I’m writing in a different place now I have a lap top, and Cyclo is working in the office this week. I’m in the dining room with a view of the back garden, rather than upstairs with a view of the front.
So I’m getting a different view of the world when I look up from tapping.
It’s another dull day here most of the day – when it wasn’t raining – but the afternoon of 1st November was a stunner. I ran out into the garden I took a few shots.
Do you remember this?
Here’s a pic I took when driving through the Northern Cape and Free state. This particular stretch is part of the Hopetown (where diamonds were first discovered) and Hanover ‘short cut.’ Perhaps a distance of 160 mile or so.
The road goes through the Afrikaaner self proclaimed ‘independent’ Orania region (which would you believe has it’s own currency and flag amongst other things) and a very pretty part of the world it is too!
But not everything in The Free state is flat as the next pic will prove… Continue reading “The long unwinding road”
From the land it can’t be seen until you are standing high on the cliffs above – and from the sea, of course it is highly visible and a life saver, sending out its instantly recognisable series of flashes to warn ships off the treacherous coastline that forms the North Devon interface between water and solid land.
I’m talking about Hartland Point Lighthouse.
We parked in the car-park, paying our entry fee to cross private land to reach our destination. Then walked across rough ground watching the heavy skies, hoping the storm would not break over us as we climbed. Still we couldn’t see the light house…until we turned the corner and looked down.
There, crouched on the rock face, a beautiful lighthouse – a calm sea and on the horizon a storm gathering.
The lighthouse is for sale.
“Hartland Point lighthouse will be decommissioned following the installation of a more efficient solar powered LED beacon which will continue to ensure that this area of the coastline is adequately marked.. “
Fancy moving?
For this challenge
Just a quick reminder, in case anyone has missed the carefully placed competition links on the right of the page:
SHORT STORY
the closing date for the short story competition is 31st October, UK midnight.
“The short story should be posted as a separate blog and linked to the one in the link above.
It should be up to 2000 words long on the theme of ‘wedding.’
The first scene will start with two people in a room. There’s a key on the table. During the story you should include the words ‘football’ and ‘armchair’.”
PHOTOGRAPHY
The deadline is Friday November 4th at midnight UK time.
“The photo competition this time is on perspectives… in particular the vanishing point of parallel lines, or the vanishing point of a river or road, or anything where the vanishing point is shown, maybe on a smaller scale …. you get the picture? See what I’m after? Please post your photos in comments on the original post . Thank you!”
I had planned a blog about a local event that is usually well worth a visit and in preparation I moved the boat about 60 miles on Friday, about 30 miles on the Bay and 28 miles up the Chester river to Chestertown, Maryland, an interesting little town of some character. The event is the annual Downrigging Weekend which marks the end of the working season for many sailboats, the event attracts a large number of original and replica sailing craft, ranging in history from The Kalmar Nyckel a replica of the ship that established the first Swedish settlement in what was to become Delaware in 1636 through the Schooner Elf built in the 1880’s and still afloat. My personal favorite and a winter resident of Chestertown is the schooner Sultana a replica of a colonial revenue cutter built ten years ago from original lines taken off the ship when she was bought by the Royal Navy in about 1770.
We got in late on Friday and anchored opposite the Chestertown waterfront in time to see the firework display. After that things got dark and interesting (well it is close to Halloween). A gale of wind and heavy rain descended, forcing the few of us who were anchored out to seek out the more sheltered local creeks to ride out the storm. Saturday came slowly, bringing with it gale force winds and driving SNOW. So far all the Saturday events have been cancelled together with my plan to take lots of good pictures of the various ships under sail. The forecast looks none too rosy for tomorrow either but we will hang here in this creek and see what happens. More later.
Please do not read this article unless you’re genuinely interested. It’s not really a post. Continue reading “Handling Pictures Thoughtfully”
It’s been raining here for a few days, this morning it was sunny and warm. I noticed that the overnight geese were staying in the creek and took the camera to try to get some pictures. The geese are wiley creatures and always have “sentries” stationed around the outside of the group keeping their heads up while the others sleep or feed, anyway they saw me and all swam off over to the other side of the creek, leaving me only with another shot of the boat and some “specks”. Then camera in hand I spotted this guy on the floating dock.
Taken this morning, for OZ
The photo competition this time is on perspectives… in particular the vanishing point of parallel lines, or the vanishing point of a river or road, or anything where the vanishing point is shown, maybe on a smaller scale …. you get the picture? See what I’m after?
The deadline is Friday November 4th at midnight UK time.
Please post your photos in comments. Thank you!
Boadicea's Chariot 
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