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Showing posts from May, 2008

Running dog

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Kep runs, Kep runs like the wind, Kep runs like his tail is on fire, Kep runs as if all the hounds of hell are chasing him (for his autograph), but will Kep run in the direction you are calling him? Not a chance, the best you can hope for is a slow walk, with the hint of I’ll go faster in the other direction at any time look, at worst he’ll prove it. Its not that he is a bad dog, it’s just that he gets the devil in him, the one that reminds him he is “of wolves” and running expresses that more that anything (except ripping the throat out of soft fluffy animals, and Kep’s way to smart to listen to that). So when he runs I just stand back, stop shouting (try to look like he’s doing what I said) and look very proud. ---------------- Now playing: Iron Maiden - Run to The Hills via FoxyTunes

Up! down under

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Feeling tons better today, thanks for all the lovely comments, they really picked up my spirits. Feeling so much better that I’ve spent some time randomly surfing the web, reading blogs from Australia . I’ve found that you can learn such a lot by reading a selection of blogs from one country as they all give a different insight to that place, and its normally not the one force fed to you by the media. That is one of the best things about the net; it lets you make up your own mind by giving you access to unprocessed information, and lots of it. As for the photography I’ve been working on a project to do a weeks worth of shots just from my back garden, I know its not very adventurous but it will make me be as creative as possible as I try to get seven very different looking photos. Today’s photo could have made it into the set but it was taken down the side of the house so misses out by about ten feet. It is of a yellow poppy, I think that it should be classed as a weed as it is growin

Whats up doc.

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Plans gone south yet again, I’m off work feeling very ill, instead of out side taking pictures. So today’s picture is from the weekend, a lovely canal side pub which serves the best beer, just what I need right now, but I’m under orders to drink water instead. ---------------- Now playing: U2 - Wire via FoxyTunes

Rainy days and Wednesdays

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Its raining and my plans for the day were based on the assumption that it would be warm and sunny ( England , summer what else could you expect). So I’ve just spent an hour doing house keeping on both blogs, resizing the fox cubs on the other blog and checking that I’ve copied all the photos from this one to my used file, I’d hate to post the same picture twice. During the process I found that I was missing two pictures so I had to go over every shot until I found them, I had not really re read the blog before and feel quite proud about it. I have also spent some time looking at the competition on the best of blogs, vote for me please , and have been surprised that I even made it to the final; the other blogs are huge, with loads of posts and tons of readers and seem to have been going for a lot longer, so I’m feeling a bit better by my low place in the standing (so far). The picture to day is from our trip to Rutland , and show the Bluebells again (one of the plans for today was to

Terry Wogan drizzled in Baileys?

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We’ve just spent the most wonderful of weekends, two good friend, great food, lots of drinks and long walks in the sunshine. Started yesterday morning with pancakes and one or more of the following toppings, lemon, sugar, maple syrup, chocolate ice-cream or caramel ice-cream (both home made). For lunch we had a ham joint slow cooked in cherry coke with garlic and herb roast veg and pommes daupinoise. For desert, chocolate ice-cream and or caramel ice-cream, with home made chocolate brownie, broken Diem bar, covered in a chocolate sauce made from green and blacks chocolate and mars bars and finally drizzled in baileys. Caz is an excellent cook and always wondering why I have to lose weight. We watched euro vision on Saturday, Terry Wogan makes that program, but even he seemed to lose heart at the end. Why is it that some or nearly all the countries vote for their neighbour? I certainly would not vote for France just because they are next door, voting should be on merit, and we need t

Dogging, Beavers, and animal love

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A short post as it’s the bank holiday here, and as we’ve got friends staying I need to be down stairs to make the pancakes for breakfast. I noticed that the title of the post, Dogging seemed to attract a high number of visits; I also noticed that a number of people were finding the blog by searching for “post your beaver”. I find it really nice that there are such a lot of animal lovers out there, so hello to all the wild life lovers visiting the blog for the first time. A nice rural scene for you all to enjoy. ---------------- Now playing: The Clash - London Calling via FoxyTunes

Ponder

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Buddhist prayer. Grant that I may be given appropriate difficulties and suffering on this journey so that my heart may be truly awakened and my practice of liberation and universal compassion be truly fulfilled. Let us bow in gratitude to those we have lost, who taught our hearts to break open so deeply and paradoxically made our hearts softer and stronger. Don't known why but i found this and loved it. ---------------- Now playing: Oasis - Wonderwall via FoxyTunes

