View allAll Photos Tagged bleep
I haven't been able to take pictures of most of the things i painted this summer.
Slowly catching up.
My part of a wall with Axe, Scan, Zeck and Stare. Some touch ups on the "E" still to come, but whatevs.
connector on the way.
bleep!
sewk.burnemall.com
BENNY:
How nice that you are here Danbo!
Is there something, because you look as gloomy as me
DANBO:
Bleep...blep...Bleep ..Bugart
BENNY:
So you're sad because you miss Bogart?
DANBO:
Blllleeeep..Bugart mis....Daddy mis
BENNY;
Well...then it's ‘Shared sorrow is half sorrow’ because I miss Daisy-Maude, my big friend Jago's sister.
DANBO: (gives Benny a bleep kiss)
BENNY:
Thank you Danbo...you are a sweetheart
(Gives Danbo a soft bear kiss)
“It’s got an amazing coastline. You’ll get loads of great pictures there!” I forget where we were discussing. Bali perhaps, or Western Australia - places I’ve never even been close to. Most of my Irish cousins are far more well travelled than I am, at least where long distances are concerned. Especially since two of them moved to Perth about fifteen years ago within a few months of one another. Neither of them have ever shown any signs of coming back to the northern hemisphere for anything more than a family visit. One day I might finally see those distant worlds, but my response was a simple one, and I had my cousins’ own backyard in mind. “I can’t think of many places I’d rather go to than the west coast of Ireland,” I replied. “Filthy weather, lonely clifftops, fleeting moments of spectacular light, and a wild and beautiful coastline.” I could have been talking about home. But I’d heard Ireland’s call and my flights were booked.
I should have known that a certain airline, famous for a long list of optional extras, would deploy its well known tactic. Fare creep is an insidious beast. I suppose at least they let you sit down for the flight rather than strapping you to the fuselage unless you cough up another fifty quid each way. A normal person with a normal hobby wouldn’t have this problem, but Muggins here needed to take a bagful of camera equipment, and even the smaller pack was pushing the boundaries when I reached for the tape measure. That telephoto lens is a beast, but I couldn’t have left it at home. On the plus side, the additional forty quid I was about to part with entitled me not only to bring the camera bag into the cabin with its own seat, extra leg room and complimentary snacks from the lite bites menu, but also made me one of the chosen few. Priority boarding no less. I’ve never felt quite so important. I imagined the conversation at check in. “Priority boarding? Oh yes it’s quite popular. See that couple over there sharing the battered looking tin cup, drinking coffee out of a thermos flask? They’re the only ones who haven’t purchased it for the flight to Dublin this afternoon”
“Laptops and kindles in a separate tray!” sings the operative for the hundredth time this morning. I point to the one where I’ve already placed mine. “Belts and watches off. Empty your pockets. Are you wearing boots today sir?” I nod at the other tray where I’ve already put all of these items. Yet no matter how much I’ve prepared for the walk of intrusion, I almost always set off the metal detector. I could be standing there in my underpants and it would bleep in indignation. Sometimes I can almost hear the imaginary rubber gloves snapping onto eager fingers, yet I'm not Carlos the Jackal, neither am I doing part time work for a group of Colombian businessmen. I have never had surgery involving insertion of ironmongery in replacement of missing bones, nor do I have gold teeth. But still that infernal machine sings at me like an over excited whistleblower. At least this time the camera bag and the laptop made it through without drawing unwanted suspicion. To my left stood a man nursing a pot belly that he’d no doubt lovingly crafted over many decades of real ale consumption. There was no option other than to reach out across his protruding gut to retrieve my laptop and Kindle. Which was almost as uncomfortable as the sound of those rubber gloves snapping away in my subconscious.
I’d only now realised that this was my first solo mission. I’ve been away on photography trips with Dave and Lee plenty of times, but never before was there nobody to please but myself. If I was prepared to sit on top of a freezing cold headland in the pouring rain, waiting for the light, there would be no need to worry whether everyone else was enjoying themselves quite as much as I was. I’d already dropped some very subtle hints to my Irish family, gently letting it be known that I will often stay in the same place for two or three hours, even though nothing much might be happening. Watching landscape photographers at work is by no means an exciting pastime, especially in adverse conditions. This was going to be a trip where there would be no compromises with anyone except for myself. I needn’t have worried though. Everyone needed to go to work, and I’d deliberately chosen the middle of the week for my jaunt down west.
And then there was the subject of locations. The family had a long list of suggestions, many of them very distracting - and by that I don’t mean the guided tour of the Jameson’s distillery in Midleton. The south west corner it would definitely be, in either Cork or neighbouring Kerry, but I didn’t want to be spending big chunks of short November days driving long distances in and out of the five toes of rocky land that lay dipped into the edge of the Atlantic on the map. With just three afternoons of shooting ahead of me, I needed to keep it simple.
In fact with the two locations that were at the forefront of my mind, the decision was a very easy one. The Dingle peninsula promised everything I was looking for. So Kerry it would be. I booked the hire car, found a small cottage and started my research. I’m rarely happier than when I’m making plans. And sometimes those plans are interrupted by an unscheduled stop to grab that fleeting moment of spectacular light, a rainstorm crossing the semi-mythical, but very real Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, which is exactly what happened here. Told you I needed that telephoto lens.
Shot @ Delicatessen maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Porto/52/224/21
Musical inspirations today is Sarah The !llstrumentalist youtu.be/jEuXh-057Qs?t=108
Bench Obsession - Chapter 2
Neighbor: “Hi Neighbor!”
Wife: “Hey, how are you?”
