It's a dangerous business...

"It’s dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to..." - Gandalf

Phew... have been so busy the last few weeks and even more busy these past few days. It seems that life sometimes becomes a grey highway with it's individual parts racing along it in a blur of colours and sounds.

Now I can forget everything pack up and head out beyond my door to who knows what. I raise a glass to adventure! In a little while I will be stepping out my door and let it sweep me to Spain and where ever it may take me. Hopefully I can blog my travels from Spain here. Wish me luck, and that my road is filled with many marvels. I hope we can share them in the coming days. And so... to adventure!

Best Wishes

- Martin 2005

Has been a very busy weekend getting together my stuff for holidays :-) I managed to get along to a boot sale ( mobile flea market? Not sure what Americans/Canadians call it ) and picked up some great books for just 20p each! I got:

StormBringer - Micheal Moorcock

Huckleberry Finn - Samuel L Clemens

Voyage to the City of the Dead - Alan Dead Foster

The Dragon Hoard - Tanith Lee

Weave World - Clive Barker

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Yes... Cristina! I have Jane Eyre by Bronte :-D What a fantastic haul! My book mountain is vanishing into the clouds... but never mind :-D Books! Books! Books! You can never have enough of those :-D

Now the cool beyond cool. Sometimes, just sometimes, you stumble across something so cool that it's beyond cool. And this is it:

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu.nyud.net:8090/the_mission/images/flyby_images/mdis_depart.mpeg

It's a short movie from of the Earth as seen from a N.A.S.A space probe as it's flies away from our planet. Very. Very. Cool. If they tell you there is no magic, don't believe them. It's all around us.

- Martin

Cute

CUTE! :-)

Photo taken at Greenwich Park. Squirrels are so damn cute. This one really seems to be enjoying his dinner!

Well, back after a slight absence! Not blogged out... just taking a rest and a change of pace :-) This is always a good thing! Doing the same ol in and out every day wears down my soul. Ah! And I haven't forgotten "Kingdom" It's still on going :-)

Been a nice long relaxing weekend here. Monday was a public holiday in the U.K but I also took of Today also. I have had a nice long relaxing four days doing not much of anything. I managed to read a whole novel in almost a day! I finished the last couple of chapters off this morning and started another. The book I was reading was by Harlan Coben

It's the story of a Doctor who gets shot twice in the chest. Upon waking up he learns his wife is dead and there is no trace of his baby girl. Some time later he gets a message telling him that he must pay a ransom if he wants to see his daughter alive again. It tells him not to contact the cops or do anything funny. There will be no second chance.

Harlan Coben is a very successful crime writer. I haven't read his work before, but I have heard many good things about them. I must say I wasn't very impressed. The prose comes across as very simplistic and cold. I don't feel the emotions that I should while reading it. Typical lines are "I stood at her grave feeling alone and sad." He just tells you in the simplest terms rather the showing you and making you feel something. One of my problems is that I am far too picky! I found many things that just made give a big "HUH?" because they made no sense or what not even explained at all.

OK, that's the bad points now on to the good points. He writes a good mystery. I was kept guessing all the way through and wanted to find out what was going on. He keeps the thrills and the spills and the action coming at a fast and constant pace. It pretty much never lets up.

I'm giving another of his novels a go called "Tell No One" and I am still not overly impressed. I would say he is simply average. If you want the equivalent of a movie block buster where you turn off your brain and just sit back and enjoy the noise and fury then his books are ideal for that. They make a nice change of pace. A bit of brain popcorn isn't a bad thing at all sometimes :-)

I'll be going off to Spain soon! I am very excited. I have a million things to do that I have not done. I always leave everything to the last moment. Awww it's just more exciting that way, isn't it? :-D

Martin - 2005

Strange and Norrel

I finished my novel today that I been reading called Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and I have to say I loved it! I know some found it slow to start, but I didn't. Maybe it's because I really enjoyed her narrative voice and usage of language. The archaic spellings were a great touch as were the footnotes!

The story moved at just the right pace and was populated by a wonderful cast of complex characters. None of them were cardboard cut outs and each had a set of complex motivations. Some of their character were good and some were bad, just as real people.

The fairy were great. They were just how I personally envision them to be. They were beautiful and magical yet also alien, twisted, and dark beings. Toward the end of the book things just got better! I was reading in bed till 3AM last night as I could not stop! I finally succumbed to sleep but finished off the last 50 or so pages today.Great stuff and I would highly recommend it!

