walking – Fraggle's Other Place

Monday Mobile Moments

July 10, 2017Posted in Iphoneography, Mondays, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Fraggle, Iphone6, Monday, Photography, UK, walking13 Comments

Yet more rain today, and quite heavy at times. I was at work this morning and periodically Brenda and I take Billy the dog for a walk around the block, but we got caught in a downpour without coats on one of the walks so made a dash for the car while it passed, Billy looked so cute in the back seat 🙂 he is so lovely.

Phil is on a week’s holiday this week, and is currently pulling muscles and ligaments galore whilst doing ‘house stuff’. At the weekend he applied more waterproof coating (a rare sunny 2 days) to the outside of my shed, where one of his intercostal muscles popped, and then later on he got a gammy knee. Still, the shed looks nice. Today he’s been doing the dining room, no further injuries but not resting isn’t helping the one’s he got. The postman came today with some pictures we ordered for the recently refurbished living room

both taken my me of course so at last I’ve got a couple of my pictures printed and hanging! Dead chuffed.

Also at the weekend it was so nice we went for a walk in the evening, and I took the rollei, but here’s one from the iPhone until I get the film finished, (which may never happen if this sodding weather doesn’t sort itself out!).

1000 miles day9

January 9, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, 365, FujiX-T1, nature, Photography, UncategorizedTagged 1000 miles, 365, adventures, Cat, day9, dog, ducks, Photography, walking14 Comments

“Hey Frags how was work?”
‘OK but am a bit out of sorts today. Bad bout of insomnia last night and also seem to have a cold/cough’
“Oh dear, well we’ll do a bread and butter walk, clear out your cobwebs”
‘OK Frego, I found some bird seed I saved from my last trip to WWF Washington, shall we go and feed the ducks?’
“Ooh yes! That’ll be fun.”

“Is that a supermoon do you think?”
‘Don’t think so, but I know what you mean, it does look bigger than usual’

‘Maybe because it’s low in the sky’

“Not as low as the sun though!”

‘No, and I do like a low sun!’

‘I’ll throw the seed Frego, you take some photo’s’
“OK!”

“This is the only white one!”

‘OK home we go, it’s getting dark and even colder’

“Haha look at the little doggy Frags”
‘He’s a cutey, I saw him just come out of the horsey place.

‘There used to be feral cats behind this fence, a couple of gingers, I think the people in the horsey place put food out for them and they catch rats and the like”
“I can see one Frags!!”

‘SO did we do enough?’
“Yes spot on!”

2.77miles

1000 miles day 8

January 8, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, 365, FujiX-T1, nature, Photography, Uncategorized, urbanTagged 1000 miles, 365, adventures, day8, Fraggle, Frego, FujiX-T1, nature, Photography, walking10 Comments

“Hiya Frags, ready to go?”
‘Yep where are we off to today?’
“Well I spotted a cycle path on the outskirts of the estate the other day, so I thought we’d explore that.”
‘OK let’s rock’

“Pigeon post!”

“That’s a long straight path Frags”
‘lets get on the go then’

‘Curly ivy’

“Oh blimey Frags, good job we’ve got our hiking boots on!”
‘Try and go round the outside’
“squelchy!”

“Take a picture of me on this mountain”

‘Oh good, signposts’

‘I do like curly old ferns’

“Lovely day today Frags”

“Look the moon, that means it’s a dark night in Australia”
‘I guess so!’

“Oops gone past our turning, but nice walking back into the sun”.

“Lovely sparkles on the little stream Frags”

‘Oh we’ve ended up back at the wetlands!’

“I bet that’s the same moorhen as yesterday, all the others are in pairs except this one.”
‘Hmm not sure about that! There’s quite a few about.’
“Don’t argue Frags, I know it’s him.”

‘Beautiful reflections Frego’

“Yes but where are these ripples coming from?’

‘From your lonely pal!’

“It’ll be lovely here when Spring comes and all the trees have leaves again”
‘Can’t wait!’

“Incoming!!”

“Ah my favourite sheeps are still here”
‘Sheeps?’
“Sheeps, silly, there’s more than one obvs”

“Let me get some of them”

“They’re so cuddly. OK Frags, home we go!”

4.07 miles

1000 miles day 7

January 7, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, B&W, FujiX-T1, nature, Photography, UncategorizedTagged 1000 miles, 365, B&W, day7, Fraggle, Frego, FujiX-T1, nature, Photography, walking5 Comments

“This is a bit of a late start Frags”
‘Yes, I had things to do, had to drive Phil into Newcastle and back. Not to worry at least it’s not raining today.’
“No but it is very gloomy, no matter, we’ll do our best. 3 miles today I think, around the little wetlands and the pathways to and from it.”
‘OK, lets go’

‘This is the only snowman we’re likely to see, don’t really get snow anymore.’

