Horned edition

During the week I was out and spotted Him with bigger horns!

Seeing I had my camera with me I took this picture, originated on Fuji Superia 200 film which was fun because you had to focus by hand and because of my poor left vision, I normally need a bit on the camera to make things in the viewfinder appear in focus so I could see what I was doing but realized I'd left it behind!
Thankfully I just spotted the point of sharpest focus on his eyes in this picture.

 

Then I spotted his neigh bour being ably looked after in the adjoining stable area which brought back memories cos the last time I had my film camera near horses, one of them stole me camera bag!

It was taken on a big 300mm telephoto lens, supported on a fence on the day realized my tripod (three legged support) was damaged.

If you think the last picture looks a bit more defined that's cos it's scanned at 3637 x 2433 which is over 8megapixels by  Photo Hippo Ltd, in Burnley, Lancashire who took over the Fuji Labs service whose turnaround is quite quick (five days from mailing film Saturday to arriving Wednesday) and comes strongly recommended.

Spring days on foot

Rough start to the weekend here with a major ptsd incident bright on by a bad combination of issues with the grump gaslighting me and news regaining a adult child that I'm a godparent to being in various and sickening crimes that they face the courts for.

Given some of things that happened to me as a child trust remains a major issue especially around grown ups as I spent time with an aunt yesterday talking stuff through.

Officially we're in spring now so it's a bit warmer again which helps when it comes to getting out as ice and walking don't mix with me at all.

 Sometimes you just come across things when you happen to be out aided no doubt for more tuned into nature, rather less on techno and groan up things and that is where this nice picture comes in as just happening to be passing thinking to myself "This looks good", quickly framing it up old school style with twin finger actions.

At a more technical level I did stretch the lens out to 114mm (in 35mm film terms) to fill the frame better and soften the background a little and corrected the colour in Roxio but otherwise it is 'as is'.
Just obscured by the tree, there is a very famous North Staffordshire landmark that is the home of a certain running event and playing a central place in establishment of the form of Methodist Christian teaching known as "Primitive Methodism" which shaped much of our region. 

Winter is almost in the air

After last week's more observational ow-ish post we're back into the wild this week although you'll need your thick tights on as it's bloomin' cold at the minute as I can feel it in me bones.

 These creatures have been keeping my company  on the smallholdings I pass while out walking, trying to keep myself fit as the go "Baa" making me feel my stomach and leaving me feeling hungry

 The leaves are beginning to grow and if you look carefully there are Dandelions stillout by the base of the tree trunk.

The signs are for the Farmers Market and Unprocessed milk you can buy from the farmers gate as some people prefer it to treated milk. Personally I prefer sterilized!

The leaves be a turning colour here all crisp which makes walks in the wood so enjoyable if you don't get a dozy wasp flying out of a hedge at you which is what happened to me the other week.

You should of seen me run the other way!!!

I haven't know too many village centres were between the shops, you can see and hear that much wildlife which makes even a trip to get a bottle of milk and Allied Bakeries finest can be most pleasant.

Fall 2023

It won't be that long before the clocks go back, the last weekend in this month if I remember it right and no matter where you are in the UK, something is happening all around you that's pretty magical.

Playtime for me involves time out of doors, no not sitting in the garden with the Chromebook, actually going a bit further and without the all pervasive internet, walking, throwing sticks in the woods and fields here.

It's the fall and the more your outside the more you'll see although for many years I loved observing it on the inter-urban commute to work through the bus windows, wherever I work if possible I'd go into parks and gardens not just for peace and quiet but to watch it all change.

Depending on the species, the rate of which the leaves change colour and even fall off varies which used to intrigue me as a child making my way to Church around harvest time where the pavements glistened in the low sun carpeted by leaves.

Sometimes things get a bit nutty as around now, you'll see the squirrels about gathering nuts to bury them and below it appears they've arranged everything that naturally fell making a  beautiful natural collage 

It's great to be out, eyes peeled to everything happening in nature.

Little pink blossoms

Spring has finally sprung here at chez Jo's with what might be a warm mini season this weekend which will be welcomed  after last weekend away day trip so the layers can come off and the gingham dresses going on.

This entry is very much hot of the press as I went out this morning first thing with an idea in mind for this blog entry, put my shoes on and took a few pictures. 

One I liked was that of our cherry blossoms as I just love the shade of pink they have being a highlight of year when they emerge.