My only problem is what to read next! I am still in a magical and or archaic mood! Thinking of re-reading Mythago Wood

Martin - 2005

Valencia - Spain.

Valencia

Valencia, you always have my heart captured in your dust and light. Phantasmal Fragments of me always walks your dusty sun dripped streets, full of charm, and will walk them forever. Mi amiga, my hand will always be in your palm walking with your ghost.

Valencia, with your sweet Orxata sold by the cup or the bucket. With your sunset red rich chorizos, with your hot chocolate y churros, and with your tortilla patatas. Valencia with your abuelas y perros. Valencia with it's winter rain and the scent of junipers. And with your old squares with balconies and crumbling gothic churches that toll the time and make birds fly and coo.

Valencia, with your old market full of pirates and buccaneers selling their Aladdin wares in the dusty sun splashed square. Their ears full of rings, their hands full of coin, and their eyes watching.

Valencia, with your market where hands move as bargains argued to fruition amid fruits and a thousand rainbow shades of spice. The scent and sound of the market bursting like bubbles all around in a symphony of life.

Valencia, where I leaned so much. Valencia where I leaned to be me.

My heart is always with you, my friend, my soul, my Valencia.

Te echo de menos.

- Martin

Consort to the moon

Consort to the Moon

Of course the consort of the moon is the sun. This was next to the last train station art work posted! As I said before, I really like it when I come across something beautiful in the most unlikely of places. Keep your eyes open. You just never know what you may find and where you may find it! Serendipity is the watch word :-)

Martin - 2005

Moon and the boats

Moon & the Boats

This was a wondeful suprise when I came across it in Barcelona, Spain. I think the reason why it was just a nice surprise is because it was not hanging in some gallary but on a train station wall!!!

Hope everybody is having a good weekend. I'm SO glad to finally get a rest :-D

Martin - 2005

Descent

Decent

Burning

Tangerine bright

Sol

Sinking

burning bright

Quenched by cloud

In the week I went to the forest for a walk and a photo shoot! I wanted to experiment with some different settings. The forest shoot was not very productive ( although I enjoyed being in the arms of oak, the rich scent of leaf and earth, and soft birdsong ) but the sunset was simply amazing! I bring it home and lay it before you in all it's tangerine delight :-)

On another note: I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today! It was fantastic! Love Tim Burton! He was just the right choice for this movie! It was dark and twisted but it was also very funny! The umpalooma songs are classic! I highly recommend it :-)

Hope everybody had a wonderful weekend!

- Martin

Swan Song

Swan Song

I hear your song

Of whispering river weeds

And green water where white lilly grow

I listen to your song

Of serenity gliding along

Your snow white swan song.

This black and white photo of the Swan was taken on the Isle of White. There was a large pond filled with songs. People were feeding them by throwing the swans bits of bread and all sorts of things. The swans were very happy about the situation :-D I managed to be able to take some bread and feed them by hand :-) It's great they are so tame! I love it when you can get so close to animals that you would not normally see.

Martin - 2005

A good Saturday

It was a great Saturday. Very relaxing. Soft light and the lullaby of rain. I love the rain.

I love the sound as the droplets of water dance on the ground and windows. I love the clean shining look of the world full of reflections and shimmering lights. At one point it rained very hard and the rain waster danced with fury on the ground. So I was sitting on the sofa reading my book while the rain fell. It was very relaxing.

I'm really enjoying the book "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell." It's a real pager turner! Here is the Synopsis:

"Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me…

Centuries ago, when magic still existed in England, the greatest magician of them all was the Raven King. A human child brought up by fairies, the Raven King blended fairy wisdom and human reason to create English magic. Now, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he is barely more than a legend, and England, with its mad King and its dashing poets, no longer believes in practical magic.

Then the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey appears and causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. News spreads of the return of magic to England and, persuaded that he must help the government in the war against Napoleon, Mr Norrell goes to London. There he meets a brilliant young magician and takes him as a pupil. Jonathan Strange is charming, rich and arrogant. Together, they dazzle the country with their feats.