Neighbor: “Great. How did that photo of the benches at the restaurant Steve took last week go over?”
Wife: “Pretty good. He got some nice comments that made him smile.”
Neighbor: “That’s great. So has his obsession with benches subsided a little after that?”
Wife: “Are you kidding? This has now become an every Monday thing.”
Neighbor: “Seriously?”
Wife: “Seriously. We drove to see my family over the weekend and do you know what he did?”
Neighbor: “What?”
Wife: “We hadn’t gone more than an hour down the road and he asked me if I needed to stop at a rest stop.”
Neighbor: “So? That sounds like a nice, considerate thing to do.”
Wife: “I thought so too, especially since he HATES rest stops. I pointed out we had only been on the road for less than an hour.”
Neighbor: “What did he say to that?”
Wife: “He said we never know how far it will be until the next rest stop. I pointed to the sign that said ‘Next Rest Stop - 37 miles.’”
Neighbor: “What’s wrong with rest stops anyway?”
Wife: “When he’s in driving mode all he wants to do is make time. He says rest stops are inefficient.”
Neighbor: “Why’s that?”
Wife: “He makes me hold it until we can find some kind of convenience store right off the exit where we can fill up with gas, use the restrooms, and grab some quick snacks all at once like a bleeping Formula 1 pit stop.”
Neighbor: “Yikes.”
Wife: “What’s more, he asked AFTER we drove by it!”
Neighbor: “So?”
Wife: “He NEVER goes backwards. Once he hits the road he wouldn’t go back if he left our son behind.”
Neighbor: “What happened?”
Wife: “He turns around and drives back to the rest stop, all the while claiming he just wants me to have a comfortable, relaxing drive.”
Neighbor: “That wasn’t sweet?”
Wife: “I wondered who he was and what did he do with my husband?”
Neighbor: “So what happened?”
Wife: “Well I decided I might as well go with him to the bathroom since we stopped anyway, but he told me to go on without him.”
Neighbor: ::gulp:: “Why?
Wife: “He said he wanted to grab his camera first.”
Neighbor: “Take his camera to a bathroom? That sounds a little bit creepy.”
Wife: ::sigh:: “Anyway, I finish my business, go back to the car, and he’s nowhere in sight. About 15 minutes later he comes back from the restroom looking at his camera with a big grin and giggling.”
Neighbor: “Oh my. Did you see who he took a photo of?”
Wife: “Not who – what.”
Neighbor: “you don’t mean…”
Wife: “Yup, benches.”
Neighbor: “Benches?”
Wife: “Benches.”
Neighbor: "He saw them before he turned around, didn't he?"
Wife: "Yup."
Neighbor: "What did he have to say for himself?"
Wife: “Happy Bench Monday!”
Little Freddy was found abandoned on Mummy Marian's doorstep and assimilated into the family. Peter gets along well with Freddy.
PETER:
Freddy?
LITTLE FREDDY:
Are you calling me?
PETER:
I want to show you a secret. You can only see it in a dark room. The darkest room in the house is the toilet. I know you're afraid of the dark, but if I hold your paw, will you dare to come with me?
LITTLE FREDDY:
I trust you Peter...you're so nice....so yes...I'll go with you.
LITTLE FREDDY:
I trust you Peter...you're so nice....so yes...I'll go with you.
Paw in paw they go together to the darkest room in the house
In the middle of the room is a round table with something on it.....
LITTLE FREDDY:
What's on the table there Peter?
PETER:
It's a crystal ball. If you close your eyes and think of someone you love very much, you will see it in the crystal ball. Now if you hold my paw, I'm going to think of someone I love very much. So grab my paw, close your eyes for 10 seconds and then open them again.
1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10........
Open your eyes!
What do you see now?
LITTLE FREDDY:
Oh gosh...how bright that light is...I see...I see...something pink....
I can't quite make out what it is.....it looks like.....
PETER:
....yes....a bear!
It's my princess Rosie www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/and I'd like to show her to you.
LITTLE FREDDY:
Wow....She is so pretty! Thank you so much for showing this to me Peter!
PETER:
No one must know about the dark room..only you LITTLE FREDDY
Promise me you won't tell anyone! It is and always will be our secret!
LITTLE FREDDY:
I promise!
A familiar sound in the dark room......
Bleep...bleeeeep
PETER:
Oh..no...Danbo!!!!!!
You're not allowed in here. Now it is no longer the secret of me and LITTLE FREDDY!
LITTLE FREDDY:
It's now the secret of Peter, me and Danbo!
Do you agree Peter?
PETER:
Ok then. But promise me it's a secret between the three of us.
DANBO:
Pppp...prrrrr....ommmmm....Bleep luv Bugart....bleep
PETER:
Put our right paws together please
I say...One for All and All for One
I could write a trillion things here.
Inspirational, happy, wishing death on 2023, bleep blop bloop.
I won’t though.
Everybody experienced a different year, no two people had the same year, the same struggles, the same triumphs, the same losses.
I will say, thanks for sticking around.
Even when shit got rough.
You stuck around.
That means the world to someone.
Maybe not me, but to someone.
So here’s to 2024, I look forward to celebrating your successes, and listening when you need it.
I look forward to see what the year brings us, even if it’s shitty.
It shapes us.
Love harder. Be more present. Be patient. Be kind.
Most importantly, go to ChicChica and get the Holiday White Wine glass.
Rattlesnake Rock!!!
Somewhere near this rock a rattlesnake rattled at me. I did my best Roadrunner imitation and Bleep! Bleep! I was out of there. I took this image as I warily crept past it on my way to the truck. I did not see a rattlesnake but I didn't get very close and I had LOTS of better things to do. At least I only have a photo of a rock and not of a helicopter ride to the hospital.
