From my trip to the coast, a Poppy in the sun.

I had planned a hike up the hill today, but I keep forgetting that I should take it easier, the day before, so that the pain levels are manageable , when I wake in the morning, will see, how they are tomorrow morning and will hike light..

Today. ihad the idea of going and seeing what the heather was looking like, forecast was saying overcast, this afternoon, bright sunny warm weather, not often, I wished that it was overcast, but still great to get some heat, in these old bones.


Another mirror self portrait.


The fruits . that nature provides, we call them Brambles, most others will call them Blackberries, these ones were just too close too, the road to eat, never have and never ate ones beside a road.

My official first day on holiday and so glad, I never went to Glasgow.

I went to the beach this afternoon, it was nice and sunny and I even paddled in the water, it was not warm, but my main aim was to shoot some wildflowers, that have been sown to brighten the area up, I ended up having a great time and got one of my favourite pictures, I have ever taken, one that is in my own folder now, my 180mm macro lens is such a special lens, it is like magic what it can do, if i could kick myself I would, for I really should have bought this lens years ago, it has given me the desire back for my photography.

When heading home, I checked the weather for this evening, a chance for a sunset, now we never get many chances, so I headed out, close to home, I jumped a gate, well I actually fell over it.
I normally shoot from the roadside, over the hedge, but the barley has been harvested, I did want it with the bales but missed it, a bit gutted, will have to try again.
I shoot towards some trees, but the only place, there was not much cloud was here, so wide angle on and I wish I had brought my even wider one, but still really getting landscape mode back in my head , forgot my cable release as well.

All in, one fantastic day.


Once upon a time, these shots,. were what I chased, the wide vista, dramatic colour in the sky and tonight the smile was back, when you take the picture, check it on the screen at the back and then eyes twinkle and the smile is there, it's what it is all about.

I believe in life, you get signs, that make the path you choose clearer. I choose a path yesterday. Now, where it will lead, well that outcome is not clear yet.

58 years on this planet and another sign yesterday, was eating brambles as I walked, only once before, have they been ready to eat this early and boy did we get some winter weather that year, my little village got cut off, when the bakers van slid in a drift.

I smiled as I climbed a hill the other night, still in the largest front ring, when the week before, two people lot younger than me on there fancy mountain bikes, had to get off and push them, another sign, that for all I could get an electric bike, do I actually really need it. When you commute to work all year long, you want to keep it as simple as possible, electric is juat another possible problem.

My new bike will be Orange, it will just stand out a little better, was going to get a custom paint job on it, think it was £400 more, but will use that for some other upgrades instead. Can get all my mudguards, panniers for that money.

I think tomorrow, I will head to Glasgow, my holiday actually starts tomorrow .

Another silent one, slipped through the net, no signs, nothing, my workmate asked me, how his family never seen it coming. Now if I had answer to that one.

First Friday in ages, I was not out with the camera, looks the same today as wet and windy weather all day forecast.

But I am on holiday and yay to me.

I bought the coolest TShirt ever yesterday, so great I bought 2, never thought I would ever buy anything size small, once I would have went on a shopping spree and bought a lot more, but no need, I have my outdoor clothes and for good clothes, well, I never really go anywhere now and what I have is multi functional anyway.

I am getting the most amazing dreams just now, for the 5th time in a few months, at least in my dreams, I can still make love. I really have to thank Shelby the barber who cut more than my hair in last nights, she left me a little note in the morning saying only half cut, so we would have to do it all again , maybe I will get part 2 of the dream tonight.

My Scrabble buddy is back home today, she came home from Australia and then went and was house sitting for someone, I did go and visit her once, but massive problem was , the cats, my allergy to cats kicked in bad and I had to make a hasty retreat. She still thinks it is funny, that I run away from a pussy.

Monday night we do battle, both drinking tea and Pepsi Max, she stopped drinking, when she was in Australia and has not touched a drop in 8 months, I will make roasted cheese and we will put the world to right.

I have always choose what I post on here, no one has ever had a say and ever will . My blogs are too important for me and if the day ever comes , when someone does have a say my blogs are done , pure and simple.

I have over a 1000 days of premium left and have no plans to leave NN before that, once that runs out, I will have decided one way or the other.

Well off to collect my lottery winnings now.




Some phone grabs from last night, when out on the bike.

One day and then holidays, really looking forward to this one, not even caring what the weather is like, for that is not in my control anyway.

