Words that flow...

Words and images - powerful elements of our everyday life. Most of the time we take them for granted, but sometimes something happens to make you aware of how important they are... and how thankful you are to have the opportunity to use or appreciate them. Here lies some of my words and pictures (which are untouched apart from cropping, unless I've said otherwise) - Please add your words to mine, and leave a comment. Thanks for visiting!

10 April 2007

Grey Start - Bright End

Ha ha! More fool me this morning... I woke up to the sound of birds singing (couldn't exactly call it a chorus, as they weren't singing in tune with each other, and all had different songs!) Since I'd left my window open last night the noise was loud... too loud for that unearthly hour! That was at 5.45, but I didn't check my clock. I saw it was light, and thought I'd beat the sun, and take the tripod (I never remember the tripod!) to get some good shots as it came over the hill...

Ha ha, again! I grabbed my coat, hat, scarf (definately need one of those at that time of the morning) and my daughter's bright red felt hat (it was handy), then grabbed the whistle, leads, dogs... and oh yes, shoes (only just remembered those! :-) ) and reached the door as my neighbour headed off to work early. I swear I saw a touch of pink on the horizon.

So, I got to the forest, and headed in the direction I thought would get the best pics for that time of day - the 'sun right on the horizon' shots - moving with a purpose. Normally, I just take pictures if they happen to present themselves, but today I was deliberately going out of my way to get some sunrise pics... with the tripod, so the camera had a break from the shakes. Want to see what I got? This:



Grey...


grey...


grey!!
(and no, that's not a double image on the trees - I used the tripod!
That's just one lot of trees behind the front ones :-) )



I must've sat on my bench for half an hour... you know... 'any minute now' syndrome. The dogs got bored, so I shifted the tripod nearer the fence, changing positions to get a better shot when our star decided it would shine. I waited. And waited. It was after 7.30 before I realised it just wasn't going to happen - the sun was in hiding!! And nobody told me. Maybe it was camera shy? This was the first time since I took Mother of Invention's video that I'd taken the tripod to take some unblurry pics, and it's the first day there's no glorious sunset, and no bright rays through mist!! Nothing. Sooooo boring!

Still, to entertain myself on the return journey, I tried to find things that were interesting, that didn't require sunlight or unusual shadowing to make them interesting. I re-took the yellow broom from the other day:



That came out better without the mist, don't you think? (Really must try and get it in the sunshine though... I think it would stand out a whole lot more...)

Then I took a long-view into the trees:




And, a felled tree that's been rejected and deserted:





So, that was the start to my day. All the way back, I kept promising myself I could go back to bed, catch up with some kip. Instead, I spent the day doing boring stuff like washing lots of bedding (good time to do it with the kids away) and picking up clothes from all over the house, adding the items to the growing (not shrinking) pile by the washing machine :-(

Then, I did some stuff on my new Deviant Art account (see link in top of sidebar), where you can put your artwork up in your own 'gallery', and also make it available for sale... I don't know how that's going to go, but it's another interesting little experiment! I'm also making friends with lots of teenagers, who are there showing off their masterpieces - some of which are excellent! (A lot was better than anything I could do :-( I still have a long way to go!)

Then, as the sun was setting tonight, I had a strong urge to go to the reservoir, and just sit for a bit. Grabbed the camera again (inevitably), but left all the other paraphenalia and dogs behind - This was relaxing time.

I reached the water as the sun was going down. It wasn't the most dramatic sunset I've ever seen, but it was beautiful nevertheless. Especially as a family of ducks kept swimming past. Unfortunately, like the sun this morning, they were just a little bit camera-shy, and they would either duck their heads, or turn them away, then stick their tail-feathers in the air at me!! So, in most of the pics, all I got was what looked like blobs! :-D

Anyway, here are tonight's photos....a lot more colourful ending to the day than the beginning!!










And here are the ducks!
Steve - this would be a good place to practice your duck call!!
:-D




© Annelisa Christensen 9:44 pm

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16 Comments:

At April 11, 2007 1:43 am, Blogger Katie McKenna said...

Stunning photos Annelisa!!!!

Hope everything is wonderful over your way!

 
At April 11, 2007 10:55 am, Blogger krystyna said...

Hi Annelisa!
I like get up early with birds singing. I didn't have dog (I had in Poland), but I like little walking in fresh morning time.
I love your great pics. Specially - yellow broom and rejected and deserted tree. But grey start pics are special too and sunset are wonderful.
Thanks for the journey through your amazing place. I feel great!
P.S.
I wrote little about your question. If you want more, I'll write you emailem.

