written there.

5. Do you have a favorite game? If so, what is it?
A new game, I like old games that I have played hundreds of times, like scum or mafia and others, but I do really like playing things that I haven't played before or at least not for a long time.

6. What's your favorite activity to do with your family?
Sit and read together.

7. Are you musical? If so, what instrument(s) do you play?
Oh can't I be musical without playing an instrument... or must I say I play the Clare, the vocal chords of Clare. Yes I do play.... or is it really called playing it I am the instrument? I don't know.

8. What was the last thing you memorized?
A bible verse... But I can't remember which..... obviously I didn't memories it very well.....

9. What's your favorite book of the Bible and why?
Proverbs. it is so full of wisdom. It is probably the book I have read the most times.... I am always either reading through psalms or proverbs, and somewhere else in the bible to. Hmm that Somewhere Else place has come back again..... at the moment though I am reading Proverbs and Deuteronomy.

10. What do you want to be when you grow up? 
Well it appears I am doing it... does that mean I am grow'd up? And for those who have not being paying attention that is being a photographer. If you didn't know that then you better have a look at my website Clear Light Photography. Because you must not have looked at it before.

11. What are some of your hobbies?
Photography, writing, reading, stamp collecting, raising chooks (for y'all Americans I mean chickens. Though in my point of view chickens are baby chooks.) I also do beading/jewelry making, and a number of other crafty things.

12. Do you like doing different hairdos on your hair? 
Guilty, very, I really like trying new hairdos, and finding ones I would like to try copy... generally without doing tutorials.... I only do that if I fail.... and making up my own styles.

Now for questions because I must have a few questions, if I am to have someone to answer them. Maybe I should join the two together and make a new award "The amazing world Bloggers award". I suppose I can only nominate Girls for the sisterhood thingy award. It would be funny to award a guy that though.....

So for the sisterhood award I will nominate Jane because she is very naughty and hasn't done the last award I award her, and she said she would do it. I am waiting Jane! I also nominate anyone who wants to join the sisterhood, or (for the other award) knows that their blog is just so awesome, along with themselves of course. I also nominate Sarah. Come on you have to do another post one day. Sarah I invite you to join the mysterious Sisterhood of world bloggers, because there are not enough posts on your blog to make it amazing, although if you want to do that award you could because you are amazing, but you might have to drop off the part about having an amazing blog. Rosie I also nominate you to join the sisterhood, although I don't believe I am really far enough initiated into it to be inviting others in, but since it does not really exist I suppose that does not mater. Then again maybe it does exist.....

As I said before if you would like to answer some questions then please YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED, and if not then at least look at the pictures in this post. Quite possibly you may not even read this far down, if you do let me know. Of course if you like to answer questions or just one of them then you can do that in the comments below too.

Here are the questions:

1.What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?
2.Would you rather visit any fantasy realm you wish and die on a desert island, in a battle or stuck up a tree; or would you prefer to live a long long life here on earth?
3.If you had to be locked in a small room for one day with one other blogger who would that be? (the room is completely bare except for one light in the roof )
4.What is the biggest number of words you have written in one day.
5.Do you write stories? If so what is the hardest thing about writing them?
6.What is your opinion on popping candy?
7.How many blogger awards are there in the world?
8.How many awards (to do with bogs) have you been awarded, and how many have you not done of those awarded?
9.What is the coolest bruise you have ever got? and which colour bruise do you prefer?
10.What languages do you know, pretend to know, have attempted to know, wish you knew?

Hey y'all!.... wait I unsay that, that is what Americans say and I have no idea why. I shall just say 'greetings to one and all' ...which has nothing to do with my being Australian, and everything to do with how I am feeling at this exact moment. Well I have recently been awarded the ummm I think I shall call it The Wasteland Tag and drop the word winter because...well it is summer...

Thankyou to Clara from Reasons To Smile for awarding me the tag that inspired this post the 'Winter Wasteland Tag' which is essentially the same as a blogger award. And now for a piece of interesting information Clara got awarded this by Julia Ryan over at Writing For His Glory. And she actually made up this tag! So you can all blame her for it!

to quote Julia "I've made up my own tag! I am getting sick of doing the same things while the snow keeps on falling."