One thing I had hoped for, was a clear night on Saturday night to shoot the Meteor shower, but forecast is not great, so for the 7th year in a row, will miss, it was even going to buy a new lens, that would have been nice for this, but just a sign to not too, I see a lot of little signs, just now.


If anyone, want to see, the bigger image on any of my pictures from now, just ask and I will PM a larger file.

Lucky to get these flowers, usually someone cuts the heads off, might be a flower arranger. always covered in tiny things,

I had not a bad week, lightening struck twice in the last month, in that I got a picture in the top 50 posted on Flickr that day , it was one of those pictures, that when I saw it on the back of the camera, I said to myself, that does look good, it only happens a few times a year, usually, I have to see, it on the big screen and do a little bit of touch ups, before I might even keep it.

I was not going to even post it. But did, woke in the morning and it had a few thousand views. so does views matter, yes, do I have a number, where I am happy yes, what is that number it is 1, simple as that. All else is a bonus.

Friday, I walked close to 10 miles all in, which is good, once it would have been double that, but one mile is one mile is how I see it. I walked 3 times yesterday, today, it will be none, my garden is calling me more, need to get more things in place for the future.

I got called a Skinny B'stard at work, best insult ever thrown at me, it did make me smile and laugh.

Even in my blogs, I find it hard to swear , just like in everyday life, it is not really my thing.

I saw one picture on NN this week, that I thought, yes, someone put that little bit effort in. let me explain, first of all each and everyone that posts there own pictures on here is a star in my eyes, there is no bad pictures, but bottom line, is we all like what we like.

Would I take pictures of a woman from NN ?

So in the hour or so since, I have started this blog, what else have I done, online food shop, bought a pair of socks and a belt , ate 2 slices of toast, had 2 cups of tea and downloaded a series of books, just like in my writing one thing leads to another.




A few pictures from my garden, Early August is my favourite time for the bedding plants, they are at there best , this year not as good with all the wet weather, but already planning for next year now.

I took this yesterday morning, maybe just after 7am, the Moon was still high in the sky, had an idea of trying for it setting in the sea, but cloud came on the horizon and scuppered that idea, the idea was a good one and maybe one day, it will work out , who knows

Sitting here writing this and there is just a hint of colour in the sky as, the sun sets. The morning is supposed to be dry. but no chance of, any sunrise pictures, forecast is just not worth it.

I was actually going to blog, some of the colour from the garden in ,my next blog. It was going to be a how was my week blog, might still write that, but it is not like the old days where, I use to plan the blog out at work, or, as I was doing things. There was always something, that gave me the words, to write, most of the time, I only added a picture, as people liked seeing them, then it got too , where I thought, I had to have a picture too blog, stupid really.

Now for all, I know, I will blog, it is only when I type that first thought, it goes from there, sometimes it is hard, but you know, the crazy thing , it is because, I am in a good place in my mind, i never force them, tried that, big mistake, the best blogs came, when I was suffering from Stress, writing words, just flowed.
Now on that note, these pictures, I took today will not edit themselves, well I have 24 too look at , will cull a few of them and then bed,, till the next time people, smile..

I returned to the coast today, first time in ages, it was needed and very welcome.

I once would not have found this morning cold, but because I take blood thinners now, I guess, this is the cause, but just another lesson learned, it was quite a low tide, there was rocks on show, that I have never seen before and I think, if it had been sunset, I might have been able to do something.

But to be very honest it was a struggle, I even took pictures of birds, which is really not my thing, but just have to work, with what was there.

I still had a great time, I sat on a bit of drift wood, watched the world go by, one thing, not as many dog walkers as there once was, few runners and a few people walking.

If there is a chance of a sunset, when I am on holiday, might give it a go, or if it is stormy, will be there standing or sitting in a little sheltered spot and happily clicking away.



I did get a few pictures of the coastline, this castle at Greenan was one of the first away days, I done, when trying for some different types of blog pictures, then you have the Heads of Ayr, sat on top of them a few times, nice lunch spot, need to venture there again and see, what pictures, I might be able to get with the long lens. You can walk for miles and it is pretty flat., on the coast line, plenty of ;little spots. some I could share stories off, some I think I already did in my old Whokens blogs.

In Scotland we have lots of these old castles, this one means the most too me, I miss her. Never had one bad memory here, the place where smiles, were made. I am just an old romantic fool.