It is still beautifully warm here. Last night I was woken at just gone midnight by the gentle patter of rain drops. I fell asleep again but the dogs were shuffling about. I asked them to lie down and go to sleep or words to that effect.
By one the van was swaying gently in a thirty mile an hour breeze…….then ten minutes later the rain drops sounded as big as golf balls. Two inches of rain fell before dawn that’s in about three hours up here.
There was no chance of anymore sleep. How do dogs know there is serious weather about? Horses and cattle do. Why am I so stupid?….I feel thick, surely I must be more intelligent than an animal; even sheep can remember members of a flock they were in two years after they were separated from it as lambs. They run to greet cousins and anyone else they recognise. I’ll not dwell on this as I could turn into a Vogan or summat else strange.
I was speaking to a chap this morning who I borrowed some extension tubes from, that was only a year ago. I couldn’t recall him at all. I could be going demented. I’ll look on the bright side. I can still half learn new tricks and can still finish a Telegraph Cryptic Crossword in under the two hours I allow myself. They aren’t always done completely but it is always a couple of ridiculous four letter words that I am short of. Words that only lexitographfers and English teachers would know.
I only get the Telegraph on a Friday these days as I am sick and tired of them ‘Salmond Bashing.’ Dithery does it a bit but only in fits and starts. He has enthusiasms, they are like the vapours in Victorian ladies… Nowt to worry about as they don’t last long.
No matter which way the vote goes it will still mean that Scotland is linked to England and by default the pound. They already have funny looking promissory notes so I couldn’t care less. If Dithery says they have to have their own currency which they already have then the money markets will decide on a rate so what the hell, bugger all Dithery can do about it. He is one of the most stupid men I have never met.
I spent thirty years travelling the northern Hemisphere. US Dollars I tended to avoid as they are easily copied and also a bit daft as they are all the same size. Euros, pounds were fine as were Francs and Pesetas before them. I just used to divide by ten for most of them. That’s what I couldn’t understand about the Euro. It seemed linked to the US Dollar which surely couldn’t be right. It has proved to be a bit of a fiasco.
I waited till the rain had stopped then took the dogs a walk. It was a self imposed halfway mark. I got soaking on the way back but only on my legs. I did take a good jacket. The jeans needed a wash and it was only a twenty minute walk back. By hell did it piss down again.
The waves were not that impressive so I was idle and just took a few from the cliff top.
I must thank MARIA who lives in the tropics and is into plants and lizards for giving me so many links to video heads. It passed the small hours on. But I have just purchased a Manfrotto MVH 502.summat. It was under £150.00p by a long chalk as it’s been used on demo. I can chop it in for a ball based one but will have to pay £70.00p to get a bowl for the Gitzo and another seventy pounds for the ball on the head. This is bottom to middling end video gear why is it so expensive? The ball cup is half the price of the video head. For Christ sake get real you folk.
It doesn’t cost pennies more to make a good one or a bad one. I like Benro, I love Gitzo but I do tend to trash Manfrotto. All sound like coffees or ice creams. I’ll confuse the baristas in Starbucks when I insist on a Manfrotto or a Gitzo. I’ll try it next time I go to a big city. Last time they mis-spelled Adrian when they wrote it on the carton I got another one free. They are rip off merchants….. Costa Coffee are worse nine pounds for what is a thin and long cheese toastie…makes camera gear look cheap.
Have fun.
Adrian, please take care. A billowing van doesn't sound like a good place to be.
ReplyDeleteTwo questions: what's a vogan? And how do you dry jeans in your...er....set up?
Frances, I meant vegan. A Vogan is a space creature from Dan Dare in the Eagle comic.
DeleteYesterday I hung them on the fence when the rain stopped. In winter I hang them in the lavatory, the room, not the bowl and switch the hot air heating on.
You next time you go into said overpriced coffee joints and they ask you for your name say "non tax dodging taxpayer" you might get a different type of froth on your coffee mind you
ReplyDeleteDouglas, I have only been into Costa Coffee twice. The second time was because I forgot how expensive and confusing it was the first time.
DeleteAnimals are twice as smart as we think. I cycle at least 1000 km a year. Dogs know I'm coming from a long way. The owners don't catch on that their dog is fussing because someone is coming up from behind.
ReplyDeleteRed, they are but I was amazed that they knew how hard it was going to rain a good half hour before it started.
DeleteHI Adrian I am sure I have spelt you name wrong before, as often I get 2 letters the wrong way round! Ye when the last big cyclone hit Queensland, all the birds knew to leave the area 24 hours, before it hit. Buying MOR£ equipment!!
ReplyDeleteMargaret, don't worry about it I know who you mean.
ReplyDeleteYes a new or almost new fluid video head.
Often when I write your name I end up writing Adrain. A Drain? So I have sympathy with the barista (ie. - underpaid lad who slops coffee and hot milk in a polystyrene beaker).
ReplyDeleteYP, I was halfway through primary school before for I could spell my own name.
DeleteMy memory problem is names. They just don't sink in. I am pretty good at recollecting faces and context.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I have a memory like a sieve. It does retain things but an awful lot pass through.
DeleteCreo que los animales no sufren de pérdida de memoria Adrian, eso sólo nos pasa a los humanos y no hay solución :( tendremos que acostumbrarnos a ello.
ReplyDeleteEspero que mejorara el tiempo;))
Un abrazo.
Gracias Laura. Estoy acostumbrado a ella. El tiempo sigue siendo el mismo. Es miserable.
DeleteHI Aridan .. ; ) It's been awhile did I spell it wrong ??
ReplyDeleteGlad your still the same ranting, complaining man !!
Grace
Grace, as long as my name starts with "A" and finishes with "N" i understand it so no problem. Aybndoy can read ainhnyg if the first at last ltrtes are cercort.
DeleteHow exiting Adrian, I also have my eyes on that head, but still wondering whether the full ball head tripod is worth bit all along. It's a full tripod dedicated for video and the diagonal panning seems to be also important, after all.
ReplyDeleteMaria, I don't need the tripod as I can change the Gitzo tripod plate to a 75mm bowl. It was just the cost that put me off. The real advantage of the ball and bowl is fast levelling. I did have a tripod with cross braces but it was always a pain. It could just be me but I found iwas forever avoiding rocks and things with it.
DeleteI can't see that I'd want to pan diagonally but if I do I can always swap it later. It's one of the advantages of using the same store. They were a couple of pounds dearer than Amazon but it is worth the bit extra for me.
I'll be on the lookout. Thanks for all the information.
DeleteMaria it arrived this afternoon and looks wonderful. I have some Manfrotto stuff and although it works well it looks a bit agricultural. This head looks superb. I'll try it in the morning.
Delete