Life is full of surprises — but sometimes they can give us more than we bargained for.
Last week, I was out walking the dog
When a hot air balloon swooped over my head
And landed on the green before slowly teetering on its side.
(I’ve never been dive-bombed by a balloon before!)
Planes are a little more reliable —
Big and noisy but they manage to stop in time…
A couple of months ago, I was enjoying an early morning sunrise
When I heard a honking in my ear.
A duck shot past me, grazing my cheek
And nearly knocking the camera out of my hands.
(Can you see the duck in the bottom left of the photo?)
I’m always startled when those sticks in the path
Slither over my feet…
(Perhaps you could call this foot-bombing?)
My favourite surprise though
Is a glorious sunset and a balloon … in the distance.
Go and dive-bomb this site: Our World.
Lady Fi 
I LOVE that snake picture! So awesome. And the hot air balloon incident sounds like it was …interesting LOL. P.S. I am now fillowing your blog 🙂
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Wow! Each taken so well even when you were startled.
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Gorgeous ! All photos are fantastic !
Best regards, Synnöve
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That snake is absolutely magnificent. What species is it? The head is very impressive.
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It’s a harmless grass snake – but rather lovely, isn’t it?
Lady Fi wrote: > New comment on your post “Dive-bombing” > Author : Don (IP: 105.228.124.222 , ti-228-124-222.telkomadsl.co.za) > E-mail : donscrooby@gmail.com > URL : http://candidpresence.wordpress.com > Whois : http://whois.arin.net/rest/ip/105.228.124.222
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Well done with this one, the air balloon is my fave and the duck grazing your cheek.
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Fantastic photos, fantastic ideas:) Greetings
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Such great photos and nicely tied together! My favorite is the duck in flight and the idea that he grazed your cheek. Even ducks get in a hurry, I guess!
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What a lovely series of photos with such interesting connections. I love that the duck grazed your cheek. What a way to get your attention!
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Your photos are all fantastic but my favorite is the sunset with the balloon in the background!
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Hello you taught me English language at Mayfield School in Hove near Brighton in England maybe 22 years ago I,ve always had a good memory of you you were very kind and when I saw your photo I said that was my first and best teacher abroad I wish you all happiness and success in your life have a great time
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Hi there -so nice to have contact with you again! I was indeed a teacher at Mayfield School all those years ago.
I’m now living in Sweden.
What are you doing these days?
Hugs, Fiona
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Hi Fiona I,m very pleased to find you and talk to you again after all that you helped me I shall be ever thankfull to you I am working at education field your manner has been a great drive to me to work in teaching and building good generation I would like to sheer with you some photos and ideas that have common interest between us so please follow me on Twitter by user name:@M7474ajlan
Have a great time
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oh that last one is amazing….geez on the duck brushing your cheek…that is crazy…and the balloon falling out of the sky…oh my…..makes for a cool story though…ha
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I didn’t realize dive-bombing could be so beautiful. I’m not so sure of the ‘foot-bombing’, however.
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Glad that the balloon landed safely and you got the lovely pictures. Not so sure about the snake one. You are brave, you clicked a picture.
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OMG! A hot air balloon, a duck, a snake! You really do get up close and personal to your photo subjects!! 😉
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Great shots.
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awesome photography!
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WOW! What a fabulous series! Love all shots but the plane and the snake are my favourites.
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That snake…eeek! Love the shots of the hot air balloon and the airplane. Great images!
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Wierd but wonderful moments! Stunning work! My fave is the sunset snapshot!
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ooh! i just saw this breed of snake on another european blog yesterday! very pretty! but you’re a magnet for fly-bys!
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I’m not as brave as you with those snakes. Despite my Swede assuring me they are harmless, I just can’t forget those “8 of the 10 most poisonous snakes in the world” from my homeland. It’s too deeply rooted to go away 🙂
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You do find the very best shots — and every week!! And what a terrific variety for today! That last shot is SO breathtakingly beautiful! My youngest daughter and I took a balloon flight several years ago and I loved it! Great being able to look the birds in the eye!! Have a great week!
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what a clever series
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Wow, you get dive bombed a lot….ducks, balloons, snakes….such a lovely post, and aren’t surprises like this nice 🙂
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As always, your photos are just amazing and beautiful!
Thank you and be careful out there 🙂
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Beautiful!! Last week 4 Ducks broke out of cover right next to me one after another!! Since I`m still alive my heart must be in good shape. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
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What a fun post….. I’ve had herons fly up in right front of me and they have the deepest squawk….really startling. I’m not afraid of snakes, but not sure I’d enjoy one slithering over my foot.
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I’ll take the ballon at sunset over all the other experiences which can be a little heart pounding I think.
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M a g i c a l !!
Ohhhh, and that snake is COOL)) Xxx KISS for Oscar the Dog.
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Beautiful photos, I love the snake, really I do.
I see you are the host of Our World now. That is great news!!
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Feeling a bit paranoid? That last shot is gorgeous.
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Hi! Nice captures. All of your photos are breathtaking beautiful. I especially like the Sunset photo. Thanks for sharing.
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Beautiful shots Fiona! Big snakes in Sweden I see!! What is this one? One to be feared?
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Just a grass snake… but still, I wouldn’t want to be bitten by it. It’s just cooling off in the heat.
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An exciting batch of photos, except that last peaceful one. A snake in the grass gets my adrenaline going, since we have poisonous ones where I live!
