Light of the Moon

It's been a long time

2010-07-13T21:23:00.003Z

Hello blog.

I just came back to update the old link to point to my new photography site. It's actually amazing to see the old blog again and have the memories come flooding back. It feels like stepping back into a house you lived in long ago. The place is dusty and and empty, but it still feels like home.

Anyway, my new photo blog is The Illuminated Canvas come find me and my photos there :-) There are new friends and some old friends too.

Adventure!

2008-04-14T06:40:00.002Z

Well, I'm up early just like every Monday morning... except that it isn't an every Monday morning. I'm not going to work. Nope. This bright sunny Monday morning I'm making my way up to a small village just outside of Oxford to take charge of a narrow boat for a week! It really feels like I'm about to set foot on a great adventure! I'm sure I'll have lots to write about when I'm home again.

Adventure awaits!

The heart is still beating

2008-04-06T14:07:00.005Z

Yes, it still lives! I think this is the point where the thunder thunders and the lightning rips brightly through the stormy night. It's about this time I go MMMMhahahaha and instruct Igor to throw the switch.

Speaking of weather... which I kind of was... Errr sort of. It's been snowing! Yes! Snow! Hurrah :-) The world always looks so fresh and magical when it's been snowing. You can belive in faery tales with much more ease.

Only one week of work left and then I am off on boating adventures! Narrow Boat holiday in the cotswolds awaits. I'll pack warm in case the weather is still like this and include a bottle O Jack D ;-) Coz, you, like, gotta stay warm! I'm really excited. I can't wait to get on the boat and get away from it all. This is the first time on this kind of holiday and the first time handing a boat of any sort. It's going to be great, it's going to be such an adventure.

What else in the news then? Another photo is up on my photography site. Keeping to the posting ritual of one shot every Sunday, so I'm happy with that.

Guess that's about it for now. This is me, over and out!

It lives...

2008-03-22T13:16:00.002Z

Yes, the moon lives...

I thought I would brush off the old girl. It's been awhile, and there have been lots of changes. The blog started off as a place for my photography and prose/poetry, but quickly became photography centric as my passion and interest in photography grew. Now I have a web site dedicated to my photgraphy and a page to buy selected prints via Redbubble ( see side link ) and so this blog no longer serves a use for this.

I thought it would be fun though to have just a general blog where I could ramble my thoughts every now and then. So here it is, the new light of the moon. Just a simple online diary. I don't expect anybody to read it or be interested all that much, but that's the way things should be for anything right? if you are not doing it for your self then what reason is there?

Enjoying a lovely Easter indoors. It's rainy and it's cold. I'll be cracking open a bottle of wine in a bit, eatering chocolate. There will be some salsa dancing and some playing of games on the PS3. A good Easter!

Go me!

The Moon has moved...

2006-06-20T19:29:00.000Z

The moon has moved...

This blog has served me well and I'll always hold a lot of affection for it. I have invested a lot of work, and love into the blog. But it's time to move and grow and change. When I started the blog, I envisioned it to be for my various creative outputs: Fiction, poetry, and photography. But the photos soon took over and became ( if you'll pardon the pun :-D ) the focus! It's time to move on.

Photography is a passion that I am very serious about, and so I present a new home for my photos. A place where fellow artists of the light gather and share their art, a place built by and for photographers, and designed to look as good as the images displayed.

I proudly present SERENDIPITY LUMINESCENT I hope anybody that has been with the moon will come and keep me company in my new home :-) Thanks to all of you that have visted and been kind enough to leave comments over the years. So update your bookmarks and links! Raise a glass to the new! :-)

I'm not sure what is going to become of "Light of the Moon." For awhile, it will probably take a rest, but eventually I may use it for my ramblings and ravings, stories, poems, and maybe a rant or three ;-)

Best Wishes
- Martin

Dancers Dressed in Scarlet

2006-05-29T17:47:00.000Z

Dancers Dressed in Scarlet

Scarlet against the wall left like casual kisses. An unexpected breath of sultry heated wind causes the flowers to shift like dancers. Somewhere somebody plays a guitar and sends notes blossoming into the day light.

Another photograph from Sevilla :-)

- Martin

Shadow and Light

2006-05-23T18:41:00.000Z

Shadow and Light

I'm dreaming of shadow and light. Rivers of glimering white light banked by hazy shadow banks. I'm dreaming of bright painted buildings and wooden shutters. I'm dreaming of rivers of light and shadows.

A break from our watery friends... Another photo from Sevilla. Hmm, I wish I was there now. Me, a good cafe solo, and a book... Ah well :-)

- Martin

Aliens...

2006-05-20T10:26:00.000Z

Aliens

Another from the London Aquarium... The jellyfish is always a really fasinating creature:-)

Alien and beautiful. It ghostly drifts through the shimmering blue. Pulsating and flashing colour as it's tenticles twitch... the aliens are here already.

- Martin

Jaws! :-O

2006-05-13T14:02:00.000Z

Jaws!

Duh da... Duh da... Duh da... da da... da da... da da da da da da da da da dooo!

Yes, it's Jaws :-) OK, not really jaws at all but it's the film that made sharks famous or maybe I should say infamous? The film is responsible for a lot of bad press and bad misinformation about a mysterious and beautiful animal.

This is another shot from the London Aquarium. The sharks, of course, are the best thing. They are certainly worth the admission price! The Aquarium is a magical place, any place that let's you glimpse another world must be, there are many wonderful things there, but there is always something special about the shark.

I actually don't find them scary or evil. For me, they are majestic, beautiful, and enigmatic. Whatever your views about the shark, they will certainly provoke a sense of awe.

This photo isn't great, but it's the best that I could do in very difficult photo conditions, but I'm happy that I could get at least one semi decent shot! I'm sure that one day I will visit again with a little more luck and more photography knowledge/skill and take a better picture. But for now, I give you the enigma, the beauty, the majesty, and the awe, of the shark :-)

- Martin

Another World

2006-05-01T13:26:00.000Z

Another World

Taken while visiting the London Aquarium :-) It's a great place to wander around... and they have sharks too ;-) I got some good photos! I really like the amazing colours in this. It's great to look into the tanks of soft lit, softly shifting water... into another world.

- Martin.

The Question

2006-04-26T18:21:00.000Z

The Question

Last Saturday was blue skies and warm light. Since that Saturday was a nice day I went walking with my camera. I stumbled across a very small ecological park for birds! This bird seems to have a question in his orange eye... I wonder what it is? :-)

- Martin

Far away one time...