BOGART: "Hullo Daisy-Maud!"
DAISY-MAUD: "Hullo Bogart!"
BOGART: "Ooooh! That's a beautiful crochet poppy you are wearing! It is such a pretty red!"
DAISY-MAUD: "Yes Bogart. It matches your pretty red bow." *Tickles Bogart under the chin.*
BOGART: *Giggles.* "But I thought blue was your favourite colour, Daisy-Maud. You and Jago both love blue."
DAISY-MAUD: "I do, Bogart, but this is a special poppy which bears and their Mummies and Daddies only wear today, and it must be red."
BOGART: *Scratches head with paw.* "Why Daisy-Maude? It is so pretty. You should wear it any day you like, and I know I love red, but why must it be red?"
DAISY-MAUD: "Well, this poppy is a Remembrance Day poppy, Bogart."
BOGART: "Ooooohhh..." *Puts paw to mouth.* "Tell me more about it, please, Daisy-Maud."
DAISY-MAUD: "Well Bogart, today is Remembrance Day. The poppy became a symbol for Remembrance Day because it was a flower that bloomed across the battlefields of northern France and Belgium during World War I, despite the destruction. The vibrant red symbolized the blood of fallen soldiers, and the flower's resilience represented life and hope after the war, as captured in the poem 'In Flanders Fields', which is a very famous poem about the War. We will observe a minute of silence for those who have fought for us so that everybody and everybear can live in peace and freedom at eleven o'clock."
BOGART: "Ooooohhh! There is something similar today in America where I came from. It is called Veteran's Day."
DAISY-MAUD: "Yes. They are one and the same thing, Bogart. It is just a different name."
BOGART: "I know I don't have a red Remembrance poppy, but may I observe a minute of silence for those who have fought for us with you, Daisy-Maud?"
DAISY-MAUD: "Of course you can, dear Bogart! I'd like that very much! Ssshhh!" *Puts paw to mouth.* "It's eleven o'clock."
BOGART and DAISY MAUD: *Fall silent and reflect.*
On the first Armistice Day, on 11 November, 1919, the two minutes silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by an Australian journalist working in Fleet Street, Edward Honey. At about the same time a South African Statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the Armistice ‘which stayed the world wide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom’. The two minutes silence was popularly adopted and it became a central feature of the commemorations of Armistice Day from then on.
As we take a moment this Armistice Day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our peace, prosperity and stability, and those who fight today to protect us still, let us also hope that conflicts around the world will come to a swift conclusion, not least of all in Ukraine and in Gaza.
Lest we Forget.
Armistice Day or Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. It falls on the 11th of November every year. Remembrance Day is marked at eleven o’clock (the time that the armistice was declared) with a minute’s silence to honour the fallen. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.
Daisy Maud is Jago's little sister and was made by the same friend in England who made him. She is made of German mohair with floral fabric cotton paw pads that match her pretty sunhat, and glass eyes. A sweet and loving little girl bear, she is happy to be reunited with her big brother, Jago, and enjoys being spoiled by her new Daddy.
Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.
WINNIPEG: "I'm going to catch you little Scout! Gggrrr..." *Growls deeply, but in a friendly way.*
SCOUT: "Eeeeee!" *Squeals with excitement as he runs.* "You won't catch me!"
WINNIPEG: "When I catch you, little Scout, I'm going to sweep you up in my arms and give you a big black bear snuffly kiss! Gggrrr..." *Growls deeply again, but still in a friendly way.*
SCOUT: "Eeeeee!" *Squeals with excitement.*
BOGART and ROSIE: "Eeeeee!" *Squeal with excitement because Scout squeals with excitement.*
WINNIPEG: ":And then I am going to catch you and give you big black bear hugs and snuffly kisses, Rosie and Bogart!"
BOGART and ROSIE: "Eeeeee!" *Squeal with even more excitement.
PETER: *Comes running from the magic portal through Daddy's garden and up to Rosie.* "Oh! Mijn allerliefste Prinses Rosie! Are you alright?"
ROSIE: "Oh mijn Prins Peter! What a lovely surprise!"
PETER: "Are you alright, mijn allerliefste prinses? I heard your squeals from the magic portal and I heard mijn beste vriend Scout too! I had to make sure you were alright!" *Worried.*
WINNIPEG: "I've nearly caught up with you, little Scout! Gggrrr..." *Growls deeply again, but still in a friendly way.*
SCOUT: "Eeeeee!" *Squeals with excitement and keeps running.*
ROSIE: "Oh yes, mijn prins! You are so kind and brave to come and rescue me! I shall give you some soft snuffly kisses! But we are fine! We are just playing chasey with Winnipeg, who is soooo much fun to play with!"
BOGART: "She loves playing hide-and-seek, Peter!"
ROSIE: "And chasing us around!"
WINNIPEG: "Gggrrr..." *Growls deeply again, but still in a friendly way.*
SCOUT: "Eeeeee!" *Squeals with even more excitement.*
PETER: "Oh that is a relief!" *Wipes forehead with paw.* "I thought you were in danger mijn allerliefste prinses and mijn beste vriend too!"
SCOUT: *Calls.* "Oh mijn allerbeste vriend Peter! Come and play chasey with us! We are having soooo much fun with Winnipeg! Eeeeee!" *Squeals with excitement again.*
PETER: "Alright mijn allerbeste vriend! I will! Thank you!"
ROSIE: "But not before some soft, snuffly kisses, mijn prins!" *Gives Peter ten soft snuffly kisses.* "I'm so glad you are here!"