But the partnership soon turns to rivalry. Mr Norrell has never conquered his lifelong habits of secrecy, while Strange will always be attracted to the wildest, most perilous magic. He becomes fascinated by the shadowy figure of the Raven King, and his heedless pursuit of long-forgotten magic threatens, not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything that he holds dear. "

It was such a calm day :-) It's so nice to have soft light and rain falling and to spend the day reading. It's great when you are really entranced by a novel. The sent of the rain was so good. The scent of the rain and the tempestuous grey skies reminded me of the ocean. I would have loved to have gone and sat on a cold wind swept beach and watched the waves crash into the shore!

I was too busy reading and enjoying the rain to cook today :-D So I went out into the soft rain and got some traditional English food... namely: Fish and chips :-D

It was a very good Saturday! Hopefully tomorrow is as good and as relaxing. I will be making some Spaghetti Bolognaise and drinking red wine... :-) I hope your Saturday was good!

- Martin 2005

PS: Heather... have some trouble finding that story! It might be on the other computer. I'll post it up as soon as I find it! Might not be Sunday... but it will be, hopefully, be soon! If I can't find it then I will let you know :-)

Chocolate

Mmmm chocolate :-D

This photo was taken while I was in Brugge, Belgium a few months ago. I only had a few hours there, but it was great to be some place I had never been before. All around me towered gothic cathedrals with spiked spires and graceful arches. Everywhere you go there are chocolate shops selling the most wonderful range of fantastic chocolate! It's heaven for a chocolate-holic like me :-D Belgium chocolate is regarded as the best in the world and it's certainly very yum! Although Swiss is just as good. Lindt bars are great and you can find them here with ease in the U.K

YAY! It's finally Friday and I can relax ( at least for 2 fantastic days!!! ) I'm really happy it's the weekend! I got some wine and some chocolate and spent a very relaxing night at home curled up on the sofa reading my book Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" It's a great book. I'm loving it, and am really looking forward to having a long reading session this weekend with some munchies!

Hope you all have a good weekend! Go on... indulge yourself in a small vice! Be it chocolate, wine, or something else :-D I have some more wine ( red ) for Sunday! ;-)

Heather, will post up that story I spoke of on Sunday :-)

best wishes

Martin - 2005

Poem: When?

When?

Oh what when
Discordant love
Breaks you
On a disconsolate shore
With lonely seagull screams
And burning sand?

Oh what when the night is too long
Bereft of all but the saddest songs
And the day is a miser
With charms and alms
- Yet too generous with hateful crimes
Drudgery and death?

Know then, it shall pass
Clasp a bright candle against the wind
Secure a bright candle in your soul
There is the beautiful, the good, the magical in this world
This is what you must believe in
This is what I must believe in.

Something differnt today :-)

It's been awhile since I posted up a poem. I hope you enjoyed the poetic interlude between the photographs. A little something beween the visual moments. As poems sometimes do, it just came to me as I was standing, in all places, in the kitchen doing the dreaded washing up!!! The poem isn't connected to washing up. But there you are, my brain works in strange ways!

In other news: I have created a new blog! It's an idea that has been strolling around my brain for a very long time. In fact, it's been there pretty much since I decided to start this blog up. Recently it's been in my head and I am sure that I want to do it. Also I have been reading "Grifin and Sabine" and the format of telling a story via only the written thoughts seems to work quite well.

The idea is to try and tell a story using the blog enteries as a format. The story is told and unfolded via reading diary enteries placed in a book by somebody called "Anastasia" The person she is, where she is, who else is involved, and so on are revealed by her diary enteries. Hopefully I can tell a full story using this method. The story and blog is called "The Kingdom" and can be found here: http://mysterious-words.blogspot.com/ Any suggestions and comments greatly welcomed! :-)

- Martin 2005

Good Morning Luna

Good morning Luna

My eyes flickered open before the alarm clock had a chance to rouse me. I did my best zombie impression ( Urrraaaaahhh - not a morning person ) and then did all the required things: wash, brush teeth, make coffee! As I always do, I looked out of the window to see what the sky was like. This morning she was there, the moon :-)

I always get a kick out of seeing the moon in daylight. It seems something so magical! She was only there a short moment, as my camera clicked, the clouds devoured her. Only for a moment was I graced. I suppose this is a good metaphor for life. Nature is always trying to teach us this. There is no permanence. The flowers will die, the sunset will vanish, the sunlight fade to give way to shadows and dark places. She was only there for a moment. I am glad that I looked and thank her for the smile. I hope she gives you one too.