2006-04-16T11:50:00.000Z

Far away one time...

Pastel shades and a dusty bright light

2006-04-11T16:18:00.000Z

Sevilla By the River

It's been awhile... :-) Yes, I'm still alive and blogging, in case anybody was wondering... you were wondering, right? :-D Life has conspired to keep me busy! It's been far too long without publishing anything here though. I will once again vow to post more! Between life, my time managment ( lack of ) skills, and procastonation I would not hold your breath since purple is never a good colour on anybody ;-)

This, as I am sure you can guess was taken down by the river while I was in Sevilla last year. One of the things I adore about Spain is that everything seems so full of colour and light. Above the blue river, the buildings glow in the dusty light, with powder pastel shades. But all over Sevilla are colourful buildings. It's as if some mad artist has rushed all around the city with his chalk box and coloured everything :-)

Luna

2006-02-15T19:54:00.000Z

Luna

( Best viewed large )

:-)

I was walking through the chill night. I saw the moon. She smiled at me. I rushed inside and back out again with my camera. I took her photo.

The Lighthouse

2006-02-12T13:39:00.000Z

The Lighthouse

Swan white and elegant, she stands watching. A moment caught and kept in time. I might never see her again, she might never see me again, but she is in my heart.

2006-01-16T19:30:00.000Z

'It's a whole other world', she said as she watched in wonder as the frothy landscape drifted by. Her mouth shaped an amazed "OH" on the window pane, her breath misting on the glass, as she gazed enraptured. 'It's a whole other world.'

This city... Sevilla

2005-09-11T18:47:00.000Z

This city Sevilla is in my blood. The dusty sun dreamed streets of orche, rose, vanilla, terracotta, lemon, and blue enchant my sense and soul.

Sevilla is a wonderful city full of wonders. It´s a feast for all your senses. The city is awash with charm as it is sunlight. You might turn a corner and stumble across a secret plaza with a fountain dressed with blue ceramics giggling to itself in the quite shade. Intoxicating scents of cooking and coffee drift from across tables that sit outside along with laughter and sunlight and conversation bubbles like an unwatched pot. If you are lucky, and I was, you might sit awhile in a shady garden and listen to the passioned voice of a flamenco singer.

The arrival
No matter how many times I fly I can´t lose the wonder of it. The impossible dream of flight is made possible. I watch in awed wonder as the beautiful alien landscape of silver clouds drift under us. How I want to walk across those silver mountains and dance the frothy plains of white.

My plane landed late so I got a taxi from the airport with a manic driver that is probably a frustrated formula one driver! He raced through the streets only stopping a few times to beep the car horn and shout "cabron!" at any car that dared to get in the way! My thanks to the driver for getting me to my hotel in super speedy time! He was a nice guy and we chatted a bit before I went into my hotel ( as much as possible with my very limited Spanish ) My thanks to him again for being the first person of Andulacia that I have met. My thanks because it was a warm welcome. I have found the people of Andulacia a friendly people so far. One thing I suppose I never get used to in spain: Cafe service. Spain is the only country I know where you can wait 20 minutes to be served, eat your dinner and drink in 15 minuets, and wait another 20 minutes for them to give you the bill. I suppose I am used to a more uptight sociaty! lol Give me time... I will get used to it! :D

The First Day
I wandered arond the dusty sun drenched streets of Andulacia on a very hot Andulacian day. After a few false starts I managed to fine my way around! I walked down streets with their shades balconies. I strolled along beside the green river rich with light that danced like fish. I saunted slowly through the old Santa cruz streets whith its narrow cobbled streets and houses of rose, amber, vanilla, tangerine, strawberry, and white. And of course during the day I sampled many tapas! The food here is SO good as is the coffee. It´s also really cheap. You can get a small plate of tapas that is the quality of a 5 star resterant here for about 1 pounds 50 pence. So cheap! If you havent visited Spain and tried the food you don´t know what you are missing. If you are Spanish... you probably take it for granted and don´t know what you have!

The cathedral and the Geralda tower are a gothic masterpiece! I stepped into the hallowed dark huse of the cathedraw and my lips formed a silent wow. Stained glass windows let in rainbow light into the dark high above. The cathedral boasts the third largest unsupported dome in he Christian world. The riches with in are almost beyond words... so lucky took lots of photos! :D The tower itself winds up and up and up and up for what seems for ever until you reach the top for a breath taking view of Sevilla spread before you.

The Second day
I caught the bus to the ancient ruins of Italica. Once in it´s proud white glory it was the third largest city in all of the Roman empire. Now it´s bones like exposed, crumbling in the dust and the sun.

I really enjoyed Italica and especially the ruins of the ampitheater! As I walked into the arena I imagined what it must have been like for a gladiator, or slave, to stand in the sun with 20,000 romans seated all around howling for blood. Demanding blood. Screaming for blood - your blood. And if you kiled enough and your muscles screamed and your soul screamed the question out to the crowd: Is that enough? Is that enough blood? I wander how many pained ghosts stood with me in the sun today.

The rest of Italica is spread out over a large dusty area and took me some while to walk around in the blazing heat. I was glad I had my water bottle with me! The streets are lined with some of the origonal slabs and the walls of temples and houses rise from the dirt to show you their murals and statues.

Later I walkd again the streets of Santa Cruz to take photos as my camera died on me.

Well. now I will sign off. I hope you enjoyed this taste of Sevilla. I go out into the hot night of Sevilla in search of my dinner! :D

It's a dangerous business...

2005-09-09T07:38:00.000Z

"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

2005-09-05T19:12:00.000Z

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

2005-08-30T18:37:00.000Z

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

2005-08-22T21:20:00.000Z

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.

2005-08-17T19:22:00.000Z

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

2005-08-15T19:32:00.000Z

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

2005-08-13T19:25:00.000Z

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

2005-08-07T19:38:00.000Z

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

2005-08-04T09:07:00.000Z

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

2005-07-30T22:55:00.000Z

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 :-)

2005-07-29T21:44:00.000Z

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?

2005-07-26T20:57:00.000Z

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

2005-07-25T18:14:00.000Z

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

2005-07-23T13:01:00.000Z

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

2005-07-19T14:43:00.000Z

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

2005-07-17T10:43:00.000Z

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

2005-07-15T16:58:00.000Z

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

2005-07-13T18:46:00.000Z

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...

2005-07-10T21:03:00.000Z

"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

2005-07-09T16:37:00.000Z

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

2005-07-05T21:13:00.000Z

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

2005-07-01T19:57:00.000Z

"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...