WINNIPEG: "I caught you Scout!"
SCOUT: *Giggles as Winnipeg sweeps him in to her paws.*
WINNIPEG: *Gives Scout a big black bear hug and snuffly kiss.*
SCOUT: "That was soooo much fun, Winnipeg! Thank you!"
WINNIPEG: *Carefully returns Scout to the ground.* "Now I'm going to chase you, Bogart, Rosie and Peter!" *Growls deeply again, but still in a friendly way.*
ROSIE, BOGART and PETER: "Eeeeee!" *Squeal with excitement and run away.*
My bears Paddy and Scout have made very good friends with two bears in Holland called Peter and Oleg www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577154558... and www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577233464... and their Mummy Marian Kloon (on and off) . Peter and Scout are very similar, so they have become best friends. Peter loves Rosie, and Rosie loves Peter, so they have become prince and princess to one another.
Winnipeg the black bear recently arrived at Mummy Marian\'s Marian Kloon (on and off) house and enjoyed tea with Woody as you can see here: www.flickr.com/photos/66094586@N06/55064053770/in/datepos..., or in the first comment below. She cleaned herself up, even cleaning her nose and ears as you can see here: www.flickr.com/photos/66094586@N06/55069469497/in/datepos... or in the first comment below. Now she is here to have tea with Paddy: and now that tea is over, she is playing with the little bears.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.
Rosie is Scout's cousin, because like Scout, she is a free trade knitted bear from Africa. She was made in Kenya by one of the Kenana Knitters, Martha Wanjira. She is made from home spun and dyed wool. She was a gift to me from two very dear friends, including the one who gave Scout to Paddy.
Lovingly handmade from the softest jet-black alpaca plush, paired with a fawn-coloured muzzle, Winnipeg features embroidered detailing on her paws, captivating life-like eyes, and a cheerful smile. Inspired by the real Canadian black bear who played an important role in the history of AA Milne's beloved Winnie The Pooh stories, Winnipeg has been released by Merrythought in a limited edition number of 1.926 to celebrate the centenary of Winnie the Pooh. She is number 31.
Thank you to Marian Kloon (on and off) for the use of her photos of Oleg and Peter in my photo montage.
I arrived on the southern slope of “the hill” around 9 am expecting to see trains running like street cars with it being the peak holiday rush, but instead found the complete opposite. I drove across the line expecting to see a few waiting due to MoW work of some sort but again nothing, so I figured there might be a few waiting on crews at the Bakersfield yards and headed there. Unfortunately, I found more of the same, and even the scanner didn’t give out as much a bleep. I figured I might as well wait because eventually they have to run, after all it was the heart of peak season. At 1 pm I’d given up of hope and figured I might as well head home, so I did but as I approached Mojave yard, I saw a westbound BNSF stack pulling out the north end so I gave chase. As I arrived in Monolith and grabbed my camera I realized I never charged the batteries! Luckily, I had my drone so without a minute to spare I was in the air shooting BNSF 7320 West hustling JB Hunt and Amazon containers through the Tehachapi valley.
Hehehehehehehe.... have a happy 4th, America!
He only had it on for about 5 minutes. I have him looking at the camera, happier too, but I thought this one was funny. Tank is six months old in this shot.
bleep bloop
bloop bleep
professional robot speaker?
i think so
;D
i have nothing to say
it's tuesday...
thats nice huh?
at least its not wednesday
cuz thats a hump day
robin thanksss for ur testimonialll <33333
ok well yea
bye now
:D
u could ask me stuff about stuff....and stuff
Gary and I ventured out in our truck camper in September to California's North Coast Redwoods. It is calming to walk among these giants who have stood together these last thousands of years. Our troubles today are nothing to them — a bleep in time. You can read more about our road trip in our cocoon in my blog. charlottegibbblog.com/road-trip-a-photographic-journey-th...
PADDY: "Hullo Daddy! My, my! An apple teacake You’ve been baking!"
EMMETT: "Oh it smells so scrumptious, Daddy!"
JAGO: "Hullo Daddy! Ooohh! A baked apple teacake!"
SCOUT: "Did I hear the word 'cake', Jago?"
BOGART: "Grumbly tummy, Daddy! Grumbly tummy!" *Rubs tummy vigorously.*
ROSIE: "Ooohh look! Doesn’t it look lovely?"
DAISY-MAUD: "It certainly does, Rosie! Well done, Daddy! The top looks so golden brown and delicious!"
DUCKIE: "Does it have yummy grubs and worms inside, Daddy?" *Hopeful.*
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, and EMMETT: "Grubs and worms! Yucky!" *Stick out cute little pink bear tongues.*
DADDY: "Umm..." *Awkward.* "Well, no, Duckie."
DUCKIE: "Oh!" *Disappointed.*
DADDY: "But it does have lots of lovely fresh apples and eggs in it, and they are delicious."
DAISY-MAUD: "Is it somebear's birthday, Daddy?"
DADDY: "Well not somebear, but someone who is very close to bears, and someone who is very close to our hearts too."
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, EMMETT and DUCKIE: "Who Daddy?"
PADDY: "Oh! I know Daddy! Isn\'t today Mummy Marian's birthday?"
DADDY: "Why yes it is! Well done Paddy! I have baked a special apple teacake for Mummy Marian. She has invited all of you to her house and enjoy a celebration afternoon tea!"
PADDY: "How wonderful it will be to celebrate with Mummy Marian!"
SCOUT: "Oh how exciting!"
ROSIE: "Will mijn prins Peter be there, Daddy?"