Dogging

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Have you ever wondered what the person writing the blog is looking at as they sit at their computer? OK so we all know that a screen and a keyboard will be involved but what else. Rolling desert views in Texas (if that’s what they have there), crumbling Greek temples in Athens , or mighty city vista in Bristol . Me, I get this. Admittedly he is standing up looking interested, but that is just for the camera, most of the time he is lay down, ½ asleep, grumbling as I type. Now this picture is not one of my best, but in a dark room with a moving subject and after a glass or two of red wine, I think I’ve done quite well. ---------------- Now playing: Happy Mondays - Step On via FoxyTunes

Food glorious food

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Well now the excitement over on with post 101. I thought a bout doing things I hate (you know like room 101) but that idea was a bit lame. So how’s a bout comfort food (that got all you girls sitting up). A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) I lay on the settee with a girl friend, when a story came on the TV about someone who had walked from Lands end to John o Grotes, for some reason that seemed a good idea to a foot loose 21 year old, but as I could not get all the time off work I decided to hitch hike instead. This from someone who had never camped, or been away from home on his own, or done anything of the sort before. A few weeks later found me at the bottom of the country, in a gale, in a field, on my own, with a broken tent (one of the poles had snapped) in the dark. My life and sanity (well some of it) were saved at that moment by the eating of a whole Heinz treacle sponge pudding. That for me is the ultimate comfort food, after eating that I felt that I could survive an

C

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100, yes 100, this is my 100 post and photo!!! And I’m not even a third of the way there. I started this on a whim, thinking that it would be easy; any idiot can take 365 photos in a year, as with most things I was wrong. People read this, well sometimes, and take the trouble to comment, I can not just post any old picture, and once the standard was set then I had to meet it or beat it. I once call the blog a monster I had to keep feeding, Frankenstein with an appetite, but I’ve got such a lot out of it so far, 100 good picture I would not have taken for a start. I’ve had contact with people from all over the world and the Isle of Man, found myself entwined with other peoples lives and dramas, and come across a love of writing I never knew I had( still only send 2 word texts though). Caz has complained she is a blog widow, my mum, hallo mum, has said she use to have a son now she has a blog! To all of you, a big thank you for keeping with me so far, knowing people take an interest keep

Lunch

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Well another morning spent on my belly (thank god for all the beer I’ve drunk, it very padded) photographing fox cubs. Used a different lens this time so I had to get even closer but the quality should be better. It was just the cubs today mum must have been out looking for food (or getting a bit of peace and quite). It great watching them from close up you really get a feel for their personalities. One is very brave and wonders off from the hole quite a lot, in contrast the smallest one is very timed and sits very quietly just watching, I’m sure that it has seen me move more than once, but is too shy to mention it to the other two. The middle one is boss, always fighting with the other two, although the smaller one gets most of it as the brave one just wonders off. Today’s picture is of the boss playing with a feather, being watched by the smallest one. ---------------- Now playing: Splodgenessabounds - 2 Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps (Please) via FoxyTunes

Mothered

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Even more success today on the cub front, so much so that I’ve done my first proper post on the new site, lots of picture and a full write up. So I will post one picture from the set here and to see the rest follow this link . As for the rest of the day I will go around with a smug smile and be even nicer to my customers. ---------------- Now playing: The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Peaches via FoxyTunes

Cubbed

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It’s worth it!! All that time spent tramping around in the woods has paid off, today I saw my first fox cubs of the year, 3 little cuties, playing out in the sunshine. Of course they were in a hole that makes it almost impossible to approach with out them spotting me, too far away from cover to photograph with my normal lens and on private land so I cannot sneak any closer (well I can but I’ll just not have to get spotted). This hole up to now has always had rabbits sat outside so I think that the foxes have only just moved in, this has happened here on previous years and if they follow the same pattern they will move in the next couple of week to a hole closer to the path, but with better cover. Picture today is of course the cubs, well two of them the third is well to the left outside of the picture and looks like the most adventurous one of the lot. ---------------- Now playing: The Zutons - Why won´t give me your Love via FoxyTunes

