Tag Archives: sunset

Red Sky at Night

Julia took the photos for this post, including the sunset, which appears to have been made less colourful by the camera. Isn’t it always the way?

Looks like butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth, doesn’t it? Based on size and colour, we seem to have four regular visitors. And based on the way the seed is going they are all eating well. I know there’s more to nature gardening than just feeding birds, but it’s not as if squirrels really need much help to prosper.

It looks like it is time to bring some gardening tools down, as things are starting to happen and we will need to get on top of it. That means it’s definitely time to start the compost heap. I’ve been putting it off because Julia always worries about compost attracting rats, and has been particularly jumpy after we spotted the rats a while back. Me, I’ve rarely seen a rat near compost – they tend to have better things to do in suburbia, where there is plenty of decking to hide under, and plenty of spilled bird food. Some people down our old road even used to put food out for foxes overnight, which is a surefire way to get rats.

A leap like that deserves a few seeds . . .

Meanwhile, it’s been a slow week for reading blogs. I’m sorry about that, but I left myself with a lot to do this week and am only just coming down to earth after a marathon writing session. I’m hoping to catch up with my reading this week before starting on a slightly more sensible writing spree this month. I have ten submissions to do, if I move to each form being a separate submission, which doesn’t sound much better, but if I start now instead of leaving it for three weeks I should be in much better shape to get it all done.

And finally, a robin.

Disappointment

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Sunset over Screveton

As I turned into our road tonight the dusk sky revealed itself in glorious shades of electric blue peeping out from behind pink clouds. This had been hidden from me by my car roof and direction of travel. Naturally I took pictures. And naturally, the colour of the sky revealed on the camera screen, was a poor imitation of the real thing. This remained true even as I manipulated the various colour settings available to me. I used the sunset setting to get the reds/pinks, but then tried the landscape and firework, and even the food settings, to enhance the blue. It didn’t seem to work.

Sunset over Sherwood

However, none of this mattered as my computer refuses to read the card. This is the second time this has happened in a week, but as I am using several cameras and cards I didn’t really get on top of the first incident. It looks like I can still access photos on the card, but I just can’t access ones I have taken in the lat few days. I had thought it was the camera at fault, but as it has happened with two cameras it looks like it’s the card. I wish I’d worked that out at the time as I might have some magnificent shots of tonight’s sunset. However, you will have to put up with some shots of previous sunsets. With any luck, I will get another chance before the winter is over.

Sunset with pylon, near Codnor, Notts

We get some good sunsets at other times of the year too, it’s just that with them occurring round about the time I return home, it’s easier to see them in winter. Of course, like fish and items for your collection, the ones you get are never as good as the ones you miss.

Close to Last Glimmering – Sherwood, Notts

Same place, but later

Day 212

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I finally got through to the people who service my car this afternoon. It’s taken two weeks to get through and I have been getting concerned by the lack of return calls. The worst has, I’m afraid, happened.

They had to move a few years ago because a property developer wanted their unit to build flats on. He evicted a couple of other businesses too, including a restaurant which had recently been refurbished. Years later, the new flats have not been built, a new restaurant has opened, and several lives have been ruined.

They reopened in a new unit which wasn’t very convenient for me, but I stuck with them as they needed the business and they’d always done a good job.

I now have to report that, sadly, they have had to close down. A lot of customers didn’t move with them, there is not a lot of business about, and, with COVID, nobody needed car servicing because nobody went anywhere. I have certainly cut back a lot on driving and have had less need for car servicing and repairs.

Sunset, Notts

It’s not just losing a garage, it’s losing two friends I’ve had for the last twenty years.

A pox on property developers, I say. I needed a garage within walking distance. I don’t need a bunch of millennials in flats, particularly as they are likely to cause parking problems.

and with that thought, and with 290 words needed to reach my target, I will add a longish final sentence and a picture of a sunset. Or several.

Sunset at Sherwood

Eternal Sunset of the Trivial Mind

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“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey.”

