Tall Ships.

In November I spent 10 days helping to crew a square rigger, the sail training ship SV Tenacious, which included a certain amount of scrambling about in the rigging.  I just found this picture on Wikipedia which reminds me what a fun way it is to spend a holiday.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Garthsnaid_(ship,_1892)

Owls

The Christmas tradition that is as uncelebrated as brussel sprouts is the start of the twooing season for Tawny Owls, or so it seems. Emerging scullery bound at 3am with a roll of wet bedding into a brilliant cold night, I heard one start up loud and indignant a few feet away. It was disinclined to leave or to quit its noise until I re-emerged from the scullery doorway and tried to spot it in the brilliance of Jupiter's light. It must have been on a branch of the ash tree above my head, or possibly on the roof of the woodshed, but as quickly as it had started, it's call moved to a tree farther away, and then presently it was gone, as if the call had come without a bird, like the smile on a Cheshire cat.

Tourettes's syndrome

He finally went to sleep in the early hours, kept awake by the tics and shouts of this monster that has taken over him called Tourette's.  He's gone back to sleep on the sofa, a shaft of early sunshine across his blanket; at least for the moment his face is at peace.

Todays Lunch - 240Cals

My lunch - 30g chorizo fried without oil, 140g scallops fried in the chorizo fat and sprinkled with fresh coriander. A mere 240 Cals, carb free, and utterly delicious. Total cooking time six minutes. Thanks to Nigella.

Times Photographers Reunion

Home on the late train from Andrew Moger's well provisioned reunion for old Times of London photographers at the Frontline Club. Only two turned up who overlapped my days at Gray's Inn Road, but that was quite enough to unlock the memories of operating newspapers without mobile phones or the internet.

Christmas

That was that then, White Christmas, we never saw you; just rain.

Hungerford's New Footbridge

Hungerford's footbridge.

Amazing these days to be able to shoot with a compact camera at ISO 12500 and get a passable picture.  Canon Powershot G15, hand held at 1/60th f2.2 .