Fishing!

~Monty guarding the camp~

~My Fishing Rod~

~MSC Olga~

~Dad and my little codling. (Dad was holding it so close to the camera because he was trying to make the cod look bigger than it actually was) ~I caught a starfish!~ ~My biggest pouting~ ~Monty after another rainstorm. He wouldn't come in out of the rain as he couldn't guard from inside the brolly~ ~Fishing Trawler~ ~Dad baiting up~

~Monty still guarding (but by now he's drying out a bit)~ ~Dad enjoying the sunshine~ ~Me, hopefully reeling in (I shouldn't have got my hopes up)~ ~The storm that almost blew me over~

~pouting and crab~ ~Me having an awesome time~

~Crab that had no claws! a safe crab!~

Fishing was FANTASTIC!!!

Dad and I set off at 9 yesterday and plotted a course for felixtowe. After a short walk, we found our spot, a beautiful section of sandy beach, unpacked and set up camp for the day. I have found out that I actually cast better into the sea than on a casting field!!! dont ask me why, because it is certainly worse conditions than on a field! Yesterday however, Dad and I reckon I was casting around 150ft! that is 20ft better than usual! (Dad was doing his trademark long distance casts and joking that he was fishing the belgian quota!)

The weather yesterday was so very confused! One minute sunny and warm, the next minute, Heavy Rain, freezing cold (about 39'F) and incredibly strong winds! I think there must have been gusts of up to 40mph and almost blew me over and blew sand across the ground in drifts at one point!

Not surprisingly, Dad was the only one catching sizeable fish. I caught a few, but all sub legal and my biggest pouting was only half an inch undersize! My most bizarre catch of the day was a starfish! the stupid thing ate the bait off my hook and got hooked itself! That was one thing I didn't expect to catch. I also caught a crab with no claws! the hook got tangled up its legs and it got dragged up the beach. This crab is now officially owned by Kim! I didnt think it would be very tasty though Kim so I chucked it back.

After a while of catching nothing but Pouting and Whiting, (all good fish but not what we wanted)Dad and I decided to try a new tactic. We therefore butchered one of the greatest songs "all you need is love" and turned it into "all you need is Cod!" to see if it would lure any Cod in. Sure enough, IT WORKED!!! Two casts later, Dad reeled in a 3lb Cod and I think the Cod song will be sung more from now on!

Fishing near Felixtowe means there are always great views of ships coming and going. I am always amazed at how those huge ships like the MSC Olga can get in and out of the Orwell river. The water hardly looks deep enough to take them without risk of them going aground! There is a wonderful mix of Fishing trawlers, Container ships, and sailing boats so you never get bored when you fish at Felixtowe.

So! After a hard, cold day on the beach, what do you need most of all in the world? why, a McDonalds Milkshake of course!!! why go for a warm cup of coffee when you can have a shake that freezes your sinuses! When we arrived back home there was the cleaning of rigs and reels and then thankfully, the promise of a hot shower after something good and warming for tea. I am going to make some more pickled pouting tonight as I enjoyed the last batch so much and there is a definate surplus of pouting in the fridge.

Thats it from me for today, I hope you all enjoyed your weekend whatever you did!

Play until your fingers bleed...

Maybe TODAY'S post should have been the one called Stormy Day! At about 4'o'clock this afternoon the sky went eerily dark and when I looked outside there were these fantastic clouds! Really moody and threatening. I scampered about trying to find Mr Camera, who had as usual, made himself scarce and eventually found him in a paper bag underneath the sofa for some bizarre reason!!! We currently have Mad March winds! In April we usually have showers, and in May we have high winds again. Only in June does the weather get relatively more docile. I kinda like the storms though. I hope they stay!

