Crabbing

Yesterday Phil and I were invited to go crabbing on Mudeford Quay. The idea was that the weather was meant to be sunny and beautiful but in true English weather style it didn't really turn out that way. It was cold, and to say it was windy would be an understatement. Nothing a little perseverance and a large hot take away cup of tea didn't fix though.

The water had a weird mist hanging over it which made it very eery, as though something was on its way in from outer sea. I was a bit annoyed with myself that I didn't have my proper camera with me bit still pleased that my trusty mobile phone was in my pocket! I will be revisiting the quay properly camera-ed up though. There were definitely a number of Kodak moments to be had.

. . . As for the crabbing....well, the thought of attaching shredded mackerel onto a sharp jagged barbed fishing hook didn't really appeal to me in the slightest. Those crabs were having an absolute feast however! They must be little fat beasts living under the water there...they hardly get caught, clever little buggers.

Fresh Eggs

Today I went to Penny's house and came back with half a dozen free range eggs produced by her three chickens who live at the back of her garden. Obviously I knew that eggs came from chickens, but to see the fresh eggs being taken out from their hutch was quite astonishing. I was like 'wow, did your chickens really produce those?' Penny just giggled and replied, "well of course, I wouldn't keep the chickens otherwise!'

Each chicken lays the same type of eggs every time. The white chicken lays the white egg, the brown chicken lays the speckled eggs and the smaller black chicken lays the smaller round eggs. hehe!

So I made my way home and made a spinach quiche with my new special eggs. The colour of the yolks were a luscious vibrant yellow. It made my quiche filling yellow and fluffy and of course it was delicious. I have now decided that one day I will have my own chickens to lay me lots of lovely fresh eggs. Now I just have to break the news to my other half!

First Spring

Last week the tree was bare but when I looked out the window the other day it had exploded with pink and it was absolutely beautiful. Last spring I took loads of photos of spring blossoms and said that I wouldn't take any this year because I didn't want loads and loads of flowers. But spring has sprung and I am flabbergasted yet again by the beautifulness of spring...so the camera came out. I used my Pentax camera to take these photos so the actual 'taking' of the photo was for educational purposes, to learn about the the f-stops(?) and the apertures(?) etc etc....as explained in a previous post.

I spent the afternoon in the garden the other day and it was the first time I explored the garden of where I am staying. It was an interesting experience because the owner of the house doesn't throw anything away and just hoards things from chimney pots to washing wheels. I don't really know what most of the things are but it they make for interesting photography. The garden backs onto a National Trust conservation park so there are loads of wild birds, foxes and rabbits that come into the garden. Walking over the grass was quite interesting because the ground was really lumpy from where the rabbits has burrowed. I wasn't sure whether the my foot was gonna disappear under ground with my next step.

At the bottom of the garden is the massive pink exploded tree (my name for it as I have no idea what kind of tree it is). Under the massive pink exploded pink tree sits an old wicker chair. It looks like it has been there for a lifetime and that it belonged once to the lady of the house. She used to sit in the shade of the massive pink exploded tree admiring its beauty or reading a play. It seems that the chair has a story to tell sat amongst the pink flowers and daffodils....

L'albero

This tree is one of the most awe inspiring trees. It has such a presence and fills the sky with intricate vein like patterns. When I lie under it I can watch the birds twittering (not the internet kind) and carrying on among it's branches. It exudes a certain aura which changes from season to season. Now, in the Spring, it has an air of regeneration. The birds are singing happily in it's branches and the bud are starting to show. When the leaves start showing it becomes a whole different being. It provides shade to those below and takes up a more solid space in the sky. And then in the Autumn the leaves whither and fall...dying their certain death to reveal its skeleton underneath. The cycle goes on, year after year, regenerating itself and getting larger, taking up more space, increasing its presence. And I sit and watch, admiring and thinking.

My RE:Acquaintance with the Camera

I have had this camera for over a decade and have only taken one roll of film with it...and that was many many moons ago. It was a birthday present from my Mom and Dad. I remember getting it, it was in a shoe box and we were on a skiing holiday at the time. I remember my dad giving me lessons about f-stops (?), aperture (?), depth of field (?) ...and I also remember it being all very technical and confusing. So in true Steph style I filed the camera in the same place as my times tables - the 'too difficult to learn so i'll leave it for now' place - and continued on. This camera has been with me ever since and I have moved it around with me from flat to flat and cupboard to cupboard, always thinking in the back of my mind that I would love to get reacquainted with this beautiful piece of machinery once more...or because it has been so long I guess it would be a completely new introduction. The opportunity to do so came with meeting a new friend. He sat patiently with me, over dim sum, and gave me a brief introduction to my camera, and then away I went, so everly cautious of what I snapped - 'each click will cost you £0.50 remember' Elizabeth said. And in a way I find it annoying that I can't flick the camera to display mode straight away and view the photo I have just taken, but it also brings about the feeling on anticipation...that waiting, wishing and hoping that they will all come out beautifully. Even writing about it and thinking about it now creates an impatient, yet exciting feeling within. I am on photo 12 of 24 - half way!

I have taken photos in London (where the lesson began) and on the beach! I was waiting patiently for the waves to crash! I hope I caught it perfectly! If it does turn out perfectly I will be amazed! I am really only guessing the aperture (?) and what not (see, still confused by the lingo) and when they get developed I will have forgotten what I had the camera set at. But they say practice makes perfect - I hope they are right! ...whoever they are! Photos will follow! Hopefully I can get them processed digitally...I am a child of the digital age...none of this having to scan photos in one by one! Watch this space!