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