“Lovely red berries Frags”

“What on earth is that horrendous noise Frags?”
‘It’s some complete twonk with a motorised boat, chasing the ducks with it’
“Shoot him Frags”
‘I wish’

“The birds are keeping out of his way now”
‘They’re not daft’

“Our pictures will be gloomy today”
‘Yes, but that’s how it is sometimes, just have to find colours and shapes where we can’

“Nice reflection but look at that sky!”
‘Hope it doesn’t dump on us!’

“Ooh a moorhen in a patch of light!”
‘Got it’

“Another fence to add to my collection”
‘You have a thing for fences’

“Well that’s the first time I’ve seen piebald sheep! Who knew?!”

‘They’ll make nice wooly jumpers’

‘Running man!’

“That’s curly wurly”

“Strange place for a door”

‘here’s one on a house at least’

“Let me get a shot of the old colliery Frags”

‘The appliance of science’
“Why don’t people take them in for recycling?”
‘I dunno Frego, I think they’re just lazy oiks’

“I think this road was modelled on the Somme”
‘I concur’

“Well that’s enough doom and gloom, lets go home and get a cup of tea”
‘OK Frego, see you tomorrow, hope it’s not as grim as today, how did we do?’
“3.32 miles today Frags, 21 & 1/2miles this week, we’re right on target!”
‘Fabadab!’

1000 miles day 6

January 6, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, FujiX-T1, Photography, UncategorizedTagged 1000 miles, 365, Fraggle, Frego, FujiX-T1, Photography, walking4 Comments

‘Hiya Frego, you’re late today.’
“Well I held off a bit to see if the rain would stop, but it isn’t and the forecast said it’s just going to get heavier.”
‘OK, are we staying in then?’
“No but we’re going to do it different. No cameras today, we’re just going to do a quick bread and butter walk of about a mile, as fast as possible to get the blood pumping, then home to a nice cuppa tea.Tomorrow is going to be dry apparently so we can make up a bit then.”
‘OK! Lets go!’

0.91 miles

1000 miles day 5

January 5, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, B&W, FujiX-T1, Photography, Uncategorized, urbanTagged 1000 miles, 365, adventures, B&W, day5, Fraggle, Frego, FujiX-T1, Photography, walking8 Comments

“Hiya Fraggle, are you ready to go?”
‘Yep, where are we off to?’
“Well it’s a beautiful sunny day out there, but really cold, so I thought we’d do a longer version of yesterday, around Wardley, so we can get back in the warm ASAP.”
‘OK, lead the way’

“Don’t you love it when the sunlight picks out the tree leaves Frags?”

“I love this bent old fence with the circles, that’ll be a good one for Fence Friday!”

‘Well I like this horses head one, totally bonkers for a semi-detached house on an estate’

“Ah look, these berries match my jacket!”

“And this bush!”

‘Talking of bonkers, this is rather tropical, surprised it grows so well up here’

‘Pretty flowers’

‘I like the footprint in the cement here’

“Get a shot of the butterfly fence Frags”
‘OK’

“How do plants grow in cement?”
‘I have no idea Frego, maybe because the mortar is porous so holds water well, not sure really.’

“Haha look at our shadows!”

‘Men at work, maybe fixing a TV ariel’

“Whoops there goes the neighbourhood!”

‘Yes I heard a lady in the shop complaining about it, but I rather like it’s chutzpah myself’

“Well Fraggle we can turn here for home or go back the long way through the woods, what do you think?”
‘I think we’ll go the long way, I’m good yet’

‘This is the bridge I crossed the other way on Tuesday, I took one in B&W, but I’m liking colour today’

‘Look Frego, two for joy’
“Yep like me and you Frags”
‘Hmm’

“Look Frags I’m walking on thin ice!”
‘No change there!’

“What’s that building?”
‘Wardley Colliery, it’s falling to bits now’

“Ah, backlighting shots Fraggle, the sun’s low now”

‘It’s getting really cold now Frego, lets get home and have some hot chocolate.’
“Yes, that was a good walk wasn’t it?”
‘Indeed I quite enjoyed it!’

3.72 miles

1000 miles day4

January 4, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, B&W, FujiX-T1, Photography, UncategorizedTagged 1000 miles, 365, adventures, B&W, day4, Fraggle, Frego, FujiX-T1, Photography, walking27 Comments