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Wow. These are beautiful – though being snake bombed would have my heart pounding very, very loudly. Like Al, we have poisonous snakes. Very poisonous snakes.
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I know. This is only a harmless grass snake!
Lady Fi wrote: > New comment on your post “Dive-bombing” > Author : Elephant’s Child (IP: 121.45.221.182 , ppp121-45-221-182.lns20.cbr1.internode.on.net) > E-mail : sue.goldberg@internode.on.net > URL : http://myjustsostory.blogspot.com > Whois : http://whois.arin.net/rest/ip/121.45.221.182
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Sent shivers down my spine. So beautiful and impressive. I want a better camera now, sooo bad. I love photography and this hop so inspires me. 🙂
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You really need to be careful out there!
Despite the stress of being under constant attack, you still manged to take beautiful photographs!
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Indeed fantastic shots! But my favorite is the sunset and balloon over the water.
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Wonderful combination of fun and beauty!!
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Stunning images! I love them all but my favourite is the last!
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Beatiful pics! Full of surprizes!!
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What the glorious shots specially snake shot! love it….
my main blog
http://touroperators-india.blogspot.in/
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Wow, dive bombing surprises. I love the balloon and the duck. But, the snake is creepy. The last shot is just beautiful. Great captures, Lady Fi! Have a happy week!
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Interesting post! Everything is admirable watching at distance… Love the plane shot and impressive snake and sunset.
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Beautiful photos, LadyFi, including the snake 🙂
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Beautiful pictures, but a dangerous life, 😉 !
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Wow! Such incredible shots and interesting experiences. Although I don’t care for snakes, the snake shot is fabulous!
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WOW! One, I would have run screaming if I had seen that snake. Two, that balloon landed right next to a house. Amazing! Great post.
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We had a hot air ballon land on out sports oval in my last year of teaching – lesson plan out of the window!
Great shots.
Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne.
PS: the literary reference is to “The World According to Garp”
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I love the mixture of shots in this post.
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The plane looks so beautiful like a spaceship.
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Sensational shots!
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Beautiful and colorful images.
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I enjoyed your post – I am sure the duck was as startled as you! Have a great week, and thank you for stopping by my blog today.
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I’ll take Dive-Bombing anytime over Foot-Bombing by a SNAKE… Yipes!!!! Beautiful hot-air balloon….
Great photos, Fiona.
Hugs,
Betsy
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I’m afraid that I would have run to far and fast to get that snake picture!
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I love watching balloons! I’m not sure I’d love being up in one though… Cheers, Danette
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Absolutely fantastic photography ~ Clarity, color and wow about the ‘duck experience’ pun intended ~ thanks, carol,xo
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Well there would of been bombing all right, if that snake would of got close to me, the camera would of bombed right into the lake of pure terror. Your a very brave lady. Great photos as always my friend.
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Terrific capture, as always. I like the reflection on an airplane metal body.
Have a wonderful night.
Yoshi
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Hi Lady Fi! The photos are beautiful and gave a great impression of all your subjects. The snake is perfect. What kind of snake is it? You live in Scandinavia, don’t you? I thought there aren’t many snakes.
Wil, ABCW Team.
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It’s a harmless grass snake. We do get adders that are poisonous, but luckily, this wasn’t one of them.
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Wow that snake! Great photo series!
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Yes, I love them all! Wonderful last! Nice pictures!
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The last photograph here is so gorgeous!
What a wonderful sense of peacefulness.
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Great post, Lady Fi! Oh, I would not react well to the foot bombing legless creature. 🙂
That certainly would be a surprise, being dive bombed by a hot air balloon!
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Wow, always such a treat to stop by here. LOVE the lake photo with the purple sky. Wonderful! 🙂
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Fantastic! So many surprises, mostly from the air !!
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Surprises coming at you from every which way indeed LadyFi 🙂
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That sunset is beautiful 🙂
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I admire your composure to get the shot of the snake…I don’t mind telling you…that would’ve freaked me out!!!
gorgeous sunset!!!
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My goodness, the adventures you have! I imagine the snake and duck were just as startled as you…
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What a beautiful world you live in!!!! My favourite is the balloon at sunset!!! Although the duck flying so close to you is a close second…
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What a great series of shots! Yes I spotted the grazy duck and the picture of the snake is stunning!
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I love hot air balloo,s but don’t see nearly enough of them around here.
As for things divebombing you… sometimes we’ll get bats doing that at certain times of the year!
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Beautiful photos, as always 🙂
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So beautiful, each one of the moments. Some are a bit scary though but I still love all of them. 🙂
My Yatra Diary…
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The duck? Seriously? My camera would have been trash if not safely around my neck. 🙂
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Luckily I had my camera strap around my neck.
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i would have been terrified by the snake!
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You took a photo of the stick…and it didn’t come out blurry..you are so brave.:)
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What a day … I love those surprises. 🙂
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Hi, just wanted you to know you are on my Friday feature list. 🙂
http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-friday-full-of-hops-come-explore-and.html
Hope you can stop by.
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The snake is really impressive! What a wonderful series! Such great shots!!!
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Wonderful and different series, all well taken, I like the sunset photo the most
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jag gillar snokar. Fin bild du fick på den.
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That reptile is a beauty..very well captured! Love the last image too!
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on no….ugghhhh…..yikes…..that snake 😦 but gosh what a great photo !!!
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The plane photo… amazing!!! I really like it, and also how the clouds reflect on the plane.
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