Camera quality, a diary and Bath

14 June 2013

There's a saying in the photo-world that goes something like this; 'it's not the camera that creates a good photo, it's the photographer'.  But is this really so?  You see, for quite some time I had been using one of those Kodak Instamatic cameras.  The results were acceptable for us at that time.  We went to a car boot sale and I picked up an Olympus 10 SLR with a standard lens.  One of the first shots I did with it was a portrait of our son, Tom.  We took a 10X8 print of the shot to my mother and her first words were, "What camera did you take this one?  It's a lot better than the others you've given me."  She obviously saw a marked difference in the quality of the image.  As it was shot was a so-so shot taken on the spur of the moment but it was obvious that an instamatic hadn't been used.  Our all time favourite photo of Tom was taken on Kodak disc camera; do you remember those?  We got it enlarged to a maximum of 8X6 but the grain in it was all too clear to see.  How much better a shot would it have been if I'd had a SLR to do it?  Of course we will never know but it does beg the depth of truth in that old saying.

Our diary was all to cock this morning.  Jan had two appointments listed, plus one that wasn't listed.  The morning one at a dentist which she had to phone to confirm it, which she did and found she didn't have one.  The one she hadn't put in the diary was for blood test at the GP surgery, which she did go to.  The afternoon appointment was at the Hussy.  When she got there she found out that the letter she took was actually telling her it had been put off for a week.  It's no wonder we're always confused ;-)))

While we were away we had a few hours in Bath and enjoyed it a lot.  Being there for just four hours we couldn't do as much as we would have liked.  But we did get a river boat trip from the famous horse shoe weir ... 

to another weir about 30 minutes up stream ...  

We turned there and headed back.  On the left hand side of the river was saw this ...  

I'm wondering if it is just and illegal camp site or if it belongs to a house holder who spends his summers there.  Not all that safe though; the guy running the trip said that during the recent floods the water reached a level around 13' higher than it was the day we were there.

So, funny time ...

A Native American Chief walks into a trading post and asks for toilet paper.  The clerk says he has three types for sale; unbranded at 40 cents, Andrex at  $1 and Morning Cloud at $2.

Not having a lot of cash he goes for the unbranded roll.  A few hours later he returns to the store and throwing the roll back to the clerk he says the toilet paper was useless.  it's so useless I have named John Wayne.

The clerk was puzzled; "Why John Wayne?" he asks.

"Because it's rough, tough and it won't take no crap off an Indian." 

Crochet, no News and dirty little theif!

13 June 2013

Jan has taken up crochet again.  She is very good at it too and won first place in her class at the local Festival of Arts a few years ago.  Now she is making a scarf - but not an ordinary scarf!  It's one of those curly things and it's looking good so far, and looking a lot better in the multi coloured wool she chose for it. The plan for yesterday was to go into town on the scooters for a look at the market but we were still tired after Tuesday so we stayed in.  Today we were going to go to Brum; but that changed after we saw the weather forecast last night on telly.  We will eventually get out I'm sure.

After two weeks I have no idea as to what is going on here in Dorktown.  The News isn't being delivered until tomorrow either.  We have just watched a programme on telly about burglary.  One guy got home from visiting his wife in hospital and found his house ransacked.  A lot cash and gold jewellery had gone missing.  It reminded me of when our place was done over a couple of years ago, however, there was a major difference in how the property looked afterwards.  The guy on telly, his house was a total mess; draws and cupboards had been empted and scattered all over the place.  When we were done there was no mess.  The person who committed it knew exactly what to go for and where to find the stuff.  If it had been a random job the place would have been as bad as the one on telly.  No, targeting our place was a spite attack.  How do we knew?  Well, three reasons really ...

I've already mentioned one, knowing where to find the stuff he wanted.  Secondly; Jan's bible.  She opened it the following weekend at an organised church function - and all the pages fell out, each of them torn to bits.  That was the spite aspect of it coming out.  Jan reported him for stealing her camera earlier in the year and he was given 100 hours community service and order to pay £250 for the camera; that's where the spite comes from. 

The third reason we know who it was is down to Facebook.  Up to that point I wasn't actually all that interested in it but I decided to open an account when I found out that our daughter and grandson used it.  So I logged on to open an account ... and when it opened it did so on the home page of the person who broke in.  See, I would never allow him to use my PC but Jan did let him use hers.  He knew I didn't do Facebook where as Jan did.  His thought process was that we wouldn't know it was by using my PC.  Not so clever was he?  Of course, he deigns it but says he knows who it was.  He would reply when asked why he hadn't turned them in.  Whatever, he will never be trusted with our keys again.  Not only that, he's been written out of our wills.  Yes, that's right, it was our own son!  If he gets upset by me posting this, then he can sue me - if he dares!!!

Today's photo took me over an hour in Photoshop to remove all the cables and power lines in it ... 

