About Round-A-Bouts...

A few years back a small printing company (BB Print Digital) were trying to come up with some ideas for a new calendar. They'd gone through all the normal gimmicky "Firemen with Hoses", "Womens Institute Cupcake Special" etc, and decided to go in another direction. 12 photos of the most boring rounabouts (traffic islands) to be found in Redditch. It was an international hit!
It got me thinking, and I noticed that roundabouts are far from boring. Here are a few from 'roundabout' me...
This statue resides on a traffic island in the former mining area of Brownhills. Aptly called "The Brownhills Miner" by John McKenna.
As you can see he's HUGE...
When it was first put in place it was completely shiny, but has evolved over the last 3 years, the lines of rust now highlight its construction out of thousands of polygons welded together. I only hope that this corroding is kind in its progression, we don't want any rust marks looking like he's had a 'trouser quake'!
"Does my bum look big in this?"
Spitfire Island... Celebrating the areas colourful history.
Before Elmdon became Birminghams main airport in the 1960's the country fields at Castle Bromwich near Sutton Coldfield were where anything aeronautical happened. From some of the first balloon flights in the 1780's to pioneering new fangled planes in the early 1900's. Prior to World War One there were air races and demonstrations. In the First War the field buzzed with Avros, Moths and Westlands.
With the coming of the Second World War the fields were used to produce military planes such as the Lancaster bomber (star of 'The Dambuster' film), the Hurricane and the famous, iconic Spitfire...
The powerful, agile Spitfire fighter planes had to be put through their paces after being built, and the test pilots pushed them to their limits over the nearby fields. There were even reports of daring low level flights (coming in one door and out the other) actually through the hangers themselves!!!!
'The Pegasus' by Andrew Logan.
Positioned high up on a hill, when the sun shines, the glint from its wings can be seen from miles away.
The statue stands aloft a velvet rusted block which reminds me of the 'Morlock' entrance from the film 'The Time Machine'. When you look into its eyes you can see the reflections of the clouds giving it a profound, dreamlike feel.
The effort that has gone into these island artworks is astounding.
Next time you're in no rush, don't take your usual exit, but complete a couple of laps or more and appreciate what's 'roundabout'...

Big Brother can send you to jail for photographing the Police!!!...

If you live in the UK and like to take photographs then you should be concerned. On Feb 16th 2009 the government are implementing 'Schedule 8' an amendment to the 'Counter-terrorism Act 2000'. Within this is 'Section 76'.
The police have already abused the powers given to them under previous anti-terror laws and are often ignorant of the law, falsely believing that it is illegal to photograph or video them. You only have to see this video to know...

The Act at first read doesn't seem of much concern. It's not until you realise the full implications of the wording that it becomes worrying. You can find the full account of the new law HERE.
Sub-Section 58A of Section 76 reads thus:-

“58A Eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of armed forces etc (1) A person commits an offence who—
(a) elicits or attempts to elicit information about an individual who is or has been—
(i) a member of Her Majesty’s forces,
(ii) a member of any of the intelligence services, or
(iii) a constable,
which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, or
(b) publishes or communicates any such information.
(2) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that they had a reasonable excuse for their action.
(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to a fine, or to both;

It should be made clear that you don't have to be a terrorist to be prosecuted under this law but only need to possess information, video, or photographs which the government may believe is useful to terrorists.
One portion (Section 58A,(a),(iii)) in particular concerns me most. If I video the police out on the public street, (which I have done often) and they happen to be near a government building, a railway station or other 'sensitive' location it could be construed as 'useful information' for a terrorist act. The problem is the vagueness of the law as well as the onus for me to justify the reason for taking pictures. I shouldn't need an excuse, because I'm not a terrorist. The police are already uneducated in the law. I have been confronted by them quite aggressively at times and quizzed as to why I'm taking pictures. They go to great lengths to give me the impression that what I am doing is illegal... and DAMN IT... now it is!
The National Union of Journalists and the British Press Photographer Association have expressed their concerns and intend to demonstrate their 'displeasure' in London on Monday 16th Feb... photos may not be available.
So from now on, the pictures and information on my blog may be curtailed.... I NO LONGER CONSIDER MYSELF TO LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY... be warned
For further reading on the matter, see HERE

OOOooww!!!...