2005-06-27T18:35:00.000Z

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

2005-06-21T22:08:00.000Z

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...

2005-06-19T11:04:00.000Z

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 : -

The Return...

2005-06-16T17:20:00.000Z

... 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

2005-02-27T20:46:00.000Z

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.

Snow

2005-02-25T00:35:00.000Z

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

2005-02-23T01:08:00.000Z

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!

2005-02-22T01:18:00.000Z

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.

2005-02-19T23:56:00.000Z

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.

StarDust

2005-02-18T23:58:00.000Z

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.

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved.

WOOF!

2005-02-16T22:32:00.000Z

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

Thanks and goodnight

2005-02-15T23:30:00.000Z

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.

2005-02-15T01:23:00.000Z

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...

Night Rose

2005-02-13T23:42:00.000Z

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... :-)

Beyond my window

2005-02-12T18:10:00.000Z

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 :-)

Amazing Bunny Adventures - PART THREE!

2005-02-11T01:23:00.000Z

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.

Amazing Bunny Adventures - PART TWO

2005-02-10T01:31:00.000Z

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

Amazing Bunny Adventures - PART ONE.

2005-02-08T23:57:00.000Z

Well, something fun and silly from me today :-D It's part one of three. Although I might amuse myself and do some more and inflict them on all of you! Well, stayed tuned for the next EXCITING and adventurous amazing bunny adventures! What could happen next???? Tune in to find out tomorrow!

Night Train Tracks

2005-02-08T01:19:00.000Z

Night Train Tracks

Where do you go?

clickaty clack

clickity clack

Where am I?

Clickity clack

Dark world beyond the window

Clickity clack

Ininity

Infinity

Clickity clack

My life carried down this track

Clickity clack

Points of light speed by in orange and white

Clickity clack

There is no turning back

Clickity clack

Of all the thoughts on a rail road track

Clicity clack

Clickity clack

A dark and twisted forest tale....

2005-02-06T23:17:00.000Z

There was once a dark and evil forest where even the sunbeams feared to go too deep or touch to long. Nothing grew in summer or winter. No leaves or flowers grew in that forever winter wood. The only colour at all was the deadly green of deadly nightshade and the blood red of poison toadstools.

There sinister trees that weave and wave with wind. They seem to breath and wheeze and watch you and reach out with sharp wooden claws ready to rend and clutch and catch you. Just a few steps into that fierce woodland and the trees seem to lean with anticipation....

Pathways chocked with poison ivy twist and turn like a snake though the trees. You travel softly with your heart in your mouth, and your soul in your hands, and shaking from toe to finger. Walk with dreadful care on a carpet of leaves and rot as the oaks stare, brutal growls and ominous moans drift from the deep of the forest.

Following the twisted veins of leaf and decay to the heart of it all there you come to some steps. The steps lead up to the corrupted heart of the forest where there is a glade so quiet that even the dead ghosts fear to whisper or moan. Even the leaves on the ground never move out of fear... And there in the centre is...

... The house of a witch. She has a heart so black that the shadows flee from it and the night dances around it for fear of being sucked in. She is so wicked that Hell threw her out of it's bone built gates and onto the stones of damned that scream for ever more and told her never to return. Her eyes gleam with such evil and malice that milk sours at her glance, babies die, and the sunshine turns to rain.

Of course, this is just a tale. The wood is not so dark or deep. There is no witch house at the heart. Just go see... if you dare. It's just a tale. Isn't it? Isn't it?

THE END.

Something different for today :-) I hope you enjoyed that. I went out to the forest today to try to capture a sunset there. It was not really that sucsessful but as I was sitting on a bench I noticed a house that I thought looked really dark and dreary and in my imagination could be just the kind of place a witch might live. That's when I got the insperation to take the pictures in sepia and lead you through the wood in text and photographs to the house and tell the story of the witch. I hope you enjoyed both the photographs and the text and your journey through the wild and twisted wood! Well, now you feel better to know that it is not the house of an evil witch... well... maybe...... just....

Fiction: Anna and her stories

2005-02-06T03:00:00.000Z

My world is dark with occasional bands of light. My world is dark and the wood like aged wine.

Sometimes the door would open. It was winter outside. There are green fields and there was mud. They would bring us food and water. Sometimes. I would see faces of those that exist in the dark with me. Although, I try not to look at them too hard.

In the beginning hands reached out and held firm warm flesh. And there was not much talking. Somebody in the far end used to cry constantly but we learned not to hear him sometimes. And that is a very difficult thing to say. And my mother would always tell me, Anna you know that pride is a sin? Don’t you know that Anna? She would ask while she had her hands resting on the hips. Now in my memory her hands are always covered in flour. I don’t remember her not baking some treat. As I said, it's a difficult thing. And I am too proud. On some nights. I would cry too. But I would not let anybody hear me. Maybe you will find that stupid of me? And how strange I share something so intimate with you who are so far in time and in space. And we don’t know each other at all. Or maybe we will meet someday. And I will be embarrassed and you could put your hand on your hips, like mother, and say that I am too full of pride.

I told my stories to the hands in the dark. Because, as I say, there was not much talking. And truth to tell I hated the silence. And I was scared. I have always told the stories. When I was young I used to make up stories. They would be about giants. I loved giants. We lived in the countryside on a farm. It was not a big farm. The land around was full of hills and I believed that giants lived in those hills. I would tell my stories about giants to the other children. To my mother and my father. To the cats, dogs, sheep, pigs, cows, horses and anybody that would listen to me. One day when the town gathered for the elections of the government in the big town hall. I told a story to everybody. And they clapped. I was so happy and proud of myself. Such a sinful child. Did I tell you that they said I was too proud?

Then when I was old, I would tell stories to the grandchildren that flocked around my skirts. They would all come running. Grandma, Grandma, please tell us a story! I would smile and tell them of coarse. I would tell them about the old days because you have to know where you come from to know where you are going. I would tell the children about our people because it’s important to know who you are. And sometimes I would tell them stories about the giants.

So I talked in the darkness to the warm hands. They listened. Though nobody clapped me, but we all felt better.

I remember the first time the door opened to the winter world and he stood there. michelangelo could have carved him with his very own hands from the finest, smoothest and whitest marble stone. He had handsome blue eyes. And he asked me that I was the one that told stories. I was very slow to answer. But I said yes. And what else could I have done? So he asked me to tell him. About the old days. About giants. About everything and he listened. He never said anything but a smile would break out on his lips when I was done and it was time for him to go. He would thank me. Then he would leave. And so it would go.