Today morning was wonderful! It's been so hot recently. You wake up and are blasted with hot light. Temperatures have been 20.c in the morning! Today was the first morning that actually seemed like morning! Cool wind like having silk caressed across your skin. The sky full of clouds, and the light soft and inviting. I want more mornings like this! :-)

This post was created and posted using blogging software called Qumana! You can download it at their web site: It's a really great bit of software. It's very easy to use! It's so much better than Blogger's clunky interface. I have been looking for a replacement for some time now. It features lots of things. Just a few are: WYSIWYG editing and post creation, spell checker, thesaurus, wide range of fonts and sizes, easy image integration, lots of formatting options, and much more. ( Is it me or do I sound like an advertisement? :-D ) But really, I found it great and easy to use! I'm happy to find it because Blogger's own posting area is so clunky and limited.

Martin - 2005

Cloud Factory

Cloud Factory

They were sitting watching the cloud factory make beautiful white clouds. "I like Van Gogh's," She said unexpectedly.

He didn't take his eyes off of the clouds that were floating into the sky like crazy balloons. "What do you mean?" He asked as he watched.

"I Liked the way that he painted the clouds. All swirls and twirls."

The last of the Canary Wharf photos that I wanted to post up ( for now ) and hope you like it. The clouds look great reflected in the windows of the glass tower :-)

Martin - 2005

Bathe in Blue

Bathe in Blue

She threw her head around, brown hair flying, to look back at him with a mischievous grin on her face. "Come on," she said.

He trailed to the edge of the sky pool with his hands dug deep into pockets of faded jeans, his shoulders slouching, and with apprehension in his eyes.

The sky pool shimmered with light and looked so beautiful blue. Like fish the clouds floated along in it's deeps. She grinned as she tore off shoes and socks. With an even bigger grin she dipped her toe into the blue sky with clouds that sent ripples of light outward.

"You see," she proclaimed! "It's lovely! The sky is so warm and bright" He still looked doubtful. "The trick is to just jump right in. If you go deep enough you can touch a cloud." Her small face then took on a look of exaggerated shock... "you aren't scared. Are you?"

"Of course I'm not!" He said, taking his hands out of his pockets.

"Well then," she drew him right to the edge, "Lets just jump right in together and the first one to touch a cloud can be king or queen of the hill for a day"

After counting to three, they both jumped right in leaving blue ripples in their wake as they dived deep for clouds...

This is another photo that I took while visiting Canary Wharf area of London. I was really hoping to get the sky reflected! And as you can see I have! I was lucky to have day with a beautiful blue sky and clouds too! This is the second of three Canary Wharf photographs, at least for now! More to come soon...

Best Wishes

Martin - 2005

Silver

Silver

Silver light

& the

Windows with stories

All of their own

With reflected clouds

Drifting like dreams

Another shot from last Sunday's photo shoot. This was taken at Canary Wharf. It's a very new part of London. The whole place seems very futuristic with a new high tec train system that passed between great silver sky skyscrapers. I love the way the light hits the side of this building and blazed with silver light. More to come :-)

Hope everybody out there is enjoying the weekend. Yesterday went out to see a movie. I saw "War of the Worlds" and can't say I am impressed with it. I also got another travel book to read! This time it's a "Rough Guide to Andulacia" book. It has lots more information in it. Already it's proved useful to me. I have scratched off a place from my list of places to see ( a national park ) as it's quite dififcult to get to visit and also you are forced to go with a tour bus. I much prefer to make my own way :-)

Today It's another hot one here. No photo taking today, just chillin out and reading :-D "Marijose" and "Just Me" Gazpacho today!!! I am going to try some Tabasco and Lemon juice in this one...

Martin - 2005

The Hunter

The Hunter...

Old gnarled forest oaks are silent and watchful! The leaf scented night is full of tiny rustling. The owl that clutches the branches with long curved and wicked talons sits and waits for it's moment with fierce burning eyes knifing the blackness.

It all happens in the instance of a few heart beats, it all happens in the moments between life and death, and then it's over. Ghost white mouse moves with all fast fearful haste, but not not fast enough. The owl lunges into the night, his great wings smashing the air, before holding them as he swoops into a dive. Three heart beats have passed and the mouse knows his mistake far too late. In eight heart beats it's all over.

