Getting creative

 Back as far as school, I've always thought I can't do art.  Every time I've tried something it's been bad to the point of putting me off sticking with it to see if it improves.
What I see in my mind doesn't translate to what my hands can create.

Over the last few years I've thought I'd give things a go again.  Drawing?  Not so good.
Painting?  Nope, even worse than the drawing.

For some reason I thought I'd try lino printing.  Why, I've no idea.  Never tried it at school, so had no preconceived notions of how bad I would be.
Turns out I'm not utterly shite at it.  I enjoyed the whole process of getting the image onto the lino and cutting it out, and finally the print itself.

So far I've done two different prints - a Chinese lucky waving cat, and a Hanged Man from the Tarot - and have been pleasantly happy with the results.  I kind of like how little imperfections add a bit of character to the prints.

Anyway here's my first two attempts at lino printing.

Waving Chinese cat

Tarot Hanged Man

We Are Obscure (and so it begins........ again)

Over lockdown pt1, I started carrying my camera out with me more, and taking pictures of things I noticed that I usually would just walk past and not see.  This has mainly been (but not restricted to) street art/graffiti.

I submitted one of my non-graffiti pictures to Claire - @so_she_smokes - and she picked it to appear in the first issue of her new quarterly zine Obscure Quarterly.  It's a superb collection of photography, poetry and short stories, and I'm proud to have one of my pictures included in it.

It will be out at the end of the month, but I strongly recommend keeping an eye on her Instagram account, and picking up a copy, when it comes out.  A great read, and it's been put together with a lot of care and thought.  It just looks great too.

 

Aaaaaaand you're back in the room.....

Damn.  Not posted on here (or read blogs on here) in a long time.....

I've mainly been using Wordpress for blogging. (here's the link if you're interested https://dalg1966.wordpress.com/ )

I'll try and get some stuff up here and kick some life into this wee corner of the internet, but I'll try to keep them separate, in the off-chance that someone might read this on, and then actually read the other one, and find some different stuff on there.

So, until I actually post something of substance again....Ciao peeps.

Couple of photos

Been carrying the camera about in the mornings.  Here's a couple of early morning shots in Glasgow.

Gordon Street

Rogano Oyster bar

I took these with my bridge camera, which is compact enough to throw in the rucksack if I don't have much space, and want to carry a camera "just in case".  I'm going to go back with the DSLR and see what I can get when I'm not rushing to get somewhere.

Some more bike stuff

Since I last posted I've done the Pedal for Scotland bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
It was a different route from last year, finishing at Ingleston Showground instead of Murrayfield, and coming in at 46 miles instead of 55, which made my total for the day 56, once I added on the ride to the start, and then home again once we'd been bused back there from Ingleston.

The weather was pretty much spot on for cycling.  Not too hot - last year the weather was stunning, which made it a bit hot for the ride.  Towards the end there was some gusty wind, which was a bit annoying.  On the other hand, there were some excellent downhills which were loads of fun.

So, will I make it three in a row next year?  You know what, I think I will.

Where has the time gone?

Didn't realise how long it's been since I posted here.

In the time since the last post I've cycled from the house to Loch Lomond, stopping at Balloch, where there was a spectactular breakfast in a local pub attached to one of the hotels.

Now that's what I call breakfast

The weather couldn't have been better, and the views of the loch were stunning.

Loch Lomond in all it's glory

If the weather is halfway decent this Saturday, I'll head up that way again, but this time I'm planning to go further and finish the ride at the village of Luss.  This is all preparation for the 11th of September, when I'm cycling to Edinburgh to raise funds for the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  If anyone would like to sponsor me, it would be greatly appreciated, and donations can be made at my JustGiving page here.

Training re-boot

So I got a new pair of running shoes, in an attempt to get my sorry arse running again.
This morning I took them out for their first run, and my first of the year.  Yeah, I've been slacking.

This morning's run - run 3/walk 2.  Repeat for 20 mins.

It's nowhere near where I was at last year, but, I've been seriously negligent in the running stakes, and have been relying on cycling and karate for fitness, so, I'm basically back to square one running wise.  But that's good, it means there's plenty of room to improve.