DADDY: "I’m sure he will be, Rosie. You know Peter enjoys a party!"
SCOUT: "Oh hoorah!" *Jumps up and down with excitement.* "Mijn beste vriend Peter will be there! I can't wait to play with him!"
PADDY: "What about mijn beste vriend Oleg, Daddy?"
JAGO: "And my best friend, Benny? I know he would love some baked teacake."
DAISY-MAUD: "I think my sweetest gentlebear Benny deserves an extra big slice because he has such a grumbly tummy, Daddy!"
BOGART: "Will Fuzzy, and Danbo be at the party, Daddy? Bleep... luv Danbo!"
DAISY-MAUD: "What about Marty/Mary?"
DUCKIE: "And Granny Duck! My Granny must come!"
DADDY: "Oh yes! Mummy Marian will invite all the everybear so that way we can all celebrate her birthday together."
JAGO: "But will there be enough food? This is only one teacake. That will not fill all the grumbly tummies of everybear, dog, duck, mouse and fox at the party!"
DADDY: "Don't worry Jago. I have another cake in the oven right now for you to take through the magic portal, and Mummy Marian is providing a lot of delicious treats. There will be plenty for everybear and duck!"
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, EMMETT and DUCKIE: "Hoorah!"
DADDY: "Now, whilst we await Fairy Mum to open the portal, and all the bears who are still getting ready, let's practice singing Happy Birthday for Mummy Marian, so you will be in good voice when we arrive for the party! We'll get everybear else together shortly, but let's start now!"
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, EMMETT and DUCKIE: "Yes Daddy!"
DADDY: "Alright! One... two... three!"
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, EMMETT and DUCKIE: "Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Mummy Marian!
Happy Birthday to you!"
DADDY: "Very good everybear and duck!"
SCOUT: "Daddy? Daddy!"
DADDY: "Yes Scout?"
SCOUT: "Daddy, do you remember Peter taught me a special Dutch birthday song to sing to Mummy Marian a few years ago. I've been tesching it to Rosie. Shall we sing it together for her this year?"
PADDY, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, EMMETT, DUCKIE and DADDY: "Oh yes Scout! Sing it for us now!"
SCOUT: "Very well. Ready Rosie?"
ROSIE: "Ready, Scout!"
SCOUT: "Ahem!" *Clears throat.*
ROSIE and SCOUT: "Lang zal ze leven,
Lang zal ze leven,
Lang zal ze leven,
In de gloria,
In de gloria,
In de gloria,
Hip, hip, hip, hoera!
Hip, hip, hip, hoera!
Hip, hip, hip, hoera!"
PADDY, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, EMMETT, DUCKIE and DADDY: *Clap with delight*
DADDY: "That was beautiful, Scout and Rosie! You have such sweet and pure voices Mummy Marian will love it!"
SCOUT: "Gosh! Thank you Daddy!" *Blushes pink beneath woollen fur.* "I hope Mummy Marian will like our song!"
PADDY: "She will love your birthday song, Scout and Rosie! She will be thrilled!"
PADDY, SCOUT, JAGO, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, EMMETT, DUCKIE and DADDY: "Happy Birthday Mummy Marian!"
My bears Paddy and Scout have made very good friends with two bears in Holland called Peter and Oleg (www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577154558... and www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577233464... ) and their Mummy Marian Kloon (on and off) . Peter and Scout are very similar and have become best friends. Peter also loves Rosie and she loves him, so they have become prince and princess to one another. Oleg and Paddy are very similar as well, and are now best friends too. Aurora (www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577235370...) is a tenacious little polar bear who is Nanuk's niece, and who loves Scout's cute little nose, and Scout's personality. They are very good friends. Today is Mummy Marian's birthday so everybear, and duck is excited and so too am I!
Happy Birthday (gelukkige verjaardag) dear Marian! We hope that it is wonderful day full of love! With lost and lots of big little bear hugs and snuffly kisses (berenkusjes en knuffels) from all of us!
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Rosie is Scout's cousin, because like Scout, she is a free trade knitted bear from Africa. She was made in Kenya by one of the Kenana Knitters, Martha Wanjira. She is made from home spun and dyed wool. She was a gift to me from two very dear friends, includng the one who gave Scout to Paddy.
Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.
Jago was a gift from a dear friend in England. He is made of English mohair with suede paw pads and glass eyes. He is a gentle bear, kind and patient who carries an air of calm about him. He is already fitting in with everyone else very nicely.
Daisy Maud is Jago\'s little sister and was made by the same friend in England who made him. She is made of German mohair with floral fabric cotton paw pads that match her pretty sunhat, and glass eyes. A sweet and loving little girl bear, she is happy to be reunited with her big brother, Jago, and enjoys being spoiled by her new Daddy.
Made by Merrythought in England, Emmett is a charming little bear, sweet and smiling, crafted from multi-tonal marl grey mohair and featuring golden velvet paws. He is accessorised with a classic tartan woollen scarf. He is number 23 or a limited worldwide edition of 200.
Duckie I saw when I was at a Sunday market on a stall of homemade knitted and crocheted items. She caught my eye straight away with her happy, smiley face and bright colours. I think she finds life with my bears intriguing and perhaps a little confusing, however she is learning.
Danbo's good friend Bogart from Australia taught Danbo how to make coffee.
The coffee is ground in the coffee machine, then press a button... and then the coffee comes out of the two pipes into the cup.
DANBO:
Bleep...bleep..cuffffeee Bugart.
Bleep...Blub
ME:
Stop my dearest Danbo!
The cup is too full.... the coffee goes over the edge of the cup
Oh no....it's not a cup but Peter and Oleg's piss pot!
