LAKELAND MIST (27/02/10)

Got up to a beautiful day, fetched the paper, had breakfast, did the crossword, that’s the important jobs out of the way. Decided to take the launch trip around the lake, hop off take a waterfall picture or two, hop back on and walk home via the market.

  We arrived at the ticket office and yes the launch was running, they had some rather nice Victorian postcards but decided a quick colourize would be cheaper. The ferry cost the thick end of £9.00, so that was lunch on the back burner.

Lakeland Mist. Already to convey us around the lake.

       A smashing lake it looked.

      Still a bit icy in patches, it didn’t sound as if it was improving the propeller either.

      The woodland on the west side of the lake, this is hopefully tomorrows walk.

       This one is Ortonised, not quite enough. Maybe far too much!! Either way I don’t like it!

       Cloud over Skidaw, we never did get to stop at the bottom of Derwentwater, so no waterfalls. The ice was too thick, so back home. Disembarked, (sounds as if I’ve just arrived from New York, not spent an hour on a ferry), we headed for the market. There is a good selection of local meats and cheeses, pity we didn’t need anything. On we pottered by the lake heading for the truck.

       The afternoon was starting to get pretty gloomy. This picture has been gloomed a bit more by dodging and burning.

     Just me being arty, I can never use large apertures to the same effect that I so admire in other photographers work. I keep on trying…………I know……..Very trying!!

I will try and get a couple more Who Dunnits, sorry How done it’s posted before Monday. Now it’s supper time.

 

ONE HAS TO LAUGH (26/02/10)

Otherwise one would cry, the weather is vile. We have been out for the best part of three hours and all we have to show for our endeavours are a heap of wet cold clothing and a very damp dog; there’s something all pervasive about the odour of wet dog, it sort of clings to the back of ones throat.

If you are feeling a little down today then perhaps it may be better to give these images a miss, like the weather, they are a bit on the gloomy side of things.

    Derwentwater.

      Is it going to brighten up?

       Definitely brighter.

        Enough light for a reflection.

       And another.

      Back came the rain, more sleet now and feeling cool.

Hanging out to dry…..Fat chance.

After overnight snow the forecast is for sunny periods tomorrow, that’ll be nice, we will see.

If there are any otters on this lake then they are not on the bottom half, not even seen tracks and the lake is low so plenty of mud around for them to walk in.

THE BARREL (25/02/10)

The barrel, as in ‘dredging the bottom of’. A day that, after the last few weeks, is very mild. We went out for a walk first thing and there was nothing worth taking the lens cap off for. I decided on a house or truck keeping day. It started badly, the black and the grey tanks needed emptying and fresh water required topping up. This involves moving the van to a truck service point. I unplugged the electrics, fired up the van popped it into gear only to discover the handbrake was stuck on……..Oh Dear!….I crawled underneath and gave it a good clout, mended. Things got worse, reversing out of my plot I dropped a wheel into the mud and there we were, stuck fast……Well Bless My Soul!…..It took an hour to locate the site tractor, more precisely it took an hour to locate the driver. What should have been a half hour job took two hours.

So I’ll trawl around the barrel bottom for a few images from the last few weeks.

      Castleton Main Street, ‘Ortonised’ I have recently started dropping by Fabiela’s blog (spelling that took two runs by her blog), despite my dyslexia, it’s well worth a look. She had processed one of her images in the style of Michael Orton. I’d forgotten all about him so gave this image the dreamy look. The original is below.

     Different and something to pass ten minutes on a rainy day. If anyone would like ‘The Words and Music’ let me know and I will post instructions on my other blog.

      The National Railway Museum York………This is HDR.

       Whilst in railway mode, this is The Ribblehead Viaduct.

       Happy pigs at the Old Hill Inn. Tamworths, I hope! Whatever, there looks to be a good chop or two in the making.

        Eskdale……….This is not a stitch, just a crop.

I’ve posted this before. Poor mite what a mauling he’s had. This series of three or four images have to be my favourite Robin pictures. I suspect a nasty sense of humour lurks in an otherwise kind and gentle man.

       Lingmell Beck and Wast Water behind. At sunset, a little too long after sunset perhaps.

        Sorry just had to post this again, it’s got to be in my top five reflections.

       Kirk Fell and Great gable at dusk. this is an unposted image I was saving for a rainy day. ‘Tis a rainy day!   I know the last two are very Chocolate Boxy, I never did have much taste.

I contacted the ferry company and they are running again Saturday, so will have a trip on the water. Went shopping, again, and dropped on some lambs kidneys so tonight…….lambs kidney in sour cream and mustard sauce.

Tomorrow whatever the weather it’s back to the Otter hunt.

