THIS WAY AND THAT WAY (31/08/09)

I felt you had been short changed today, so wait till you see this. This defines the term.
        Parked up, sorted the van and went for a stroll. The trees were very tall, wouldn't fit in this way.

But they fit fine that way. Then I remembered, gathering cobwebs back at the van, the very tool for the job
     The fisheye. works this way.
    And that way.
One wouldn't expect chromatic aberration from several thousand pounds worth of Zuiko lens. Nor would you get it. This cost under a hundred pounds from Dorr. Well worth the money for fun alone. I mount mine with an adaptor ring to a 25mm prime pancake lens. Not really acceptable but as I say fun.
You'll be relieved to hear that this is definitely it. All the best.

A QUIET DAY (30/08/09)

A quiet day as befits a Sunday, so no complaints, no rain either, a gentle breeze so after the dawn shots came back, had muesli, a yogurt and a banana. Thought some things not right here, solved that had an orange juice...... and a bacon buttie. Just knew I needed the vitamin 'C'. Amazing what a glass of orange can do! Felt my usual self so set off for the salt marsh to see the Dragon Flies. Saw one but you can't, it must have been doing sixty miles an hour. The book insists that hawkers are territorial so like a muppet sit myself down and wait and wait and wait. Decided that if the book is correct then either it has a very large territory or it is a hitherto undiscovered nomadic mutation.
All I have for this post are more of the same, Painted lady and a Wall brown, I saw a Peacock Butterfly but it was only slightly slower than the dragon fly.
   
PAINTED LADY......At least it had the good grace to move.
WALL BROWN.
NOTHING....Or very little, sorry about the lack of excitement today. some days are just like that. Hopefully will be at Robin Hoods bay tomorrow, rocks, cliffs and another mountaineering job to get in and out.
That's all for today.

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE (30/08/09)

      GOSWICK SANDS DAWN......He has to pick this moment to tow half the Forth Bridge past my sunrise.
The wind has dropped and we move on tomorrow, I am trying to decide between Banburgh and Berwick. May yet come down to an alphabetic choice. A lovely dawn this morning. So will post it, or both it's because the reflections are good too, two dawns for one! First I have to share this.
INDOMITABLE......What is he doing? Maintained this pose for a good two minutes in a howling gale and kept repeating the process. Trying to get a mobile signal? Taking pictures of himself? Starting an imaginary race? No he is measuring the wind speed with a hand held anemometer. A true Brit, making the most of his holiday. This picture was taken through the van window. Whilst ascertaining what he was doing I tried to get him to pose again but he went shy. I suspect my reaction would have mirrored his. It's fine being mad, not quite so acceptable to broadcast the fact to the world.
        DAWN 2
       DAWN 3
     DAWN 4.......The effort that goes into titles!
    DAWN 5...... Looking west this time, this is Beachcomber House. Plenty of beach there is to comb.
Still alive as you can see, so fungi is good for me. That's all.

I'VE BEEN TOLD (29/08/09)

       THE SEA.......Sorry about the blurred fore ground, after the rain thought I ought to headline this stop with the gorgeous sun we are basking in. Could barely hold the camera for the wind on my back. Went to replenish victuals............no not whiskey this time, BEER. Got a paper........waste of time. Can't do the crossword! GP weekend can't get a signal. Started out on a walk so much sand in the air should have been a Tourag. So back to the rocking truck.          PARASOL MUSHROOM......Same as the other days but younger, tried a slice fried in olive oil, tasted exquisite..... just like olive oil! Not dead yet so if you get a post tomorrow then that is what they are. Very reticent are web sites about identifying fungi, be all about 'Helf an safty'!
.            TIDESWELL.....felt like a look at home. Be glad when the schools go back. Nothing wrong with children but you can't treat them like they treat you. Little wonder teachers need nine months of the year off!
About to download this post when I lost 3G...funny good signal here, checked......NO SIGNAL. then from outside heard: ' I saw it first.' ' Whorisit then?' 'Dunno, but it were 'anging out that window.' Gisit ere!'  'NO GIVE IT HERE.' Retrieving my dongle, to howls of protest I turned round to be confronted by five and a half feet of tattoed, shaven headed adult. 'Wot you doin to us kids?' 'Just relieving them of my property' 'Shudnt livit angin aboot shudyu.' 'No perhaps I have been a little foolish.' Thatsawrite then.' Glad he didn't have ANIMAL written on his conveyance! Or a pit bull like the folks the other side....though I quite took a shine to her. Looks pretty cool in a studded leather harness.......The Dog!... What do you think this place is?
That's all.

WINDY HERE (28/08/09)

      DODGING FLYING TREES........ Wind and showers, still just north of Holy Island, Off to Berwick On Tweed tomorrow.
        BERWICK ON TWEED.......sunny over there!
       So this is where the Dragon flies come from.............................................
 
Can't say it's the cleanest water I've ever fallen into!!
Knew I'd struggle if I posted twice yesterday, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

BREAKING THE RULES (27/08/09)

No sleep to be had here, blowing a gale out there, van rocking away in the wind. So processed a few images from this morning. First three are HDR, last three single shot. All had a good seeing to!

FIFTY FIFTY....... Maybe it would be better cropped.

THIRTY SEVENTY

SIXTY FORTY......this is a five shot HDR not too many gulls caught moving, got rid of the ones that were...I Hope!

THE BIRDS

MORE BIRDS......It's fun to play.

FIFTY FIFTY TO FINISH.....Just hope this weather blows through else I might have problems with tomorrows post.

All the best.

DO NOT MENTION SAINTS TO ME (27/08/09)

Got up, as usual, it's the middle of the night, so went back to the bunk for a while. Did the dawn run, then a few chores like telling the management I was around, paying for my pitch and negotiating to stop over the weekend.

