Altered Perspectives

After staying up to past midnight without falling asleep all day yesterday, I had the most disturbed night I've had for a long time, so finally came to a bit groggy if happy. Su took Bella out into a pleasant enough morning, which later graced us with some brilliant sunshine.  Our pansies out the front are responding well.

Mid morning, I went up the road to talk to our illustrator/cartoonist neighbour, Mark. A gentle bit of skills bartering going on here - my computer familiarity in exchange for his graphic skills.  All will be eventually revealed - the pace I'm moving at, don't expect anything before the Summer at the earliest!


About lunchtime, I began to feel distinctly odd, as if I was behind a sheet of glass and wearing ear muffs.  I could see and hear OK, and felt pretty conscious.  Thought it might be the disturbed night and/or the antibiotics (which are pretty strong!) that I got from the doctor a couple of days ago. Undeterred, I managed to do some practical things around the house, had some lunch then took Bella out for a walk up by the Golf Course.  Haven't been there for a while.  One thing I don't understand is why people go the trouble of picking up dog poo and putting in a plastic bag only to leave it hanging on a branch in the woods. Who do they think is going to come and dispose of it for them? <Grumpy old man segment ends>

The light in the woods was lovely, and this panorama captures the way I perceived the trees.  All on fruit juice and chewing gum!

Further on our walk, the sky was forbidding.

There was lots of Ultra Violet light about, as shown by my self-darkening glasses. Bella found a stick and settled down for a good chew before making me throw it about for her.

 A shaft of light broke through the clouds.

Then the sun was almost visible again! It was a pleasant temperature - nice to go out with at least one less layer of clothes than the last few months. The weather is predicted to stay dry - if it is clear we may get to see some astronomical phenomena in the wake of the recent solar flare - let's hope! Last night we actually got to see "Venus and Jupiter bump into each other. Well, less than 3deg apart in the Western sky" (many thanks to Richard P for alerting us to one of the few astronomical phenomena we have been able to see - usually the skies cloud over and it rains!)

This day a year ago, I was up early to take Bella down to Victoria Park with a great view of the gasometer (now apparently unfortunately to be demolished in order to make way for houses. Why couldn't "they" be imaginative and adapt the structure?) before a day teaching Moving Image Technology.  I was still waiting to hear if my application for voluntary severance had been approved...

And last, but most definitely not least:-

Happy International Women's Day!