Now he says soon our time together is at an end. He has asked me to write down my stories for him. And how could I say no? And here I am with this fine pen and this luxurious paper in my hand. The paper smells good and is rough between my fingers. It’s strange that I am here. Like a flower, pressed and preserved, between the pages of a book. Here is me. Anna. Preserved between lines and the words. I will always be here. So I will write down my stories in this book he has gifted me. I will write down my words. And now that you know me you will know where my stories come from. You will know me. That has become so important to me. Here I am. In these pages forever.

He says our time now will soon be at an end and I don’t like the thing I see in his eyes. He tells me our destination will soon be reached. His smile has become a facade. And I have to wonder if I will tell many more stories now.

I don’t like the feel of the word, our destination, this Auschwitz.

THE END.

Dreaming Sky

2005-02-05T01:06:00.000Z

Dreaming Sky

I dreamed in silver and blue and misty magic. I dreamed infinity. I dreamed beauty. I dreamed the sky.

The painted sky

2005-02-04T01:48:00.000Z

The Painted Sky

A dreamed of a sky painted by vast brush strokes from some celestial brush. I blinked and the world was rendered in artist brush strokes...

The photograph that I took reminded me so much of a painting that I decided to create this post. I simply altered the image in paint shop to reproduce the photograph below as if it was a painting. What do you think? Interesting :-) I really like the look of it! Wish I had actually painted it!!! Really MUST put "buy some paints" and also "one of the things to do is paint a sky" on my urgent "to do list!"

Been kinda hecktic last days! Glad I could at least post this! :-)

The Sky

2005-02-02T22:36:00.000Z

The Sky

No matter how drab and dark the Earth might be the sky is always bright and infinite in it's ever changing blue white beauty.

Hope you like this photo! I like the clouds at the bottom. It reminds me of the bands from Jupiter or Saturn! Sorry no update yesterday. Will get back on track once again! Cannot miss those daily updates. It's important to me to keep update every day. Like to have something here everyday for me and for everybody who lies to view. Take care and... see the sky :-)

The trees

2005-02-01T01:37:00.000Z

The Trees

Deep in the forest where the mushrooms grow and the Faery dance... The trees twist their twisted finges toward the light... What magic dwells here in the deep and twisted heart of the magic forest... Have a care, the trees are listening...

Coming of the dawn

2005-01-30T09:38:00.000Z

Coming of the Dawn

They had walked for long in the dark without star or moon to guide or give them light. The boy and the old man. The old man aways in the lead. His footing sure. He was like an old tree. Twisted with many growth lines. The boy was young and smooth skin with wolf wild hair that kept getting into his eyes so that he would have to brush it away constantly.

After walking for so long it seemed to the boy that his legs would drop off from his body and his head would roll away the old man stopped and sat down on the moist earth and grass. The boy knew they were finally at their destination. The shaman was finally going to show him magic. This was it. This was the moment he was sick with the yearning for. This was the thing that haunted his every moment. Magic! Now, he the apprentice would finally begin to learn the secrets. Today, the old man had promised to show him magic. The boy was impatient. He wanted it NOW. He knew better than to bother or plead the old man. At best he would be ignored or it might bring him a cuff to the ear.

They sat the night and all around them the most beautiful songs of birds could be heard. The edge of the sky blanket began to brighten a lighter blue and the lens of his soul registers new shapes in the light. He saw trees with branches all curled and trying to touch the sky. Finally came the glowing glory of the coming of the dawn. the horizon seemed to seem on fire with the fierce orange glow.

"Look," said the old man pointing at the horizon. "Magic," he said as he pointed. And they sat and watched a new day be born together.

Blanket of Earth and Sky

2005-01-28T18:34:00.000Z

Blanket of Earth and Sky

Held on silvered wings we slipped above a blanket of Earth and Sky.

Well... I am back! This photograph is another that I took from an aircraft window on the way to Spain. I so much like the way those mountains wear a cloak of cloud mist and the way the whole of the Earth is spread below.

One thing I find interesting, hav you noticed how many people look at the window when flying? There are actually not many! I am always bouncing to have a window seat! No matter how long the journey, I am always enthralled and enchanted by the magic and beauty of it all. I mean ... WE ARE FLYING! and look how beautiful man magical everything is and yet hardly anybody is looking.

Author Arther C. Clark said something like "When we lose our sense of wonder we are no longer human."

Late....

2005-01-28T02:07:00.000Z

Well, almost 2:10 am here... very late. The world is all wrapped up in a deep dark blanket and slumbering.... Am too tired now to find, resize, add borders, and post up a photograph. I am going to my bed with my wishes and my dreamings :-)

I will update the blog in the morning when my brain is working once again! Until then, this is La Luna... signing out :-)

Goodnight...

*click*

Liquid Silver

2005-01-27T01:38:00.000Z

Liquid Silver

Saw the water and had to take it in black and white. Looked exactly like melted silver... magical :-)

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you...

2005-01-25T22:22:00.000Z

*fade to white noise*

We interupt this broadcast to bring you a speical announsment!

A tiny rambling! I just want to say Arrrrrgggggg! Blogger is really irritating me recently. It's so S L O W dammit! I'm trying to surf other blogs and leave comments. The real problem is when I am trying to leave comments and it takes F O E V E R to load so I can leave a comment and then the same when I hit "save comment." I have given up trying to leave comments today on others blogs. It's just impossible! It's been this way for a couple of days and getting worse. Anybody else having these problems? I know it's not my net connection because other pages are loading just fine. Damn thing. Hummmfff.

On another note. I just wanted to thank all those that have been leaving comments. I have really enjoyed your comments. It's really great to read what your interpatations of my pictures are and how you view my words. So a big thank you for making it so fun and interesting! Great bunch of people out there :-)

Well... that's all the rambling!

We now return you to your schedualed broadcast...

*fade to white noise*

EDIT

OK, im really pissed off with blogger :-( I'm trying to post this and getting problems. I try to edit about 5 times and it won't do what I want to do!!! I'm too fed up to post anything else today. Stay tuned. Photo and prose tomrrow :-)

2005-01-24T22:44:00.000Z

Anticipation of her arrival

Waiting for her... waiting for the comming and the golden light and the glory of the dawn.