Another shot of the owl. This time you can see how whole body. Again, eyes are great. This one you can really see just how big this bird is! I was so amazed at it's size. I don't think Harry Potter would want that landing on him :-D Those talons are huge...

Martin - 2005

Eagle Owl

Eagle Owl

Something special today!!! :-) Sunday I headed out to take some photographs ( hoping to find some angels ) at 2 places in London: Canary Wharf and Greenwich. It was a good day and I had lots of wonderful opportunities for photos. THIS photo you see here is the favourite of them all and I was SO glad that I had picked this day to go out with my camera!

In Greenwich they had a display of Elizabethan falconry. There was a small tent set up where you could view the birds. Later on they did a demonstration of the birds flying. The tent was great because you were standing very close to the birds. The kestrels and falcons were awesome but this guy was by far the best! He is an Eagle Owl. It's huge! I will post another pic soon with a shot of his whole body so you can see just how large he is. There was me thinking owls were small!!!

Great isn't he? Such eyes! Really wonderful and magnificent creature. He was sitting there doing the head turning thing that owls do. He was like a king his orange eyes gleaming as he sat there, great talons gripping his perch, and looked back at us with serenity and superiority.

It stayed for a long time in dream like wonder at this amazing bird. I looked into his eyes and tried to imagine his dreams of sky and hunting. All the while I was there, of course, I was shooting pics like a maniac. And of course, I had a big smile on my face. I was happy that I got to see him and happy that I can share him with you now. I hope this pic gives you a smile too.

Martin - 2005

I saw the angel...

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. " - Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Isn't that what all creation is? Isn't that the blank page thirsting for words? Isn't that the white canvas waiting for colour? The empty room waiting for the sounds of music to give the silence shape and hold our heart for awhile? This is what creativity is all about. It's about finding that angel and setting it free. It's the quest for something beautiful and giving it shape and form.

This is photography, for me. This is what I like the best. I'm walking around and looking for those angels. Those hidden angels! Views that show you the essence of a moment or a thing - it's very soul. That's the trick with photography. A glass bottle laying in the grass is just a glass bottle. This is the object. This is the thing. But if you look just right, you notice that star of sunlight trapped in it's bottom and the way the grass whispers at the side as it's moved by the wind.. There, that's the angel. That's the essence, the soul, the angel. This is what I like about photography. Everywhere there are angels.

As I pass through the world, I have, and always do look for those moments. When you take up photography it makes you think even more about those hidden angels. Those exquisite angels, those beautiful moments that you could find with the lens. I like the fact that photography reminds and trains me to look and reminds me that beauty is everywhere even in the ugly and mundane places.

I spent the day taking photographs. It was warm and sunny and I got some great shots that I am happy with. I hope I have some angels for you to see :-)

Now go... go free some angels. Go write, go paint, go draw, go photograph, go play some music, or go sing!

Best Wishes
- Martin

A feast for the senses

Books and fruit

Soul and my senses enchanted

Hungry to devour.

Here is a shot of one of my favourite places. It's a fruit and vegetable shop near me that also sells second hand books! What a wonderful combination! A riot of colour, a collision of wonderful contradiction. It's nice to be standing in the sun with the perfume of fruit around you as you trace your eyes and fingers over once orphaned books seeking a literary treasure to take home with you.

I hope you are all having a good weekend. If you have any interesting/unusual shops where you are, be they book or otherwise, then please do let me know about them :-)

Wishes & Dreamings

- Martin.

Destino Sevilla y Andalucia

Yes! My holidays are booked! In just about 2 months I will be travling to Sevilla - Spain where I will be exploring the city and the region of Andulacia! I'm very excited. As you can see from the picture I have brought a travel book... well, travel book(s) :-D and am busy devouring all the facts and information that I can on Sevilla and Andulacia! I already have so many I want to visit!!! I have only 6 and a half days so no way to visit them all!! The region sounds so beautiful and interesting.


I think I am going to love it and shall be returning to explore much more. I already am thinking that I would love to do a walking tour of the Sierra Nevada. Ah, so much to experience and so little time! Of course, I will document my travels on my blog and share it with you. The hotel where I will be staying has internet connection there so I will try to blog my travels every day! I will probably have to wait until I get home again to load up photographs.


