Highly commended in the Joan Paddick Photography Awards 2013 - Reflections by Pui Hang Miles

Photo Competition Winners

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It’s been a while since I last updated my blog. Apologies for that – it’s been a hectic 12 months or so!  I decided it was time to enter my images into photography competitions to see how I would fare. 2013 turned out to be a lucky year for me as it produced 2 photo competition winners and a highly commended.

Perhaps the highlight of the last 12 months was being chosen as one of the final 12 in the BBC Countryfile Photo Competition 2013 with an image of a red squirrel, now known as “Dinner for One”.  This image now graces the month of October in the BBC Countryfile 2014 calendar which was sold to raise money for Children in Need.

Dinner for One by Pui Hang Miles from BBC Countryfile Photo Competition 2013

BBC Countryfile Photo Competition 2013 – Dinner for One

Equally exciting was winning the worldwide wildlife category in the Scottish Seabird Centre’s 8th annual nature photography awards with “The Dive”, an image of a kingfisher in mid dive.

The Dive by Pui Hang Miles, winner of Worldwide Wildlife in Scottish Seabird Centre's Nature Photography Awards 2013

Worldwide Wildlife winner of the Scottish Seabird Centre’s 8th annual Nature Photography Awards – The Dive

I’ve had a few requests for prints of both images so I’m now making them available in A4 and A3. The prints will be double mounted onto card ready for you to frame. If you would like to purchase either image whether it is for yourself or as a gift for someone else, please feel free to drop me a line!

Bianca the Mouse

Grolier Disney Ornaments

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These beautiful christmas ornaments were originally called Grolier Disney Ornaments, but have also been known as the Christmas Magic Collection.  David and I have been collecting these ornaments for many years now.  We used to buy them from a company called Grolier but in 2009, they closed up shop and the ornaments were passed to another company to sell.  The new organisation is called Early Moments and they have re-branded the ornaments as Disney Character Ornaments.  Unfortunately, they will not sell the ornaments to anyone based outside of the US which is really annoying!  Fortunately, I have found a way to continue my collection and although shipping is not cheap, I think it is worth it to continue collecting these gorgeous christmas ornaments.

The gallery below is what I consider to be the definitive list of Grolier Disney Ornaments / Early Moments Disney Character Moments.

I had planned to organise the gallery by the various editions but since every ornament that comes out of Early Moments is called a President’s Edition, this now seems pretty pointless!  You’ll also notice that there seems to be different versions of certain ornaments like Bambi, Dumbo, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, to name but a few. I think this has happened when they’ve re-issued an ornament.

I do occasionally have extra grolier disney ornaments for sale so if you would like some of the newer ones, please feel free to contact me. Be warned, they will not be cheap as I have to get them shipped from the US and pay the customs duty on them.

Ornaments that I currently have for sale are:

  • Alice & Cheshire Cat
  • Dusty from Planes
  • Sheriff from Cars
  • Hudson from Cars
  • Hank from Finding Dory
  • Snowboarding Goofy

They all come in their original packaging with certificate of authenticity.

Please feel free to browse through my gallery of grolier disney ornaments. The newest ornaments are at the bottom of the page. If you’d like to see a larger image, please click on the thumbnail.

paw prints for blog

The Most Beautiful Thing You’ll Read Today

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I am an Animal Rescuer.

I will never bring about world peace.

I’m not a brain surgeon and I’ll never transplant an organ to save a life….

I don’t have the ear of a powerful politician or world power.

I can’t end world hunger.

I’m not a celebrity, and God knows I’m not glamorous!

I’m not looked up to by millions around the world. Very few people even recognize my name.

I’ll never win the Nobel prize.

I’ll never save the rain forest or end global warming.

There are a lot of things that I’ll never do or become.

But today I placed a cat!

It was a small, scared, bundle of flesh and bones that was dropped off in a shelter by unfeeling people that didn’t care what happened to it, but yet who were responsible for it even having existence in the first place.

I found it a home.

It now has contentment and an abundance of love. A warm place to sleep and plenty to eat. A child has a warm fuzzy new friend who will give them unquestioning devotion and teach them about responsibility and love.

No, I’m not a rocket scientist but today I saved one of God’s precious creatures. Today, I made a difference!

I am an Animal Rescuer.

My job is to assist God’s creatures.

I was born with the need to fulfill their needs.

I take in new family members without plan, thought or selection.

I have bought dog and cat food with my last dime.

I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand.

I have hugged someone vicious and afraid.

I have fallen in love a thousand times

and I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body.

I have Animal Friends and friends who have Animal Friends.

I don’t often use the word “pet.”

I notice those lost at the road side

and my heart aches.

I will hand raise a field mouse

and make friends with a vulture.

I know of no creature unworthy of my time.

I want to live forever if there aren’t animals in Heaven.

But I believe there are!

Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind?

We may be master of the animals,

but the animals have mastered themselves.

Something people still haven’t learned.

War and abuse make me hurt for the world,

but a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for humankind.

We are a quiet but determined army.

And making a difference every day.

There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan.

Nothing more rewarding than saving a life.

No higher recognition than watching them thrive.

There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play

who only days ago, was too weak to eat.

I am an Animal Rescuer.

—

Note from Talk2PN: I received this post from Dorian of YourDailyCute. It is so beautiful that I felt I had to share this with everyone I know.  Please follow her on facebook and twitter if you are an animal lover – she is doing some amazing work and could do with our support!