 
At April 11, 2007 12:11 pm, Blogger Dana Barnett said...

Hi Annlisa,I Love your pics,Exspecially the ducky one!Hey i have written my poems from the comments and then some on this blog[NIGHTENGALE]ALLS YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK ON MY NAME [sorry]then it shall take you right to it!!!


Glade you are feeling better!!!Dana.

 
At April 11, 2007 12:27 pm, Blogger Akelamalu said...

It doesn't matter whether the sun is shining or not, your photos are always beautiful. I didn't realise the video that goes with the song was yours? That's brilliant!

 
At April 11, 2007 1:17 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the gray sometimes, not all the time; no more than five minutes or so.

Wanted to let you know, that Diane and I, well, all of us too, will be coming to London in mid October. Would love to meet you if we could.

 
At April 11, 2007 1:25 pm, Blogger Queenie said...

Stunning photos.
I remember when I was nursing. I would wake up for an early shift, see the sunrise, and think, Mmmm I'll book a rest day and zap some snnrays. Then it would be grey for the rest of the day.......

 
At April 11, 2007 1:55 pm, Blogger that frolicsome kid said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At April 11, 2007 1:57 pm, Blogger that frolicsome kid said...

Wow, those are really beautiful photos! I especially love the last picture where the ducks waded across the water in an evening sky... It looks really peaceful and serene. =)

I noticed you put up a new edited NaNoWriMo winner's badge. =P It looks great! Congratulations for hitting 50000 words, and beyond! =D

 
At April 11, 2007 2:17 pm, Blogger bulletholes said...

Are those British Ducks? Do I need a British Duck Call? Where can you get one? All I have are American Calls, but they seem to Jolly Well work on some of you British birds.
Quack, I say, and Cheerio! Hip-Hip!

 
At April 11, 2007 4:30 pm, Blogger Mother of Invention said...

I got on! You mean there are actually grey days there?!!! They seem to all end up sunny! I didn't know you did art as well...and I can't find it on the sidebar! You've got tons on it! Thanks for the link to my kitchen poem!
Keep shooting oics...your trademark.

 
At April 11, 2007 7:57 pm, Blogger Dana Barnett said...

Hi MOi,Yes I agree whole heartedly,It's for the birds alright!!!Your song is beautiful and calming,graceful!When you get a chance click on my name and go to my nightengale blog.I have lots of poetry.You could check out my other site words within also if you like...


Dana.

 
At April 11, 2007 10:19 pm, Blogger Annelisa said...

Thanks everyone for stopping by...

I've just finished laying carpet tiles in the bathroom, after working on the boys' room (and boy, did that need a lot of work!) and I'm afraid I'm simply too tired to do more than turn the pc off.... I'll be back to read your comments, and visit tomorrow!! Hope you're having a good day!

 
At April 11, 2007 11:33 pm, Blogger Unknown said...

Absolutely stunning, Annelisa. I have to get some posters of your pics one day =)

I´m sorry I´ve been a bad blogging pal during the last week. Our internet connection is still a mess. I can´t access your blog. But I´ve read you in my feedreader - which doesn´t feature a comment section *sigh*. hope the problem will be fixed soon, because I can´t use Frank´s (very occupied) work computer so often (like I do now).

 
At April 12, 2007 11:11 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

Thanks, Katie... things aren't too bad - I'm doing lots of stuff round the house I put on hold whilst I did my novel writing, and other stuff that's been sitting for an age begging to be done. I'm being quite focused (not! :-) ) on improving the house a bit, so it's 'useful' time...

Morning Krystyna... you like the grey ones? That's cool. I put them there for contrast, rather than to enjoy, but if you like them... all the better! :-D

Having a dog really does help with two things - getting up, and exercising, so though I sometimes grumble, I am glad I have them.

I'll come over later and check out your answer, thanks! :-)

Good morning Dana - the ducky one's my favourite too.

