Happy New Year!

Happy 2020 everyone!

This is the view from Mount Sinai just before dawn, back in November

Timisoara at night

More than a little behind on the blogging but will hold off from saying what did over the weekend (when it bucketed down and then the sun popped out) to post a few pics of Timisoara so you can get a feel for the place and judge whether it really is a "Little Vienna":

Reflections on the Thames

Picture Puzzle: Paddle this canoe?

Ok, you interweb search wizards, hear's a little picture puzzle for you.

1. Why is this canoe (kayak really) hanging from the ceiling?
2. Whereabouts in London can it be found?
3. What happened here in 2012?
4. Which rivers has it paddled down?
5. What's it all about?

Natural Navigation Picture Puzzle

This photo was taken at noon on alongside one of the canals in east London.

Can you work out which?

Neptune at night

Not the planet but the boat.

Architecture Picture Puzzle

Two foodstuffs and a drink: what are they?

How many candles?

Yes it's picture puzzle time again.

Picture Puzzle

Sunday evening picture puzzle:

1) Who is this?

2) Where is he?

3) What is he looking at?

4) Where was this photo taken?

5) What did Buff have to drink?

What's your background picture?

I, like so many, spend far too long in front of a computer screen.

No longer do we need screen savers to protect our bulky CRT but virtual desktops can easily be customised with a background picture.

Mine is shown above, a golden sunset over the east coast of Greenland. If you look closely you can see icebergs floating down from the north.

So what is your background picture? Is it a favourite view? A beloved boat?

Post and tell!

Picture puzzle: what are the sailing connections?

Charity calender's safety tip

Ok, time to get serious, pay attention at the back (yes I mean you, Tillerman, I saw that yawn).

Safety - lets talk water safety!

We must remember, when we head out to go rowing, sailing or kayaking, to make sure we always wear a personal flotation device or PFD.

Take this young woman as an example. Even though it was clearly such a hot day she had no need for clothing she remembered to put on a PFD.

It's part of a collection of photos for the University of Warwick women rower's 2014 calender in to raise funds for the Macmillan Cancer Support (bravo).

Towards the end of the collection we also have good example of how the Pharaoh Sneferu discovered how to make rowing interesting but alas that photo was not a good example of boating safety.

Greenland memories: Reflections

Yes, its photo pun time.

What do I think and feel looking back on Greenland? 

It was amazing - a truly wonderful and beautiful land. I'd love to go back!

And a star to steer her by

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Spot the window cleaners

If you look closely you'll see there's four of them, right at the top of the Shard.

#dontlookdown

Final set of Warwash Spring Series 2013 photos

More photos on previous posts here and here.

More Warwash Spring Series 2013 Photos

More photos here and here

Warsash Spring Series 2013 Photos

Some photos taken while out with Rick Tomlinson on his RIB on Saturday. Great fun even with the odd hail shower.

It was the Warsash Spring Series, and a  lots of good racing with IRC classes 1 - 4 plus some Js. Couple of broaches, halyards lost, marks hit and even a minor collision.

More photos here and here

Too cold for Pooh Sticks

Its been a cold and chilly week, ending up with a day of sleet and snow.

Brrr!

It's not helped that I've had a yucky cold which meant that had to pull out of last weekend's planned sailing photography course.

Its not the only thing to be the victim of the extended winter we're having (sorry O'Docker).

The Head of the River Race (HORR) was due to be held today and it was cancelled.

But it gets worse, nay, tragic, sadder even than me having to work this weekend.

I'm afraid to say that this year's World Pooh Stick Championship has been cancelled.

Come on spring!

Ansel Adams at the National Maritime Museum

Just before the great ice rink smash up I'd been to the Ansel Adams exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.

I wasn't sure what the maritime connection was, as my knowledge of Adams was mostly linked to his great landscapes, such as the one above, but there were indeed many seascapes, including one of San Francisco Bay before the bridge was built.

It was all very impressive and there was also a looped video of an interview with him describing his method. One thing struck me: his comment that he almost only ever took one shot of each scene. There was none of this try X then Y, maybe tweak the shutter speed a bit - no, he worked out what the settings should be and then took the picture, and it was right.

Bracketing is for amateurs was his opinion: on the same trip I took over 200 pictures of which about 12 are keepers.

I'm such an amateur.


Image from: Wikipedia