In the run up to my trip I will put up a few posts of places that I am interested in seeing! Also, I will post up some photograhs of my last trip to Spain when I visted Barcelona! I have lots of nice photographs sitting on my hard drive gathering virtual dust...


So... Now all I have to do is wait till it comes around and hope it does not fly away too quickly when it finally does! I am excited! And of course Andulacia is the home of flamenco! I really like flamenco and very much like Camaron De La Isla ( born in Cadiz ) and of Jose Merce. The two greats! I'm looking foward to see flamenco performed live and live it's passion! My quest is to find some good flamenco and not tacky tourist flamenco!


Best Wishes
- Martin

Flying

"It's easy to fly," he stated with an impish grin and dreams in his eyes.

"...How?"

"Well," he said with a smile, "You just hold out your arms."

"Yes? Go on." She said looking intently at him and licking her lips.

"Gaze into the sky. Don't look at anything else. Everything else is just a dream."

"What's next?"

"You hold out your arms..."

"Yes?"

"And then..."

"You?"

"You RUN till your hearts laughing and all the time keeping your eyes fixed on the sky!"

"That's it? That's flying?"

"Oh yes," he said, "that's flying."

Best Wishes

- La Luna -

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is yet unborn and she waits like a spiralled sea shell curled in anticipation of becoming. Those pages of heart, soul, bone, flesh, and skin wait for the words of blood.

... And now my heart is full of wishes and dreaming and hope... And now my soul is full of new and treasured memories. These new days are full of promises and the hope is that they are not broken ones and that the dream caterpillars can hatch into beautiful butterflies tomrrow...

Whatever may come tomorrow. I will be waiting. I will have my arms ready to embrace it. If tomorrow is bad. If tomorrow is stormy. If the butterflies never hatch. Ah well... there is always, always, always tomorrow.

Best Wishes
La Luna.

Today

Today was hot as hell with a hard boiled egg yolk yellow sun. Today the sun beat down in waves of golden heat on my skin. Today I saw roses red as blood. Today was a day for oceanic deep blue skies. Today was a day for blue eyed children playing and laughing with water pistols. Today was a day for the grass to stand still and wilt. Today I saw my parents old and grey, and loved them very much but I couldn't tell them. Today I ate a curry that was full of exotic spice and scents. Today I saw something profound and sad. Today I saw the end. Today I listen to the fan whirl and hum. Today I stepped ( with a little trepidation ) into realm o a novel, into Dracula. Today the night is dark and still with a bright moon watching me type this through the window pane.

Tomrrow... is another day. I wonder what it will bring. I wonder, I wish, I wonder... I hope it brings me something good. I hope it brings you something good.

Goodnight, till tomorrow :-)

Wishes - La Luna

Yesterday...

Yesterday...

Yesterday was hot buttered toast warm. Everything moved slowly through and ocean of golden hot delight sunlight. I lay on the sofa with the touch of the sun warming my skin and listened to music while I looked out at my view. A whisper of wind moved the grass and trees gently back and forth. It was nice to do nothing and just relax. This is how I spent most of my Saturday. This was yesterday. Aren't lazy weekends the best? :-) There is much to be said for going places, doing things, rushing and dashing and achieving much... but there also is a lot to be said for taking a deep breath, washing away the thoughts in your cluttered on the beach of your mind, watching the world go by, taking it's beauty, and just "being" and nothing else. We call it chilling out, Buddhists call it meditation and are devoted to it's cause. The seeking of the calm and existing in only the moment of now. I hope your yesterday was bright and buttered toast warm. I hope you had some moment becalmed.

Wishes...

- : Luna : -

All rights reserved 2005.

The Return...

... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Please, please, please, please, please...

... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Blink, flicker, inhale, flutter, beat, and then the light...

... beep ... beep ... beep .... beep ... beep ... beep ... beep .. beep ...

IT LIVES AGAIN!!! ;-)

Well, my friends. It's been awhile hasn't it? :-) I missed being here blogging and I missed the people that visted this humble home made of electronic bricks and glued with my fragile words, painted with my heart and soul blood

So... dear reader, you maybe, probably, asking yourself the question: What happened? Simple and short answer is burn out. Well, there is a more complex answer but this isn't one of those blogs where I talk about my personal life. There are a lot of those and they do it very well. So, blog burn out. It's a simple truth, but maybe not the only one. I think and hope it's enough.

