Nevermind

I've been cycling past this everyday for a few weeks. It's only at the end of my road but for once I had time to stop. I'd already missed the train.

There is another piece of graffiti just around the corner which tells us 'Everything is OK'.

Lake Windemere

this was taken from the National Trust campsite at Low Wray on the shore of Lake Windemere. We had managed to get away for a week and were lucky to get mild, dry weather. It is a stunning place to stay.

My first exhibition!

I've had such a busy time of it this year that the photography has been taking a back seat behind family, work and road cycling. But now, bubbling up to the surface comes my first proper taking part in a proper exhibition type thing. I was asked by a work colleague, Rebecca, to contribute to an Edinburgh Festival exhibition with a group of other photographers. We are all connected somehow or other though the arts and the theme is 'the other 283 days of the year' or however many it is that the festival isn't in town. While it has a cultural theme it is really about living in Edinburgh and we've all taken different viewpoints. Here are my 3. If you can make it along to The Zoo, we are there from the 7th until the 31st August.

http://www.zoofestival.co.uk/shows/09/edinburgh%20283

Here's looking at you

Bindweed

I've been ruminating on my photography as I head towards the end of summer and a change over to A Winter Lens. The biggest change for me has been making more use of the scanner to make images. As a result I've done less seeking out of scenes and become a collecter, ambling along the sea shore picking up things that interest me. Here's one of the better results - the common bindweed. For gardeners it's a problem but it is very elegant.

View to Burntisland

I'm not usually one for picture postcard images but I did like these scenes looking across Pettycur Bay with the evening sun going down over Burntisland.

A Scottish Embrace

"Late in the summer of 1263 King Haakon of Norway, intent on conquering the Scots, set off with a sizeable fleet of longships for the Scottish coast. Gales and fierce storms forced some of the ships onto the beach at Largs in Ayrshire, and a Norwegian force was landed.
Legend has it that at some point during the invasion the Norsemen tried to surprise the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness the Norsemen removed their footwear. But as they crept barefoot they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of Haakon's men unfortunately stood on one and shrieked out in pain, thus alerting the Clansmen to the advancing Norsemen.
His shout warned the Scots who defeated the Norsemen at the Battle of Largs, thus saving Scotland from invasion. The important role that the thistle had played was recognised and so was chosen as Scotland's national emblem." http://www.historic-uk.com/

Interesting stuff. And did you know that England shares the floral emblem of the rose with some other countries?

Iraq, Iran and the USA.