I Have had the flu, only the third time in my life, but it has floored me.

I have the crazy idea of just keeping updating this single blog entry, just adding an edit each time, one never ending blog, well not quite that, for I know the date when it will end now, well unless, I get that one picture

I know, what I am doing on the day of my 60th birthday.

A little while ago, I seen the signs of someone struggling, watched them and then when the time was right, it was time to talk to them. Denial at first, then the tears came, flash forward a few months and the change can be seen,






Droplets caught on a spiders web.

Been a year since, the injections started and so much has changed in a year, far better place in life than I have been for a very long time, happiness is here and hope it stays.

I think it is 12 weeks today and I hit 60, what does than even mean to me, nothing, not a thing, life is about numbers.

I was a product tester last night, a new cake to try, it was one of the best things, that I have ever tasted and will be interesting to see, how the rest sells in the cafe today. Cassies daughter is a genius, when it comes to things like this and is talking about starting a further side line.

No beach walk this morning, had to go and shop for clothes, tonight, I am going out and have to get dressed up, not an old clothes and wellington thing this one. Beach walk will happen tomorrow now.

All the calendars, that I gave some pictures too, has now sold out and they are going to print a few more as there is still orders for another 30, will I contribute to next years, I was asked and happy to do so and was asked of I had a few pictures to hang on a wall. Hard negotiations was had, so getting paid in 2 cupcakes, first offer was only one. Only condition I really had was not for sale this time, the last 3 sold.

I am getting close to finishing a project, you just get that feeling, when the end is near.

I decided than an inheritance that I got a long time ago, will now be getting used, the sum has increased so much over the years, my little foundation was already in a healthy point, but is even more so now.

Oh and we are getting a dog. Well not me. as such. Another little thing we have in common is we like the same type of dogs.


So for now, will leave you all with this one.

Photography for me has been pretty much a solitary thing, to the point that till the last 2 days, I think, I have only taken the camera with me twice when out walking with Cassie, the phone does not really work for me, think the reason is, that, when using the camera on the phone, the picture is altered to much by the AI that it uses and it is not, my vision, but for 99% of people or more, that is not something that they bother about. I only really started getting a decent phone, for the idea of doing video was what it was for, but in the last few years, might have shot two videos and deleted them. I know eventually, I will get a small camera, that just fits in the pocket.

At last she remembered where we had first met, from the first time we met on that log, there was just something about her and a few weeks later it came to me, I did say , but she replied, I know and it will come to me, so please do not say.

So on Friday as we were walking back along the beach,, she turns and smiles,, the flower show, yes , It was 27yrs ago, other events made the year easy to work out, all those years, till now. She done her happy dance, smiling madly, asked me to join her and me, well I smiled just as madly,, but still dancing badly.



Autumn in the little woods, I walk, Thursday, I was at the hospital, Consultant is happy, eyes are a lot better. My vision is better, so much better. I really have been seeing the difference. I have 2 injections still to get this year and a few more next year, but it is all so worth it.

Even on a Thursday morning on a dull overcast day, there is plenty of people on the beach. Took this as we were walking back along, the walk we did, was only going to be a short one, but this was probably closer to 4 hrs after we started.

It was a bonus walk, because I was on holiday, I had the camera with me, which is something, that I seldom do, when we walk the beach, but I was looking for angles to take a picture of something. But pointed it at the birds , as they went about feeding or flying. Took a few dog pictures and of leaves flowing in the gullies as the tide was coming in..

The walk can end, when you come too the river estuary, but they built a bridge over it and so we walked on this time, right to the castle.

Counted all the benches on the walk back, 67, the last 32, we never sit on, these are right where the car park is, we sit on the ones to the other side, but we usually stop at the same one, but most of the time, a bit of drift wood or the ground does us.

But I think the most important part is, we talk, we laugh and we smile.

We talked about a joint little project, all because I wrote a bedtime story for the limpet, next time, she is going to do the illustrations and I will write words to it.


Oystercatchers, the birds with a carrot stuck on there head, I heard them described at and some tiny ringed plover in the front, would have been nice to get all six in focus, but it just does not work like that.

One lasting effect of the Stroke, is that I find it hard to write these blogs, my concentration on things like writing can be a struggle, words flowed so freely once. It is different from my journal jottings, these are just short, sometimes one or two word jottings.. But just take my time, write for a bit stop, come back to it or just delete and comeback another day. For the most part this is why, I only do one blog a week now.

Beach buddy decided, if she is going to feature on these blogs, she is to be called Cassie,, that how could I even think she was a Felicity, I explained that one to her and she just laughed.