This aftermoon, I'll be off for a swim.  Target, is 30 lengths.

So I got the camera

Last weekend we hit the borders, staying in Melrose in the George and Abbotsford Hotel, which was really nice. It's a 2* hotel, with great food, decent rooms, and a superb selection of whisky in the bar.

Using the hotel as a base, we hit Melrose Abbey, before heading to Jedburgh Abbey via Main Street Trading in St Boswell's, which had been recommended to us by the woman working at Melrose Abbey.  She wasn't wrong, great coffee, superb cakes, and a fantastic bookshop, with a deli out the back.  What's not to like.

The next day we headed to Kelso and the Abbey (see pic below), before heading right down to the border for that shrine to consumerism, Gretna Gateway.

All in all a really nice weekend, and I got to play with the new camera.

Kelso Abbey

Camera news

A new camera is imminent courtesy of my better half.  Only, the bundle I want isn't in stock at the moment, so I'll pick it up next week.  The camera IS in stock, but there's a deal with a 2nd lens, and uv filters, and it's the filters that are out of stock.

Been a while

Just realised that I've not posted here in a while!

Since the last post was about starting a photography course, then this one is too.  I've finished the basic course and started the intermediate, and in between, had a wee break in Marrakesh.  So, that's us pretty much up to date.

Last week, at the course, the instructor asked where I'd gone on holiday.  The exchange went something like this....

"So where did you get to on your travels?"

"Marrakesh.  It's getting to be my favourite city"

"You'll have had some great photo ops there.  Hope you took your camera."

".............."

"You DID take your camera?"

"Well, I only had hand luggage, so not exactly.  I did take a wee compact camera, and I did get some cool photos though."

"Hmmmm.  I'll let you off I suppose."

One of the lions in George Square, from the first photography course

Photography course

So I’ve started on a basic photography course at the local collage.  It’s running for 8 weeks on a Tuesday night.  I think I need to do this as without it, I’ll probably never take the camera off the automatic setting, and that would (a) be a shame, and (b) a waste of money, as I could have opted for a cheaper point and shoot rather than the bridge camera I went for.

I used to use (and still own) a 35mm SLR, and my wife was wanting to get me a digital one for my birthday a couple of years ago.  On the advice of a friend who’s a photographer, I went for the bridge.  His reasoning was that it’s a fair bit cheaper, and while I can’t change the lenses, it has the features of an SLR, so I can find out if I want to use them or stick to auto.  If I use them, then I can upgrade to an SLR, and worst case is that the bridge is a really good camera to take on holiday and keep handy for snaps, when I’m not planning to take pics, and having to carry about a larger SLR. 
If I DON’T use the manual features, then it means money hasn’t been wasted on something that won’t be used, so it’s a win-win.

Since the auto feature is banned in the class, and we’ll be using manual all the time, I’ve already started looking as SLR’s in the camera shops and drooling a little, so I think I know how this is all going to pan out.

Stress puppy

Really on edge today.  Everyone seems to be talking AT me, not TO me.  Add to that, the fact that everyone seems to be moaning complaining and generally being negative all the time, and I'm getting so close to screaming.

I met my mum for lunch, and even she was just being negative.  It's like if people don't complain then they have nothing to say.  Conversation is dead.  Reality tv has killed off any intellect people had.  Everyone is walking about surrounded by pressure to buy this, buy that, watch this, watch that.
Newspapers are full of borderline fascist stories, designed to blame the poor/disabled/migrants (delete as applicable to your red top today), for the country's (at best) woes, if not the world's.

There's an information overload, and if you're looking in the wrong place then you're being suckered by the government smoke and mirrors, designed to make you think that it's people on benefits that are costing the country, and not the politicians abusing and scamming their expenses at the cost of the taxpayers.

People really don't care.  As long as they have their faces buried in their smartphones 27/7 they're immune to that's going on.

Work, consume, die.  Be a happy consumer.  It doesn't matter that you hate your job, and that it's having an effect on your relationships, you're health, and you're life in general.  As long as you work yourself to the grave, we'll continue to dangle the latest "must have" electronic shiny, in front of you.  Do some overtime and you might be able to afford it. (But by that point another "must have" will be out, and you'll have to keep working to get that one).

