...and my eyes are turning square.

Must be a sign...

A sign I tells ya!

G'night all!

What's the strangest thing you've ever found on a beach? Personally I've found some really odd stuff lurking in the sand... but what about you? I'm eager to find out what you folks have found.

While you're thinking, answer me this....

Why would anyone bring a small piece of ladder to a beach?

Looks to me as though there's something important missing here...

Does it strike anyone else as strange to find a wheelchair and plastic garden chair abandoned together on a beach?

Have you ever noticed how lights reflected on water look different in summer and winter?

I don't know whether it's the water temperature that does it, but I always think there's less depth to the reflected colours in summer.

These were taken while I was in Cornwall recently; they're hand held with long exposures and I make no apologies for the camera-shake.

Do you ever walk past a property and think to yourself, “I wonder who lives there?”

The question ran through my mind some weeks ago while taking photographs in the village of Newland, Forest of Dean.

These houses obviously have some history and judging by the slight differences in stonework and roof levels I assume the construction took place independently.

I love the individuality of stone built properties; no two are ever exactly the same thanks to the irregularities of the stone and whether thatched or slate roofed the appeal is always there.

I digress... who do you think may live in these two houses tucked away in the heart of the Royal Forest of Dean?

I could live inside a tepee
I could die
in Penthouse thirty-five
You could lose me on the freeway
But I would still
make it back alive.

As long as we can sail away
As long as we can sail away
There'll be wind in the canyon
Moon on the rise
As long as we can sail away.

See the losers in the best bars
Meet the winners in the dives
Where the people are the real stars
All the rest of their lives.

As long as we can sail away
As long as we can sail away
There'll be wind in the canyon
Moon on the rise
As long as we can sail away.

There's a road
stretched out between us
Like a ribbon on the high plain
Down from Phoenix through Salinas
'Round the bend and back again.

As long as we can sail away
As long as we can sail away
There'll be wind in the canyon
Moon on the rise
As long as we can sail away
As long as we can sail away.

Lyics by Neil Young

Jacob's Ladder refers to a ladder from Earth to Heaven as described in the Bible (Genesis).

The ladder signifies the "bridge" between Heaven and Earth, as prayers and sacrifices offered in the Holy Temple soldered a connection between God and the Jewish people... but not all ladders point skywards do they?

Bear in mind the term "heaven" originally referred to the sky or the area above the earth where the "heavenly bodies" are placed. As Christians we are taught God and his angels are the heavenly host... they obviously live in the skies above then...

So here's a question for you:

If the ladder doesn't point skywards, is it still possible to make a connection between Earth and Heaven?

Personally I'd answer "Yes" but then I'm just a heathen soul who doesn't believe in the Kingdom of Heaven, God above, etc. I do believe if you have faith it doesn't matter where you stop to pray... or how you go about it... no facing east, bowing of heads, or looking skywards for me!

... but this is very, very funny! Meet Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist

I keep wondering where his six little chums are?

Hi ho, hi ho...

...and if ham was underground
it'd be ten bob a pound...

So have you all been clicking to see what your blog's worth? Technorati seems to think mine's worth around $8k...

Now all I need to do is multiply that figure by a factor of 1000 or so and move on.

I thought I'd follow up my fish out of water post with a shot of the bridge where the fish live... or at least part of it.

I've no idea if this bridge has a proper name of its own; it'll always be the Fishy Bridge to me!

So there you go, Fishy Bridge at Cardiff Bay.

I guess there are times when we all feel a bit like a fish out of water... it’s a feeling I’ve had time and again in my life, but more especially since I’ve been unwell...

These fish are rather more interesting to look at than the inside of my head though, so I thought I’d share them with you. They decorate a foot bridge at Cardiff Bay.

I've had a really interesting day... assuming anyone could find spending the morning being pre-assessed for surgery interesting that is. Still it's over and done now so all I have to do is to wait for the date to drop through my letterbox and I can look forward to getting my bust-gut fixed.

