Friday, June 20, 2008

Visitors for lunch - lovely occasion

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Pictures 1, 2, and 3 above are all separate shots and can be enlarged individually - should you so wish. I think that now, having achieved a modicum of success in the 'bees wings' saga I shall leave this sort of photography to the experts. p.s. when I was a young PC a kindly Sgt once said to me - "I should leave that Graham. Leave it to them what understands it".

All three above were at ISO 1600 and the 'noise' doesn't seem so horrendous. Probably because there was more natural light. The crucial shutter speed turned out to be 1/8ooth of a second. In picture 1 it seems to have almost stopped the wing motion (may by chance I hit Reg's suggestion of when the wings changed direction). Pictures 2 and 3 show the blurred motion of the wings. And that was the sum total of my ambitions - I didn't like the wings simply to vanish.

Picture 4 is a Bungus 'Lowering Sky' and I consider it very good. I particularly like the hint of movement in the tree branches - it conveys the blustery day at 1.34pm on the 20th June 2009 (you really must let me reset the time and date on your Camera Bungus).

The others may differ, but if the snap was mine I would crop out from the polytunnel downwards. The result would be even more dramatic.

Our long arranged at home lunch-date, with Peter and Joan, and Jean, came to pass. And it was an outstanding success. Simple fish and chips, with either petit pois or mushy peas. Followed by rhubarb and apple crumble (our rhubarb, Morrisons' bramleys) and custard. Then a cheese-board and coffee.

And a smashing long chat well into the afternoon. We zoomed through the National Trust, Political correctness, families, outings etc., etc. Y and I worked well together, even to the aftermath and we had soon dish-washered, dried cutlery, and put away. All well worth it for such a smashing lunch-time.

Comments.... AnonymousRob ..... Your IT consultant is a nimble operator if he can fit a blog-comment filter ! But I guess with comment 1 timed at 8.51 pm yesterday and comment 2 at 6.30 pm, presumably today, I assume he must have succeeded. Tough ! We shall just have to steel ourselves for the fruit of your dongle in future.

Your 'Lowering Sky' at least qualifies for 'une petit noir sur la mere de Guillaume!' because it looks a helluva long way away. Hope I've got my cases and things right.

Enjoy your caravanning weekend - and I'm sure you will put your dongle to good use.

Bungus ..... I like your 'earie' tag for my garden wheat snap. Re the judges comments on my Staff of Life pub title photograph of you holding the baton. I don't know - because I had to miss going - not very well etc., As it was 'erect' and also 'bread' there were several layers of interpretation. None of which seemd to have registered.

The source of Steven's scepticism over the blood clot is that nothing positive showed up on the scans. It was therefore a diagnosis from symptoms rather than pictures. He had a few hours before his breathlessness been working in a very fine wood dusty environment and considered that the more likely. He has agreed to 'take it easy' but whether he will or not God knows.

Jill .... Glad you were only missing for the one day ! There was something on 'blogger.com' about a 'scheduled outage' so I think it possible that you encountered that. Whatever it is ! And that could be Rob's problem too, rather than the nimble IT consultant. Time will tell.

Just watched a very watchable programme of Bill Gates interviewed by Fiona Bruce and I fine job she made of it. Notoriously difficult to interview he came over well. If you missed it there is live footage included in that link.

Steve's blood clot could well be, as you suggest, some sort of embolism. His knee problem and operations could have produced it. David had a motor bike accident many years ago and broke his leg quite high up. A clot travelled to his lungs. They finished up having to repeatedly thump his chest to try and break it up before it killed him. He survived Thank God.

I'm very pleased the EU are ending sanctions against Cuba. It should make a big difference to their economy. But I haven't read about it. Can you remember the source?

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Some time ago Reg mentioned the 'barber-shop singing' competition at Colliers Wood tomorrow. This link is to The Eastwood and Kimberley Advertiser who recommend arrival soon after 2pm. Weather permitting we will be there. It can't be more than 2 miles away.

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The 'metaphysical poets' still work in my opinion.

"I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds and bowers,
Of April, May, of June and July-flowers"

Robert Herrick

I used to dislike poetry which rhymed and scanned. But now I like it. Must be getting old !

Sleep tight, catch you tomorrow............................

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I still like the first ‘bee-in-flight’ picture the best.

Re my lowering sky: I am an other; I reckon the top of the polytunnel leads the eye nicely to the movement of the wind in the tree.
I think it is probably only the year that is incorrect on my camera.