“Hey Frego, long time no see! What have you been up to?”
‘Just got back yesterday from 2 months in sunny Legoland, it was awesome!’
“well Happy New Year, and to what do I owe this pleasure?”
‘Happy New Year to you too. I was reading through your blogs last night and thought I’d best come over and sort things out.’
“Huh?”
‘Well what were you thinking with this 1000miles thing!? You don’t even LIKE walking!’
“Well I need to get fit this year, and I like being out with my camera”
‘Hardly the same thing is it? Well you’re committed now so we’d best get on with it. You’ve started off on the wrong foot if you’ll forgive the pun.’
“Not sure that’s a pun but no matter, how do you mean?”
‘Firstly you are old now and haven’t done any regular exercise for 20 years, so charging off to do a 6 mile trek in adverse weather conditions after only doing 2 days of 3 miles is hardly the way to ease yourself back into it is it?’
“I’m not bloody decrepit you know!”
‘Hmm lets see, day 2 falling over grazing your elbow, bruising your coccyx and pulled muscles in your arm, day 3 walking so far against a strong wind you couldn’t get up and walk properly after you got home, I rest my case mi’lud’.
“I’ll get better at it!”
‘Yes you will because I’m going to take charge now and do the 1000 miles with you, and we’ll do it sensibly. I have it all planned out.’
“Oh god. What’s the plan then?’
“As you seemed to manage 3 miles on the first day without killing yourself, that will be our minimum walk, UNLESS it’s really bad/miserable weather when we can just walk around the estate to keep things going and make up some miles when the weather and your fitness level improves.”
‘Well that was what I was doing yesterday to make up for today which I knew would be a shorter one’.
“Yes and look how that went! We’ve a long way to go, and plenty of time, so lets just get you gentled in for now.”
‘OK Frego, not going to argue’
“Good. Now Secondly, you gave up your big Nikon so you could easily carry around the little fuji, so what are you thinking sodding about with the iPhone?!”
‘I have photo apps I want to play with!’
“So play with them indoors, I am NOT being seen out with someone who uses a phone for photography. A phone is for making telephone calls and texting. Unless you are Mrs.O who is a marvel with one, but you are not. Your pictures on the blog are OK but really, crap quality compared to your fuji. You’ll be taking that with you in future, you know it makes sense and you’ll enjoy the walking more.”
‘You’re so bossy.’
“You need it. AT least you have managed to get good walking boots. Now get them on and lets get round the estate and see how far that is.”
‘Sigh. OK Frego’

“The tree from May is looking forlorn without it’s leaves”

‘Yes but nice reflection of it in the swamp’

“Nice red berries, and you can use some depth of field now instead of like that iPhone shot you did on the 1st day’
‘OK OK!!’

“Oh look at the sunlight catching those apples, seems strange to see them on a tree without leaves”
‘Got them’

“See, quality not quantity. That was a nice little walk, cold but refreshing, tomorrow we might go a bit further, I’ll let you know when I come back in the morning. See ya Frags”
‘OK Frego’

1.93 miles

1000 miles day 3

January 3, 2017January 3, 2017Posted in 1000 miles, B&W, Filmborn, Iphoneography, Photography, RNI film, UncategorizedTagged 1000 miles, B&W, beach, Filmborn, Fraggle, Iphone6, Photography, RNI film, sea, South Shields, walking16 Comments

Lesson of the day today~ The North Wind is not your friend. It wasn’t the wisest decision to pick the coastal route, The Lees as it’s called, along the sea front at South Shields today. I wanted to do a longer walk today as I’ll be working tomorrow, and this route seemed like a good plan, but hadn’t factored in how bloody windy it would be in such an exposed area, and as the walk went on, the wind got worse. I walked from The car park at The Waters Edge pub, all the way to Souter Lighthouse, and then back again. It wasn’t too bad on the way out, but coming back was a right struggle as the gusts of wind were head on. After 1/2hr of it I’d had enough and my brain was muttering ‘beam me up Scotty’ to itself, and at this point a really annoying man RAN I tell you! RAN past me, and I could see him dwindling into the distance, forging ahead until he was a tiny speck, and I’d only struggled on 20 more steps. How can anyone do that in those conditions??? The last thing you need to see is bloody Superman when you’re having a hard time just walking! How I hated him for his speed and fitness :). Nothing to do for it except put one foot in front of the other until finally I got back to the car, whereupon I wept and hugged the steering wheel.

Anyway, onwards ever onwards, I’ll have an easy day tomorrow!

Here are some photo’s I took along the way, all processed with RNI film app using Agfa Optima 200 Warm, apart from the B&W which was done in Filmborn, and all clickthroughable for embigguned versions.

The start,

it’s actually 2.75 miles so they lulled me into an extra 1/2 mile round trip!

On the way to Target rock

Next stop Frenchman’s Bay and this is the info bit

the bay

Manhaven Bay

unnamed bay

Marsden Bay

Marsden Rock

Pompey’s Pillar (no idea why it’s called that)

Taking it in

Last bit, crossing over to pass Marsden Bay

The Limekilns
built in the 1870’s to take advantage of a bleak but perfect location. Limestone had been quarried at Marsden for hundreds of years being used in many notable buildings in the area including Whitburn Windmill in 1796, so with a constant supply of limestone and the nearby Whitburn Colliery providing coal for fuel, these large ovens couldn’t fail to be profitable, it was geographically perfect.
Layers of limestone and coal were poured into the top of the ovens heating and breaking down the stone to produce quicklime which was used in agriculture to neutralise soil. It was also an important element of the steel and chemical industry and was used to make cement and concrete.

All along The Lees are memorial benches, bought by relatives of beloved deceased, and this one was particularly poignant, only 14yrs old 😦

And that’s it for today!
What I don’t get about this walking malarkey is that once you get home and sit down with a nice cuppa tea and a snuggle with the cat, when you go to stand up again you can barely walk across the room without creaking and groaning. Is it supposed to hurt this much???

5.54 miles