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Showing posts from February, 2008

Reading in the shower

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That's about the only place I don’t read, those of you that know me will be well aware that I’m always reading, too much according to Carolyn. Books like music and photos are the foundation of my life, but unlike the other two I think I could not live without books. A good book can take me to a place or time, without me leaving the house, a very attractive proposition when you are as lazy as me. I read a wide range of books, a small list can be seen at the side of the blog, the best books can become like old friends, I revisit them when I am down and need a lift. Why is it that when you come across a photographer in a book they normally turn out to be a bad guy? On Bloggers today the blog of note(wish mine could make that list) is peoplereading.blogspot.com . See its not just me Today’s snap a goose taking off on our local canal, and telling everybody in the process. ---------------- Now playing: Duffy - Mercy via FoxyTunes

Ice ice baby

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As I get older my to do list gets longer( not the one Carolyn gives me as she goes out), the “things I want to do and places I want to see” list. So I thought that I would let you in on one of them. Antarctica , I have always wanted to go, I know its cold and dark for ½ the year, but it looks fantastic. It’s one of the last unspoilt landscapes on earth and as a walker and photographer a place I would love to capturer. To give you a feel for the place here are 3 blogs from the end of the earth. cristinamillan.blog.com an online diary of an antarctic muppet helen-in-antarctica.blogspot Today’s image is of a survey mark on a stone post down by the canal. ---------------- Now playing: Placebo - Nancy Boy via FoxyTunes

Too nice to talk to

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Music, I love it. While I’m on the PC writing the blog or editing pictures, I have it playing in the back ground. It is the sound track to your life; everyone has songs that mean more than just words and a tune. I’ve put one of mine on the blog, too nice to talk to, by the Beat(the English beat for those of you in the states). Reminds me of every girl I fancied in school, but never managed to speak to. Music like pictures can link you to a time, put you there like nothing else can. Sweet child of mine takes me to that warm safe place. Susan Vega, Iron Maiden, Blondie, and the Eurythmics all are keys to other times. Any special ones for you? The image today is another Duo tone, a local river flowing over concrete steps with a log catching the full force of the water. ---------------- Now playing: Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You? via FoxyTunes

I am Keyser Söze

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Taking photos is like taking drugs, at lest for me it is. No matter how much I try to stop I end up grabbing a camera and shooting something. That said shooting for this has been a problem, although I take lots of picture, they are of a very few different subjects. Part of the reason to do this was to stretch me creatively. So today I got creative, and hungry. While surfing to day I came across this a nice dog story, Staff Sergeant Iron of the US Army in Iraq has a very important job. He is the first to check out if a building has been booby-trapped. Trust me it’s a dog story, read the ode at the bottom of the article. Did a bit of work on my web site, btraffordphotos. If you have some spare time check it out. The link is at the top of the blog ---------------- Now playing: The Wannadies - You & Me Song via FoxyTunes

Sweet dreams

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When I started this I thought that it would be just about the pictures, but with so much space to write thing I seem to spend a lot of time trying to find interesting things to write about. Todays picture is a bit dreamy and I came across this on Lifehacker that fits the mood very well. How to lucid dream , the most basic definition of lucid dreaming defines it as "being aware you are dreaming while dreaming." This covers techniques in dreaming, but read the whole thing some of the side effects seem a bit much. The picture was taken today at Consell nr Leek, it a colour shot that has been turn into a black and white, then it has been tinted. I have play around with this technique before and love the effect. ---------------- Now playing: Nirvana - Polly via FoxyTunes

I would like to thank.

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Today is Oscar day, and in keeping with the event I would just like to thank a few people. My mum, without whom I would just not be here, thanks mum. Heather and Andy, for the fantastic birthday present, I will share it with Caz, she loved it too. Sue, Sofa, Heather and Scott for the books, just what I wanted. Sandra, Sam and Trevor, again just what I needed as you know. Also thanks for the wonderful weekend and the meal out, I’m still stuffed! And finally Caz and Kep for letting me have time off from the house work to type this up. Good luck to all the Brits up for an Oscar tonight, Julie Christie, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Day-Lewis and the films Atonement and Peter & the Wolf. The picture show what good weather we had for our walk today.

Getting high

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Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more humans. So said Wikipedia, to me its about people you want to spend time with. To have friend’s is one of most important aspect your life, and you only notice that fact when you need them most and have not got any. Today’s picture is of some of my friend, just about to start over the great ridge, a very good day.

How to shave, a nice Beaver

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It’s Friday!! I’m sitting in the office listening to Jo Whiley on the radio, with the smell of chicken tagine wafting up the stairs. Life is good. To mark the start of the weekend I have a number of web pages that you may find interesting, odd or just plain wrong. The title of the post will make sense after you have looked at them. Shaving. As if it wasn't dangerous enough with all the blades? Now there's those little ingrown hairs to deal with known as razor bumps. Here's how not to get them . Turn a taxidermy animal into your desktop PC. Both neat and handy ! Warning: this project involves taxidermy, dremels, and sometimes graphic pictures of dead animals. While there are no guts in this tutorial, viewer discretion is still advised. Mouse Mouse ! Fully functional, and furry! Photo taken at the back of the house down on the canal, showing the last of the hoar frost.