Surely it should be more like 'C’est un morceau noir sur la maison de la mere de Guillaume!'
From what you have said about judges, the only winnable way to portray the staff of life would be to have a picture of a staff (labelled ‘staff of life’)

I now understand why Steve is concerned although personally I have never been able to see anything but vague shadows on X-Rays any more than I could see rust in the barrel of my rifle (I eventually agreed that it was there in order to stop the endless haranguing – and got 3 days CB). I do know, as Steve obviously will, that several hardwoods produce highly dangerous dust.

The Bill Gates interview sounded as if it would be interesting. Probably more interesting than almost all but the last 2 minutes of extra time of the Croatia v Turkey match.
So Turkey did it again, after a very dodgy first hour or so, producing another astonishing finish comparable with that European Cup win of Man Utd. I understand that 4 of the 6 goals they have scored in the tournament have been in ‘time added on’.
Surely they cannot prevail against Germany, especially as they have half a dozen of their best players ineligible.

I didn’t know the EU had sanctions against Cuba. No body asked me! I totally disapprove.
I thought it was just the USA that had persuaded most of its population that there is something threatening about this pocket of communism. Perhaps they are worried that if people could see how happy the Cubans are they would want some themselves (unlikely when they realised what would have to be given up).

I do not think one needs to back into a small corner. There is room for all forms of poetry.

I hope anyone who missed this week’s Culture Show saw the full edition tonight. I have just finished watching it and enjoying it just as much.

Rob:
The old joke as I recall it is
“Jeeves, call me a cab”
“Certainly, sir. You are a four wheeler, for you could never be called hansom.”

I must conclude that there is little point in giving a competition a subject. January competion, February competiton, etc would do.
No, No! The essential point of the phrase is that Bill’s mother lives some way away and the 'black over' is a portent. I admire the rebel in you but this is not something which can be personalised to the point where it loses its essential meaning.

Chic Murray:
“If it weren't for marriage, husbands and wives would have to fight with strangers.”

Anonymous said...

I think metaphysical poetry is so much easier to remember, that's why I like it.

EU/Cuba sanctions - I first read it on the BBC news site. Then heard it on radio. It was where they were discussing ratifying the Lisbon Treaty (moving the goal-posts/changing the rules more like) and it was said because the signing etc. was all in disarray (thank you Ireland!) they had to come up with something to justify the meeting so came up with dropping sanctions against Cuba now that Fidel is no longer in charge.

Nobody asked me either, Bungus, the same as nobody asked me if I wanted the Olympic Games in London or if I wanted to invade Iraq. This was their big mistake.....

Some toe-rag rang and rang the bell at the end of our drive (our house lies back off the road, down about 150 ft. drive, we have a bell and entryphone at the gate) at 3.45 this morning, woke us both up, and I only just got back to sleep before the aeroplanes started at 6.00....so I am not at my best. I think more tea is called for.....

Anonymous said...

How strange of the EU to lift sanctions against Cuba simply because Fidel is no longer in charge. However, this may say lots about the EU decision makers. They obviously don't realise that Fidel's brother, and the same regime, is in charge; or it could just be that Dubya is about to disappear off the world stage and they feel they can do what they like.

Like others, though, I ask why were there any sanctions in the first place?

Elaine says the polytunnel is distracting and takes the eye away from the sky which is the main reason for taking the picture in the first place. I say that I didn't know Bill's mother had a polytunnel in her garden.

I don't think Turkey have got a prayer against Germany. Then again, I didn't think they had a prayer against the Czechs with 15 minutes to go or the Croatians with 1 minute to go. It's a funny old game is the Beautiful Game but that is precisely what makes it beautiful.

Today at the caravan park has been totally miserable, weather wise. Isn't it supposed to be midsummers day? I know it's the longest day and the rubbish weather will prolong it no end.

Bungus - ah ha! We have agreement; there is no point in giving photographic competitions titles. There may be no point in having photographic competitions per se as photography should be a means of personal expression not a competitive sport.

But with reference to Bill's mother's we will have to agree to disagree. Of course the phrase can have its meaning changed; I'm sure the English language must be full of phrases and words where the meaning has changed over time.

I don't think our IT consultant has placed an anti-blog filter on the system; he's not that clever. I think I just got the HTML tags wrong and didn't realise it.

Rob