The Seashell.

This sculpture is one of my favourites.

Stuck on a beach on the suffolk coast, this piece of art can either be swamped by people coming from all around to see it, or it can be devoid of human life. These are the special days. Just you, the metal, the sea roaring a few feet away, the gulls calling down the beach and the elements that are blown into your face. Wind, rain hail; none of these detract from the beauty of the scene.

Many people are dissappointed that the seashell was put on this beach but on a quiet day, you can go and sit on a sheltered part of this sculpture and you will not care because the ocean is there and that is all that matters.

A long time gone.

As I sit down to write my blog post today, I feel a sense of coming home. I have not written in ages! My camera has not been idle by any means however. I have had many opportunities to excercise my artistic side which has made me very happy of late.

These pictures were taken in Aldeburgh, a little fishing town on the Suffolk coast which, despite the tourists and modern times, still feels like it is in a different era. There are fishing boats on the beach, surrounded by winch cables, old nets and plastic crates to load the catch into. On the waterfront are the old fish huts where the catch of the day is sold. I find that the fish you buy from here is always better than fish stalls on markets because you are getting it right from the source. over your shoulder you can smell the salt of the sea, the crash of the waves, and the vessels that brought the catch home are stood just over your shoulder. The fish is never more than a couple of hours old so it is that much more tasty when you get it home and cook it for your tea. It is perfect. The sign on one particular fishing hut in Aldeburgh is quite the most photogenic signs I have ever seen. It must have seen some weather in its time, that is for certain. Scratched and beaten up, It makes you think of those grey, windy, stormy days when even the gulls stay tucked up and anyone foolhardy enough to venture outside does so huddled against the chill and wishing they were back in their warm and cozy house .

There are always pictures to be taken beside the sea and that is maybe why I love it so much. it can be picturesque whatever its mood and I never care which sort of mood that might be.

Have fun everyone!

Morning Comes

I have been meaning to post this picture for a few days now and finally I have been motivated by my friend Kimberly to get my act together. This image was taken a few days ago when I got to bed at 2:30 in the morning. Dawn was already breaking in the East and there were the most fantastic clouds haunting the sky. These fascinating, vaporous ghosts hung in exactly the same place for two hours and I couldnt help but watch them from my window as I failed completely to sleep. They caught the light of the rising sun beautifully and I am sure that at one point I even saw a small rainbow grace their delicate waves.

Eventually they dissappeared and all within about five minutes. I looked away from the window momentarily to read some more of my book and when I next looked up, I was surprised at their absence and almost missed them. Somehow they had something close to personality. This picture does not do justice to what I remember of that morning. There was a magic in the air punctuated first by a lone herring gull waking up and flying overhead towards the town where it would forage for food, its quiet morning squawks waking the rest of bird-kind to start their morning chorus, and then Mr Fox running down the road to get home before the humans woke up to drive around in their noisy metal vehicles all day.

I did not stay up much longer after they left and I think I eventually got to sleep at 5am. Needless to say, I was tired when I woke up 3 hours later to start my day.

Mature Summer

As summer nears its mid point, I find that it has developed a sense of maturity. It is no longer in a furious hurry to appear hot and fiery as of a few weeks since. Outside today is a near constant slow rain, a cover of clouds and a cool breeze. I love these days as I am able to wear a hoodie to keep off chills but I am still able to walk in the garden bare foot.

My feet (after a few months without being cosseted in boots) are now hardened and can walk on almost anything so pebbles and twigs or rough pavement dont bother me anymore. If society would let me, I would probably walk bare foot everywhere but unfortunately, funny looks and broken glass prevent this. My Boots therefore, sit forgotten under my bed feeling jealous of the small shoes I wear out and about.

The Photographs here were taken today in my back garden. My dog Monty kept me company as I snapped away and enjoyed just watching me (quite obviously wondering why on earth I was "watching" the flowers and bushes so closely).

He loves it when I spend time with him outdoors and days like this with weather so perfect are wonderful for my camera. It seems my camera loves damp, green, moist weather. It brings out colours that are easily captured and enhanced (given the right settings of course).

Everyones idea of a perfect summer is different but I wish you all good weather and happy days wherever you are.

Home by sundown

Hey guys, I am trying to get back into my photography which has taken a back seat for a couple of weeks. I am now striving to remember my camera whenever I go out like I used to because I keep running into wonderful scenes that inspire my imagination and never have anymeans to capture them! Wish me luck with this endeavour In the mean time, here my pictures after a fabulous sunny day yesterday. this week has been hot and last night the weather broke. It cooled down and we were treated to not only a lovely sunset, but a moon rise AND a terriffic thunderstorm much later.

I guess Summer isnt all THAT bad : )

The longest day

The Longest day of the year is coming up very soon. I keep being amazed at how long the daylight hangs around now. The picture that I took last night at about 10:30 pm illustrates what beautiful things the evenings now are.

A bonus of the light evenings is that one can go outside when the day is cooler. The heat of the day is gone, but some of it remains stored in the paving stones of our patio. you stand on the warm stones, even though it is almost midnight you stand on the warm stones and look up at the numerous stars and the constellations that you were taught the names of when you were a kid. Summer might have its bonuses after all. For all my moaning, it is a beautiful time of the year and one should not discourage mother nature from having a fun time.

At this time of the year, The sun only just dips behind our horizon at night I think as there is always a corner of the sky that is paler than the rest and you can always see the silhouettes of the trees.

~ my desktop says we shall have "t-storms"... I hear distant booms, the breeze is appearing, the sky is dimming..... im keeping my fingers crossed. ~

Storms on the horizon

~our rope swing which hangs about 25 feet from the tree~

~Foxgloves~

Our Back garden is beautiful tonight. The sun, bright between storm clouds is shining through the leaves of our Ash tree creating a brilliant green glow, Perfect conditions for a spot of photography. We have the most amazing Foxgloves in our garden! Ever since I was a child Mom would grow millions of them and one of the first things I remember from when I was little was her telling me that I was NOT to touch them because they were poisonous. That (as you can imagine) scared me quite a bit so I never ever touched them (and I still dont!). There are just some things you never forget.

Today has been very warm. Not my favourite of weather types as you propably know but the one good thing? It has spawned SO MANY stormclouds! Everywhere you look tonight in every corner of the sky are clouds blossoming high in an attempt to "hit the roof" as it were. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some storms tonight as so far this year I have been unlucky.

I leave you with a stormcloud and a happy wish for a good FRIDAY tomorrow!!!