ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Thursday 28 April 2011

QUACKERS (28/04/11)

Nothing much to show for today……shopping, a haircut for me and one each for the dogs. A couple of trips down to the river Tees. I make it sound like an expedition, it is! A hundred yard expedition!

Now I know ducks can be daft but even a Goosander cannot possibly loose nine ducklings in less than twenty four hours…….the mortality rate is high but they usually manage to rear a third to a half of their brood. Herons, rats, Pike all take a toll.

Digressing………..last year the Crossbred Indian ducks at Tan Hill insisted on laying a clutch of eggs in the middle of the road and then proceeded to sit on them. Unfortunately they failed to repeat the exercise for my camera last weekend.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA What posh dogs! They should be, twenty five ponuds a go for their trim. Mine…………four ponuds including the beard. I don’t have my trim at the dog clipping parlour…..too expensive. Mind you cutting what’s left of my hair is not a long job.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA   This is either another female Goosander or she’s hidden her brood somewhere. I do hope they are fine.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA      She is………….fishing away happily. She did catch one but turned her back and I missed it.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA       These are a few hundred yards away and at first I hoped they were Goldeneye…………no such luck, though they do have golden eyes they are Tufted Duck………..They can’t fool me……well, not all the time!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA      This image is cropped as they moved further away.

That’s about it for today. I’m going up to a small village called Westgate in Weardale ……..no internet, no phone, no television………….I bet they have a blasted Street Party! Pound to a Penny they bought the plates, bunting, paper table cloths and serviettes from the brides father.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA        Croft Bridge looking upstream…..about the only angle you haven’t seen it from this week.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are up to. See you again with three or four posts next week. I’ll post back to front so they appear in chronological order. Otherwise folk get confused. I get confused……almost a permanent state is confusion.

As it’s a holiday weekend I’ll leave you with a Tommy Cooper joke I heard on the radio this afternoon.

Tommy. “HANDS UP…….HANDS UP!”      He said. Pointing a banana at his victim.

Victim. “Why are you pointing a banana at me?”

Tommy. “ Christ I must have eaten my gun, Eaten My Gun!”

All the very best!

12 comments:

  1. That joke really tickled my funny bone! I love the color of the bridge's reflection! The only bridges around here worthy of photographing are the covered bridges. Weather has to get better before I venture to them, plus it would help if gas costs would go back below $4. bleh!

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  2. Norma, Google Tommy Cooper, a surreal comedian and magician. He'll give you hours of giggles. No longer..It's You-tube now he died in 1984. Almost thirty years ago, how time flies.
    Gas here is four times what you pay.....It should be. It's dirty stuff and finite. America tends to look inward. Apart from the second war when, whatever our differences, I would not be here without your countries sacrifice. So heartfelt thanks to you all.

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  3. Hi Adrian, love the Goosander. The reflection of the bridge is very nice, would look good in HDR. There is a couple of ways to get the effect in photoshop with one image. Let me know if you want to know how. Enjoy your weekend looking forward to your posts next week. Kev

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  4. Kev, cheers a nasty cool morning.
    I saw your snow tutorial. Did you put little snow in the background I do. I also do thunder and lightning. With blue and red halos. What I want to do is real digital art. One has to have RA after ones name and not pi.s in front. I dodged and burned the reflection and gave it a good dose of saturation.Also sharpened it a bit more than the bridge itself. Hark at me what an old nerd I am.Have a good weekend.

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  5. Hi Adrian, I only wish we had bridges like that here in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Great job on your photo.

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  6. Lovely shots of the ducks Adrian. I agree with the others...the bridge is a very nice image. Most people would just pass it by...well done.

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  7. The Dogs look great as well......

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  8. Horst, we could sell you some we have hundreds.

    Trevor, I am just off out before heading into the wilds.......see If I can find the wee ones. The bridge is okay I like bridges. The hair cut will hopefully see them through to September.

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  9. Don't the dogs look posh. Haircuts all round? Going to a wedding, or something?

    Lovely Goosander shot Adrian, and Tommy Cooper was a comic genius. He could just stand on a stage, and make me laugh. A one-off.

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  10. Was thinking of parking up outside the abbey butdecided it might be busy. Tommy Cooper...ha ha Ha Ha.......one of the best.

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  11. Good grief. £4 for a haircut. It's more than that in Stornoway and in relatively low-wage (unless you are an electrician.plumber or in the construction industry and will work in Christchurch) economy New Zealand where the basic cut for an OAP (there have to be some perks) is $15 or £7 in UK money.

    Like the bridge. Liked T C too - very clever man.

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  12. Graham, Barnard Castle has a hair cut for three pounds. Dhe North East is still very depressed.

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