That’s a quote often attributed to John Ruskin but, as with so many quotes, there is no evidence he ever said it. However, there is definitely no doubt that it describes my buying habits.

About twenty years ago I bought a cheap, low quality shredder. That wasn’t what I meant to buy, but it’s what you end up with when you buy the cheapest.

About nineteen years ago Julia bought a more expensive, better quality, shredder, because she was fed up of my running commentary on the uselessness of mine. It worked well for years, before with, a screech and a smell of hot plastic, it stopped, and never started again.

That is why I’ve just been muttering at the older machine, whilst prodding at it with a screwdriver and unravelling yards of creased paper from the cutters. I fear the blades are not as sharp as they used to be and, despite the supposed five sheet capacity, they are struggling to cut three.

This is not what you want to see when you have a pile of rugby club records to shred. Even after my efforts of the morning I still have a pile of paper three inches thick to get through. A lot of it is pink and yellow sheets from three-part registration forms and a lot of the rest contains personal details so can’t be re-used as scrap paper.

This is what happens when a conscientious man with access to his work’s printer keeps records. I’ve already disposed of various ten-year-old policies and grant applications.

It’s not as if they are really my responsibility – I was landed with a box of them by a man who is clearly smarter, and more cunning, than I am. After several years of trying to pass them on I have admitted defeat and started to shred. It is not going well, as you can probably tell from the reference to the screwdriver. There is, I can confirm, a small margin between a shredder and a device for screwing up paper in tight folds.

When I buy another I am going to buy an expensive one and hope the price reflects the quality.

The header picture is shredded paper – I took it myself. I did originally take the lazy option but the image search offered a single picture, which was actually a cheese grater. I’m beginning to think that my early enthusiasm for this feature may have been misplaced.

The lower pictures are sunset, taken from the back of the house.

Sunset over Sherwood

Some Photos

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I have noticed, when looking at my photos, that although I often don’t have a photo to go with a post, I also have photos I never get round to using. With that in mind I’m going to publish some of the photos I took on Monday. They aren’t very good as I’m a bit rusty after months of only photographing coins, but I’m going to make an effort with photography again this year.

Tree – Tagg Lane Dairy

The header picture shows a stand of trees across the road from the dairy. The light was going and it almost came out as black and white. The other is in the garden of the farmhouse, which is intruding slightly into the shot. I’m using the old, small camera, which makes it tricky to frame as there’s a black spot in the picture, which increases with zooming, and which needs to be cropped out.

View from Tagg Lane Dairy – Derbyshire

This was a view across the fields. The sun was just catching the stone wall, but it didn’t add as much colour as I thought it would.

Finally, on the way home, we found a place where sky colour, foreground interest (I use the term loosely) and parking coincided. I know a bad workman always blames his tools, but I’m sure they would have been better with one of the better cameras. Unfortunately I still haven’t learned to use the new one, and the other Olympus has flat batteries.

Sunset December 2019

Sunset – Langley Mill – December 2019

Sunset Dec 2019 Langley Mill

A Few Photos

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The featured image shows what happens when you leave a man alone in a car with a camera. He finds the starburst setting. That was Sunday morning at the services, waiting for Number Two Son. You are never alone with a filter…

Later, I took some photographs of the sunset. I used a filter on that too – if I don’t, my camera tends to take all the colour out.

Sunset over Sherwood

It wasn’t really an action-packed day.

Odds and Sods

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The header picture is a sunset and thistles in the car park near the Scallop at Aldeburgh. Here’s another one, plus a lamp post shot from Aldeburgh. It seems a shame to waste a sunset when you have a camera in your hand. There’s a cobweb in there somewhere too.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

According to this article the pub sign – The Magpie at Little Stonham on the A140 in Suffolk – is unique in the UK for having a gallows sign across the road.

The Magpie, Little Stonham, Suffolk

Having recently driven under the sign for The George in Stamford and The Green Man and Black’s Head in Ashbourne I can confidently say that if “unique” means “one of at least three” the article is correct. If, however, “unique” still retains its original meaning, then the article’s research is incredibly sloppy.