Stayed awak all saturday night. Got to a certain point and decided I wanted to just stay up the entire night and try to capture the dawn over the forest! With coffee and bacon sandwich inside me to proctect me from cold and tiredness I braved the cold of London. Got there aroudn 6:15 in the morning with everything still in darkness but with the faintest hint of a lighter shade of blue at the horizon. Listened to birdsong, crow calls, and watched the comings and goings of the bats. So peaceful. It was wonderful. Most do more things such as that. Anyway, as you can see I managed to capture the dawn light :-)

On another note... I have gone back to just posting the pics directly to here. I much prefere the look and anyway there are not that many people that use 800X600 these days!

2005-01-24T01:02:00.000Z

Shadow of the Dream

They are Shadow of dream. When the power of the King of day wanes. When the last of his light fades to red and then is swallowed by the darkness... this is when the shadows creep out. The crows are the shadows from the dream land. They fill the world with dream and magic while mother moon looks on. Just a few fragments of the night are left to the day so that the moon may see and hear what goes on in the daylight hours. Crows are the shadows. Crows are the dreaming of magic.

Hope you like the picture of my crow! I love crows! I think it has to be my fave animal. They are so dark and mysterious animals. They always represent magic to me.

On another note you can see I have switched to using flicker like everybody else! This is because it was pointed out that not everybody has a high resolution so the site my appear to be squashed up for them and also it will be more non-broad band friendly. Plus the advantage is good to be able to click on the image and get a really nice big view of it! :-) Well... for now this is my choice. For now at least :-D

Parisian Window

2005-01-23T01:32:00.000Z

Parisian Window

"Do you see that window, Luke? She lives there at no. 9 Rue de amor. And now I will go up to her, I will knock upon her door, throw myself at her feet, I will be on my knees, and I will declare my eternal love for her! She is the most beautiful woman in the whole of Paris!!!"

"You, my friend, are crazy"

"Well, you have to take life by the bollocks! Do you not, Luke?"

"Jean, my friend, you are CRAZY!

"And you can only repeat yourself. You are afraid to live!"

"I am afraid you have a screw loose and anyway your intended has a screw loose."

"Do NOT talk about my love that way, you are a scoundrel"

"You hardly know her"

"She is my intended"

"She is crazy as you are. Everybody knows that. She is called the mad woman! You both make a good pair!"

"She is beautiful and she is my love"

"You get this way. You do not even listen to me. Are you listening?"

"We will have a passionate affair for some months and then be married"

"You are not listening."

"I must not delay. I must go to her. She is calling my name."

"From what I hear she has called quite a lot the names of men."

"What do you say!?"

"So you are listening to me?"

"You are a scoundrel"

"I am sane."

"I go now"

"fine"

"Will you wait for me?"

"I will wait for you. Do I not always wait when you get like this and do something stupid?"

"I will go."

"Fine."

....

"Well? How did it go?"

"I do not want to speak of her again."

"Did you throw yourself at her feet and declare your love?"

"I did."

"What happened?"

"She told me that God had led me to her door"

"She told you that?"

"She told me that"

"She is crazy!"

"She is a man woman! People in this city are crazy"

"No doubt about that, my friend."

"It is a good thing we are sane, no?"

"Very, now shall we have that coffee?"

Hope you like the photo and text that accompanies it :-) The window is not really from Paris! The last time I went to Greenwich, here in London, there was a window above a shop that caught my eye. It seemed so exotic and from another time and place. I had to take a photo. I especially liked the number 9 there. It made me think of some place in Paris so hence the title and the text I came up with.

Poem - Down Beneath

2005-01-21T22:47:00.000Z

Thrice ringed with roses,
And sky blue poesies,
Cold as winter,
Her grave stone stood,
With sadness tangled heart,
And snow cold tears of grief,
I kissed the stone,
Just once,
And began to dig,
To what lay down down beneath,
Till my love was free from the black loam,
I kissed her just once,
Naked white bone,
And then,
Took her home.

This was an older poem that I wrote. Not normally the kind of thing I write. A short dark horror story in the form of a poem. Hmmm, must have been overdosing on Poe at the time :-D Anyway, hope you like.

Her beautiful face in the night

2005-01-20T23:46:00.000Z

Her Beautiful Face in the Night

Her face, half turned, smiled in the dark. All I could think of was her beautiful face in the dark.

Another moon photo!What do you think of her? Isn't she beauitful? I was so amazed when I saw the photo I had captured. Changed my method of taking photos of the moon and now have this detail. Isn't she so beautiful? Were I a wolf, I would sing for her all night long. My songs would be love songs and the trees would be haunted with the poignant remembrance for many days to come...

And my Bones for the Trees.

2005-01-19T20:47:00.000Z

Day was fading fast in the autumn forest. Shadows were becoming bold, painting once bright spaces with their dark. Very soon the forest would be engulfed, swallowed whole by the night.

He moved slowly though the cathedral of dark branches. Feet ghosting over the leaves. His voice calling out "GRANDPA!" He had been searching and calling out from midday. His calls becoming more urgent as he walked between silent giants. The oaks said nothing. As always they only watched. Finally he found grandpa, buried under a pile of golden leaves.

"Grandpa?" He moved closer to the old one. Closer. Closer. He felt fears winter touch his summer heart. He couldn't see if Grandpa was breathing. His eyes were closed. "Grandpa? Do you hear me?" Leaves fell to the ground and the giant oaks watched as he approached. The forest held its breath in the silence.
Grandpa’s eyes flew open! He jumped back in a blur of startled motion, flying leaves, and a loud crash that the forest seemed to greatly disapprove of. Those eyes, oh those eyes like fire.

"I am old," groaned Grandpa.

"Awwwww, Grandpa, I wish you wouldn't talk that way!"

"I am old," he repeated softer than before and then said, "Memories flash away from me like silverfish when I try to catch them. The sun doesn't warm me any more. almost like it has given up on me now. I ache."

"Been looking for you"

"I have been sleeping here with this coat of leaves to warm me, I have been sleeping all day long."

As they talked, Like death come home, the setting sunlight turned the colour of blood as the day surrendered to the supremacy of the night. A cool night breeze carried with it dark forest smells of green and black, brown and amber. Roots, earth, plants and death things. Grandpa stood and the dead copper leaves fell from him drifting to earth in silence.

"I was once young, in the summer when it was warm and death was a but a black dream. I was young and powerful. I was leader. I was KING. The gaze of my eyes was enough to pin my enemies to the spot, caught like trapped mice." Grandpa sighed. The silence lay between them like oceans.

"One day, you will be leader! You have the blood of KINGS burning though your veins."

"GRANDPA!"