Now I am here once again and it's good to be back. I probably won't be posting every day as before. That's too much! My posting will probably be more sparodic. I will, for sure, post EACH weekend. There maybe weekday posts depending on time and mood. Did I say this isn't one of those personal blogs? Ah well... it may slowly take on a more personal direction.

So, here again. Let's see where this goes. Make yourself at home. I hope, to share a smile or two with my poetry, prose, and photograph.

Lastly, a sincere thank you to all those that visited before. You made blogging a wonderful experience. I hope to see you all again.

Best Wishes

- Martin.

Berries with snow

Berries with Snow

Beautiful white snow lay soft on

Cookie cut leaves green against a winter sky

Scarlet berries

Each one like a steaming smudged kiss

that lingers...

Ice white winter fingers

brush softly...

As I posted, there was a little snow here. It's all gone. It was only a little. It was only for awhile. But, you got to take what you can get :-) Only a soft powdering of snow, but it was something at least :-) So, here, I present you with some snow on the leaves and berries.

You may have noticed a lack of updates and comments from me on your site... I was just a bit burned out and needed a break from blogging... but now hopefully back on track... ah... us creative types are so fickle :-D haha... Wish me more snow, and I will wish you good dreams.

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

Snow

It snowed just a little today...


What magic, what a gift, to wake one morning and find your world all dressed in white. One billion crystals cried together to fall and freeze and make the world white, and sparkle, and glisten. In the morning sunbeams gleam tangerine and train across the ice and make it glow. What magic. Night white snow is like a promise kept and a secret stored. It's all huuuuush and magic.


Imagine that each snow flake was a dove. Would the world be blanketed in peace? Would wounds of hate heal? Would smiles break out like sunbursts on the face of every person? How can you not feel the magic and the simple joy at snow falling. How can you not marvel at it's dance and if you get the chance to touch or taste it. And don't you want to dance with the snow! To swirl around as the snow falls in that shower of ice. How can the snow not make you believe in magic? Don't angels fluter their wings so feathers freeze and lay like this? Don't fairy go walking with buckets of stardust to cover every inch of ground. How can you not smile? How can you not?


Sorry the lack of updates and comments... Normal service resumed tomorrow :-D My best wishes :-)


Copyright 2005 - All rights reserved.

River wheat

River Wheat

Ripe wheat by the river grows thick and deep. Lush stern stalks of gold go waving in wind while the light plays silverfish on the water. She used to dance, oh so long ago, down by the path that ran twisting along the river bank. Her apple red bright dress was ever so vibrant against the gold corn and the silver water. Oh those days, down by the river, with the wild wheat, and the silver river.

I really love the way this photograph turned out. I like the contrast of the black stalks against the silver water. It works so well in black and white! Anyway, I hope you like this photograph as much as I do :-) I used a different kind of border today. Let me know what you think about it as opposed to my normal!

In other news... Yesterday night and today we had a little snow! I was so happy! I ran out into the snow. It was wonderful and magical. I am hoping for lots and lots of snow! Should that happen, I will be out in it! I will be out making snow men, and snow angels, and taking LOTS of photographs!

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

Fire warm winter sky

They were freezing, as they trudged through the snow, but the fire warm winter sky kept them warm. Beauty is the fire that keeps our souls warm.

Copyright 2005 - All rights reserved. So there!

The Ghost of Her...

You hope that the light will banish the ghost of her. The ghost of the blood that spilt and the screams that stilled the night so many moons ago... so many hundred years ago. Sometimes you will feel those phantoms fingers brush your cheek. Sometimes you will hear her soft sad sighs. Sometimes you will see just a flicker at the corner of your eye and tell yourself that it's a trick of the light or your imagination. Sometimes you will hear her sobbing. Sometimes...

This photo was taken in Greenwich. It's a very old and impressive building dating back the the reign of King Henry the 8th. I will get more of this building for sure. It is, as you can see, most impressive by night. I am sure it's full of many stories, and many ghosts... hope you like the photograph.

