Just a quick word to say I'm alive and well and living in Uskyland...

Apologies for lack of blog recently; I seem to have very little to say at the moment and am taking a sort of blog-break.

I'll be back soon no doubt. Mean time, have fun y'all!

I'm pretty knackered after the day's activities so am planning an early night and a few hours sound sleep (I hope!). Before I go though and because I won't be about much tomorrow I thought I'd post you something rather beautiful.

Peacock Feather

... a surreal landscape for a Saturday evening?

click for big

Bread, they say, is the staff of life... and there's no getting away from it, good bread is a treat to eat... so why on earth do we put up with the pap that litters the shelves of supermarkets and other high street shops? I'm not including traditional bakers of course...

Okay, so this is the subject of this morning's rant...

This is a slice of wholemeal bread, baked fresh at my local supermarket and sold at a premium price. It's supposed to be good for you... healthy eating and all that... but the truth is this stuff tastes like crap! (not that I'm any sort of expert on crap eating you understand)

I'm no baker by any means, but I've baked tastier bread than this and I know for sure the baker who normally supplies my bread would just shake his head in disgust at a slice that tastes like paper and has the consistency of slightly soggy cardboard!

Staff of life? Trust me, you wouldn't live too long if you relied on this sort of junk.

Serves me right for being lazy and not making the effort to get my bread from the usual source... all I can say is I hope the birds like it, because the loaf is now broken up and scattered all over my lawn.

In fact it's a pretty terrible image, but the iris was truly beautiful, believe me...

White Iris

Well to be more exact... I shouldn't really be here........

But I rather like this and thought some of you might too.

See all you good folks tomorrow.

Team GB are doing remarkably well in Beijing... some simply stunning results in the way of personal bests and a few world records too... congratulations guys, we're all very proud of you.

But I wonder how many of us are aware of a couple of other world record attempts involving a British team just now?

I'm talking about the Greenbird team...

Never heard of them? Well read on.

The Ecotricity Greenbird is involved in not one, but two world wind-powered speed record challenges.

This is Greenbird

Described as part aeroplane, part sailboat, part Formula One car, Greenbird is a technological marvel.

Ecotricity is all about harnessing the power of the wind and the team aim to make Greenbird the fastest wind powered vehicle on Earth...

...on both ice...

...and dry land!

Greenbird is currently in Australia, assembled ready and waiting to go for the dry land record attempt. To read more about Greenbird and follow her progress please visit the Ecotricity Greenbird web.

Here's another photograph of Polperro Harbour...

I 'antiqued' this one for added effect.

Since I haven't been anywhere for ages or taken any photographs or have anything useful or interesting to say...
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I thought I'd remind myself of a nice place...
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Polperro Harbour

My chum Menomama asked the question, "Can animals smile?"

Looks like this bullock is grinning at something to me...

...perhaps it's the size of the other cow's arse!

This insomnia thing is getting to be altogether silly now... I'm reduced to watching women's long distance swimming events... BMX... taekwondo... and other mind bogglingly interesting stuff... ...if this lot doesn't send me to sleep, nothing will!

Just a quick message from old Usky to say I'll get back to normal as soon as possible.. right now my eyes are suffering somewhat...

Catch up with you all soon.

Usky

...well I did manage to fall out of bed for gawd's sake!

Anyway... wide a-bloody wake now I is.

Be good for bugger all in the morning....

Our village smithy's a grand chap... with a special eye for the birds... and what's more he likes to show off his wares in public... so if travelling around this neck of the woods... keep a special eye open for Old Horny Thom.

"...a humphy backit Heron
nearly as big as me
stands by the waterside
fishin for his tea... "

Not to be confused with my regular weekend teaser (A Little Something for the Weekend) I wondered if anyone might be up for a bit of Sunday fun?

Who can tell me what this is, or what it might be used for?

You may want to look away now...

Of course if you think you can stand it... click the image and have a much closer look.

Of course, I could easily be wrong!

(click for larger sizes)

I get the distinct feeling it is going to be yet another wet day here...

Any plane spotters out there?

Identification needed please...

Just about sums me up this morning...

Washed up on the foreshore...

Since I haven't been out with a camera for a while I've nothing new to show you folks... hence the outdated images I've posted here recently.

This morning's image isn't 'new' either, although you won't have seen it before...

Personally I'm not keen on this sort of thing, but I know a lot of people like to decorate graves with all kinds of odd things.

The figures used here are kind of cute though, don't you think?

Image association? Well I really couldn't think what else to call this post.

Today's events reminded me of some images I took a little while ago and had been meaning to post... really not sure why I hadn't posted them before in fact...

As some of you will know, I have a bit of a thing for cemeteries. I find the peacefulness of these urban refuges really stimulating... and just occasionally you come across some quite spectacular.

I've no idea what these stones say, but I think they're really beautiful.

And I just couldn't resist snapping this one...

It hasn't been the easiest of days and to be fair I think Mum coped better than I did in the end. Being around all kinds of 'strange' people at the wake just about did for me... I really don't do people at all... ...people in large numbers and confined spaces just freak me out these days.

Still that's all over now thank goodness and Mum's resting... my brother's looking after her this evening, so I've got the rest of the day off and have every intention of having a large gin or several and just festering here this evening.

Tomorrow we've got a few things to sort out in the morning and I'm hoping the weather will be drier than it has been today so I can whisk Mum off somewhere nice for a bit of fresh air and some lunch. Later in the day we'll get Mum all packed up then there'll be a 'family' meal early evening.

Thursday morning I'll be ferrying Mum and brother to the airport so he can take her back to Spain with him, where he chooses to reside these days, for some rest and recuperation.

So, those are my plans for the next couple of days.

I think it's time for the first of those gins now, while I catch up on some mail and read through your blogs...

How would fancy a bunch of these?

I'll bet they'd wear huge holes in your underpants!

Tickle 'em up to make 'em bigger...

Well it's been a busy day today and tomorrow will be even busier... not that I mind being busy, but I am feeling the pace somewhat.

So, the funeral service is being held in Newport tomorrow at 10:00, followed by a procession to the crematorium at Cwmbran for the 'crisping' and then back to Newport for the wake... so a bit of running around and no doubt a very distraught Mum.

Thankfully things can calm