I'm a finalist

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Well its Sunday again, the weeks seem to fly by, so here is a short post. I’ve, or rather the blog, has made it though to the final of Best of Blogs , so here is an appeal for votes, VOTE FOR ME PLEASE , and if you happen to run a blog any vote you could drum up would be much appreciated. Spent last night at my brothers and as usual drank more than is good for me, twice in one week I must be slipping in to bad habits, so now I’m going to spend the day in the sunshine nursing my sore head. Picture to day is of a dandelion clock, it reminds me of an exploding firework. ---------------- Now playing: KT Tunstall - Under The Weather via FoxyTunes

Puff

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I’m lazy, it can take me forever to do something (ask Caz) its one of the traits that I try hard to change and then give up on, on a regular basics. When its comes to taking pictures I’m just as bad, I’ve ruined many a good shot by not checking the camera settings or not bothering to check if I had packed any film (a good friends wedding), But sometimes being lazy can pay off, take today’s picture, I was shooting images in the wood and instead of getting down low I just held the camera down and fired off some shots. When you hold the camera the same way all the time you find that the way you frame and compose becomes very uniform, trying something new can, even if it is just through laziness, create a totally new image. So here is Kep, looking, as a friend pointed out, like a large dragon. ---------------- Now playing: Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child via FoxyTunes

My head hurts

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I have just remembered why I gave up drinking lots of red wine, the hangover. It feels like someone beat me up while I slept, not very fair considering what a good night I had had up to the point I woke up this morning. Caz was away for the night so me and Kep had a lads night in, curry, 2 DVD’s, some larger, a bottle of cheap red wine and a chew stick. For some unknown reason Keps fine this morning, there’s no justice in the world. Anyway my beautiful wife has rang from the big smoke and is on her way back and I’m up against the clock to make it to work, i'm undressed, unwashed and only have 38 minuets. So a picture of a clock for you while I race mine. ---------------- Now playing: Fun Lovin' Criminals - We Have All The Time In The World (Copa Cabana Version) via FoxyTunes

Gone tomorrow

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Another day spent standing around in a wood not seeing anything. 15 years ago I would have lay in a ditch for 3 or 4 hours without moving just to get a photo, now standing around for 15 minuets drives me crazy, I’ve just got no patience these days. Still it gives you time to think, I’ve written (in my head) some fantastic and witty post, all of which I’ve forgotten by the time I’ve got home (4 minuets in the car), I’ve redirected my career, decorated the house, landscaped the garden and generally put the world to rights, but not yet seen any fox cubs. Photo for today is of yesterdays hare, it was running quite fast through dense under growth, so I did not have much time to take the shot, but as I don’t see many of these this close I think that its worth a post. ---------------- Now playing: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (Reinterpreted) via FoxyTunes

Hare today

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Just spent the most fantastic morning stood in a wood surrounded by Bluebells and trying to photograph fox cubs. Unfortunately the cubs did not come out to play so I just stood around taking in the peace and quiet. The only excitement came when I was nearly run over by a speeding hare; it certainly stopped very quickly when it saw me. I cut short the days photography to write this and look for more layouts for the new blog, still no joy on the yet, but in the process of searching photo blogs I kept coming across my new pet hate. Music. Not that I dislike music, I fact I love it, but when it is automatically played when you open a blog it drives me nuts. I normally open 10 or so pages at a time and when one is playing a tune it takes forever to find it and switch it off, in the past I’ve closed the lot down just to stop the racket. Photo today is of bluebells again, bit more arty this time, hope you like it. ---------------- Now playing: The Blues Brothers - Theme From Rawhide via Foxy

It's a long way up

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Why is it that when I have got time to write a post, nothing comes to mind. Still with all this lovely weather it too nice to sit by a computer. So I will let someone else entertain you, let me introduce you to George & Ben , I found their web page last year and lost a hour reading it, this is the back ground in their own words. “ The plan was simple - to get from Land's End to John O’Groats( the bottom bit of the uk to the top bit, just for any non uk readers BT) , by foot or by bike, without spending a single penny. The reason for doing it was to prove that hospitality and generosity is alive and well amongst the people of Britain ”. Hope you find it as fascinating as I did. Picture to day is of some bluebell, by the way i did the same journey by hitch hiking in 3 1/2 days, when i was a lot younger. ---------------- Now playing: Blondie - Union City Blue via FoxyTunes

Its hot and sunny!!!!!

