I posted a couple of images of the Southern Distribution Road, Usk Bridge last night and at the risk of boring you silly, thought I'd post a couple more.

Well you never know, someone might them interesting and the bridge does cross the River Usk!

Bridges... you either like them, or loathe them...

I don't much like this one, but it has some nice curves...

Anyone like to guess what they used to do here?

Far too many beans in the soup!

This derelict warehouse in part of Newport's old dockland just had the perfect shaft of light falling through the top window...

I seem to be in a strange mood just recently... I look at things and see them in some very odd ways...

I can almost hear you scratching your head and wondering, "What the hell is the old buffoon wittering about now?"

Well it's like this. I was walking beside the Severn yesterday and looking at the water, the mud, the bridge... and I was thinking... what would this all look like if the Martians really had taken over the world? (think H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds here)

Thinking about what an odd sight would greet my eyes, I decided to capture an image... a snapshot of my mind's eye if you like...

...and this was what I came up with... you may want to click the image for a larger view...

So now I'm just waiting for the strange little men in their funny white coats to come and take me away...

This log was also washed up on the foreshore... interesting sort of a log isn't it? Great shape... some sort of tree... or is it really something rather more sinister?

What do you see in this image?

I posted an image of the Severn Estuary foreshore yesterday; all grey and muddy and bleak looking... and I got to thinking that it might create the wrong impression because if you take the time to look the foreshore is far from grey.

The alluvial mud coats everything it touches, but in those places where the tide is strong or the silt hasn't reached the 'beach' is filled with magical colours...

So there you have it, the second side of the estuary foreshore.

Hmmm.... that might make quite nice desktop-wallpaper now I come to think of it...

This dod of wood was washed up on the foreshore of the Severn Estuary. I have no idea what tree it came from, but I loved the texture/colour...

My mate Spiritbird posted his desire to live on an estuary earlier so I thought I'd just add an image of my local estuary... the Severn Estuary...

Don't be fooled by the grey and mucky appearance, this stretch of coastline teems with wildlife and some of the country's best salmon and bass are caught here.

...put a name to this little guy?

Is it just me or has Blogland been on a bit of a go slow the last 24 hours or so? My connection may not be the quickest in the world (2Mb Broadband) but even so I as amazed when it took almost two minutes to load the ‘edit new post page’ earlier. What's more it took half a dozen attempts to upload the image...

I would have wrapped my hand in and given up, but I really wanted to share this image with you...

I don’t know about you, but I lurve sweet corn... well corn on the cob to be more precise... I always think one of life’s pleasures is to grill corn cobs over charcoal, smother them with salted butter and grind a liberal amount of black pepper over the top, before seizing them up and biting into the sweet kernels so the butter runs down your chin... blooming marvellous... quite a-Maize-ing in fact.

I'm not one to deny anyone pleasure; god knows there's little enough joy in this world. All I ask is... when you've finished having your bit of fun in a quiet country lane, wrap the evidence in a tissue and take it home, or at least dispose of it properly; don't just dump your used condom out the car window!

Sleep eludes me for the second night in a row; so frustrating because I’d been sleeping better just recently.

I’m never able to understand the patterns sleep holds for me or understand why one night affords rest and recuperation, when another leads only to frustration and restlessness.

Okay then... who can tell me what my local buzzard had been eating for his dinner?

October is nearly out, yet amazingly there are still blackberries waiting to be picked...

Okay some of them are not in the best condition, but hey if you pick around the fuzzy ones there're still lots of good fruit out there.

Oak leaves have often been used in history to signify valour, strength or greatness; the oak has been chosen as the national tree of England, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, the United States and Wales.

It is perhaps easily understandable then that an oak leaf cluster or oakleaves is a common device which is placed on U.S. military awards and decorations (and those of some other nations) to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the second and subsequent award of the decoration.

In Commonwealth countries a bronze oak leaf signifies a Mention in Despatches, and is worn as an award in its own right, rather than to signify multiple instances of another decoration. The Commonwealth equivalent of US oakleaves is a bar to the medal.

In the Second World War, the Knight's Cross of the German Iron Cross could be awarded with the additional distinction of Oak Leaves (mit Eichenlaub). Of the 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross, only 883 received Oak Leaves.

Enough history... Not exactly a cluster of leaves here, but I rather like these nevertheless.

I wonder if he was related to A.J.'s little chum? I suppose we'll never know...

Deep furrows, stubble, lines, dour expression... it must be a self-portrait! I know, I can see the way your minds are working.

Well it isn't... not a self-portrait that is.

I thought I'd better qualify it before you all started pointing fingers... hence the title.

No indeed not a portrait, but a landscape. It does have all my bad features though... ...so maybe I've got more in common with the area I live in than I'd realised.

Following a local footpath recently I stopped to look more closely at a fallen tree. I was taken by the cross section left by whoever had taken the bulk of the trunk away.

I walked around the tree so I could examine it from all angles...and there, just a few feet away was another, similar shape.

No idea what had killed the sheep, but the shape of the skull reminded rather of the shape of the hole in the tree...

I don't doubt someone got a big kick out of this bit of graffiti, but it's hardly original and did it really have to be daubed on a wall?

Now don't get me wrong, I really appreciate some of the graffiti you see painted on walls and hoardings; some of the artwork is stunning and the effort involved is immense. I’ve blogged my feelings on graffiti previously for anyone interested...

I get kind of cross though when people daub names or silly slogans on the walls of public buildings. Does this mean I have double standards? Well yes, I suppose it does...

...the owner needs to secure his bike with a lock?

Scenes like this always make me want to kick-leaves!

Well, would you Adam & Eve it?

Some weeks ago I blogged a piece saying how chuffed I was one of my images was being included in the 2008 Michelin Tourist Guide. Well bugger me, I got an email today asking if I'd allow another of my images to be published in the Schmap - Dynamic Travel Guide for November 2007! Fame at last!

I'm really very pleased with myself... *skips around the room again* ...Can you tell?

...on a picnic table.

Do like going out for picnics? I do. I've always enjoyed alfresco dining, although I tend not to go to 'organised' picnic sites. No, my preference is to get away from others and just spread a cloth in quiet, lonely spot.

Lot’s of people do use picnic sites though and that’s fine; I respect their desire to eat outdoors. That’s why I get kind of depressed when I see picnic tables bearing the scars of some unthinking fool with a portable, instant bar-b-cue thing...

This is better though.

I don't mind seeing things like this on a picnic table.

We had a drop of rain yesterday... only a short, sharp shower... but it was enough to disrupt my short walk and leave me searching for a dry path...

...and of course being soaked to my knickers I was in need of a dry set of clothes!

Okay, who can tell me what this is?

No, it's NOT a cow!

Sorry about the tree growing out of his head; the dozy bugger wouldn't move no matter how much I cajoled him!

...but one I sometimes walk around...

Not a lot to see at this time of year, but I thought you might enjoy the reed mace standing at the water's edge.