Just a few Michaelmas Daisies after overnight rain, for your delectation. Of no significance 'cept they're pretty. There wasn't any fog this morning, and no spiders' webs either. One day isn't really enough data on which to base the theory that spiders only build webs in hedges and things when it is foggy. But I shall watch the situation with interest in future.
Yesterday evening we watched a fascinating programme on The National Geographic channel about the Sears Building in Chicago. It was an hour, but the time shot by. For a time it was the tallest building etc., etc., at 1451feet not counting the aerials on top. 11,000 people work in it and the programme covered the design, the construction and loads of amazing facts. It was good that the people to do with it seemed happy and proud.Googling found me a much better image than this one but it had 'Emporis' watermarked across it and a strict injunction that you could only view it on your browser and not reproduce it elsewhere without a licence. The one I've used is courtesy of Google Images and carries no such injunction. However, it is a very low pixel count so don't expect much luck with enlarging.
We have both been busy today. Y with the inevitable washing and she managed to get in the garden and do some cutting back. I cooked an apple-flan and a crispy-beef stir fry both of which were proclaimed as successes.
I pricked out 13 Basil plants, the total head-count in the end - not 7 as I originally claimed. The tray only conveniently holds 12 so I gave the 13th to Derek next door. Hope he isn't superstitious.As I think I've previously said, the variety is Minette and has small leaves. The flavour is super and it's so easy to grow. The seeds germinate well and cuttings root almost overnight.
Ray e-mailed me back about the Acronis problem. He hadn't managed to download it either - apparently they 'pulled' the free offer. And I had been convinced that, as usual, I had boobed somehow. So I had a go with Mozy and needed to leave the lappy on all night, it took so long to record My Pictures and stuff. When I went to it this morning it said I was 103% over quota and my 'backup' hadn't been successful. Sod it! I think I'll stick to backing up regularly onto CDs. But, with gmail and Picasa web-albums alot of stuff is stored online anyway. However, when I had a look at my web-albums, I noted that I have already used up 50% of my allowance. Ah well!
My passport has returned and is now valid until 2016. Y is keen on a cruise, and we have seen a very nice looking Danube job, next April or May. There will be some good photo opportunities.
Byeeee.......
I woke gently this morning to a floating white vision of loveliness. It was Florence Nightingown herself, ‘The Lady with the Cuppa’. A most welcome sight, Dear Reader.
ReplyDeleteRe ‘Walking Stick Making’ and wood carving. Working rather larger-scale, eg, my head in the ‘Easter Island’ style (approx 12” x 12” x 18”), proved very tiring after a whole day with mallet and big chisels and was still ‘unfinished’. I think RadioG, like me, may prefer this cruder sort of result. The other, extremely experienced and highly-skilled carvers tend to produce very precise, ‘photographically realistic’, highly polished items (and less skilled practitioners attempt so to do). Although I admire many of these and appreciate the effort and concentration they display, they are seldom to my particular taste. It is rather similar with the walking sticks: one local craftsman obviously spends many, many hours shaping and sanding (often with expensive materials such as Indian buffalo horn at up to £50 for a piece that will make just one handle). But he then varnishes them and ends up with a very shiny ornament which, to me, has little practical use. Others produce shepherds’ crooks which will never go near any flocking sheep (suitable for bishops, I suppose, but you can seldom find one of those when you want one). Roy, our tutor, although he seems to think that less than 300 hours spent sanding a handle is skimping, does prefer wax or oil to varnish and has no aversion to a more rustic finish. His personal preference is for the very simple thumbstick which, with a bit of practice, can be made in a day. He has also provided many of the materials free of charge, including a large selection of 3 year plus seasoned and straightened sticks, of different woods, gathered by himself. I was tempted by an antler for the handle but eventually opted for burred elm and a holly stick which I believe will suit my needs in that it will act as a measure for camera focusing, hang from my arm while I take photos, provide a hook to drag down branches when collecting sloes and other fruits of the wild, and also serve as an aid to walking and deaf dog or dead duck poking.
To Saturday’s blog.
Yes, the Michelmas daisies are pretty and your photo shows them very well. But we had spiders’ webs this morning; I had to invade one to clean a wing mirror. Mind you, it was misty here, even at 10.30.
Smashing picture of Sears Tower but when I tried to enlarge it, it appeared smaller! How can that be?
Sandra has managed to rescue a couple of basils which had appeared to have disappeared and has put cuttings from them in water to root. I shall supply progress reports but, If this proves successful, it will release more seedlings for Derek; otherwise you might consider giving him a chive to keep his basil company.
Without claiming to fully understand the intricacies of your 'quotas' and the nature of the problem, would it help if you acquired an independent hard drive to store photos, especially if you are using fat RAW files? I know Ann and Roy have done this (from Rainworth) and are very satisfied.
In the fullness of time, I look forward to seeing how blue the Danube really is (I suspect it will be rather brown unless covered with algae).
I am going for a walk in Whitby on Tuesday (7.30 start!). The forecast is light rain and poor visibility but quite mild. Watch this space, which leads me on to …..
Is it déjà vu or did you recently blog pictures of the canal, the first of which was, in my view, rather too colourful (compared with the Danube). Trawling (note how I stick to the watery theme)through your blogs back to year dot, I can only find said picture on March 23rd. How odd, I say to myself, perhaps HG Wells is alive and living in Wells (too much Monty P again).
I've been right to the top of the Sears building - other half encouraged me (I don't like heights) and when I got to the top I was too scared to look out....The view is, however, supposed to be remarkable, so they tell me.
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