And I haven't emptied it yet.
DANBO:
Bleep...Luv...Bogart...cluffee
ME:
Come on my dear... I'll help you.
I make the coffee, fill the cups and you drink it together with Bogart. I'll add a cake for Bogart and a fresh screw with a drip of oil for you!
DANBO:
Bleep...Bleep
Pilot's Cottages.
One of the cottages is now a museum.
It shows what it would of looked like when the
Pilot's were in residence there.
The small Cannon outside was used to summon the Lifeboat crew [ way before mobile phones and bleepers ]
Unfortunately after Covid the Museum has never reopened.
Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) is a magical place. Located at the far end of a pleasant beach near Newborough Warren, this narrow finger of land is an ideal picnic site during fine weather, but also an exhilarating place when the winter winds blow. Its rolling dunes, large rock outcrops and mixture of historic buildings makes it an ideal place for an afternoon of exploration.
Llanddwyn is not quite an island. It remains attached to the mainland at all but the highest tides. It provides excellent views of Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula and is part of the Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve. You can find Llanddwyn Island with this map or see an aerial view on Google Maps.
St. Dwynwen
Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness - St. Dwynwen
The name Llanddwyn means "The church of St. Dwynwen". She is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine. Her feast day, 25 January, is often celebrated by the Welsh with cards and flowers, just as is 14 February for St. Valentine.
Ruins of Llanddwyn Chapel
Ruins of Llanddwyn Chapel
Dwynwen lived during the 5th century AD and was one of 24 daughters of St. Brychan, a Welsh prince of Brycheiniog (Brecon). She fell in love with a young man named Maelon, but rejected his advances. This, depending on which story you read, was either because she wished to remain chaste and become a nun or because her father wished her to marry another. She prayed to be released from the unhappy love and dreamed that she was given a potion to do this. However, the potion turned Maelon to ice. She then prayed that she be granted three wishes: 1) that Maelon be revived, 2) that all true lovers find happiness, and 3) that she should never again wish to be married. She then retreated to the solitude of Llanddwyn Island to follow the life of a hermit.
Dwynwen became known as the patron saint of lovers and pilgrimages were made to her holy well on the island. It was said that the faithfulness of a lover could be divined through the movements of some eels that lived in the well. This was done by the woman first scattering breadcrumbs on the surface, then laying her handkerchief on the surface. If the eel disturbed it then her lover would be faithful.
Visitors would leave offerings at her shrine, and so popular was this place of pilgrimage that it became the richest in the area during Tudor times. This funded a substantial chapel that was built in the 16th century on the site of Dwynwen's original chapel. The ruins of this can still be seen today.
Maritime History
Llanddwyn Island is situated near the southern entrance to the Menai Strait. As a result it became important as shipping of slate from the ports of Bangor, Caernarfon and Felinhelli increased. A beacon, called Tŵr Bach, was built at the tip of the island to provide guidance to ships heading for the Strait. Another more effective lighthouse, Tŵr Mawr, which was modelled on the windmills of Anglesey, was built nearby in 1845. The older lighthouse has now returned to service after a modern light was placed on top.
During this time cottages were built near the towers to house pilots who guided ships into the Strait. Two of these cottages have been restored, with one housing an exhibition about the local wildlife. From 1840 a lifeboat was also stationed there. It was manned by the pilots as well as volunteers from Newborough; the cannon that was used to summon the lifeboat crew can still be seen near the cottages. During its time up to the closure in 1903 the lifeboat from here saved 101 lives in 35 separate incidents.
Natural History
Llanddwyn Island is part of the Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve. The dunes, mudflats and saltmarshes of the reserve support a wide range of plants and invertebrates. The flowers found on the Island include herb-robert (Geranium robertianum), bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), thrift (Armeria maritima), bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and yellow horned poppies (Glaucium flavum).
The cliffs around the island support a wide variety of nesting seabirds, including cormorants, shags and oystercatchers. Ynys yr Adar (Bird Rock), a small islet off the tip of Llanddwyn, throngs during the spring with one percent of the total British breeding population of cormorants. Waders such as turnstones and sandpipers are found along the coast and terns can be seen fishing in the bay. The mammal population is supplemented by a flock of the unusual Soay sheep that graze near the chapel.
As you approach the island you pass between several large rocks in the sand. These are pillow lavas, part of the Precambrian Gwna Group. These mounds of rock were formed by undersea volcanic eruptions; as the hot molten rock met the cold seawater a ballon-like skin was formed, which then filled with more lava, forming the characteristic pillow shape. These extend down much of the length of Llanddwyn Island, giving it its interesting rolling topography, and are also found in many other places around Anglesey.
i has the hardest time deciding what to do with this picture
bleh
blah
bleep
i went shopping today
too many people in the mall
i wanted to push everyone over
:3
how do you make a like page on fb???
The Great Scoutlova and his Troupe of Ballerina Bears perform at the theatre. Tickets are virtually sold out and the auditorium is slowly but surely filling up.
Before performing, they first show themselves to the audience.
The curtain slowly opens
PETER: (stands up and yells)
Rosie..Rosie..Rosie..Rosie! You're the prettiest one on stage
Heeeee ...there's Scoutlova!!!! I'm here!!!! What a beautiful tutu!!!
And there....look...behind Cornelia is Paddy
OLEG:
Sit down Peter and behave yourself.
I can see them. You're making them nervous with all your yelling.
MOESJE: (sitting next to Benny)
Look Benny...over there on the right...that's my friend Cornelia!
BENNY:
You have to look to the left Moesje, because that's where Daisy-Maude is.