"Yes, it is true, you will be king, you have your fathers blood and you have my blood burning in you. It is blood of kings. I see they look at you with fear and lust for kill. Searching for a weakness. DON'T show them one. You must not or they will be upon you like crows to a corpse. They will drink your blood with a terrible thirst."
"
I'm not ready," he said, hanging his head low, turning from those gleaming eyes.

"No, you are NOT ready! But one day, one day, you will be ready, you will lead us all." He sniffed the damp air. Night has spread though the forest as they had talked. Shadows pooled under a bone white moon.

"Soon I will be gone. Soon I will die."

"Don't, don't, don't talk that way! It makes me afraid"

Grandpa smiled and said "I see the fear like fire flies in your eyes. The heart beating faster? That's living, young one. YES, I will DIE very soon, but I'm not afraid to die. I have never been selfish and gladly will give my flesh to the forest to feed and my bones to the trees."

Night sat in a throne of dark green ivy and thorns. Night filled the forest and ruled. Night things stirred from their holes and places. Things real and some not quite. Death seemed closer now than ever.. Its laughing scull seemed hidden by the shadow. But It seemed close. Grandpas eyes were closed again. To think of him dead....He shivered and moved closer to grandpa.Grandpa spoke softly and quickly. "Will you remember me when I'm gone? Will you SING for me each moon? PROMISE!"

"I WILL"

Grandpa smiled in the dark. "Then, I am not afraid to die for I will be immortal" The two of them lay wrapped in the spicy sent of leaves. Their bodies warm against each others. Time had no meaning. Only the warm bodies and companionship. Time had no meaning at all here.

They head it from deep in the woods though the trees. The lone haunting cry of a wolf howl. Another added to the chorus and then another and then another until the forest was filled with it. Every tree and leaf seemed to quiver with the sound. The very earth trembling at the ancient sound. Suddenly. Grandpa threw back his head and HOWLED with eyes blazing fire yellow in the darkness. The sound of grandpas howl always brought a spider soft shiver crawling down his spine. Thought gave way to instinct. Ears flattened he joined his own unique voice to the song. Each voice distinct and each strand of the song different.
Hearts raced and blood boiled. They merged with the forever and sang to the moon and stars as they had done for million years and more. Grandpas eyes were on fire.

"Ill die soon, I'm old, but tonight. Tonight. We hunt. And I'm young." With that he raced off like a grey ghost into the dark. He followed grandpa with joy in his heart and the beating of his own blood in his ears. Blood and glory under the moon. AH, now that was living.

THE END.

A Little Night Music

2005-01-18T23:40:00.000Z

A Little Night Music

The deep black blanket night was frosted with ice bright stars and in the centre hung the queen of the night in her misty pale dress - the Moon. Soon after the moon and stars had taken their place the music of the night began. First the wind roused and sang her melancholy song to the moon. The song of the wind was the song of the west, spiced with the scent of the earth. The wind sang her songs all soft and mournful to the glowing night queen and her frosted consorts.

Next the trees joined in the night music. Those old oak trees waggled twiggy fingers and waved wooden arms as if conducting the songs of the night. Their music of the trees was the soft tap, tap, tap, tapping of their fingers on frozen window panes.

The wolves joined to the song next. Wolf song broke out like a bird of prey from misted muzzles and sang straight to the moon! The wolves sung and howled and the Moon, who smiled on them, bathed them in her light. Wolves are special to the moon, as are crows and owls. It was the owls that added to the serenade of the wolf with hoots and toots and woots to the night.

Can you hear it? Do you hear that? It's just a little night music playing for the queen of the night who watches in her beautiful silver dress along with her frosted star courters.

Resplendent in her cloak of clouds

2005-01-17T20:31:00.000Z

Resplendant in her cloak of clouds

She showed her silver self in the daylight. Silver bright and resplendant in her misty cloak of cloud. The world was just a little bit brighter after her day dancing....

Another shot from yesterday!!! More of her... stay tuned! :-)

Daylight Moon

2005-01-17T01:02:00.000Z

Daylight Moon

It was about 2 in the afternoon. I was coming home with some shopping. I had just reached my my place when I looked up and there was the moon hanging in the clear blue sky!!!! WOW!!!!! I ran in, put my shopping down, grabbed my camera, and rushed back outside in excitement!!!

I found a small tree stump to lean on so my camera would be steady. Then... I shot, and I shot, and I shot, and I shot. I pretty much shot until the camera was exhausted and me too from kneeling and holding the camera steady for so long! But it was worth it! I have so many great shots of the moon in the day time! Such wonder! Such magic! Such beauty! I will post up more shots soon of her in day time. She really blessed me today. I have some with the moon in the blue sky with clouds passing by so will post one of those up next. I wanted to post this one up first as it's such a beautiful close up of her.

Well, that's it for now. I will just up now and it's late anyway. Isn't the world amazing? They tell children that there is no such thing as magic but they are wrong. They are really wrong. Look around. You will see. The magic and the wonder of it all.

Heart in the Night

2005-01-15T23:58:00.000Z

Heart in the Night

Again something a little different. This is a painting by me. I did it quite some time ago. Anyway, I hope you like it. My skills as a painter are very much lacking but I was really happy with how it turned out. I had great fun in painting it, messy fingers! :-D Having fun is the main thing in art and in life.

Sky though the fingers

2005-01-14T23:49:00.000Z

Sky though the fingers

I looked at the beautiful blue sky with it's cotten candy clouds and sighed at the beauty of trees and clouds...

Time for another photograph. You just knew it would not be long before there was another sky, right? :-) I hope you like this photo. Actually, I am kind of obsessed with the sky as viewed against the bare arms and fingers of winter trees. I will shoot more of these shots. Stay tuned... :-)

Poem: Château

2005-01-14T01:37:00.000Z

Something a little different today. HEHE, like to keep everybody on their toes! This is a poem that I wrote a long time ago. It's just a very fun and silly poem. It just came to me one day out of the blue, as the best ones do, and it made me laugh. Ah, well... hopefully gives you a smile also!

Château

There is a château
Made of gateau
With cherry flavour halls
Where
The prince
Throws wild and sticky balls
Outside, along the lollipop promenade
There's a great pool of frizzy lemonade
And who built the pool
Why, it was a crazy old fool
Who had only one eye
And spoke in lazy lullaby
All around the grounds
The walls are made of ginger bread
And its said
That it was raised by an army of undead
By a witch queen
That lives in a shed
At the bottom of the lawn
All in all...
Its a most peculiar place!

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved by poster.

Three Beams by the Sepia Sand

2005-01-12T20:46:00.000Z

Three Beams by the Sepia Sand.