The Brit awards

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To celebrate the launch of my new music bar, see right, they had an awards ceremony last night. It was wonderful to see the range of British talent on show and the fact that Leona Lewis was piped at the post by real stars was even better. Congratulation to Kate Nash, Mark Ronson, Mika and Kylie Minogue, I still think that Bat For Lashes should have got something too, I will put something on the music bar of hers today if I can. Looking on the net at the coverage of the event I have found this, everyhit , list of all the previous winner’s, a real trip down memory lane. Other sites seemed to think that the fact that a star turning up without a wedding ring was the biggest story of the night, what crap! This night was about how we Brits make some of the best music in the world, if we could churn out this level of quality in politicians and sport stars we would still rule ½ the world. Photo today, a nice image of Ivy leaves trapped in ice.

I am Frankenstein

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I’ve created a monster that needs feeding every day, and like a new parent I’m not sure I am ready for all the responsibility. What started as a whim is now being read by people all over the world, if I thought that I was choosing my words carefully thinking that just some friends would be reading this, now I’m liable to cause an international incident just with my bad spelling. Happy birthday Heather, I cannot believe you are that old, I still think of you as been the age you were when we met. Not that you are that old, you are still the youngster of the group. Just before the photo a quick link to a post that I found fascinating, How to Slow Down Now , all about working slower to get things done faster. Hoarfrost on barbed wire, taken this morning.

Carpe diem

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I went for a run on Thursday, which involved a drive out to somewhere flat and then running for ½ an hour. On the way back home there had been a car crash in which someone had died. This person had been travelling along the same road as me, just after me, maybe thinking about what to have for tea or where to go on holiday, when it all just stopped. I’ve heard it said that you only regret the things that you have not done and if it all just stopped for you on a sunny Thursday what would you regret. A few months ago I made the decision to take any opportunity that was offered and the things that have come out of that decision I have no regrets about at all. To take it to the next stage I have started to act on impulse this blog being one of those ideas, I started it and then thought about just what was involved afterwards. Something’s may go wrong, but at least I will have done something. Reading that back it’s a little dark so here to off set that is a picture taken this mor

Blue Monday

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Spent most of today at the hospital with my mum, so missed out on most of the lovely sunshine. She had an appointment for some test but we still had to wait over 2 hours before she was seen. Why do they seem to make the waiting rooms so depressing? As this is my first blog I am still getting to grips setting up the page and the links from this to my web site. This should now all be done and can be found at the bottom of the page. Also down there you will find a weather forecaster run by Metcheck , this is an independent weather service that I have found to be excellent and offers a lot more than just the standard forecast, check out their site when you have time. The image for today comes from the walk we did on Sunday to Chatsworth , it’s a view down the river looking towards the cricket pavilion.

When sheep attack

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Carolyn is very keen to see our fitness levels raised, and is dragging both me and Kep on longer and longer walks, regardless of the dangers we may face. Today it was a 9 mile walk around Chatsworth in the peak district. At about the midpoint in the walk a sheep took a strong dislike to our loyal and brave border collie and sprang a lambush on him. The ensuing attack only last for a split second but I managed to capture it. So picture and blog solved for today, I really love sheep sometimes. No sheep or dogs were hurt in the making of this post.

Feed back on feed back

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Had the first feed back on the blog today, and a mixed bag it was too. Lucky for me I recognised the writing style of the offending post and was able to reply in the same spirit. As some of you will know I have taken up running in a desperate attempt to get fit. The success I have had is down to the training plan I found on the HealthBolt blog called couch to a 5k in 6 weeks . I wanted to recommend some items I have found on the web and this is a great one to start with. I found this on a web site called Lifehacker which is also well worth a look. Today’s picture is one of a set that I will try to do during the year capturing the changes in the tree as it grows.

What have I started?

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Well I’ve made it to the second day and only 2 spelling mistakes spotted by my wife. I had the idea for the blog at 12 o’clock yesterday and had the first post done by 3.31pm, since then I have had time to think about what I have started. 365 different photos, I’m daunted and intrigued at the same time. Daunted with the task of taking the images and writing words to tie it all together and intrigued at what will be here in a years time. Will anybody see this? Will it make any sense? The picture, a close up of a swan’s wing, they look very big and fierce when you get this near to one.

First post

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41 today and to mark the occasion I have started this blog. The idea is to post a picture a day up to my 42nd birthday. For me this is quite a commitment. I hope this will stimulate my photography and keep me off the streets. The aim is to try and use only new photographs but knowing the English weather some days I may just have to use what I’ve shot earlier, or images that I have wanted to post but not had the excuce. I'm rambleing, and my writing is not up to the level of Shakespeare or Hemmingway, so i will post the first picture and see what happens. After the comment about English weather this was taken on the 12/02 at Rudyard lake, near Leek in Staffordshire.