Patience, my dear - I'll be over later to check out Nightengale! :-)

btw, it's not that I'm ill, I just think that the medication for my thyroid problem might need adjusting. It's either that, or else I'm just doing too much, and that's why I'm exhausted so much! :-S

Hello, Akelamalu - you're such a sweetheart to say so. The video was the only way I could work out to put MOI's song on, because, once I heard it, I just knew it was one that shouldn't be hibernating in the computer cave, but out their in the sunshine of our enjoyment! I was right - it's definately better off where we can hear it!! :-D

Hope you're not over-doing that leg! :-)

You're kidding, aren't you Brian???? You're all coming over? That's brilliant - it would be so cool to meet up!! I'll be over yours later and tell you! Excellent! I shall look forward to it! :-D

Lol, Queenie - that kind of thing's always happening, isn't it! I reckon the powers that be has a great sense of humour about these things! :-)

So, you were a nurse, huh? My mum used to nurse, and now my sister does too. I nearly did, but I spent a week in a hospice as part of my work-experience at school, and tried to offer a cup of tea to a dead person - put me off for life!! :-(

FK!! Good to see you back - I did stop by your place... looks like you're bang in the middle of a study - crisis... it'll get better.

In the last picture, whilst I was taking the ducks, overhead a gaggle of wild geese flew over, and there was this amazing honking and geese-shouts, so though this moment looks serene, it wasn't the whole picture. Unfortunately, although I would have love to have taken a picture of the geese too, they landed just out of my camera's reach :-(

Thanks for the congrats on the NaNoWriMo - I do hope you'll finish your Kinderalla when you've done your studies (maybe put aside a month now, so you know you'll do it...?), because it had some great ideas in it! I still haven't read mine through yet (coward I am!) - I'm sure it will be so bad even I can't stomach it! :-D But, I know there's some good bits in it too, so I'm going to spend some time before this week's out to do it!

Do British people really talk like that, Steve?? I hadn't realised. I think I will have to practice on that, don't you know, what what?

Toodle Pip, Old Chap! TTFN!

[oh, by the way, there are certain other British peoples that would be very offended at being associated with that very so-called English 'jolly good show' talk.... particularly the Scottish, but also the Irish and Welsh... and yes, I do believe you'll need to get a translator for the ducks over here to understand you :-D ]

The moment I read your comment, MOI, I had to ask myself, 'How does she know she got on, before she actually got on?? :-D Did you have a clairvoyant moment, or something?

Aren't there grey days everywhere? Yes, we have them in abundance - just now the only cloud is one big solid mat of grey and the sun's pathetically struggling to show itself, but not succeeding :-(!

The link to Deviant Art is right at the very top of the sidebar, just under my profile pic... the site is not only for artists, but also photographers, and people who mess with photographs... some of the work on there is quite brilliant, and some is pretty mediocre. Each person has their own 'Gallery' to display their stuff in. And each person can sell all such things as prints, coasters, mugs, calendars (haven't done this), jigsaw puzzles etc.

You give DA a big cut though, but since you're not doing any of the work once it's on there, then I guess it's not so bad. Also, you have to actually sell something first (which I haven't), before they charge you :-) It looks to be a good place for anyone with an artistic bent to show what they can do!

What the heck are Oics???? I've been trying to work out if the letters stand for something? It sounds like something a pig might say, without the 'n' :-D

Sanni- Really, don't worry about not being around all the time. I love to see you, but I'm not going to think you're a bad person if you don't get over every day!! :-) I have to say, look who's talking though!!! Your blog takes longer than any other I know to load - If I didn't like you so much, and you didn't have such a great place to hang out, I'd have stopped coming zonks ago!! But I do like you, and it's worth coming over, so that's not even a possibility!

Anyhow, I'm not being a very good 'blogging pal' myself at the mo... I've got so much to do, finding time to get round everyone's place is one of those things I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself to do all in one go, or every day... Just spread out the visits, so they are more personal and significant...

Hope you manage to get your connections sorted soon - and I hope it's not preventing you from blogging! :-D

C U soon!

Ok, Off to see mum now. Should make it in time to catch her at lunch, which is good, because she sometimes rather talks than eats! :-)

 
At April 12, 2007 4:20 pm, Blogger bulletholes said...

Oh my! Allow me in my ignorance to beg the communal pardon of the 9 Celtic nations, the British , the Scottish and especially that of my Welsh Ancestors for anything I have said offfensive. Whats TTNF?

 
At April 12, 2007 9:53 pm, Blogger Annelisa said...

lol you are pardoned, Sir Steve!

TTFN (not TTNF :-) ) was a catchphrase used during the war... very English, what! It stands for 'Ta ta for now' (in other words a sort of 'au revoir' )

 

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