Down by the velvet moss, down by the sepia beach, and down by the ocean edge where there stands three black beams of wood. They stand like giant's teeth in the cool sand. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder if the giant is still down there in the dark earth? I wander if he is a wander? I wonder if that giant will come back some day.

Another photo! I really like this photograph. The colours are great and the way it divides into three separate parts. The green moss, the black wooden beams, and the sepia sand.

Fiction: Did I dream this?

2005-01-11T22:54:00.000Z

His hazelnut eyes blinked. So close to her moonglow face, her full cherry lips, and those beautiful eyes. Her blue grey eyes. Blinked. She spoke in silence with the language of body, heart, mind ,and soul. Outside the jealous wind moaned. It spoke the language of nature. Cocooned inside the cabin of wood, heavy with sap scent, we could hear the wind keening.

Eyes flare open. Sunlight bursting though the window. Bed sheets: vast, cold, ice fields. Large and lonely empty arctic space. His arms around and holding himself. The alarm clock still buzzing. Fingers, crawling, reaching, fumbling and finally finding the button. Silence. Thick. Summer spread out beyond the window with green hills. A road led someplace. Houses crouched low and grey on the horizon. He thought, did I dream this? He blinked.

Some of them were broken: Grave stones jutting from the ground with dark green weeds abound. In places there were flowers. Bright and beautiful visitors among the drab grey of the grave stones. The sky was pebble grey. The light. The light was grey. Everything. Names forgotten. Names remembered. Names everywhere. Death everywhere. His fingers touched the side of his neck. Remembering even as the tears etched coldly down his face, but did I dream this? He blinked.

She sat in the centre of the grainy wooden floor wrapped in a white rose sheet. His warm hands moved under the sheet and around her waist. Warm. His lips moist against hers. Electric. Hot and falling, both of them entangled together. I wish this moment forever. He wished the moment forever would last forever. Kisses crawling across her neck like delicious romantic spiders. He blinked. Did I dream this?

Did we dream this?
Whisper.
"Hello?"

-- The End.

Copyright 2005 - all rights reserved by poster.

Follow Me

2005-01-10T19:36:00.000Z

Follow Me...

Hope you like this photo. It's very strange photo. I won't add much text to this one as it's such an enigmatic shot that would spark the imagination that I prefer the photo stand for itself.

Sky Bridge

2005-01-09T21:16:00.000Z

Sky Bridge

They built a bridge across the sky. We would walk across the bridge on sunny days with our fingers trailing in the mist of the clouds. We would walk along the bridge with held hands, fingers locked together, as the wind races and whistled around us. We would stroll along the sky bridge every Sunday. We looked down and watched the green continents drift like clouds and the tiny specks of birds drifting like dust motes. Sometimes we walked over the section of the sky bridge that covered the oceans of blue and marvelled at the curve in the Earth. We always finished our walk wind swept and cold but my kisses on her lips were always hot at the end of the sky bridge journey.

I hope you like this photo. Another sky shot but this one a little different. When I came across this I knew I had to photograph it. I hope you enjoy the photo. Enjoy your stroll along the sky bridge :-)

Green Home

2005-01-08T23:31:00.000Z

Green Home

Take me away to my green home. To scent of grass. To lay under endless blue skies. To drift with bird songs under old oak trees...

This was taken in the summer. It's a photo of the forest that is near me. It's not a very large forest but I am very glad to have it near me. Forests are very special to me. They are beautiful places of magic, wonder and calm :-) I hope it brings you some of that when you see the photo :-)

Poem: Vampire.

2005-01-07T20:40:00.000Z

Dedicated to the lady of the night ;-)

Vampire.

I am the shadow in the night
I am the hot breath on your neck
The freezing spine shiver
I am the hunter
I am wild and free
Running
Though star lit nights
Blood drenched
Soul on fire
I am Vampire.
I am thirsty...

Copyright 2005 - All rights reserved by poster.

2005-01-06T17:32:00.000Z

Oh give me the wings to soar skies with them.

I want to tumble upward

To break the chains of the Earth

I want to touch the sky with trembling fingers

Embrace the heat of sun with trembling love

Go -

fly, fly, fly

In clouds and sunsets sky

Oh give me the wings fly

Back again with another photo! I hope you like this photo and it takes you flying with those birds as they race and glide on currents of air.. I like this one very much.

As I was posting this photograph inspiration struck me. With breath held and fingers flying as I typed this out. I know lady fate is fickle with her kisses and so I am always thankful when she chooses to kiss me with art and creation. I also hope that you like the poem. As I said, it was written in just a few seconds.

So... a photo AND a poem today! Two for one ain't bad ;-) lol

Poem: Wooden Heart

2005-01-05T19:15:00.000Z

Wooden Heart

Would that my heart was wood!
My heart would smell honey sweet
and scented sawdust fresh
And be filled with
spirals and swirls
and circles
It would have sticky sap for blood
My heart would be coated in gruff bark for protection
Wish my heart was wood
I would mark my years in cirlces
In songs of oak
In dreams of verdant green leaves.

Copyright 2005 and all rights reserved by poster.

They listen to the waves

2005-01-04T21:55:00.000Z

They listen to the waves

They gather together dressed in ghost white feather to talk about the waves and listen the songs of the waves.

Another one of our friends the birds! :-) I really like seagulls so happy to get some shots of them. I am happy with this photo. I hope you like the photo too! :-)

She Rests Her Wings

2005-01-03T20:15:00.000Z

She rests her wings.

She came so far carried on the wind that had brushed lovers lips and touched mountain tops. Racing with the wind, wings held out tight, and shadow bright on the Thames. She came so far carried on the wind and her wings. At last she finds some rest...

Well... finally got out and had my first real good photo shoot with the new camera today! I shot myself silly :-D Over 200 photo pictures taken, left wishing for another 200... I need another memory card! :-D

The sky was wonderful and laid across the world like a fresh blue silk sheet Later some impressive clouds came driven by the icey wind. I walked along the river where the wind was singing and so wonderfully cold on my skin. I walked from Charlton to Greenwich. There was so many interesting and beautiful things to take photos of!

I had a wonderful time there taking photos there today. For sure I will go back another time. Well, hope you like this one! More photos to come from my photo shoot, so stay tuned :-)

Well, I have been very talkative today so will sign off in a moment. I just wanted to mention the reason I like photography so much. As you go though life there are many beautiful and interesting things to see. Going with the camera helps reinforce the eye and heart to notice those things.

Goodmorning Barcelona

2005-01-02T13:56:00.000Z

Goodmorning Barcelona!