That's more what I prefer.

Weird Wintertime

Sometimes the seasons seem well a bit weird to me  having spent part of last week and the start of  this with strong gales that blow rather a lot like next doors fence into the garden  and left the curb side here covered in debris.
Yesterday I even went out wrapped up well walking in the rain in a duffle coat getting very excited!

 Then, that being said having had only on Tuesday some stuff, would you of expected to see the Catkins out? Well when I was out walking late last week as I find it good for my mental health as well as physical fitness I did spot them on our subsiding public meadow that had trees planted on to help stabilize things as everything was starting to fall in a hole.

Wet weekends

The last few days have been rather wet so I  didn't get around to taking any pictures which was my intention and indeed I was lucky to spot a moment where I could slot in a walk in the drizzle but while doing so I did see a few things that came to me.

I've always had a fascination with snails and I saw rather a lot of them not just in gardens as you would expect but actually on the curb and pavement where they had paused so I had to be careful not to accidentally break the shells which is easy to do.

While aesthetically I don't like slugs I do find them fascinating to watch making their moves taking in their food stuffs on a well lubricated trail.

As well, the Tabby Cat from around the block was hanging about wanting food and shelter having been out overnight looking a little bedraggled from the wind and rain that woke me about 5 am on Friday morning.

It's not my idea of fun at all given this is late spring but we're just trying to work as we've done in this last year and a third with what it is.

Down our wood

It's been a week of the rain until the weekend that takes me away from it from as much as love being out of doors but the outdoor life is the one I prefer not least when it's so relaxing.

I'm fortunate this part of the North-west Midlands has lovely countryside even woods in walking distance I can just visit and just spent time just watching nature at its own more less hectic timescale and fields to watch and birds tractors pass.

Thoughts for May

Over here in Great Britain, it would be an official holiday where the banks and government offices are closed even though many shops do open other than this year rather rapidly it was decided to move to Friday May 8th to coincide with 75th V.E. Day celebrations leaving some Diaries messed up but most of that has gone thanks to Coronavirus.

 One things I do associate with May is Maypole dancing which is an ancient country tradition around much of Great Britain, sometimes performed by adults but often by children especially in Junior School (8 1/2 through 11+) where set to music we weave the individual ribbons together, at least in theory, as anyone who did only to find one person was out of step soon found out!
This is a lovely countryside animal drawing that shows the technique rather well and where I had my 8+ through 11+ education was in the country so we often went on nature rambles bring bits back with us for the teacher to lead a discussion of our findings and do some project work.
Before I forget, thanks for following for doing just that and for other people that started to read this blog for the first time.

Things to do on a rainy day

As I write this, it's really been something of a damp squid of a weekend with very heavy rain, power issues in parts of the country and no good for being out of doors which as I said the other week is really more my thing.
Instead I've been otherwise engaged with more mundane things such as sorting out bookmarks on the Chromebook because my bookmarks go back at around 2006/7 being imported from machine to machine regardless of browser over that period.
Sometimes it can be good for finding a old post about something I recall particularly if it has some otherwise hard to find information in it.
On the other hand you may draw a blank because either the site no longer exists like Google + or it's a persons blog on a site that has been removed or they shut down such as on Tumblr and so serves no real purpose.
The great thing about Google Accounts is being synchronized it doesn't matter on what you view on, all things like bookmarks and password changes are all saved across the board so I thought it was a good use of time this weekend.
One thing you can do is still life photography of either objects like coins, models or like this, flowers.
I also listened to a few recordings I hadn't played in a while while I wait for some new old titles to slowly come in being ordered from various separate suppliers.
 

Reflections fromSummer 2019 camp

Well, we're back after last weeks adventures that have been documented on the other blog on Monday so I won't repeat myself too much here.
As you'll know I've had a good number of things on my mind for most of the year so far in which have made my conditions somewhat worse than usual so going away as the processes around those things resolve themselves was really more about resetting myself.
One good thing about where we were was that I could just go off into a massive garden to think and immerse myself in watching and listen to the birds, enjoying the plants with many fascinating insects, just getting into that frame of mind.
Sometimes I find the preoccupation with news, reports from various groups on topics just overwhelms me to the point I sense my heart sinking every time I hear the letterbox open so just being totally away from it helped.
The other was just playing and colouring in where I made up the colour scheme rather than slavishly following the original ones that help lift my mind toward both a sense of imagination and also the possible rather than being stuck in a cycle of negativity.
I also did go for walks which lead to me interacting with strangers, exploring the area and just feeling more at ease with myself and the wider world.
Upon my return I felt fresher and a beige envelope showed my ESA money  for not being able to work was going to continue which draws a line under much of what had taken its toll on me. 