See..

So for the rules......its pretty simple. You share on your blog 5-15 things to do in the winter when you are board. Then you just need to nominated 5-10 bloggers for the award. 

But.... it is Summer and I do not get bored. I assume bored is meant... and not board which is the flat sort.... and the sort that Clara said.... I shall assume for sanity's sake that we are talking about the feeling bored and not that you are flat board. And I shall stop talking about it before I get so confused that I need a hole bored in my head to relieve the pressure.

If I don't know what to do...well that is a rarity in itself... Even when we go other places I make a note to take a book with me everywhere. So if I have time I can read and not if worst comes to worst... that (worst comes to worst) is only if I happen to finish the book, and there be no other for me to read...... in which case I do nothing except grow my patience.... which is a good thing to do. 

See so someone randomly decided to make up an award tag and then it spreads...... just like a disease....

Since I just love changing things I will change the rules.... my excuse being to make them more applicable to the wasteland tag. Along those lines though, in Australia... at least here in Australia.... as least where I live (I will eventually get to the point...or more likely a few points, if I don't forget what they were before I get to them.)  Summer is the season for staying inside and hiding from the weather. Winter is so lovely and cool and the season to be outside in the nice warm sunlight. It can feel as if we have a bit much warm sunlight in Summer.

See lovely warm sunlight.....

Now I will list some summer things to do: 1. Stay cool and don't overheat, or get sunstroke or dehydrate. That would make everything a lot worse. A trip to the beach may be nice.... if you like swimming in the ocean.... an not just cook on the sand like I end up doing. There is the wonderful invention called a pool, and a sprinkler. I quite like the sprinkler or hose. I wouldn't swim in dams though as they may not have much water in them... and just boggy mud. But of course it may even be to hot to go out.

2. I shall assume you have no schoolwork to do so the next thing is umm..... House work.... surely there are tones of jobs your mum would love to have done..... you know have the oven, stove and microwave cleaned..... or that shelf that always gets missed in the general dusting... or even the computer keyboard. (just unplug or turn it off first, to avoid any unforeseen drastic happenings resulting from keyboard shortcuts being pressed)

3. Don't you have any hobbies? at all? 

4. Write..... and if you have a blog then blog on it.... if you have all this time then why are we not seeing more posts?

5. Read.... and if you don't read.....well you really must not have any extra time.... or well I just totally don't understand anyone who does not enjoy reading.

6. Find another hobby....or just do another of one of your many....

7. Cook something for you family or bless another family. If you hate cooking well let me tell you that it is a skill you will need. Everyone has to cook stuff sometimes. If you don't know how then hurry up and learn.

8. Plan.... what I don't know! Anything there is probably a lot of things you could plan. At the moment I am planing on what to get my family for Christmas.... and some friends too... and getting stuff for them and then thinking of other people I need would like to get something for.

9. Make people presents for Christmas... Presents that are hand made are so special.

10. If it so happens to be after Christmas then surely you got some interesting presents you can do something with.... so do that

And now I have reached the end of my summery photos I shall end on 10 because it is such a nice number and then I shall nominate some people, for "The Wasteland Tag" either summer or winter... 

Jane
Sarah
Zach
Rosie
Alyssa Monk
His Princess 

and as for why it is awarded.... that is because I tagged you...why? because I did.

I have been nominated for another blogger award! Who knew there were so many..... I didn't and apparently there are some I haven't got yet. This one is "The Blogger Recognition Award"... which is apparently for me existing and so I shall continue on with this award post. Thank you to my new follower who just found out that my blog existed; Katie from Lilies Of Grace.  I must state though; my blog has existed for a long time now and I am currently having a hard time trying to remember why I did start it.

So here's what I'm suppose to do:

1. Thank the person who nominated me, and provide a link to their blog. As one must for every award so that people who have nothing better to do in life can sit and click back to blog after blog after blog. Though I did do that a few times and I had a lot of better things I could have been doing!