That's such a beautiful lady.
PEDLAR:
Wow.....look Little Freddy...there...behind Bogart...there's your Uncle Freddy!
LITTLE FREDDY:
I am so proud of my uncle Freddy dear Pedlar
DANBO:
Luv ...Bugart...luv...bleep...bleep
ROMEO: (jumps up and down)
Da..Da..Dad....Daddy....
MAILEG BIG SISTER:
You must behave nicely and be quiet dear twins otherwise we will go home and you will not be allowed to see the show.
Everyone waits patiently for the performance to start
Thank you so much for using your photo dear Jesse www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/
Day 2 of life as a miniature van driver.
I feel like I need a business logo on the side of this thing.
Or a Sunday paper route.
UGGGHHHH
seriously. one week that has tested my nerves.
fleas.
i really only need to say that one word.
if you have ever had them, you know they can kill you. how can something so microscopic undermine someone as large as me? what else do you need to remind yourself that your presence in the world is not magical?
we treated the dog. we bombed the house. we washed all said contents fo the house (with three kids and horder tendencies, there was a lot of contents). we (I) then felt content.
until those little *bleep*ers lived on.
made a call to the big guns the same day. I don't mess around. when I want something done I get it done NOW.
but then Lo and I had to get ready... which meant two hours at the laundrymat... we filled 5 triple loaders and 4 double loaders. I washed 2 33-gallon bags of stuffed animals (I hate those things) and 2 33-gallon bags of dress up clothes (who needs to pretend *that* much?)
we had a blast!
random fact (in case you're not done reading my drone) is that in 5th grade I lived in an old country house that didn't have a washing machine so we would go to the Saline laundromat every sat with my mom. it was dreadful and boring (we didn't think to help and my mom didn't make it fun) BUT it was the first place I read about this thing called AIDS in People magazine. I remember thinking it would be the end of the world (I was dramatic even then, with a touch of anxiety. lol)
NS 370 with NS 4004 leading meets 231(?) at Bridge. They were taking their sweet-bleeping time getting this far, so I almost missed my chance at getting a decently lit shot here, but my patience ended up being rewarded. 4-25-20
surely the world's oldest electronic record?
the music is a mix of classical piano, sometimes recorded in reverse and bleeps and tape echo... years ahead of the times.
excellent.
sounds similar to #58 on this page: translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http...
the man on the right is: www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Badings-Henk.htm
The earliest pieces of electronic music used recorded sounds that were then electronically altered to create sonic collages. This style, called musique concrete, was developed in Paris in 1948 by Pierre Schaeffer. The invention of the tape recorder in the late 1940s gave composers new means for modifying recorded sounds, including splicing (cutting the tape to create new juxtapositions of sound), speed variation (which changes the pitch of the recorded sound), and mixing (which allowed two or more different recordings to be played back at the same time).
Wishing a happy heart for you all......
......after you shovel all this bleeping snow! I can't see out because high wind are slamming snow against the windows.
At least im not the only one that gets up early! in the middle distance a man with a metal detector scans the ground, you could hear the bleeping of the detector from where I was it was that quite and peaceful this morning.
Just make out the village of Alstonefield on the right hand side and behind that in the far distance the flat top hill of Thorpe Cloud.
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Please pop by my website at www.jamespictures.co.uk
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All images are Copyright © James Pictures. For full details please see www.jamespictures.co.uk/copyright
Greetings what’s left of the World! This is still Chad Becker and the D.A.N. Team———-still just online, and we are still on your side -your far right side that is, podcasting from H6.
Since D.A.N. Is too cheap to spring for airfare, and my funds have mysteriously vaporized, Steve and I were going to go all “Holiday Road”, jump in the van, and start driving west.
Thankfully we pulled off for some Wendy’s at the last exit though, as it seems that the entire state of H5 is currently on fire! The beautiful blonde at this Wendy’s drive-thru has just informed me that General Tayaya Decided to go Daenerys Targaryen last week, and culled an entire state of her loyal populus. Miss, do you have an—Steve! What the -BLEEP- did you do?! Are we sinking?? Wait do u smell gaaa... Holy Shi.... Iis thaat aaa beear...? —Fzzt pop—
—a few minutes? of dead air later—
—eve!! STEVE, WAKE UP!! I need you to work the camera! Okay, settle. settle.
-Ahem- Ladies and Gentlemen. It seems our little pitstop at the drive-thru has taken a turn for the surreal. I’m a little fuzzy on the last 15 minutes and as to how we got here, but we are now streaming live from an incredibly advanced weapons research facility located somewhere on H... uh H6 I think.
I am told we are at “Abnormal Genee-“
—snickering noises—
Uuum. Okay. At the heart of “Abnormal Genetics Laboratories”
—scientists bust out laughing—
Wai—What? Hang on. Norma Jeane, yeah yeah. Now I get it. —BLEEP—ing scientist humor... Bit of a stretch there guys.
I’m here at “Abnormal Genetics Laboratories” speaking with Director Loki in front of viewing window overlooking a colossal vat of redundancy on a continent infamous for its equally colossal pest problem.
Director, you say you’ve collected several of the foremost minds in the field of mad science from around the hypersphere. Please tell us a little about the team you gave assembled, and what you hope to accomplish here today.
Certainly, Chad. I love your podcast. First from the Rainbow Road 150cc Star Cup Circuit we have Dr. Bowzer- an expert in Kaiju Linguistics. Next from the Isla de Sorna, we have Dr. Wu- our chief geneticist. Third we have our specialist in biological mutations- Krang, from Dimension X. And finally, we have B11!!! herself- Doktor!!! Foxy Cleopatra!!!- Formerly of Destiny’s Child.