I picked up my guitar again today! Now that I have recovered from my lessons with Rouiry and the subsequent dislike I felt for my guitar. It is now my friend again and today I played so much and so vigorously, I actually made my fingers bleed!! I didn't even know you could do that! I just thought it was an expression! I havent had that much fun playing my guitar in years, and it has definately encouraged me to play more. I was learning new strumming techniques and even attempted to write a little tune! (I shan't put any words to it if it ever gets off the ground, as I am hopelessly dismal at songwriting. I have tried in the past, but I am not a poet. I still think my best ever poem was composed in year 4 of primary scool when I was 9 so that might give you an idea of the level of my poetic ability.) What tunes I do make up nowadays, remain wordless and I like them better like that. They let your imagination take you places as you listen to them.

All in all, Today has been a good day (apart from a few bruises, bleeding fingers and a bumped head -which hurt alot-).

I wonder what tomorrow will bring!

~~~

Dad moment of the week:

"I ordered our fishing bait today Fizz, we'll be able to fish the sea dry with all that lot! we might need to register ourselves as an international fishing force and get ourselves some IFQs!"

Stormy Day

~the last of my pictures from the weekend~

The weather today was some of the best weather we have had in weeks!!! 20mph winds, 46'F, driving rain, hail, thunder and lightening! what a day!!! Driving through the village today, Mom and I saw that at the small duck pond, the willow tree has actually fallen down! Right into the middle of the pond, so I guess the ducks now have a new perch! I very much doubt that anyone will ever get round to taking it out of the pond so it may very well become a permanent fixture! I love days when the unexpected happens. I knew that today was going to be windy, but to actually blow down a tree which I didn't even think was in danger of coming down, is quite an acheivement!

I hope we get more days like today this year. They are incredibly fun!

Dad and I are going Fishing on Saturday! We dont know where we are going yet, It could be Felixtowe, Aldeburgh or East Lane but I guess it all depends on where the good fishing is! I hope I get to catch a nice Cod or two. Maybe a pouting also so that I can do some more pickled pouting! That was delicious and much better than the Sursild (pickled herring)!

I get to use my Multiplier reel on saturday! Dad is now teaching me to use multipliers and I can cast about 130ft with that reel so I'm quite excited to be able to actually use it usefully! as much as I enjoy casting practise, you dont usually catch anything in a field! (apart from the odd rabbit or two.).

It has been years since I was last out fishing. I have always loved it and as I was born during the Cod season and dad was on the beach alot, I have gone fishing ever since I was a baby . My first trip fishing was when I was only six weeks old aparrently! This is probably the reason I love the sea so much. Good memories and fun times with Dad on the beach (plus some great catches aswell!).

~A quick doodle I did in the car on the trip down to kent at the weekend.

Im so glad I dont get travelsick! Mom and Baby Sis have to pop pills and concentrate very hard to not feel ill. Without this problem, I get to doodle away, study, take pictures etc. Its kinda fun! "Den Mørke Kråken" means "The Dark Crow". ~

A day in the Kentish-side

~Eynesford. The place of so many happy moments in mine and my sisters childhoods~

~Darn. It seems you are not allowed to fish anywhere in Kent! ~

~Baby Sis and I went to Lullingstone Roman Villa. here we are in our Roman cloaks!~

~taken on the journey home~ Here are more of the pictures I took when we were in Kent. It was a beautiful spring day and the world and his dog was out enjoying the sunshine. It seems that since Sunday when these photos were taken, Spring has really sprung! now there are blossoms on so many trees and the whole world is coming to life again. Right now, I am about to go and watch the last ever two episodes of Battlestar Gallactica. Dad and I have watched this ever since it started and it will be sad to see it go. Fortunately it has never aired when Deadliest Catch is on but without Battlestar, what am I going to do on half of my Tuesday evenings!!! I have 2 minutes to go. so I shall sign off now and get my banana milk and snacks! a momentous occasion deserves snacks!!! have fun everyone whatever you do this evening!

And now, The Shipping Forecast.

On our travels this weekend, we heared the shipping forecast not once, but twice! Broadcast for ships underway in the waters near Great Britain, it lists the weather conditions in all the different sea areas among which are fabulous place names such as: Viking, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight and even the Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.

The Shipping forecast is loved by many, even those who never even go out to sea! The way it is read is somehow very relaxing. It is always a big deal when it comes on the radio and in my family, you can see people visibly prick up their ears and listen up as soon as they hear it. Both times we heard it this weekend we were travelling either to or from Granny's house and it somehow nicely bookended the trip. I am now getting used to all the weather jargon and I like to tell myself I am in training for when I own my own boat! after beating my fear of boats last year, I now always love the thought of being on the water!