Time to be out

Seeing we had some good weather not unsurprisingly I have been out of doors a far bit  this last week or so and one thing I always found handy was the able to read a map and to take a smallish one me in case either I get lost which can happen or for extra details about the terrain or area  that might prove most useful.

One thing I always looked forward to seeing when I was younger were the Dandelion's coming out after Winter even though as you can see in this photograph the soil is fairly dry underneath, they  are all out and I can enjoy blowing the seeds away which always seemed magical to me.
It was taken on my new camera last weekend.
I shall most probably be out distributing our communities monthly magazines on foot this week depending on how soon they get to me from the printers as it's sometimes as a bit of dash to get them done in time.
I don't know about you but sometimes it seems there aren't enough hours in a day to cram it all in but somehow we just manage it all right, making for a rich life.

Floral relaxation

It has been a somewhat turbulent week not least today with current affairs so I'd sooner move on to something more soothing

 Although we're alternating between seasons having had when I typed this snowfall followed by brilliant sunshine followed by drizzle it is proving fine for blossoms out of doors and indeed even indoor ones as these flowers I had for my birthday are surviving well.
I find looking at flowers very relaxing just having to change the water every so often and typically they last a few weeks by which point I usually replace them.
I'm slowly but surely working through the PIP form with just a couple of bits to do before photocopying and mailing it back

Lessons Learned

As mentioned last week I was going to be away for a littles meet up and have only just arrived back a little lacking in spoons on Tuesday afternoon.
It may well of been showery when this picture was taken, but that wasn't the internal meteorological forecast because actually it was sunny inside for doing what I feel is the more important thing when you're away like exploring and visiting places and things.
 Not only did I behave myself, I found reserves of fitness as impacted as I am by my disabilities to do the things that until recently I'd of thought twice about like actually walking there and back to the castle in the background, enjoying the Whitcliffe Common Nature reserve along the way surrounded by trees.
It certainly wasn't easy for me with hilly terrain with some mud from the overnight rain difficult to walk through but I actually did it.
I like the things you can do indoors such as quizzes, colouring, arts and crafts and even the odd spot of cookery that connect to littles life in various sometimes not so direct ways but perhaps for me something more like a Brownies or Girl Guides camp  in feel and activities is what is more needed?

Making plans an that

Things are it has to be said nothing on here that even with the weather the last week being at its coldest so far this winter I have been out for a good three quarters to a whole hour a day taking in the fresh air walking and observing things  such as several birds singing in a nest, a group flying in a V shaped formation and with the eather being mild until recently even the pussy willow being out in the local woods.
Arrangements are being made for February Littles camp where an unexpected offer of an extra free day seems to have caught a number of us with limited time off from work to take full advantage of it although if it were to be offered again I am sure that it would prove useful although to date seems likely we'll be returning in the summer to the old venue as the appropriate has taken that off the property market and is taking bookings into mid summer.

Given this is a new place we've been asked to arrive more toned down than full on little although given my Tom Boy side tends to come out that's no big deal as I'm still little in regular brogues and shorts and never had a big thing for super frilly dresses anyway.
Perhaps I should bring a catapult?

Fall Sightings 2018 Part 2

In what seems more like a last hurrah of spring  rather than The Fall, I've been out quite a bit this last week noticing things.

 We're getting in classic golden fall territory in our local wood withe the leaves going a coppery colour and a good number down to ground level making a colourful carpet.

Strange things having been going on as while as you can see the leaves are starting to decay actually on Saturday Afternoon they were smothered with at least three Ladybirds per leaf and indeed I had to carefully scoop one that had attached itself to me and put it on a leaf.

There were two spotted ones and the Harlequin ladybird.

The trees at the end of the  lane are starting to go go coppery as those just opposite already have

 Down at ground level you can see the leaf carpet around each trunk and to where Zee-Zee's mates were spotted running up and down the branches in a carefree way.

It's been a great week out.

