Back again

So I have started working through the pictures I took on our trip to Scotland this year. We stayed in a cottage in Ardwell a village about 10 miles south of Stranraer in the South West. It was very quiet an peaceful. The weather was kind, what rain there was was usually brief and where it did persist we were driving or more often sleeping.

The sea was just 100 yards from the cottage and the path was easy to walk. So I was able to get some pictures like this of the beach as the sun set behind me. I love the shades of colour in the sea, sky and on the beach.

I saw lots of birds and for the first time in a while, seals. I even got the occasional kind one to pose for me as it lay in the shallows. I have had some pictures of seals before but they have usually been ones where you have to know where to look. this time the seal is I hope easy to see.

OK I will come back to this as I go through my pictures. I did take a lot of flowers and plants this year.

OK time for bed

August no 1

This is more to say I have not forgotten to do this. I have been on holiday in Scotland for the last 2 weeks. The south west corner and I will spend more time on that at a later date. anything else to report. Well yes and no I have been asked to move across to Telford at some stage and work from the office there. When this will actually happen is another thing, I have said yes as it will save me time and money in getting there and back. I will be looking after the Learndirect Centre there so it will not be Rocket Science but it should keep me more involved than I am now.

Until then I will do my walks up and down the Severn in Shrewsbury and take picture. Before I went to Scotland I got a couple of pictures that I particularly like. The first of a Sparrow, I am growing to like Sparrows more and more as I get older. They were one of the first birds I was able to identify (or so my mother tells me) in our garden and after a long period of, I suppose, me ignoring them, they have pushed themselves back into my consciousness. Anyway I like the picture taken in Shrewsbury a couple of weeks ago.

Second I my hunt for the perfect teasel picture goes on. This was taken in Sandwell Valley by the Forge Mill lake.

OK enough for now

Goodnight

Mon again

So possibly a short entry as it is already well past 11:00pm and I am looking forward to my bed. I thought I should come back and put something down as I have not existed in a vacuum over the last week or so since my last post. I have begun as I have mentioned before an upgrade of the site and if you are seeing this sometime in the future it may well have happened. Nothing much will change in the next few weeks but I do need to add in the pictures I have taken over the last few months.

I have started to spend more time on the Rushall Canal which runs not far from where I live and is easy to get to.

This time of year the cut is full of life and colour. I have been lucky enough to see Rudd, Perch Dace and Big Carp along with Pike in the water over the last week.

It does provide a good walk and it means I can get to Walsall Arboretum quite easily. Over the last week or so I have been able to see a range of birds including Common Tern ( who are currently breeding, 3 chicks, at RSPB Sandwell Valley) I got a couple of shots of a pair fishing along the canal on Saturday. This is the best of a bad lot.

I am however quite pleased with the pictures I took of Moorhen chicks. I assume they are second broods. Currently these are my favourites each showing small fluffy balls exploring the big wide world.

I t is definitely bed time now so good night.

second in July

Back again to write something. This is the second post in just over a week. I have been struggling to actually write some things down. OK so the world Cup has been on and I am sure I have come up with lots of excuses. I am still taking pictures. The website has sat for a while without addition. I am working on some changes / upgrades (that may be far too strong a word for it ). Anyway Vertrouge will have some new pictures and some new categories soon. we are back off to Scotland at the beginning of August so I hope to have done something by then.

So what has happened in the last week since my last post. Well I have been to work and we have had the weekend. The weather has held up.. well until today when the rain has returned. I have carried on with my walks up and down the River Severn around the English Bridge in Shrewsbury. A pair of swans has managed to raise so far a brood of seven cygnets who are growing well

They seem to spend most of their time when I am in the vicinity on the far bank or in mid stream. a couple of days ago they were lured across by the promise of bread and I got a couple of pictures. This is my favourite.

On the same day I saw a family group of goosander floating by. They stayed in the stretch for a couple of days before heading on, downstream I assume. There is something about the shape of their heads and the way they move that reminds me of the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park.

Yesterday I went for a walk along the canal that runs near where I live in walsall. I came across a couple of very young moorhen chicks and got a couple of pictures that I am quite pleased with.

As you can see from the first one the chicks were very small, this one looking as though it never wanted to get into the water again. After a while it had found a sibling and was being "fed" by the adult.

OK that is enough for now

Until next time

Onward

So I have been somewhat remiss writing in the blog for some weeks I remember doing something in May, but I have not even checked for a while. Not much has changed life has wandered on. I am still working in Shrewsbury and living in Walsall. the patterns of my life have not changed, maybe that has something to with the lack of writing in the blog.

Well it is now July and spring has definitely transformed into summer. This is my favourite summer picture so far. It was taken just upstream of the English Bridge in Shrewsbury on the River Severn.

I just like the colours and coolness of the water on a hot day.


The River Severn in Shrewsbury has provided my main source and I am developing my flotsam and Jetsam motif. I saw this Sainsburys carrier floating downstream as a bright amoeba drawing in all around it.

For those who have survived my musings for some time you will remember my love of Teasels. Well slowly this years batch is growing and coming into "flower".

Here is one of my favourites of the crop this year so far. You can just see the beginnings of the purple around head.

So I will try and be more regular with this

Time for bed

Isle of whithorn a flying visit part one

Having spent the weekend in Dumfries and Galloway during a hot and dry weekend and driven 300 or so miles there and back again. I feel I should spend some time recuperating and catching up with the pictures I took and writing up this blog. unfortunately no 1 daughters bedroom is in dire need of decorating and it has been decreed that we will get this sorted as soon as possible. so the room is now on the whole devoid of most things to be honest. there is a carpet and the occasional scrap of wall paper so I think I can call it a day.

My daughters had entered the Art and photography competitionn run by Castle Kennedy and the Stair Estates and both had won prizes. So we decided to go and pick them up in person. The presentation took place in the library in Stranraer on the Friday evening. We managed to get a place to stay in the Isle of Whithorn. Which is about an hour away from Stranraer but somewhere we have come back to over the years.

This is the main street on a busy Saturday morning.

the harbour itself is quiet and peaceful with the Steampacket inn possibly the favoured destination.

We arrived in plenty of time and were able to get top the presentation with lots of time to spare.

OK time for bed more in part 2 later in the week decorating allowing

another quiet day

So it has been another quiet day, I went for a walk at lunchtime and although I saw and talked to one of the people I pass quite regularly on my walks, I don't think I pointed my camera at anything at all.

Anything else happen well no. today I think was a normal day and I am not sure what to put down. I probably will have to make some decisions about trying to do something different. Re work I suppose. I am very bored and finding motivation is hard. The walking the pictures and shrewsbury itself are good. I like the people I work with. what I am asked to do is not challenging. Unfortunately I need to pay the bills and this does it. Unless someone has a better idea. Probably that someone is me.

Looking back I have never been able to directly get what I waned. Though sometimes it is working out what I actually want. that is the problem and I know, from experience, that just because something looks better.... the theory is great, the actual practice is crap.

I could get very maudlin here, but I won't. Today is Wednesday and Friday we are off to Scotland for the Weekend.

OK Goodnight