~~~

This shant be my only post about my weekend, There were too many photographs and too many things to tell, so I thought two parts would do it. Tonight is an "artsy" evening (or so it would seem) and so, after a couple of artsy photographs, I shall introduce you to a band that I have just found out about, The John Butler Trio. I am amazed at the guitarist. when I started playing the guitar, it was my aim to get as good as this. I now realise that I shall never be this good and I should just enjoy listening to the people who have this talent and who want to share it.

The new car needs a name!

This is our new car!!!!! *cue fanfare*

I am unsure what I think of it as of yet, Dad hasn't taken me out in it but I sat in the drivers seat and it has silver dials!!!!! The speedometer and Rev meter etc have silver backings and look very cool. Its not the prettiest of cars but as long as it fits Fishing rods, thats fine by me.

The new car doesn't have a name. Therefore, If anyone wants to suggest one, feel free! I shall do my best to get it adopted by Dad.

It turns out I'm going away tomorrow!!! Mom, Baby Sis and I are going to visit Granny again in London (well. the borough of London anyway) and so once again, My camera will be able to search for scenic shots away from home (as I am sure it gets bored with the scenery near me). You might have noticed that There have been fewer photographs lately. this is because of the grey weather we have been having (which is awful to take pictures in) and the fact that I am running out of places to photograph!!! I must sort this out I think! I need to learn to drive so I can take myself places that aren't 10 minutes from my house.

I am looking forward to challenging Baby Sis to a game of Table Tennis whilst at Granny's house. Granny has a table tennis table in her attic!!! Sis and I are TERRIBLE at table tennis and the balls generally end up pinging off the ceiling, floor and walls instead of going anywhere near the table. We always have fun though and usually end up laughing ourselves into ill health and losing all the table tennis balls behind various items of furniture.

Im glad that Dad can't see our attempts at Table tennis. He actually plays for a team so he would probably be very ashamed if he saw us play. :D

so goodbye for the weekend! Have a great time all of you!

My Coastguard.

I have to take the time tonight to say thank you to the people who have been saving me in more ways than one over the past few weeks.

Since the 25th of February I have been unable to access the one place that has finally given me a voice. After years of being a shy quiet person who blended into the background and hardly said a word for fear of having my points of view ridiculed, I was welcomed onto the friendliest community I have ever heared of. The Northwesterners, as I have found out over the past few days, are amazing. They are always eager to help a fellow in need and I am so grateful for all the time they have spent looking up solutions to whatever is causing my problem.

A Northwesterner without her home is a sad sight indeed and I hope very much to be back soon. You guys have all the rescue helicopters and you keep me sane with causes, solutions, answers, and things to try. Thank you also, to my closest friends who pick me up when I have got my hopes too high just to have them smashed against the preverbial rocks.

I will NOT give up! The internet gremlins will NOT win!

I shall be back.

Goodbye WBW!

Tomorrow is the day that Dad sells his car. A very sad day, as it is one of the best cars he has ever had! Certainly one of the most colorful! The picture doesn't show it very well but it is a spectacular, metallic yellowish-greenish color and you definately feel like one of a kind when driving around in it. Sure, its done a few miles, the muffler had to be duck taped years ago to stop from falling off, it makes wierd clunky sounds when you turn corners, there are bits of the paintwork missing and only one of the speakers works for the CD player, but its an old faithful companion and I doubt that Dad's new one will ever have an eigth as much personality as WBW has! The new car is arriving tomorrow and I havent even seen it yet so tomorrow might be a fun day!

All this means of course, Larry the Lizard will have to move house. Larry has been with us as long as the car! he has never known another home so hopefully the new car will have a suitable hidey hole for him.