We drove past this place a number of time while we were in Weston but I didn't find out what it's called.  I'll find out some time ... hmmm ... a look on Google Earth show it to be "The British Bear Collection" - whatever that is! 

While we were away the Sage spoke ...

Dorothy and Edna, two "senior" widows, are talking.
Dorothy: "That nice George Johnson asked me out for a date. I know you went out with him last week, and I wanted to talk with you about him before I give him my answer."
Edna: "Well, I'll tell you. He shows up at my apartment punctually at 7 pm, dressed like such a gentleman in a fine suit, and he brings me such beautiful flowers! Then he takes me downstairs. And what's there; a limousine, uniformed chauffeur and all. Then he takes me out for dinner; a marvellous dinner, lobster, champagne, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Then we go see a show. Let me tell you Dorothy, I enjoyed it so much I could have just died from pleasure! So then we are coming back to my apartment and he turns into an ANIMAL. Completely crazy, he tears off my expensive new dress and has his way with me three times!"
Dorothy: "Goodness gracious!... so you are telling me I shouldn't go?"
Edna: "No, no, no... I'm just saying, wear an old dress."      

A good last night, home again and parking problems

12 June 2013

What a day for the weather to change.  We got up for the last time in Weston yesterday morning to find all over heavy cloud and a fine misty rain falling.  Of course with it being our day to leave we were not all that worried about it really.  We did feel a tad sorry for those staying on and those who would be arriving today though.  Whatever, we both had a good relaxing time down there; and that was what it was all about really.

Monday night we spent down in the bar for a change.  We're not big drinkers and sitting for three or four hours in the bar is not us.  But we made some good friends down there and seeing it was our last day, we did so.  There was duo on too and they were very good; a keyboard player and a guitarist.  Their voices were well matched too and they provided us with a really good last night of entertainment.  All told, we had a great night.

The journey back was pretty good too.  We left around 9.30 and arrived back here at home at 12.40; and that included a break for a coffee and stopping at Asda to do some shopping.  The rain petered out just north of Bristol.   

Unpacking the cars was a real pain though!  There's a prat who lives over the road who insists on parking his huge great works van in the bays outside our flats.  By doing so he takes up two parking spaces.  It's been reported to the council but nothing has been done about it yet.  Top and bottom is that all our luggage had to be carried a much greater distance that it should have done.  Ah well, at least the van is gone now and we get the cars back where they belong.

We were thinking of going into town on our scooters today seeing as its market day, but there a good stiff wind blowing so maybe not.  One of the friends we made phoned us last night to tell us that there's an article in the Oldie magazine by someone called Janet for Dorktown and was wondering if it was my Jan.  It wasn't but I'll be buying it to have read though.

The choice of photos is huge today.  I came back with 448 on the 16 gig card in my a77, and it had been emptied twice already.  And don't forget the Nikon 5100 compact which had loads on too.  I haven't finished editing them all yet either, including the sunsets I did which are probably the best shot of the holiday.  So for now you can have this one ... Hang on, I do have one sunset shot ... 

taken for our third floor bedroom window.

I found another 'funny' source while I was away.  This one comes from the Loo Companion ...

Johnny's teacher asks, "Johnny, give me a sentence with the word 'definitely' in it. 

The colour drains from Johnny's face and he asks, "miss, are farts squidgy and lumpy?"

The teacher's confused by this question but answers "Of course not Johnny."

Johnny gulps and replies, "In that case, Miss, I have definitely messed my pants!"

A quick post card ...

07 May 2013

A very quick note today just to let you all know I haven't forgotten you.  I was at one point hoping to be able to post a few blog entries while we are here but things have been very busy really.  Birding hasn't been as successful as we had it would be but we did tick cirl bunting and great white egret the other day.  yesterday's trip to Radpol in Weymouth didn't produce much at all - except me getting sun burnt pretty good ... ah well ... ... ...

On the way back to the hotel we drove along the sea front and there was a bikers meeting going on.  There must have been a thousand bike there.  By the time we saw that we had up and about for knocking 13 hours and we were shattered.  What a photo opportunity that would have been!

The other day we went over the water to see friends in Barry.  It took us some time to find them and when we did we found we had been driving up and down past their house for about an hour.  Anyway, we spent a happy few hours catching up on things and having a very nice lunch with them.    

Somerset Legion House is absolutely brilliant!  Our bedroom here is bigger than our living room and bedroom together back home.  We may find things a bit cramped when get home.  The food is spot on; it's all calorie counted and neither of us has been hungry at all.  Perhaps the only drawback is that the wifi only works in the library on the first floor, we're on the third floor; the lifts make things very easy thankfully.  It's very good overall though. 

Today's photo then ... 

The onion shaped pointy thing is in the middle of Western and according to the barman here costs £365,000 to build.  The term, 'we wuz robbed' seems to fit.

Sorry, no funny today cos I have other things to do.  Normal rants will start again next week.