It was a long way off, but in the far corner of a large field was something red moving about. At first I thought it was a fox... no, it was too long. Perhaps a deer? It wasn't until I looked through my stills camera at 12x optical that I realised what I was looking at.
I zoomed into the digital range of my camera, things got fuzzy but I could just make out not one fox but two! It's that time of year when foxes like to get jiggy...

With the better zoom (35x optical) on my video camera I could see a little better. The wind was blowing me about so the shots were somewhat unsteady.
At this point it is best to cross your legs because fox shenanigans can bring tears to your eyes. Foxes will start mating in a conventional 'doggy' style. At first the dog fox's penis isn't completely erect, but once inside it begins to swell. At the same time the vixens vagina will start to constrict. This combined with the barbed shape of dog fox's member, 'locks' them together (to ensure fertilisation). This is called the 'tie'. After ejaculation the dog will try to dismount and the couple will end up back to back. Unfortunately this can last for hours, and in the mean time the dog fox will dragged around by his precious bit! So when you hear those foxes howling in the night please be sympathetic and give a thought for Mr. Fox...

It's snow fun...

With snow becoming rarer each winter it was nice to get out into the winter wonderland. The TV reported traffic chaos... I didn't notice it. The roads were empty and there was plenty of fun to be had left foot braking into the bends!
My plan was to head up to a place called 'Crows Castle', a hill out in the fields where there are views in all directions. I took the bridle path through the woodlands dodging the muddy bits, electing to follow the fox tracks because he knows it better than I do.
It was nice to enjoy the virgin snow, the only other tracks being coney.
Energy running low it was time for some nosh. I fuelled up my ever faithful meth stove. This tiny titanium stove is brilliant, it's super light and really tough (I've stepped on it many times!)
Soon the bacon was sizzeling. What is it about food outdoors that makes it taste SOoo good?
As I crossed the higher fields I left the shelter of the trees and the wind was bitter.
By the time I was in view of Crows Castle the wind chill made it difficult to remove my gloves for long in order to take photos.
It's lovely up here, wild and windswept. A favourite haunt for the Buzzards. The Scots Pines are old and gnarled. The high fields spread out to the horizon on a clear day. It was way too cold to hang around for long, so I headed back home.
Back in the warmth of the trees I spent a while tracking badgers. There was a group of three. It looked as if they'd been having fun. There were 'snuffle' marks and patches of disturbed snow where they'd been larking about.
I followed them as far as the Christmas tree nursery where I lost the tracks in the tangled undergrowth. Tired and tea deficient, I headed back to the car...

Igloo!

We only had a sprinkling of snow in the UK, but there was enough to build an igloo.
As I piled the snow high and carefully hollowed out the interior I contemplated spending a cosy night sleeping out in it.
There had been a terrible mistake of scale... I don't know if I mistook inches for millimetres on the plans. Maybe the cat had grown... No, something had definitely gone wrong!
Never mind, the cats think it's great...

I tooked a tumble...

It was a dark, cold night. The wind was cutting as it blustered across the tarmac. "I wish I was back at the garage" thought little 'Smart' car to himself. "It was warm and safe there..."
Hooded figures emerged from the shadows, indistinct gutter colloquialisms slurred from their hidden faces. First they turned their attentions to the old Fiesta next to Smart. "OOooh my eyes!" he exclaimed as his headlights were quickly removed by the grubby monkey dexterous hands.
"Aaah!" Thought Smart as someone thudded up against him. Then again, but harder. The Morlocks gathered round pushing and yabbering excitedly. Suddenly he felt his front wheel lift, and again. Now the back wheel as well...
For a moment he was poised, balanced like a child leaning back on a school chair. The pavement shot up towards him, his wing mirror crumpled, the shiny paint grazed, the soft panels dented. The chavs scattered, the loud crash scaring them from their kill.
So for poor little Smart car only a few weeks born, it was back to the comfortable garage... safe from the scum.

Countdown to chaos...

The news today informed me of yet another pointless death at the hands of our unruly youth. A local man was beaten to death by feral kids for the bottle of wine he'd bought to accompany the dinner with his wife. I'm beginning to despair at the remorseless countdown towards complete social breakdown. Each month the government announces more and more crappy laws each diminishing my freedom but empowering the yob....
What happened to commonsense???... This obituary published in the London Times might explain...

