'Only if You're Lucky', sychronicity and a large water tower!

Yo my merry men, women, children and all animals alike!

I'm trying like a good 'un to inoculate myself from the dismal skies that seem to have descended upon rural France and have to admit to watching rather a lot of TV and sport of late .... been good though - thoroughly enjoyed seeing England take a bagful of Pakistani wickets in the 2nd Test in Dubai (about time!), super football match last night and hats off to Cardiff City for reaching the league cup final and of course Masterchef is as good as ever ... I think the young Asian girl (Raki?) will win.

Now before I sing another song for you, this is what it's like stepping out in the countryside at the moment  .... the other day, feeling somewhat dulled by the overcast weather I stealed myself to go out and take one, just one good photograph .. be good if it was a good bird, a stray fox, a nice looking bit of mossy bark even! This is all I could come up with - a water tower, albeit a fairly impressive one though don't you think?

I know, I could do better in terms of subject matter but us photographers need inspiration and LIGHT!


Right, on to some music. Here is a super little tune from Ryan Adams called 'If You're Lucky'. I'm just getting into the Adams after catching him on the Jools Holland show a while back and must say I'm mightily impressed. Bizarrely, whilst I was taking a break from committing this song to file I heard a snatch of the tune on TV ... backing track to a poignant scene on Holby City! Now I think there must be a word for that kind of coincidence .... synchronicity maybe or I think something German that I can't remember, anyway enough .... enjoy the track!

Minor frustrations and missed opportunities!

What a frustrating couple of days I've just had, on a couple of fronts. Now don't get me wrong, I can't complain ... don't have to get up too early in the morning and can go to bed whenever I like, I don't have to go to work every morning and I'm getting married to wonderful woman in the Autumn - so life is good! Maybe that's why minor irritations assume far greater importance than they should but added to the damp, grey and generally depressing weather here minor frustrations I do not need.

First off I discover that this LPG adaptor I ordered off the net doesn't fit my car.





Think I need this one, which I've now ordered!












Petrol is so expensive at the moment and I was hoping using LPG on my duel fuel vehicle would make a trip to the coast far more feasible - not to be, for now anyway.

Then I was out birding yesterday nr Pleasance and found this pretty good lake with plenty of birds on it, the light was good (for a change) and thought 'at last, an opportunity to take some good pics' ... only to be turfed off by this irate Frenchman in a tractor who communicated to be in no uncertain terms that photography was not allowed! No idea why, my command of the language doesn't extend to the vagaries of property and land laws here, but sure it wasn't private land! Then Balloo rolled in fox shit (no pic) ...... then, later to mixed feelings of delight and frustration, I spotted a superb male Peregrine Falcon stood in the middle of a field next to some flood water, got the camera out but couldn't get a shot through the hedge. Knew it would take off if I stuck my head up and sure enough it did .... great bird, my favourite bird of prey, but what a photo that would have made!

So, as with the Wild Boar experience I'm left with great memories but no photographs and having to post what might have been! Neither of these pics are mine of course but the one of the falcon standing is similar to the bird and pose I was looking at. Damn shame! I've added another pic of one of these superb hunters in flight just because it was a great photograph!

















On the plus side I'm enjoying posting some of the songs I cover on here and there will be another couple very soon, if not today and I go back to the UK next week to cover some of my OU responsibilities so I'll be able to see my fiancee Gabrielle, my family and maybe catch up with a few friends.