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

StarDust

I stood alone with the old trees under a watchful milky moon. With the chill night wrapped around me like a blanket. I gazed with my face turned upward and into the sky. Something was about to happen. I shivered with it, as the trees shivered with the cool wind that caressed them, and waited with expectant eyes wide. I held my breath. Waiting. Waiting. I was waiting. The whole entire world waited with me. I could feel it in my bones. Suddenly, It began to happen. I watched as the sparkling stars began to swirl in the blackness. Stella cream in the black coffee sky. With my face upturned and my eyes wide in wonder. My heart held the wonder that my eyes drank. One by one the swirling stars began to glitter and beam all the more brightly. My breath steamed into the chill night as I exhaled. Then. Star dust began to fall. It rained stars and I began to laugh. Tiny white motes drifting down slowly out of the sky, like glowing snow. Star dust fell about me. Hit my face, warm and twinkling. Holding out my hands with my fingers splayed wide to catch a falling star. I held the stars in my hand where they shimmered shivered and glimmered like fish in a shallow pool of water.


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WOOF!

WOOF! :-)

Nothing poetic, nothing insightful, simply WOOF! I was trying to think of a good title for my picture. I was thinking about what the picture might say to me. Well, it says to me woof! I just kept looking at the picture and thinking "WOOF!" it made me smile so here it is... WOOF! I hope it makes you smile too! Hehe, great guy :-D

I was walking near the woods when this nice doggie came bounding up to me. I was sizing up a shot of some trees and very quickly pulled the camera downward and shot! I got this lucky capture of the dog running up to me! Anyway... WOOF! :-D

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

Thanks and goodnight

Hello internet land, friends, and fellow bloggers! Wow, had a really busy day today at work and then after work too. No photos today or writing! But there will be tomrrow! Too tired at the moment... So now I must push the dream boat out onto the ocean of sleep :-)

Thanks to everybody for visiting and leaving your messages. It's most appreciated. Keep doing what you do. Keep pouring out those words into white. Keep dreaming, keep creating, and keep blogging. My best wishes to you all.

Clock Face Like a Moon

The old clock set into the old cool feeling stones was like the moon captured and fractured in time. Her face had watched over so many appointments and disappointments, but also many kisses and bright moments. The clock faced glowed in the dark and ticked like a heart.

Keep dreaming, keep wishing...

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

Night Rose

Night Rose

And she was safe! The troll was slain by her valiant knight in his shining moonlight armour. In the ferocious battle the knight had been mortally wounded and lay dying before her. She cradled him in his arms as her star sparkling tears fell onto his skin. He said to her, "I shall never leave you, my love." And suddenly, before the the very eyes of the Princess, his heart turned into a rose. And he said, "This rose is my heart and it's petals are my kisses" She wept every day from that day on but the rose always shed it's petals at dawn and dusk as a fire red kiss upon her china white skin. And that is why, even to this day, the rose is held as a symbol for eternal love.

Happy Valentine everybody. Hope you liked my little story, the words, and the photograph. I hope you have somebody whose kisses fall like rose petals on your lips and skin. For those who don't, keep a light lit in your soul and she will find you. Happy Valentine to my Valentine. I don't know who she is yet... but you are out there... somewhere... :-)

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Beyond my window

Beyond My Window

Woke into the world as if being born. Struggled and stretched myself into the world. Splashed cold water onto my face and drank hot dark espresso coffee. Decided I wanted to read for awhile so lay on my sofa and began to drink the worlds into my book and allow myself to be sucked into the world for awhile. After reading for awhile, I looked up, and saw this sky framed by my window and sliced by dark bands. I took this photograph. The sky is always a nice surprise for me and a reminder that the world, no matter what happens... it's still a beautiful world. I hope it reminds you of that. I hope when you look up and you have forgotten that the world is beautiful, that you think of these words and the photograph of a sky, and you see beauty again. Sometimes we just need to be reminded so much. Sometimes that's all we have. Have a good weekend all :-)

Copyright 2005 - All rights reserved and then some.

Amazing Bunny Adventures - PART THREE!

Yeah... you have been waiting for it! Now I present to you.... :-D

Special guest starring a penguin!

Well, this is the last in the Amazing bunny adventures ( at least for now :-D ) I might do some more at some point when I am feeling like a break from the artistic stuff and wanna do something fun :-D Hope they gave a smile :-)

My best Wishes

La Luna.

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved. And if you don't respect that then the bunny will come bite of your face!!! :-O hehe.

Amazing Bunny Adventures - PART TWO

Another bit of silly stuff from me. I hope it gives somebody a smile :-)

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