Abstract Thursday...and Mono-Monday Results

Firstly my Abstract Thursday blip for today. Those who saw my entry 2 weeks ago might think this is another shot of my beard, and I admit that it does look somewhat similar. But I can assure you that it’s not (I don’t usually give it a "perm" or pink highlights…) - it’s actually a close-up of a Brillo scouring pad. (I guess if we ever run out of Brillo pads we could use my beard as a substitute!) Many thanks again to youoregon1 for hosting AT... I didn't notice that he'd suggested a theme (Ninety Degree Angles) until I'd taken the photo, but actually there are lots of ninety degree angles between the furrows and the cross wires so I guess maybe it's OK :-)
 
Now what you’ve all been waiting for – the results of this week’s Mono-Monday judging. What a hard job MrsC and I have had to come to a decision – I think everyone has surpassed even last week’s high standard. As before we’d have liked to give a heart to everyone, and they would have been well deserved. But we can’t. So here goes:
 
Hearts to the following (in no particular order):
 
Rainie for a photo of a new life in the form of a gorgeous little baby
V1k1 for a beautiful monochrome of a Magnolia bud
Bunty for a beautifully lit shot of a nest of guinea-fowl eggs (hope the cold weather doesn’t come too soon for the little chicks)
Naturelover for an action shot of a crane lowering a girder during the building of a new store; we particularly like the chap walking along the fixed girder, although it gives me vertigo just to look at him!
Newcastle Downunder (jensphotos) for a super shot of a New Moon.
 
We found it impossible to get down to fewer than 10 Honourable Mentions (after all, there were 123 entries!). In no particular order:
 
Mindseye for new life in the form of a family of 12 ducklings
Bom for a fun blip of a squirrel “growing” in a plant pot!
Shygirl73 for a little seedling peeping out between paving slabs – a very new beginning
Craftylady for starting a new life without glasses after her cataract operations (well with my past history as an eye doc I had to include her, didn’t I? – although others should note that getting away without specs after cataract surgery isn’t guaranteed!)
Flossie for a super photo of a new beginning for her roof
Majoayee for a nicely set up picture of a new exercise book
RosHele for Chapter 1 of a new book to read (even though I can’t read it myself…)
Beewatcher for a watch showing the beginning of a new day
ClickingCurate for wedding dresses seeking to begin a new outing for someone embarking on the beginning of newly married life
ChrisF for the rooks nests with lots of new beginnings in them (the patterns of the trees are great)
 
Thanks so much to everyone who submitted images this week, we've had great fun looking at them.
 
Next week, in recognition of it being “Earth Day” on Friday 22nd, the Mono-Monday theme will be “The Environment”. Please feel free to interpret this as widely as you like!
 
Finally, Skeena is working on the rota for Mono-Monday hosts for the next few months. If you’d like to think of hosting please let him know. His email address is on his blip bio here.