 

JOHN RUSKIN (24/02/10)

Spring must be round the corner, last night it dumped that wet, slushy, abhorrent type of snow that is not conducive to any emotion other than depression. We had to get out so decided to have a wander down the lake. The highlight of our meanderings was this memorial to John Ruskin a 19th century, writer, painter, poet, critic and general odd ball.

This  is a vertical stitch of four images. (Quicker than changing a lens in the rain). If you are struggling to read the inscription then worry not. It’s of little consequence to anyone, excepting him it seems. It describes his first memory. A trip with his nurse to Friars Crag on Derwentwater. Nice example of the masons craft for all of that.

We saw some sticks, you can just tell it is one of those days.

    Damp tree roots, doesn’t it just get better and better?

     Here things are looking up.

     The lake is thawing and less amusing for it. not quite what it was expecting but pulling up abruptly in an inch of slush is preferable to skating out of control for yards.

    This was as good as it got………………Looking again it was worth going out for.

   The ice is definitely melting so with a bit of luck this ferry will be back plying his trade around the lake soon. Hopefully it will give us access to the far side and some deer, red squirrels and the ever illusive otter.

        On the way home the sun popped out briefly, there’s an awfully black cloud behind. we’d better get a move on.

STILL FREEZING (23/02/10)

I’m going to have a lazy day today, try and shake off a mild dose of ‘Man Flu’. The birds must be hungry for although I’ve hung the feeders from the van awning they are being used. Normally they only use them if they are in a nearby tree or bush.

        This Chaffinch is the only constant visitor.

        He is pretty selective chucking half of what he takes onto the floor. The ducks are grateful but now have some serious competition.

        A Grey Lag Goose.

       Semi tame and is about as even tempered as most geese. Hissing at the hand that feeds it.

I’ve been having another look around noise reduction software and have found one that appears to work.

Before and …………………………….

       After………….

It’s by Topaz Labs and this filter is  called Vivacity you can get a thirty day trial. It comes as a  ZIP compressed download and mine installed automatically once the file was unzipped. Also as long as you have PSE or PS open it should load straight into the filters menu, the last time I loaded one of their filters it was a real song and dance to get it into the correct folder. As with all of their stuff, it’s good if used with restraint.

    Like this!! I actually am quite fond of this though I will probably regret admitting as much.

   Or this!! Turned out quite arty have these branches. Arty is one word for it. If you want to see Topaz at it’s very best then have a look at the Topaz groups on Flickr. Have a stiff drink and sunglasses at the ready.

   Collecting quite a selection of Geese and Ducks, all waiting for us to return, we also have a Robin and a Blackbird was wondering where they had got to.

The wind’s getting up now and we have a few days of snow forecast. Just hope I feel a little more lively tomorrow.

A GOOD CHUCKLE (22/02/10)

Still no sign of an increase in the night time temperatures, the days aren’t that much warmer. I took Molly out at first light for a wander down the lakeside. This Mallard has taken to greeting us in the morning, he sits under the bird feeder and I give it a shake on my way past.

    It doesn’t take them long to learn. Hopefully this Swan will be as astute, he stopped for a snooze and woke to find himself frozen in, a few degrees cooler or a bit of wind chill and he could have been in serious trouble.

     The ice here is only a millimetre or so thick, lucky lad.

Molly joined in the fun, doing her Jesus impersonation.

Twice she has fallen through but seems not to care. Probably likes admiring herself………..Vane beast! (Can never remember, should that be ‘vain’?)

I decided to go into town as, among all the other things I forgot whilst in the supermarket on Saturday, was to replace the fat ball feeder which is now adorning a tree in Ravenglass.

I must admit to feeling a little out of sorts today, so pay no head. I found the town  depressing. I did find a shop selling oiled Norwegian jumpers at £90.00p. I would like another so when I’m feeling on form will go and have a good haggle. I also saw some superb duvet jackets, mine has more gaffer tape than original material and not many feathers. Didn’t like to enquire after the price.

The Moot Hall Keswick, not a good image, the sun was right behind it so it’s been selectively rescued. Not very well, I see a halo around the roof.

Decided to carry on to Lakeside, see if the rowing boats were out, there are thousands of shots of them so I wasn’t particularly disappointed to find they were away for the winter. Photogenic as they are!

I didn’t take a telephoto lens, lord knows why, I lug gear uphill and down dale. Today when it mattered the lens was a mile away. I spotted this skein of Grey Lags, I could see what was about to happen.

     Here they come.

   The one on the left is great, covering it’s eyes.

      Funny water is this!

The best bit was that the Mallard never thought to move. Chuckle? I almost had an accident. So did they I bet.

Just goes to show, It takes hours to capture something like this……..Properly!

We came home, hung the new feeder and went out looking for Otters or their tracks. Another heroic failure. Tomorrow I will look further afield. Otters are not big fans of humans or Beagles. Just pray that Molly is not tainted by comparison.