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Summers here!!! Rush out and do the lawn, clean the patio, pot the hanging baskets, plant the boarder and weed every where. Dash down to Focus (other DIY stores are available) to get garden furniture (yesterdays post was based on fact!)(Sorry mum in-law). Charge back and build said furniture. Hurriedly light barbeque, and make burgers. Relax and enjoy the summer as being England it may only last a few days. Today’s picture I have call contemplation, enjoy. ---------------- Now playing: Alisha's Attic - Personality Lines via FoxyTunes

Grab a granny

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New money making scheme, rent a wrinkly (no not pimping the over 60s), you take you wrinkly out to your local DIY super store and get them an OAP discount card, then you stand out side and charge 2.5% of the total bill, that they spend in the super store, to anyone who wants to rent your wrinkly for the discount they will get inside, usually around 10%. They save 7.5% on their shop, you rake in loads of money and the wrinkly get a lovely day out with lots of new people. Picture today is of a very colour coordinated farmer. ---------------- Now playing: Curve - What A Waste [With Ian Dury] via FoxyTunes

Sodomy non sapiens

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My first car was a VW Beetle, it was bottle green nearly as old as I was and was the original “one lady owner”. I loved that car, I had it before I could drive and had to have it garaged a mile from home to keep it safe and save on tax and insurance. Every few days I would go down and sit in the car in the garage and just run the motor for a couple of minuets, until someone pointed out that it might be a good idea to move it out of the garage first. Beetle are great, cold, noisy, slow, but great, you feel like a member of a special family, other drivers flash and wave and people who owned them years ago still talk with affection of their cars individual faults, and faults they have in abundance. On my first try to impress Caz, I took her out in my bug, all went swimmingly until it started to rain, the windscreen wipers refused to come back once they had traveled over the screen and would only move if pushed from the passenger side, Caz spent the rest of the drive with a wet left arm (s

Up and nearly running

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Well I’ve got a new blog! I managed to at least start up a page and put a name to it, now comes the hard part. First, does any one known how you get larger picture on Blogger? At the moment the size on this one seems to be as big as it gets, if I stretch the photo after it up loads I lose quality. You can see this on the new blog as I am testing looks and templates using a couple of photos and some random text. Also do you known of any templates that are full screen and come in black? Back to the real world, I have entered a photo in our local art competition, being meaning to do this for years and only think about it when they announce the results. Viewing it at the council offices Saturday and sometimes during the next few weeks, details can be found here leekartsfestival . Photo to day is grass, not that sort, the sort that you have to cut nearly every day, well it seems like it. ---------------- Now playing: U2 - Creep (live Radiohead Cover) via FoxyTunes

I can stop when ever i want(honest)

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I want another blog, its not that this one is bad, but it has limits that are limiting. First it has an end date, and I’m not sure I want it to stop (slight signs of addiction), second it is only one photo at a time and I sometimes want to share more. The one draw back is that this one was set up in 3 hours with no experience, and now I known a lot more I’m stuck, too many thinks to deiced about, colour, font, style, how big, the name and who to run it with. Not that I’m unhappy with blogger, far from it, it’s so simple to use that I would be a fool too change, but you do have to look, don’t you. So time is the killer, I hope to have it up and running in a few weeks, but knowing me I will be rushing round next January trying to get it done before this one finishes. Picture today is of oil seed rape, this crop seems to take over the countryside with its bright yellow colour, it is normally seen as a sheet of yellow but I have tried to go for a different type of shot. ---------------- N

surprise, surprise

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I was lying in the grass at the side of a field, totally focused on the most perfectly framed and lit rabbit I had ever seen, just at the moment when I was about to commit it to film, it spooked, up and ran. After muttering a few words under my breath I sat up, 20 feet away across the corner of the field, with an equally miffed expression on its face, so did a fox. We shared a look, part surprise, part “so it was you that upset my breakfast/photo”, I reached for my camera and in a blink the fox vanished without a sound. When ever I see a fox close up I still feel that it’s an honour to be treasured, today I was honoured, by a ratty example of the noble breed, but it was still wonderful. This time it surprised me by walking around a tree I was standing by, but before it legged it I got a quick photo ---------------- Now playing: Evanesense - Heart Shaped Box (nirvana cover) via FoxyTunes