Maybe I'm being cynical.  Maybe I'm just having a really bad day.  But consider this for one minute.  What if I'm right.  What if the matrix is real.  What if this is it.  This is all there is.

No, it's not all.  Get outdoors.  Get away from the city.  Find a river, a beach, a lake.  Somewhere you can be alone.  Do NOT take your smartphone or tablet.  Leave it in the car.  Now, take your shoes off.  Bury your toes in the sand/pebbles.  Feel the grass under your feet.  Breathe in the tranquility.  Lie back and bask in it, and realise, THIS IS LIVING.

Bike stuff

Got the old (well six years old) hybrid serviced today in work, by Dr Bike.
Clean bill of health, apart from a stretched chain, which although currently ok-ish, should really be replaced in the near future.

So, that's both bikes serviced and good to go.  For the chain replacement, I think I'll give my business to Bike +, a wee independent bike shop on the south side of Glasgow, where we picked up my wife's "sit-up-and-beg", which she absolutely loves, basket and all.  Despite being slow as hell, she isn't getting the back/wrist pain she was getting on her mountain bike, so it's all good, and as the saying goes, a 10 mile ride in 1 hour or a 10 mile ride in 2 hours, is still a 10 mile ride.

Bike related reading

In a change from running related reading, I give you  BIKE RELATED READING.

I've not started this yet, but almost ready to.

Cycling t-shirt

Just couldn't resist this t-shirt.  What's not to love.

Travels with the camera

Flowers on the banks of Loch Venachar

Busy weekend

We've just had a bank holiday weekend, and I managed to pack a fair bit into it.  Out on the bike on Saturday afternoon to watch the Glasgow Uni boat race on the Clyde, before mini golf with the karate club on Saturday night. 

The Largs food festival on Sunday was really good, although I missed out on the free tastings of wine, whisky and beer, as I was in the drivers seat :-(

Yesterday, we headed to Braehead for a wee bit, before going out to Pollok park on the bikes, and then finished up with a wee spot of gardening while the weather was still good.  Good to play with the new lawnmower too, and it's a lot easier to use than the old Flymo, which to be honest gave me a sore back whenever I used it (old age).

Running again

Over the weekend, I managed to get out for my first run this year.
I’ve been really lazy, and got the “can’t be arsed” stage, as it seemed like a huge wall was up between me and running, but on Saturday night, I left out the running gear, and on Sunday morning I got up and went out.  I have to admit I almost didn’t as it was raining, but I thought “Sod it.” and went anyway.

At 7.00am, I pretty much had Pollok estate to myself, and only saw another 3 or 4 people running.  I’m really lucky to have this park literally on my doorstep, and sometimes I take it for granted.

The rain was soon forgotten (I have always had a problem setting out in the rain.  I don’t mind it starting once I’m out, but seeing it rain before I set off makes it hard for me to get out the door) and I was quickly just enjoying the run and the “me” time.

As I haven’t run in about six months, I took it easy, and just did a wee loop that comes in at just under 5.5k.  A nice wee easy pace too.

Thighs were a bit achey the next day, but in a good way.  I also felt really good for the rest of the day.  That’s one of the things I love about running.  I always feel better about myself and life in general when I’m running.  My wife thinks I’m a lot happier a person and more positive when I run, so it does have benefits for mental well-being as well as physical health benefits.

Anyway, here’s a wee pic from a few years ago when I was a member of Bellahouston Road Runners (when I get back up to speed, I plan to re-join).  I’m the one in the purple vest.

 

 

As true today as it was in 1939

"If you who own the things people must have could understand this, you might preserve yourself.  If you could seperate causes from results, if you could know that Pain, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were results, not causes, you might survive.  But that you cannont know.  For the quality of owning forces you forever into "I, " and cuts you off forever from the "we."

John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath

meh

The weather has again taken a turn for the worse.  After having a couple of glorious weeks of sunshine (admittedly it was still cool) it's back to rain, hail and even snow.

meh

On the plus side, I'm psyched up for getting back out running again.  Got some new kit to inspire me, and I'm good to go.  But being a bit of a wimp, I'll wait for the weather to clear up at least a little.