2. Give a brief story on how I started my blog, and a one or two tips for other bloggers. :)

3. Choose 15 other bloggers to nominate for this award.

4. And comment on each of their blogs to let them know I nominated them!.... or let them know in some other way; however done is fine as long as they know they have been nominated... even if they chose to not believe the fact.

Well here goes: Why I started blogging

I posted my first post on Monday, 21 January 2013.... seems like ages ago. The reason I got a blog is because I like writing.. always have. I write poetry, random stuff, short stories and novels. I needed somewhere to share them.... or to make me share them and not just hide them. I kept a diary of interesting things that happened, but never showed it to anyone. I still do and still show it to no one, but now just about anyone who can read English can read a lot of my writing, because it is on my blog.... obviously.   Also I take photos, and I wanted to be able to show people my photos so they could enjoy them too. So I started this blog. At least as far as I remember... that is why I started this blog.

Blogging Tips

Most importantly blog. One of the first things I notice when I go to a blog is how recently they have posted and how many posts they do per month. The more often they post, the more likely I will keep looking at their blog. Photos is another thing, I like posts with photos to catch my eye, if there are no photos on their blog I will probably stop looking. But the very first thing I see when I go to a new blog is the design.... some just look disgusting... and I look no further.... others I decide i like just by now nice hey look, a layout and design that is nice and well done shows you care about how your blog looks... so you care about it and posting and quality. SO I suppose those are my tips... POST content regularly. Have pictures on posts. Have a nice looking blog.

And so I nominate:
Alice at Hope in Our Saviour
Jane wandering in The Misty Mountains 
Sarah floating in the clouds over Novus Papilio way
Zach who lurks in Zach's Abode
Emily sitting over at Amity
A nameless friend otherwise known as Lecheria Criada
Jasmine who calls herself Bush Maid
Lisa Dales at Musical Cowgirl for Christ
Rosie in Rosie's Treehouse 
His Princess who is Growin' Up Country 
Alyssa Monk who blogs over at Bits and Spurs
Julia Ryan who is Writing for His Glory
The Keller Girls over at Life With the Keller Girls
Sarah who is Trusting in The Lord Day by Day
Ashley who likes to catch Precious Moments 

I don't think I have ever done the right amount before, but now I have so you are all nominated because your blogs exist... I suppose... and it would be interesting to know why you started them in the first place...if you can remember that far back! But if you have done this award before I shall exemptify you.... hmm apparently exemptify is not a word.... oh well I don't care if it is not.

Warning, you are about to be flooded, covered, inundated, piled, pelted with photos of mostly horses and a few other things I saw at the show. I shall start the bombardment with a photo of photos... well mostly my photo. I got the CHAMPION JUNIOR PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT!..... again.....!!!! FYI I also got it last year.  

This year I entered in both the junior and the open section and won quite a lot in both. I won firsts in all but two of the junior categories and I won three of the open ones, getting a total of seven firsts! I also got three seconds, two thirds and six highly commendeds! I have never done so well before, and, as you can probably tell, I am pretty pleased about it. 

I read all the judge's comments and found something rather amusing and inconsistent about them.  On three of my placed photos (which are the ones with comments) and on other peoples' photos, they said we needed to crop the photo so the subject was more centered... I totally disagreed. Later I read the comment on a different photo of mine. This is their exact words; "Good composition-off center always works well"

If carts had legs.... well it would look strange

I watched the heavy horse cart thingy being judged.... after Arabians, some sort of heavy horse would be my favourite horse.

Some of our flowers won things, our cabbage got second and our oranges got first.

As I said before the heavy horses are so beautiful! Especially when all groomed and fitted out for the show!

I tried a few panning shots. The idea is to have the background as blurred as possible but most of the subject as clear as possible. I move the camera while having the shutter open... but to actually move it and keep the subject in the same place in the frame is not at all easy.... I took so many photos to get these. 

Shetland ponies are so cute.

I am Australian. I have always wanted a photo of our flag and finally got one, it was on the top of one of the pavilions at the show ground.