Completed Capstone

Hi folks,

Had a very busy day today, working in the morning and going out this afternoon to a Christmas Tea.

Still got to finish the downstairs Loo and get the decorations out. Christmas seems to be looming up on us and we are not really prepared, still never mind.  I will take each day as it comes and all will pan out right in the end, Sue is busy writing the cards as I do this.

I am getting behind on this blog, here are the rest of Mondays shoot and it's Friday tomorrow.

As we stated it was very cold although bright at some points in the day.

Even the Gulls were cold, here they are all lined up ready for the off.

The one that got away, I'm not joining in!

Now I always get these two muddled up. This must be a Coot, these always seem dull and lifeless as you have a job picking out the eye in the photograph.

I think this is a Moorhen with the red beak.

Ah, I know this one, a Mallard, ah yes a Male even, see I am getting to grips with these er birds.

This is the island in the middle of the lake where the Cormorants hang out.

This Duck nearly banged his head going under the bridge well that's how it looked as I took the picture.

All in all a good day.

Thanks for looking.

nite nite mike XX

Daisy it's cold outside.

Hi folks,

Just a quick blog tonight as we have been to Trev's for Dinner and very nice it was too.

After dropping Daisy off we went to pick up four steel wheels from High Halden after having our usual feast at the B& Q chuck wagon.

We  tried to find a Trout farm near by but as it was getting late, 3pm we headed for Allington lock Maidstone for a quick photo shoot, images later.

As you know Sue has a new camera and I am trying to get her to use it properly. I had to go out this morning and on my return this is what she took.

Well I was amazed, well done Sue, taken with her new Olympus E-PM1 with a 14mm, 2.5 prime lens (for those who know about these things). No flash either.

This is one of the love of our lives modelling her new hat, gloves and scarf that her mummy bought her and with a singing Rastafarian  Reindeer with dreadlocks and guess what it sings, "Don't worry, be Happy" and moves his right foot to the beat. His mouth opens and closes too as he sings.

So, guess who bought this from our local Electrical Wholesalers?  I went to buy some wire and came back with this..........and the wire.

Right off to bed.

Thanks for looking.

nite nite, luv Mike XX

Daisy meets Daisy and Father Christmas

Hi folks,

Well it's Tuesday again so that means Daisy.  Sue had booked her in to see the 3D cartoon show and to meet Father Christmas. You may recall the Daisy "doesn't like Father Christmas" although she waved at him last week in Maidstone.  My dont that bloke get about.

Anyway we set off  and had lunch at the Savacentre before the film show and meeting Santa.  We went past the Grotto about an hour before she was due to go in to get her used to the area. Low and behold Santa was there and gave Daisy a wave, great we thought, cracked it.

Daisy outside the Grotto

Daisy then went with Sue to book in and get the tickets then like magic it happened, the Elf who was the helper also had the name Daisy and they soon gelled and became the best of friends.

Into Cinema we went and Daisy donned her 3D specs and loved the show, holding her very large specs up to her face all the time the cartoon was showing and really enjoyed it. Picture a bit naff due to the light inside.

Then it was crunch time, what would she think on that bearded portly man dressed in red? Well Daisy the Elf took Daisy's hand and stayed with her whilst he asked her some questions about presents and to our amazement she sat next to him to have her photograph taken and even smiled. I got told off for taking this one but what the heck.

Santa gave Daisy her present and off she trotted with her new "best" friend Daisy the Elf. Look at the smile on her face.

I really admired the help and feeling that Daisy the Elf put into the proceedings and I thanked her for her understanding and pleasant nature. The whole experience was Great.

Daisy is now tucked up in bed dreaming about Christmas a very happy little girl.

I'm going to bed dreaming about Daisy the Elf lol

nite nite, luv Mike XX

Capstone Park with Trev

Hi folks,

Well I got Sue's head off, painted the Loo ceiling and then Trev arrived. We then had a coffee and thought, well that's enough of work lets go and have some fun, so we shut up shop and headed off to the park only about a mile away.

The weather was a bit overcast and it was bitterly cold in the wind but we had to get out daily fix of pictures. Very quite at the park as all the children were at school (bless em) so we had the place to ourselves.

First we were greeted by Gulls, hundreds of them, a lots were sitting on the handrail of the bridge, these three could not make up there minds which way to look.

The four resident Geese were still floating around as the were a couple of months ago, this one got away from the rest.

He was very friendly, I think he was after something to eat but alas we came empty handed and he didn't mind my red coat.

Off to get a cup of coffee, we were both very cold and needed a drink to warm ourselves up. 

After our break we tried to get a good shot of a Cormorant sitting on a bank on the island in the middle of the lake. We had tried before our break but the light was a bit naff.  When we returned to our utter amazement he was still there.

After numerous attempts with the sun going in and out I got this one. I liked the composition of the shot with him standing on his perch and the water below.

I then decided to blow him up to show more detail although I liked the first one best.

Last but not least I got this "lucky" shot of two Swans taking off which ended the day off rather well.

Thanks for looking.

nite nite, luv Mike XX

Hectic 24hrs

Hi folks,

Well what a hectic time,

First had to go to Ebbsfleet at 1 am to pick up my son and his mate as they missed the connection coming back from Wembley. and went to bed at 2 am.

I then cleared the garage up after yesterday and found the Sues oil leak had got much worst. So off with her head tomorrow. ( the car that is). Next was to pick up the leaves from the garden as the bin man comes tomorrow. No longer than I got the rake out of the shed, the rain came down. Doh I said.

After lunch I decided to attack the downstairs Loo, nothing can go wrong I thought. Wrong, a pipe feeding the upstairs water sprung a leak so I have got to call the plumber back tomorrow.

So all in all a hectic 24 hrs and no pictures to show for it, well there is this one. Chris asked if Trev had a NEW pic on his blog, the answer is Chris is NO that's a very OLD one.

 So to finish I thought this one would be good on this blog. So lets put it to the vote, all in favour say Yes.

There I've even cropped it for him.

Thanks for dropping by.

nite nite, luv Mike XX

Move the Moon!

Hi folks,

Sorry I missed yesterday all thinks came to a head as they do sometimes and by the time it was to write the blog I must admit I was too tired.

 So what's been happening?

Downstairs Loo is in the process of a makeover, new toilet and washbasin retiled, floor tiles free thanks to Charles, bless him. So all there is left is the walls and the ceiling, I know you are supposed to start at the Top and work down. We started with the floor at the bottom because the toilet pan had to be screwed to the floor and worked up. We seem to be spending a lot on fittings, like mirror, towel rails, toilet roll holders and so on, prices seem to have sky-rocketed.

That brings me nicely on to looking at the stars.

Trev is well into this , that's why he suffers from back ache really as he is always looking up in the air, only kidding Trev. I am going to join the local club that he attends to learn more on the subject as I find it fascinating. I really fancy taking imaged of the stars to complement Ground and Ariel photography which I do already.

This is one of my very first attempts at hanging a camera on a piece of string on a Kite. It it a little bit more involved than that but you get the idea dont you, I have a few more to show later.

This shot was taken at Teston Bridge near Maidstone last summer.

As I said earlier I would like to get into Astronomy and with the help if Trev and the local club. I am very interested in the image side of the hobby provided it does not cost to much.

This is my first attempt at the moon with the grateful help of young Trev bless him. Would you believe the sky was BLUE when we took this shot..

Well that's it gota go as Ian my 40 year old is staying the night after a do in London.

nit nite, luv Mike XX

Rawhide, the concluding part.

Hi folks,

Well I enjoyed yesterday so much I thought I would put a few more up and some as Sue calls it "Scenes".

Eileen says that I was wearing a coat that was not acceptable to wildlife, I never thought of that but I think it paid off. We could not understand why they were following us. I think it was the RED coat as (red rag to a bull) springs to mind. The Rangers were nowhere in site, no one was giving them food so it must have been the coat.

What a wonderful place this is Mushrooms,  Heathland, lots of broken trees, Horses and of course the Longhorns.

What a lovely spectacle, makes a change from chewing the grass. "Get away with that red coat on".

Well where is Trev?, can you see him behind the gate, come on Trev they won't bite.

This is what greeted us as we arrived to find the cattle. It was a lovely bright sunny day be it a bit muddy. Where are my boots I here you say? well at home with my GREEN coat, I am a silly chump.

The woodland is spectacular in it's own right, with lots of broken trees .

This poor tree is being eaten alive.

Same tree but a bit closer rotting away.

Gate to the cattle, the sun was low in the sky even before we met the Longhorns,

Sun through the trees.

On our way back to the car, so many pictures in the camera it was bulging at the seams.

This tree, I could not believe, it had blown over and started to grow vertical again, isn't nature wonderful?

The sun setting behind the trees so it's time to finish.

Thanks for looking.

nite nite, luv Mike XX (without his red coat on).