Today has been eerily quiet! Monty and I were by ourselves so we decided to go visit the Grandparents who are in fine form. Now, after cooking Dad a dinner of Chicken, Rice and Honey Mustard sauce, he has gone out again and Monty and I have found good times snuggled up and watching some Deadliest Catch! I have raided my store of Pixy Stix from Angela and after a day of some really good Norwegian studies, my head is thinking in Norsk and its great!!! Makes me very happy. Happy Wednesday to you all!

(p.s. Mum and Baby Sis had a great day in Edinburgh and are now visiting Little Sis in St Andrews! I think Baby Sis likes Edinburgh. Does this mean I will have two Sisters living in Scotland???)

-- oh and Angel Girl said I should put this little story in--

I was at the Grandparents house today looking out of the window with Grandad when suddenly a duck flew overhead! Grandad said "duck!" so what did I do?? I hit the floor of course!!! Grandad laughed. he must of thought I was being very bizzarre though!

Sleeping to Scotland

~every endurance climber needs caffene!~

~reguardless of what she has just climbed~

Really hot weather here lately!!! Yesterday it was up to 60'F! Mom and I therefore took Monty for a walk in the park with one of the kids and had a play on the kids equipment. I'm getting quite good at this climbing lark now! I have never been a great climber of things but I have discovered that if you have no fear of falling off things, you generally dont! Mum took posession of my camera for a while and took pictures of me being a complete idiot.

Things have been slow here today, I woke up late on account of my alarm misbehaving and the snooze function not working. This combined with the fact that I got to bed last night at 03:30, means that I woke up at 10:30 this morning! not good!

Mom and Baby Sis are going to edinburgh tonight on the sleeper train (neither of them have done this before so its quite daunting for them). They are going up so that Baby Sis can look at Edinburgh University who have offered her a conditional place. All this means that Dad and I are all alone for a couple of days! I get to cook and stuff which is always fun!

Dad moment of the week:

"Nobody messes with my daughter!"

*said in mock dangerous tones whilst breaking twigs of a bush that I had inadvertantly walked into whilst out for a walk with him and Monty yesterday. not my fault, there was a branch that stuck out across the path and I had my head turned, nattering away to him.*

Dog-napping and Milk Duds

My family have never been any good at surprise parties. Baby Sis's boyfriend has been planning a little surprise for her all week for her 18th birthday treat. The plan was to get all their friends to the pub near us, come round, make an excuse for them to go out and then take her into the pub so everyone could yell "SURPRISE!!!!!"

everything went well up untill Mark suggested going for a walk. Instantly Baby Sis ran to get Monty saying "shall we go for a walk!!" As monty is not allowed in the pub anymore, Mark and I racked our brains to figure out how we could keep Baby Sis from taking him. We couldn't think of any way to keep Monty at home so eventually I went with them so that I could take Monty home after Sis's surprise. before Mark and I could realise what was going on, Sis was out of the door and running off into the far blue yonder with Monty, leaving Mark and I standing on the street thinking "how on earth are we going to get her into the pub!" . After alot of cajoling and making up excuses to go into the pub (Sis was very keen to actually go for a walk) we finally got her to the pub and Sis was met by a camera flash and a "heeeeeeeeeey!!!" by all her friends. I popped my head in for a couple of seconds but since Monty had been promised a walk, I had to take him round South fields in the dark (a fun experience when one cannot see how many Rabbit burrows one is falling down.)

After all the excitement of Sis dog-napping Monty, and the surprise party, I came home and opened the pack of Milk Duds that Ang sent me. They are Fabulous! Yet again I am left downstairs with Monty for the evening and I have worked out that since 00:00 on the 12th, untill 00:00 15th, (72 hours) I have had.... about 12 hours sleep. That is an average of 4 hours sleep a night. Funilly I dont feel tired! Though when I mentioned this to Cecilie in Norway she exclaimed "are you attempting to be a crab fisherman or something????" all I can say is... Red Bull is gooood!