And what could you possibly hope to accomplish with this team, Director?
What we have already accomplished Chad!
It is already finished!! MUAH HAHAH HAAAA HAAA!!!
But Director! Doesn’t this country already have an unlimi—
MUAHH HAAAA HAAAA HAAA HA HA!!!
Well there you have it folks! Once again, This has been Chad Becker still barely hanging off the edge of the map. So go ahead and grab your torches and pitchforks ladies and gentlemen, because here, they be making monsters. Becker out. —- fzt. Pop—
I don’t get it, Steve. Whole —BLEEP—ing continent is infested with flying lizzards, and these —BLEEP—ing “Geniuses” are making more???!! I mean what the literal fu- Does anyone else smell smoke??
Chad! Your mic is still hot!
Son of a—fzzt..Blip—
Danbo is friends with Bogart, a bear from Australia.
Cuddly bear, Peter's teddy bear, looks a lot like Bogart.
DANBO:
Bugart... Bugart...bleep!
PETER:
Nooooo.... Danbo! That's not Bogart
That's my Cuddly bear!
DANBO:
Luv Bugart...cludd..ly...bleep...blear.
PETER:
Ok then .... You can hold it for a while, but you have to give it back to me ... and you can't kiss it.
DANBO:
Bleep...kiss...Bugart...luv Bugart (kissing bear)
PETER:
Yikes....no kissing!!!!!
Now Cuddly bear smells like sewing machine oil!
DANBO:
Bleep...Luv Puter...Luv Bugart!
I have been pretty busy lately working on a number of side projects, almost all of which relate to photography, so I have been a bit absent of late. But I am excited to say that because of that work I have quit a bit of news to share, though I am not going to get to all of it tonight.
For this evening's post, the biggest item I wanted to talk about is my website. I have my own corner of the web now. It is a project I have been meaning to get wrapped up for some time, but as I possess little to no web developing skills, or much of a budget to pay for them, it has taken me until now to actually realize that little dream (many thanks to Ben and Stacey, but more on them in a bit).
The main reason I have wanted to get my own website is mainly to serve as an on-line portfolio. Flickr is a great site, but my Flickr stream now has over 800 photos, a laughably small amount compared to some streams, but still way too many for a portfolio.
For the past couple of years I have been sending people to my Flickr stream if they wanted to see my work, but with the realization that they would have to sift through it all. The idea of a portfolio is a very important one. It is, you ought to be able to communicate a sense of your body of work with a concise set of 8-16 photos or so, give or take a couple. I think it is an art that is quickly becoming forgotten, especially in this era of 4gb memory cards that allow the shooting of thousands of images in a single day. I know a number of photographers that are lost when forced to edit their bodies of work down to such a small number of images. I, myself, find the task challenging, but in a good way.
I know the temptation is to show a lot of your work, the fear that you will edit out some important shot that would have sealed the deal. But at the same time, many photographers fail to realize that most of us have fairly short attention spans. We are going to spend a couple of minutes max looking at images before we move on. If you have not sold me in the first dozen images, I probably am not going to keep sifting through the next dozen, or the third after that hoping for some hidden gem. At least this is my mentality when looking at portfolios. The portfolio is meant to serve as an introduction, and more importantly, to catch interest and attention right away. It is your best work and only your best work.
And this is how I wanted my site. I purposely wanted to design one around the ideas of clean, simple and elegant. No animations, no (shudder) music, nothing blinking or bleeping, nothing overly fancy, something that was all about the photography...almost. In other words, I wanted the site to embody those qualities of a physical portfolio. I would not have my portfolio play music when a reviewer opened it up, nor would there be some animated screen embedded in the cover, and so on.
I am not saying websites that incorporate these features are bad, it all depends on how they are used. I have seen several websites that use many of those features quite well, I have also seen some very awful examples. But I believe in this case, for me at least, less is more.
The other purpose of my website was to incorporate a blog feature. I wanted it to have its own soapbox that I could occasionally climb up on. I do plenty of that here on Flickr, but they are much more informal and spontaneous, not to mention they tend to get lost in the shuffle, even by me. I think I have a lot to offer, not just in what I see and shoot, but what I think, feel, believe and say, and it was important for me to have a vehicle with which I could share that.
I really should wrap up this bit about the website and move on to news item #2. But before I do that, I have to say a big thanks to ben_hengst and kirainpdx. They were the movers and the shakers (though not necessarily in that order) in making my site happen. If you see something about my site that you like, you should let them know. So thank you Ben and Stacey.
Now on to related news. For the past year or so I have been represented by the Bartram Gallery in La Jolla. They have been a pleasure to work with, and I have been quite impressed with their philosophy regarding not just how they run their gallery, but about photography in general.
They are pretty forward thinking folk, and in the last couple of months have really pressed forward at strengthening their web presence. A part of this direction for them has been the start of an on-line blog which they have asked me to be at the helm of. Oh dear... No really, it is going to be a fair amount of work, writing for both their blog and maintaining my own (I will probably share a lot of material actually), but it is a responsibility I am looking forward to. It really means a lot to me to be able to share so many of my thoughts with a wider audience, and even more so, so far at least, to have them respond favorably.
Phew. Ok I think that is good for tonight. I need to save my strength, still fighting a bit of a cold. So I will save the rest of my news for tomorrow night, or the night after, or the night after that. ;-)
And now for those patient enough to read this far down, or yes for those too impatient and just scrolled to the bottom...
My website here: www.zebandrews.com
The on-line blog at Bartram Gallery I will be helping to manage: