November 14th 2013

A phonecall I made outside in bright winter sunshine prompted today's posting. At this time of year the contrast between light and dark can be remarkable. The scientific reasons for this are too complicated for today's posting to explore, but in simple terms it is partly as the angle of the suns rays are dropping closer to the horizon and so the intensity is enhanced and partly as the air has less ultraviolet light than in the summer there is less diffusion. All I know is that as I talked the silhouette I made on this wall intrigued me. The shadowy object in the middle is actually an outdoor lamp. However as I chatted on the phone it reminded me of an old fashioned microphone, which I was speaking into. The image in front of me reflected my own conversation on a mobile phone. Happen-chance is a wonderful thing. Add to that standing against that wall I could feel some heat in the sunlight it made for a perfect lunchtime interlude. 

November 13th 2013

I wrote this post on November the 12th as I will have a busy day on November the 13th so for the first time I'm experiementing with the Schedule Publisher, what can possibly go wrong...............

At lunchtime today I needed some fresh air having been staring at a computer screen for nearly 5 hours. Its not healthy to be indoors on a glorious November day, so instead of my usual working through lunch I went for a walk to top up my vitamin D. I had no plan of where I'd walk to but a chance turn down a side road made me realise I was in the Redland area of Bristol behind the BBC, an area I knew well around 15 years ago. Between 1994 and 1998 I had a girlfriend here, Helen, who lived in a flat in Redland, just 10 minutes walk away from work. At that time I lived on the Somerset Levels so would stay over quite a bit to reduce the commute. She lived in flat in Alexandra Park (picture taken today of the house above) and I remember it being a quiet residential area of Victorian villa's and so, on this wonderfully warm afternoon, I retraced the walk we did most mornings into work.

Nothing has changed, yet everything is different. It is strange retracing a past life, a past landscape so well known for a few years. But there was one day, now forgotten in time when I would have walked my last walk into work that way. My footsteps would no longer echo along Chandos Road (below). All the old landmarks are still there and recognisable, the large trees, the houses looking the same, it even had that same feel of a quiet residential area. And yet, it was entirely different. The shops I knew have changed, the area seems more upmarket with deli's and craft shops. The streets are still full of parked cars, but none of the models I'd have seen 15 years ago. I stood outside a house I knew so well and yet, my life has changed so much it seemed like somewhere I'd never been, yet walking back to work it felt like I'd never left. I'm not a proponent of living too much in the past, we change the world changes, but in the echo of my footsteps along Chandos Road today, the shadow of my past life still remains. I enjoyed going back.

November 12th 2013

It was E.M Forster who said "What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives" Exactly. Today the sunrise entered my daily life in a rather big way. Over the North Somerset Levels the sky was a kaleidoscope of colours, blues, oranges, whites, reds and as in the photograph above dark counter contrast silhouettes of the land in shadow. A day I wish I had my camera with me as I drove into work, but having left it at home, made do with the mobile. Beyond here the mists rolled in between the regimented lines of hedgerow forcing dark sentinel trees to pop their upper branches into the sunlight as if to get some air. I've mentioned sunrises before in this blog and will continue to do so. Moments passed in the majesty of what the natural world can do for us, allows us to break the tedium of our rather silly consumer based, work based, living like sheep in commuter pens existence we call Modern Civilisation. If you do one thing today, stop and look at the sky. That view is free, it has never changed for Millennia and it is nothing short of a miracle that this tiny spec of a Planet in the Universe brings such joy if we can only see it.

I'll end with a quote from an e-mail my partner Julie sent to me just now "Funny isn't it: another day has dawned which is a miracle in itself, giving a new 24 hours of possibilities, and all we do is the same thing we did yesterday"  

Wise words indeed, echoed by a text from a friend Sheena who whilst sitting in gridlocked traffic was watching the beautiful day unfurl around her while listening to Tchaikovsky!

November 11th 2013

I’ve just returned from my 2 minutes silence on the 11^th of the 11^th of the 11^th something I have done all my life. My parents were staunch attendees of the Westoe Cenotaph in South Shields and I did not have an option to not attend with them. I can still remember how long 2 minutes felt in total silence as a child, an eternity trying to keep still and not make a sound, keeping my mind occupied by watching the leaves float down from the autumnal trees. In my early teens in the 1970’s attendance at the Cenotaph was down to a handful of people. Back then no one really worried about remembering the dead, it was our grandfathers history, ancient history. I still went with my parents despite my protestations, the protestations of youth, when young we know what we believe, not what our parents tell us. The Falklands War I feel began a resurgence in Remembrance Day when young men failed to return, or returned maimed. Certainly I remember going down to the Tyne as the warships returned and the crowds shouting ‘Three Cheers’ as the sailors passed up the river. For a while in the 1980’s I assisted the Boys Brigade Band in East Boldon who led the Remembrance Day procession along Front Street. In recent years I have remembered on my own, somewhere quiet and outdoors if possible. Today I stood under a tree in the little garden we have here in work and stopped for those now very short 2 minutes. Age speeds up the passage of real time, but I still remember them, and will continue to do so, as I too now enter my autumn years and watch the autumnal leaves float down around me in silent thought.  

November 10th 2013

The image above encapsulates the three hours I spent walking around Cheddar Reservoir in Somerset. After days of wet, dark and miserable weather it was wonderful to wake up this morning and see the sunshine. So after some considerable deliberation as to where to go, eventually I plumped for Cheddar. The light was spectacular so I wandered around trying to take some photos that described the location but in a non obvious way. Quite hard to do in fact as it is a big reservoir and surrounded by fields and the Mendip Hills, but even if I didn't quite achieve some of my desired shots, in the main I was quite pleased with the results. November sunshine is always a winner.

More of the photos can be found on my Facebook Page  - here!

November 9th 2013

 

I've taken better photographs but these two represent a very soggy day on the Somerset Levels at my favourite part of it. Until lunchtime the heavy driving rain made me think I'd not get out today. Eventually though a spell of drier weather came along in the afternoon so I drove over to Catcott and then Canada Farm, both part of the Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve complex (I tend to avoid the hot spots down there, too many people don't help birdwatching). The light was dire for good photographs and the rain returned before I left but it is good to see the rising numbers numbers of wigeon and lapwing especially at Catcott. At Canada Farm the lake was pretty much empty of any birdlife, but I love sitting quietly in the hide in the forlorn hope of seeing an otter. And there is something soporific in sitting in a hide in heavy rain.  As it turned darker good numbers of starling flew over, in a month or so it'll be peak starling numbers coming to roost. A sight to behold.

November 8th 2013

 

 

Sometimes my faith in the modern world is restored. Take the above image. Fountain Forestry just outside Bristol are a well known fencing and wood products supplier. I need to replace a short fence at home so ordered some picket fence panels and a picket gate. My order went in first thing this morning on-line and a receipt told me that it would be 5-10 days to deliver. Fair enough I'm in no hurry. At noon I had a call, we can deliver this afternoon if that's okay. It was although I was at work but rearranged my afternoon to work from home. Got home at 2pm and the panels, gate, postcrete and nails were already propped up outside where I asked them to leave them. I know they're only 10 miles away or so, but that's what I call service. Sadly however this may mean I need to get out the cobweb covered toolbox and renew the fence this weekend, or maybe I should go birdwatching instead.... Decisions, Decisions!!