'Can't you read, we are full!'

'You are now. Thirty foot of truck found room twenty hours ago. Don't know what full is, some folk.'

Soon came round when I offered cash for five nights, with the proviso he chucked in electric. Should have been Irish, the tongue I have on me!

DUNLIN......Thanks Keith. I apologise to all you ornithologists out there, not the best of images but better than yesterdays wee blobs. I promised this so you've got it.

WEIRD LIGHT FIRST THING.......Tomorrow there are some more, these are a taster.

Today is Holy Island day, set off on the couple of mile wander that took me along the coast to the start of the causeway. A grand sunny morning and the world to myself.

Then things started to go rapidly down hill. The causeway was packed with cars. Undeterred off we set for the three or four mile walk to the source of all known saints. After half an hour was getting decidedly morose. Forever jumping into the ditch to avoid being flattened, get back into our stride and a couple of minutes later repeating the process. Why is it one sees families, being conveyed by enormous Toyota pickups, stainless steel roll bars, bull bars, a horn that would not be out of place on an Intercity 125? And why having come close to terminating one do they find it necessary to hurl abuse? I must be a little slow, they have a large transfer affixed to the vehicle which explains all. 'ANIMAL.'

Eventually arrived at the village, be OK if not for the hoards, No chance of any decent images, so retired to the nearest pub for a couple of pints of humour.

LINDISFARNE.......Well worth the walk!

There turned out to be a service bus due, wasn't risking the road again. He kindly dropped me at the end of the causeway, no charge either, not a scheduled stop. Grand things these computerised ticket dispensers!

Things started to look up on the way home, dozens of butterflies and a few dragon flies.

SMALL WHITE AND A PEACOCK.......First of the latter I've seen this year.

WALL BROWN AND A RUDDY DARTER?........Not bad in three quarters of a mile of salt marsh. Sense of humour now fully restored.

PAINTED LADY AND A FUNGUS......Lots of these but this was the best, What is it please and can I eat it? It's a good 6"/8" in diameter. A meal in itself but rather a lot if not good for me. Suppose I could offer it to a pickup driver.

MY CAMPSITE........A Grey Heron completing the picture.

Anyone wanting what I should have provided can have a look HERE.

That's all.

STRUCK GOLD (26/08/09) Part 2

LINDISFARNE OR HOLY ISLAND......According to the website it lies in a rain shadow. Was I glad to hear that. I dread to think what the rest of the country is experiencing. Just been for a walk on the beach. Beach doesn't begin to do it justice, it's the sea bed. Were it not for the driving rain I could have seen Denmark. Where, incidentally, most of the Vikings, who proved so troublesome in these parts, came from. Suppose they thought that should they get sick of rowing, they could wait a few hours and walk for a bit, get out the barby whatever took their fancy.

SEA BED......Had company, these wee things, will take another lens out tomorrow and somebody can tell me what they are. Look like swallows in flight and about the same size.

BEACH......Everyone else has to share a beach and I have dozens of square miles to myself.

DOES THIS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT?.... That's all. I have to dry the camera and get all the crud off the lenses.

STRUCK GOLD (26/08/09) Part 1

GOLD.......One from yesterday, woke up from a quick siesta, started dumping the dross from the morning and found this. Gave it a good seeing to in Photoshop and now quite like it. On the strength of this minor success decided to give the van a good clean. Gets done religiously once a week, whether it needs it or not! Having completed this task set off for the bins and look what I found.

DUSTBINS.......complete with instructions, what makes the proprietor think that anyone daft enough to put hot ashes in a plastic bin can read, is beyond me. Spinning this out, the gold is here.

SWALLOWS........Just hope these are strong enough for their long trip south.

AND AGAIN.....Was alerted to their presence by them screaming for food. Their chances of finding Newcastle never mind Africa are a bit slim if they can't differentiate between a six foot, bald, bearded bloke wielding a bin bag and their mother!

Should anything of note occur on my journey north then there will be a part two. All the best.

DUNSTANBURGH DAWN

DAWN DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE........A little advice, this is the best of the lot for today. So should you be busy then skip the rest.

Am staying at Dunstan in Northumberland, the object to take some pictures of the castle. Up and away for five o'clock a gentle three mile stroll brought me in sight of my objective, it's covered in scaffolding. At least they have had the good grace not to tent it.This is now administered by English Heritage who charge for admission and more to the point don't open till ten in the morning. My intention of hopping over the fence was thwarted by a night watchman. His purpose to keep a sharp eye on a couple of shovels and a wheelbarrow, Oh and the scaffolding. Nice chap though, shared a cigarette and had a chat.

DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE.......Built in 1313 by Thomas Earl of Lancaster and finished by John of Gaunt after the former mislaid his head in some minor altercation with his cousin the King. Sometime between 1455 and 1487 it was damaged during The Wars of the Roses and never repaired. Well, till this week. This is unfortunate, I was hoping that Oliver Cromwell had been responsible for it's demise. Been itching to include the line: 'For a Roundhead he had a surprisingly Cavalier attitude to other peoples property!'

KEEP AND GATE.....Light getting better but I'm really struggling.

SUNRISE......Nothing between here and the Elbe and a yacht got in the way.

WAVE.....Not an instruction, a description.

SPLASH......bit more oomph behind this one.

CRASTER'S FISHING INDUSTRY?......Only one small crab boat in the harbour. Famous for it's smoke house and the production of kippers. The herrings are now imported. Having said that it is a very small harbour. Not photogenic, all concrete. It has one advantage over similar ports in Yorkshire in that you don't need to be a qualified Alpinist to access or depart the place.

Moving on to the Farne Islands tomorrow. Will give this another look on my way back south. There are some great opportunities here as evidenced by the images on Flickr and just about every other photographic catalogue.

That's all for today.