Fall sightings 2018

This week in the crazy world of me we actually go outside at the start of the Fall where within a built up area you actually get to see things you'd normally have to go a bit beyond down the country lanes for.

 I wouldn't go mentioning requiring a new jumper in the presence of these two as they may well Baa you out within seconds. They're within a hundred yards of a community centre but it doesn't feel like it.

 If anyone ever accused these two of horsing about they'd have quite answer to that as I careful supported the camera with the lens set at 105mm in uneven light and later on adjusted the exposure a little.
It was around here I once almost lost a camera bag to curious horses!

 There's nothing like crisp leaves and sunlight although I used to cheat in the old days armed with the Olympus OM4 and use the TTL flash with a warm up filter sometimes to get the kind of golden colour cast I like.

Just resting

This last week has been a bit different with not being here for a few days so in a  way it feels rather like I'm playing catch up right now like with dealing with unopened mail and the like apart from getting the washing done.
One great thing about where I live is even in more built up centre there are undeveloped patches of land that are a haven for wildlife which may be things like birds and small mammals but as here actually you can get to see horses grazing  where the fields are let to individuals although this very field was the one in 2005 where one horse decided to steal my camera bag using his teeth that had my then Minolta camera with lenses and run off with them.
I had to get the owner to go in there and retrieve it all covered in horse spit and clean it!
I have  been walking both when I was away and also here where it's gotten a bit cooler from the start of last week but I think we'll be back to t shirts and thin skirts or shorts with fairly soon as while very hot weather isn't my thing, being able to drop off the layers and taking in some sun as well as fresh air is something I do really like.
The cherry blossoms and blue bells are still out here.

Outdoor week

Phew, it's been a warm week out with plenty of sunshine so I've been out for quite a while so if I haven't been as active as I might on social media, that's unfortunate but I honestly feel it's better to prioritize my physical and psychological well-being.
Fresh air and exposure to sunlight  ultimately are better for me.
One recurring problem I have on social media is the lack of respect  a number of people have for your own boundaries such as being followed by very graphic pornographic  accounts that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and them to even reblog your posts to accounts full of such material when then starts to bring more of their followers interacting with you.
Why does anyone think I want to be seeing endless genitalia on display often engaged in highly sexual acts especially when I have it clearly shown on my accounts I don't wish for it and will remove people that disrespect that?
One the other hand my second best friend furry ab comic is coming along quite well at a point the main character not giving the story away is at an important stage in her immersion into the world of littles and how being in that position plays out with the all too real consequences and emotions.
While it's never a text book of it, it does help in illuminating and bring to life the concepts and 'how would it feel if I were to' parts that anyone with an interest around Caregiver/little relationships in the broadest sense needs to consider before jumping in with both feet.
The comments section also has helped in explaining the importance of consent, the use of safewords and so to anyone who *may* be curious themselves.
As well, I've been in touch with a friend to get arrangements all fixed to travel to Susan's funeral as it's a few hundred miles away which should help with closure.

Weekly reflection

 

This week as the weather has been  better for getting about so I've managed to get out and actually walk a bit further than normal getting close to what I was capable of several years back so that's been great this week.

It's so great to start to wake up to the dawn chorus now that it's getting a bit bit bright and for longer because it sounds so peaceful and when I'm out walking often I stop and listen out for them spotting them in the trees or just overhead near the fields.

Also the people who look after our Inland Waterway have been at work so I've been over there on my travels talking with them and other people about too.

It's strange but all of this actually leads to me feeling less stressed and from that much less likely to lash out at people when it just all becomes too much emotionally and when it comes to stimulation too which is a great help not just to me but Mom too.

As I'm typing this out today it's her day - what the natives here call "Mothering Sunday" - so I got her a card and present while I was in town late last week while I was out exchanging a gift voucher toward a present for my birthday.

I've also been thinking about my over 18 Tumblr and were I want to take it  so spent sometime while out thinking that through and am working on ensuring it is targeted in and around exactly what I want.

I think I'm doing good now. 

Just as this blog is about to go to press, it's been announced Professor Steven Hawking has died who like me is a quadraplegic.

He's been battling Motor Neurone disease since being diagnosed with it at university   being a electric wheelchair user but although he required considerable personal support, he went on to complete a lot of research into the Cosmos to acclaim from his peers and can be credited with helping to popularize science and break down the idea that disabled people cannot contribute to society.

He was an inspiration to me and countless others of our generation.