Why is it that some people can get published when others (no matter how handsome, charismatic and talented) can’t? Not that I’m bitter or anything.

Finally, a football card. I’ve been putting them on eBay. Enter 45 names and numbers, take 45 photos, rotate and tidy 45 photos…

It’s Duncan Edwards. He was selected for the National Morris and Sword Dancing Festival whilst at school, but went to a football trial instead. The rest is history.

Duncan Edwards – Manchester United

Skies and Disappointments

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Last night I took No2 son to work. It was just after 10pm and the sky was a fantastic shade of saffron. As usual, I didn’t have the camera with me, though it wouldn’t have helped much – all the best views were from roadworks and dual carriageways where I couldn’t have stopped anyway.

This morning, at around 4am, on the way to the bathroom, I noticed the sunrise was similarly colourful. This time I did have access to the camera and I didn’t need a parking place. I did, however, manage to ignore these advantages and went back to sleep. That’s why I’m using the pictures fron last Wednesday.

I’m not cut out for the hurly-burly of high-level blogging. I’ll leave that to Derrick Knight and Tootlepedal – they are like blogging machines. Me, I’m more of a dormouse.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After a hard half day sorting parcels and pennies I went for a cream tea with Julia. We’re thinking of blogging about cream teas.

I’ll show you the pictures later.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Have to go now- Julia says it’s time for me to cook.

Derrick and TP don’t have this problem…

A Quick Update

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Though some parts of the country have been hammered, including neighbouring Lincolnshire, which has had several car accidents, including a triple fatality. Nottingham has so far escaped.

After an early blood test, I noted that the sky was divided into two parts. One section was bright blue with fluffy white clouds. The other was grey and threatening, with more than a hint of roiling and portent.

Looking good – blue sky over Sherwood

Blue skies…

Buying supplies

Eventually the latter won through, the world turned grey and large fluffy flakes of snow came falling. Once it had laid a half inch of snow it slackened off, the sun came out and the thaw commenced. Yes, it was that quick. Ten minutes falling, ten minutes melting. We had a few flurries later, and even a few soft ice pellets, but little stuck.

Moon over Sherwood

On the way home I bought a few supplies (sausages and bread) to see us through any further snow, and took pictures of sunsets. There is still some snow on the shady side of the streets here, but that’s it so far.

Sunset and chimney pots

Sunset from Sainsbury’s

Chimney pots – Basford

The temperature is low, but no lower than normal winter temperature.

All in all, I’m happy with the lack of snow and keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue. I’m also happy with the sunsets – most of which were taken in the supermarket car park after buying the aforementioned supplies.

Sunset in Sherwood

And again…

Sunset Today and Plans for Tomorrow

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I have a busy day planned for tomorrow. Drop Julia off at work, read some blogs and then head off to the launderette. I’ve searched out every scrap of clothing in the house and managed to last almost a month, but we now need clean clothes.

I also have to go shopping, take some photographs, research some posts, start the cooking for next week and sleep in front of the TV. That last one isn’t so much a plan as a statement of inevitability. Like white hair and wrinkles, it’s an unavoidable part of becoming an elderly gentleman. Women are different. Women are more industrious and less likely to snore through an entire episode of Bargain Hunt. Women are also more likely to spend their time in front of the TV rustling things during the quiet bits of programmes and talking over plot points. Well, I know at least one who is…

I tried taking pictures of sunset. As I left the supermarket the sky was quite dramatic. As I reached the car the light was fading. And as I started photographing, the camera “corrected” the sky despite me using several different settings to compensate. It may have been because there was so much light in the car park. Whatever the reason, the clouds should be darker, with fiery red showing through the cracks.

Sunset over Basford

Ah well, time for bed now – back to our routine of early starts tomorrow.

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Life after the Care Farm

Tag Archives: sunset

Red Sky at Night

Disappointment

Day 212

Eternal Sunset of the Trivial Mind

Some Photos

A Few Photos

Odds and Sods

Skies and Disappointments

A Quick Update

Sunset Today and Plans for Tomorrow