She started to paint on Saturday might, now it might take weeks to finish it, but it is my fault that she started again, she had never lifted a paintbrush in just over 5 yrs, since, her Dad died, he was a very good painter, they shared the studio. Both had exhibitions and sold a lot, there styles were different,, So how my fault, I took a picture, showed it to her on the camera and she said to me, that would look good as as a painting, so I said, well maybe it's time.

It is never easy to move on sometimes, But more and more now, I think, you have to try, that the longer it takes you too, the less chance that you will.

I myself, have a few things still to change, to move on, but I will, with a bit of luck, I might manage one on Friday.


I wanted to get a picture of a Dragonfly in flight for so long, I managed a few that day and went a few more times, even catching a pair mating in flight shots,, but the kicker is, not sure of I will do this anymore. My new camera, has an amazing focus on it, it locks on to them and with the 30 frames per second, you just press. The joy, has just not been there..

Yesterday, I saw things, that I never ever thought I would, some of the pictures Eve had taken, there was 12 of them and I was there when 10 of them was taken. I knew the tears would come and they did,, I was in one of them. I knew it was sold to someone from America all those years ago and would have given anything to find it or just have any. But then she brings out some of her own old pictures and there is me and Eve in one, I will never forget that day, we had been in Glencoe and she had told me , she was terminally ill. That night Julie and I had a party and the picture was taken there, I had no idea. Even now, as I write this, it just seems so surreal.

It also seemed all those years ago, Eve said one day that I would pick up a camera and use it, for he has the eye.

So from my own personal pictures, I done a trade pictures for pictures. Till yesterday only Cassie had seen these and was only ever going too. Now two people have, but funny thing, this morning, I got a new one, to add to a new folder.

The thing I am finding in this journey of life, you just never know.


Photography for me changes, I took out all the macro gear, yesterday, bag is lighter now, only having one camera and 2 lenses in it, plus my filters and one tripod.

I only stopped here for a minute on the way home yesterday, was to show someone. I had the phone and seen blog picture at the least.

Shot in another wood yesterday, it was nice, saw some nice things, as I was lying on the woodland floor, I think that fungi photography is where I should have always been, but like I said, somethings just take time to see.

So much has happened in the last few weeks, some serious lows, but back to the serious highs now, for all my talk on Thursday went well, the more important talk happened the week before. Both will lead me to where ever it will..

Autumn is here, leaves changing, whether it will be as good as last year, who knows. Not really walked much as such this weekend, we got caught in a tremendous hail storm yesterday afternoon, from blueish skies to a white out with hail. One of those ones where just better to turn your back to it and wait it out.

I give a talk on Thursday, one more planned and I have one in Glasgow to think about, this is one, there is an actual fee , I will not be taking that, if it works out, quite happy getting a cup of tea. This could be my new side hustle, I think they call it now a days, jobs on the side, was what I called it,, but I decided a while ago, my days for that are bye.

I have changed a lot with age, which is a good thing, I am a better version of me, even more of what you see is what you get.

Sometimes, you just have to just try, that you type a message, stare at the send button, do press or delete. Million dollar question there.


This picture is one of those ones, where the closer you look, the more you see, what started out as just a little bit of fungi on the end of a broken branch, led to an age staring all around and seeing so much more. I have a similarpicture for my talk, it will be the first one and will be folloed by what do you see?

Last week, I had someone, who, I thought was just happy for me, to be part of her life, we were friends, but then she says, that feelings towards me, were heading to a place, that she was not wanting and now back to no one. happiness can change very quickly. It had taken me close to 7 years to let anyone in and now, i suppose it is just the way it goes. I wonder if some people are just meant to be alone. that there is no place that they fit in I might just withdraw into my shell again. will just keep on trying to find the why , the answer .


121 seconds of time, taken close to 10yrs ago now and only just looked at.

I am now down to only posting pictures on one site, I do use my Flickr and it is really a hosting site, years ago you use to get feedback on what you posted, but, a bit like here, thing of the past, in the very near future it will only be Flickr for me.

I have set myself to my birthday in February 2025 to put some major changes in place.

My journal entries for the week, were some of my best, she said, you give more away in your writing, than you do talking.. But I bet you plan it life that, it's just your way. I see it, a bit like with my photography it does my talking for me.

I went with her, to get her new tattoo done the other day, another part of the story,, when she was finished and I saw it, the meaning was clear for me to see, her body art is a personal journey for her, you can only see one or two, she asked me once, do they bother me and answer was no, then one day , the stories came out, bit like when I shared my personal pictures with her.

Our friendship was strong enough and in a place to share the deepest of things. Life is just better.