"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who
has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He
will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the
worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children,
are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended
from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental
consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could
not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an
abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses;
and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in
her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by
his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone..."

Mist friends...

Holiday fever had set in pretty bad. The symptoms were restless legs, grumpiness (even more than usual), and a slight thickening around my waist... a hefty dose of the outdoors was the remedy.Several days and nights of freezing fog had left the world encrusted with frost. The lakes were frozen but not thick enough to support my bulk over to the little island.
I cut across the frozen wetlands to a favourite spot. Put up one of my ever faithful hammocks, and settled myself down for a long wait...
After much toe wriggling and face pulling to stop myself setting solid, through the gentle cold mist my guests began to arrive.
The wild ponies hate to be pursued, but their natural curiosity always gets the better of them, and one by one they appeared.
At first they'll pretend that they haven't seen you, congregating a little way off.
Next comes the nod. The boss pony will give you the 'I see you signal', a reciprocal nod back lets him know that I mean no harm.
Then follows a bit of mutual exaggerated over casual behaviour, before eventually...
...a friendly face plods over to say hello.
From then on, you're one of the gang; even if you do look different and smell of coffee!...

Remember... simply click on any of the pictures for extra 'bigness'!!!...

A feature of the night...

It's been a long time coming, but we're finally there... the shortest day. My long nights of howling at the moon are nearly over. From here on, those long summer days can only get closer. Horray!
As you can see the photos have a nocturnal theme. The second photo is a bit dark, but click on it and it'll get all big and be much clearer to see (the wonders of electrickery). The bright 'star' on the left is Jupiter which is really easy to spot at the moment. Just right of centre is Venus. They are most obvious just as it gets dark. I can see them even from my patch of light polluted ether, so those of you in the darker areas should get spectacular view...

X-small Xmas...

'Grow your own Christmas tree', that's what the box said. It seemed like a brilliant idea. On special offer for only 50 pence in the January 2008 sales... Bargain! Complete with its own little terracotta pot and compost, what could go wrong?
Within a fortnight there was already a tiny spike of growth, and it wasn't even February yet. There was still 11 months of growing time before Christmas. I spent the wet summer carefully nurturing the little chap. Warding away any potential threat from snails or mischievous cats. After a years growth and Christmas looming, this was the result...

... I'd hoped for.
Unfortunately, this is the reality. Where am I going to get lights small enough to fit this?! I wouldn't say that I'm disappointed, but I'm thinking it very loudly! Still, it's going to make the presents look HUGE...

From my back yard, to outerspace and back...

Got to get out or I'll go bonkers!....

I go a bit 'stir crazy' this time of year. Short days and precious little sunlight even then. The English autumn and winter is like living in a damp cave.....
The weather forecast announced "no rain all day!" It seems it's been wet everyday for weeks now, so I was determined to make the most of it. The grubby bike desperately needs a wash... it'll have to wait.
I don't know why I've got the old faithful GPS attached to the handlebars because I know the area like the back of my hand.
After a few miles of traversing the heaths and woods it was definitely time for coffee and sandwiches... any excuse to loll around in one of my many hammocks!
The hideously wet summer has at least left an autumn legacy of bronzed trees contrasting with the still lush grass.
I love to watch the goods trains thunder under the bridges. As kids we used to put coins on the track and collect them after they had been squished into sausage shapes by the mighty weight of the locomotives.
The shadows lengthened as I looked out across the fields from a hilltop.
The days are very short now, but at least the sun departs with a warm glow.
The horses were enjoying the warm day and were playing 'silly buggers' with the exasperated lady trying to get them to the stables for the night.
They are building yet another taller TV transmitter, 30 meters taller than the one next to it that had a near miss with a passenger jet only last year!
I couldn't figure out what all these men were trying to do at first. It turns out they were attempting to plug a giant cable into the bottom of the transmitter, and I thought the ariel in the back of my TV was fiddly!...
With my tummy rumbling yet again, I headed for home. The local cats were waiting for me, wondering where I'd been all day, and why hadn't I been playing with them on such a pleasant day.
The evening drew to a close with a fantastic sunset. "Red sky at night, shepherds delight. Red sky in morning, global warming!"...

Just click on the pictures for a larger image...