Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with my December post in the Nature Photography section on LatinosUSA – English Edition.
Next week, I am featuring photographs of Buildings and Architecture.
If you have a photograph to share in the Buildings and Architecture section, please email me at cheadlerobbie@gmail.com and use the title Photography – Buildings and Architecture. Please also include a short write up about your photograph.
Egret at the Beach by Darlene Foster
This beautiful photograph was contributed by children’s author, Darlene Foster. You can find out more about Darlene and her exciting Amanda books on her blog here: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Egrets are a type of heron, a long-legged, long-necked, wading bird. They live in freshwater and saltwater habitats, such as marshes and wetlands, where they spend their day wading in shallow water, catching fish and other creatures. Most species form lifelong pair bonds with their mates and nest and roost in mixed species groups. Although they are found on most continents, Egrets avoid the coldest regions, high mountains, and deserts. They nest in tall trees over water with 10 to 30 other pairs. Most species are relatively vocal, making harsh croaking sounds and squeals. They feed in flocks, waiting in shallow water for fish to swim by before thrusting their beaks to catch their prey. Most animals don’t mess with these large birds; they find safety in numbers by staying in large communities. We often see them here in Spain in orchards, on golf courses and by the beaches.
Picture caption: A winter scene painted by van Gogh. This is the only winter painting I photographed.
Picture caption: This picture is a harvest painting by van Gogh so probably autumn. Oh well!
Picture caption: This painting is definitely summer. I really liked it.
Picture caption: This is the cabinet owned by Vincent’s brother, Theo. It is where Theo stored all his letters from Vincent. Lots of doors on this beautiful cabinet.
Brieuc Martin-Onraet from Equinoxio, A blog about magic, fiction, and art, kindly allowed me to share this post. You can find Brieuc’s (aka Brian) latest blog post here: https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/
Brieuc is also a contributor to This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work anthology compiled by contributing editor, Yvette Prior. You can find my review of this meaningful collection on Amazon USA here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2VAZFX1HLTANS
Argentina had only one god: his name was Maradona.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with my December post in the People Photography section on LatinosUSA – English Edition.
Next week’s photography section will feature nature. If you have a photograph to contribute, please email it to me at cheadlerobbie@gmail.com and use the title Photography – Nature. Please also include a short write up about your photograph.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle bringing you an interesting reflection by Rebecca Budd on Walking Through Winter with Vincent van Gogh. Rebecca has a keen interest in art and artworks and shares wonderful articles on her blog, Chasing Art. You can find her latest art post here: https://chasingart.ca/2025/11/28/a-gift-of-small-kindnesses/
Walking Through Winter with Vincent
Landscape with Snow by Vincent van Gogh (Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Winter comes in quietly. It does not rush in so much as settle, as if the world is taking a long breath after the brilliant months of autumn. When the first snow falls, everything seems to pause. The noisy parts of life drift away, and what stays is the gentle invitation to pay attention.
Thank you to talented writer, Esther Chilton, for sharing a delightful post about Something Fancy and a wonderful review. Esther has several excellent books, both fiction and non-fiction, which you will find on her site.
Esther is a very generous and supportive blogger and has a Guest Writer Spot on a Friday where she shares stories, poems and promotional articles by various bloggers. In Esther’s words:
“If you’d like to be included in this slot, please get in touch: estherchilton@gmail.com. Poems can be up to 60 lines and prose 2000 words. If you’d like to add a short bio and photo, then great. All I ask is that there’s nothing offensive.”
This week’s guest is familiar to many of you. Robbie Cheadle is a prolific writer and so supportive of other bloggers. Please give her a warm welcome as she shares her new book, which I’ve just read. You’ll find my review below. For now, over to Robbie:
Something Fancy, A Winter Wonderland Celebration book 1
Christmas in South Africa
Christmas in South Africa is a different experience to Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere. It is summer here and the temperatures on Christmas Day are frequently in the mid 30 C’s. Our Christmas menu is designed for hot weather and tends towards salads, cold meats, and light desserts rather than the hot meal enjoyed in colder climates and the heavy puddings. That being said, my family always have a traditional Christmas Cake to enjoy on and after the day. We also usually have either a chocolate house or a gingerbread house on display which goes down well with the children.
On several occasions, I have used a summer fun theme for my Christmas confectionaries. One of my favourite Christmas cakes features Santa on the Beach.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with the first post in my Photography section on LatinosUSA – English Edition.
The Photography Section will comprise a weekly photography post with a weekly theme as follows:
First week of the month – Animals
Second week of the month – People
Third week of the month – Nature
Fourth week of the month – Buildings and Architecture.
If there is a fifth week, we will have a jackpot photography post.
I would love all the photographers out there to contribute to this section. If you have a photograph to share in one of these categories, please email me at cheadlerobbie@gmail.com and use the title Photography – [specific theme]. Please also include a short write up about your photograph.
Last month I wrote about warthogs, one of the Ugly Five animals of Southern Africa. This month I have written about another Ugly Five animal, the wildebeest. I have written a poem using the format and rhyming scheme of another very famous poem. Can you guess which poem it is?
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you and this segment of art posts covers all sorts of different mediums of art, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
The previous day, Jake’s platoon had boarded a train heading for an unknown US port. The first men of his battalion to be leaving for “somewhere over there.” Many were puffed up with pride and loud with raucous enthusiasm.
“Where we headed, Sarge?” Beau accosted him as he entered the carriage.
“I can’t tell you. Secrecy about troop movements must be maintained because of the threat of the Bosch submarines,” Sarge growled.
Scowling, Beau opened his mouth to argue with Sarge. He snapped it closed when Will laid a hand on his arm and shook his head in warning.
Sarge’s orders must be accepted without comment. It was not the place of the troops to question their superior officers or their orders.
Late in the afternoon, the train drew into the station in New York.
roberta-writes.com 