Mean time, here's another pic of Caerphilly Castle.

Anyone fancying a good giggle this morning might want to have a look at this article on the BBC News web.

Now don't get me wrong I'm all in favour of everyone in the UK having an ultra-fast Internet connection, but since BT is unable to cope nationally with Internet access speeds of up to 8Mbps then the chance of us all having access at 100Mbps is just so much pie in the sky!

Ultra-fast Internet for the UK? Don't make me laugh!

For your delight and delectation this Monday morning, a couple more images of Caerphilly Castle...

Just one more shot from my walk around Caerphilly Castle this afternoon.

Hope you all enjoy whatever's left of Sunday... see you all tomorrow.

Another of my favourite old ruins; Caerphilly Castle.

An incredibly powerful stronghold in its day, Caerphilly's walls were never breached until the advent of gunpowder.

As you know I always find it hard to pass a rusty object, but sometimes I think even the most attractive rusty thing deserves a little extra treatment...

I saw this rusting ring fixed into a wall at the old iron works in Clydach Gorge. Snapping the image was a must. When I was looking at it earlier this morning and considering posting it here, I decided things could be enhanced if the image was given a 'canvas' background; you know canvas prints have that wonderful rough texture and it just seemed so apt for an image like this.

My chum Tylluan posted recently about bird strike and how they test aircraft windscreens by flinging dead chickens at them... not the frozen variety though.

Well anyway I was walking past this pond minding my own business when Gander George here decided I was on his patch and shot out the pond and straight at me!

My first idea was to snap a quick pick... Gander George's idea was have a quick peck... no wonder some people use geese for guard dogs, this bugger had absolutely no fear... I just thank Nature she didn't design geese with teeth!

I tried shooing and shouting, but the goose just kept on pecking and flapping at me so in the end I made off down the path...

The really funny thing was, old George here chased me along the path flapping and squawking trying to nip at my backside... it's a good job for him there were other people about or he'd have ended up in the boot of my car and found himself being roast in the oven for a tasty Sunday lunch!

There's not much meat on it and you might get splinters, but come on over and we'll pick at it anyway.

...a Rusty Usky moment!

Continuing the National Tree Week theme...

Crickhowell Castle, also known as Alisby's castle, is a conspicuous feature of the small market town and occupies a vantage point with commanding views along the Usk valley.

The castle began life as a motte and bailey with timber buildings, probably built by the Turberville family in the 12th century. In 1272 it was rebuilt in stone, still to the basic plan, by Sir Grimbald Pauncefote, who married Sybil, a Turberville heiress.

There's not much left of the castle at Crickhowell, but if you happen to be in the area it is worth a brief visit.

Jack Frost suggested I post some images of lone trees... well who am I to disappoint?

Well ok autumn is giving way to winter, but there are still lots of berries in the hedgerows here... not that I'd recommend picking these for a fruit tart!

Remembering this is National Tree Week I thought I do a quick post that combines a photographic technique with trees.

Whether you learn your photographic skills from books, other photographers, at clubs and societies, or by attending courses, one of the things that is drummed into you is the need to “Fill The Frame!”

Composition of the shot is obviously important and there are certain rules we are advised to follow, like the Rule of Thirds, before making our exposure.

Occasionally we can make use of Natural Framing when setting up the shot, but we should still try to remember our basic rules. Here’s an image of a derelict building.

In this case the angle of the trees more or less follows the outline of the building, creating a natural frame around the subject. The junction of the rear wall and chimney of the derelict house sits on the lower ‘thirds’ line and draw the eye towards the foreground where the front chimney meets the top and right ‘thirds’ lines.

So there we have it. A not particularly interesting subject enhanced somewhat by the use of natural framing and composition.

I rather like this guy. He lives and breathes sincerity and guts; essential qualities for merchantmen on the Russian convoy run back in the 1940s...

If you're interested in those cold happenings in Arctic waters during the crisis years of WW2
you might find this link to Russian Convoys 1941-45 interesting too.