England my England

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Just been reading one of my favourite blogs, the person writing it was just off to New York for a few days, New York , how exciting and exotic. But for her it sound just like a trip to London would be for me, great but it’s only a big city. This got me thinking (I do sometimes) the things that I do and see day after day to me are quite boring and ordinary but to other they could be interesting. Take last weekend I stayed in a lovely country cottage in what could only be described as a typical English village, you known the sort, it had a real pub(not one of those nasty chain types), an independent village shop that sold everything( with a owner that probably knew every thing about every body in the village), a church that looked liked it was loved and used, Thatched stone cottages with roses round the door and a village cricket ground. To someone from out side England this would have been something to write home about, to me it felt like I was home (the welcome and the food and the

Amaterasu

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Blogging may be therapeutic but a long weekend away with friends is even more so, just got back after 3 fun days in lovely Rutland . The weather forecast was wrong and by today we were risking sunburn it was that nice, so strange for a bank holiday Monday. Thanks Sandra, Trevor and Sam for a fantastic time, loved the canoeing but I’m sure I will hurt in the morning. Now all I’ve got to do is sort though the 6 gig of photos and catch up on all the other blogs. Photo today is of Sam, Kep and Sam have an unusual relationship, Kep, the older statesman, behaves with dignity and decorum, leading by example, Sam try to hump Kep at every opportunity. Kep is now back home safe with his honour intact. (Just to clear up one thing, Kep is not in the photo and was safe behind me when it was taken) ---------------- Now playing: The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash via FoxyTunes

Less than you deserve

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Blogging is therapeutic I started the last post so depressed and low and finished it with a sense of direction. Comments are like writing post you haven’t written, I get a buzz when I see one has arrived (even if when you open it its spam). It’s Sunday so that is your lot. Picture is another boat given the same treatment as the last. ---------------- Now playing: Suzanne Vega - Straight Lines via FoxyTunes

Sleepy post

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Oh how I wish for Tuesday, before life got interesting, £200 poorer but I’ve got the car back at last. Just started to think that my life was on track when 1 stressful day has left me a shaking wreck, they say that were all just one day without food, drink, or electricity, away from being wild animals (or something along those lines). But I think that one night without proper sleep can really put a different slant on your whole life. I think that (that’s too many “I thinks” in one post, but I’m knackered and will leave the high art to Shakespeare) (the ad lib has robbed me of my thought train, blogging ½ asleep is fun!) when it all comes down to it, all you can do is trust your family to support you and in return support them. I’m not the best husband and dad (to Kep, (one of those sad dog replaces children types)) but seeing how bad I can get, in a short time, makes me realise that when I’m ok my efforts should be focused on them. So from now on I am going to try harder (this is being

Appreciated Meme

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Well, I got this from the lovely jamjarsuperstar and will completing it. So for all the people I nominate to complete their own, here's the rules: 1.)Write your own six word memoir. 2.)Post it on your blog; include a visual illustration if you'd like. 3.)Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible. 4.)Tag at least five more blogs with links. 5.)Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play! So here's mine: Mid life crises meets hopeless optimist . I say things will get better, when experience proves me wrong. Here's my nominations. Ashley's Blog Athens [Perspective] girl with the mask Insert My Blog Name Here 3 for 365 Todays picture and the last of the panoramic's is of Little Langdale, with the Langdale pikes, Bow Fell and the rest all in view. Click for a large image. ---------------- Now playing: Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Marry via FoxyTunes

Perspective

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I thought that I had had a bad day, then I read a post on Ashley's Blog and realised that it’s all relative. So on with life, anonymous blogging, I’m not, but when you hope to make money from your photos it’s pretty daft to do it in secret, unless it’s that sort of photography (photography, ay? 'Photographs, ay', he asked him knowlingly?). I feel quite responsible about what I write, and try in the most part not to upset people( Israel , China and Leona Lewis excepted), this is because my name is here for all to see. Now I can see very good reasons for not using your real name, 1. There are a lot of very strange people with access to the net, do you really want to share everything with them? 2. Can you really be candid about every thing; your mum could read it! 3. Are your views at odds with your peer group, country or wife? 4. Can you only be you, by not being you? All the blogs I read regularly are honest, safe, and in the right s