Me and Barcelona awake together...

Since Barcelona was mentioned recently... here is a picture that I took of her just waking up :-) Hope you like it! This was taken on the first morning of my holidays and adventures in the city of Bareclona, Spain. This is the early morning view from the roof top garden at the hostel where I stayed in the outskirts of Barcelona. It's located in a placed called Horta. There were many more mornings and many more adventures in Barcelona!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

2005-01-01T02:28:00.000Z

Well, it's finally here. The clock ticks. Our hearts tock... Here we go again. Let's hope it's a year that's full of of wonder and light.

Wishing you all...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :-)

My very best wishes

- La Luna -

Robot Guts

2004-12-31T17:26:00.000Z

Robot Guts.

Hot grey guts of metal, smeared with oil, quivered to the hollow thump of the robots piston powered steam heart.

As Monty Python was famous for saying... And now for something completely different! Hope you like it :-)

Fiction: Dream.

2004-12-30T15:58:00.000Z

Dream

Oh my sweet God. Those words whispered to the dark walls. Sweat wet ice sheets are vast and endless and clinging to my skin like damp smoke. I'm awake again into the warm womb of the dark room. It's at once familiar and completely alien. A pale window shaped puddle of moonlight spreads across the floor towards the bed. Awake again. Freshly surfaced from the deep of dream. Breathing hard and fast and with my heart going thump, thump, thump in my chest. My breathing rasping in and out as I try to control myself from careening into total panic. I cannot remember what so terrified me. I cannot recall what my mind soul in the dark of my soul as I slept.

Eyes alert open to stare wildly into the absolute darkness of my room. Sick. Waiting. Laying. Waiting for the sense of dislocation of time and of space to pass. Waiting for the strange tide to wash away and leave me in my bed again. Waiting for my heart to slow down to normal. Waiting for my hands not to grasp the bed so tightly.

Pigeon wings are a grey blur and a whispered comment as the bird launches itself from beside the cafe table where the two men sit. Momentarily it's just a black bird shadow shape pinned against the dazzling white yellow sun before it glides away. He watches the pigeon awhile before clinking down a white cup containing creamy brown coffee swirling around inside as it lands on the table that sits in the shadow of the moon cafe. A ladybird lands on glass table and begins to crawl. Reflected clouds drift along smoothly in the smooth glass of the table top. The metallic rims and legs that hold the table together bend the sky and cloud reflections around and around. The cafe conversation about the two men ebbs and flows like the restless ocean. Whispering. Whispering. Whispering...

"You're not listening!" He says, punctuating his words with a dramatic sigh. Always with the dramatic sighs. Thomas turns his attention to his friends ocean eyes, nods, smiles apologetically.
"I am listening! I was just distracted by that pigeon," he says eyes gazing momentarily blue skyward as if to illustrate the point of the pigeon. Smile breaks out beaming on his craggy face. "So, it's the dream is the same all the time?" His friend nods his head.
"Yes, it's the same dream every time."
"Tell me again."

It's dark. You know when the night is like a panther? The night is dark and it's sleek and so whisper quiet but you can sense it out there? You know the dark is prowling in the corners. Everything is in shadow. Everything is purple and deep black. Everything is just waiting. You know? It's like that. I wake into that night. The alarm clock is not working. There are no red figures to tell me what time it is. This only increases my sense of unease. This only increases my pulse rate and the very subtle sense of fear that pickles along my back as if somebody is right behind me and drawing a sharp blade edge down my spine.

I get dressed in the dark. Out the doorway into the empty silent empty streets and a starless drifting night. I head down past row after row of watching buildings and across the intersection where the traffic lights click and change up and down with nobody to pay them any attention. I cross the road and turn left heading right down to the cafe of the moon.

A light brittle bell note ripples though the cafe as I open the door and enter the coffee scented rich darkness of the cafe. White chairs roost on top of tables for the night. She sits at a far table. I can just about make her out. I walk slowly to her. I can't see her eyes but I know she is watching me. Her eyes drink in my every soft footfall. My every breath. She must the watching the rise and fall of my chest. The inhalation and exhalation of my breath. I walk to her. I walk to her as if there is some inviable rope that connects me and her together. Closer and closer. I sit down opposite her at the table in the chair that was waiting for me. Now I can see her face and now I can see her eyes. She takes a languid drag of the cigarette she holds in those beautiful pianist fingers.

"You're late." She says with a slight smile of a cat. Her eyes glitter and dance.
"I'm always late. You know what.
"Well," she says as she takes inhales more smoke between wet cherry lips, "you are here now and that's the most important thing. Isn't it?"
"Of course it is. It's always the most important thing."
"Indeed it is," she says with quiet laugh. "Indeed it is."
"Did you dream again?"
"Oh yes."
"Same dream?"
"Same."
"tell me."

Grey pigeon wings blur against the light of the sun. He is watching the pigeon fly and not listening to me. I was telling him about some dream I had. He clinks down his coffee cup and turns to me as he tries to tell me that he is listening. I know he was not. He was not listening to me again. It's the same dream. Same damn dream every time. Me and him sitting at the cafe in the sunlight and talking. Same dream. Every night. Same dream.

Last of the strawberry light

2004-12-29T17:08:00.000Z

Last of the Strawberry Light.

Everything soaked in soft strawberry ripe light. The day grew late as I watched the last of the strawberry light colour the clouds and drip away to usher on the ocean of night with it's shivering white stars.

YES! It's another sky!!! lol Another photo taken with my new camera. Happened to be at the right time to catch the strawberry light that coloured these clouds. Dawn and dusk are both really magical times. It's not so much a coincidence that the moon watches over these two moments. Anyway, it's a beauitful sky and I like it. I hope you do too :-)

An epiphany while blog hopping

2004-12-28T22:46:00.000Z

I was blog hopping just now and it struck me that blogs are great! Sure, I know, we all think they are great or we wouldn't be here doing this. It's just that I had an epiphany. It really struck me that blogs are great and I will tell you for why they are great.

Blogs are really the medium of the people. Here in text and pictures is the soul of us all. We are all reflected here in moments great and small. Blogs are a great woven fabric of life. A tapestry of humanity. All aspects are reflected here in blogs. Every thing that we are, we think, we feel. Everything that makes us laugh that makes us cry. Everything is here. It's all here. We are all here together. Blogs are the true medium of the people. Hello world. Keep on blogging and happy new year to you all :-) and extra special thanks and happy wishings to those that visited and commented on my blog. Thank you.

The last night on Earth.

2004-12-28T14:47:00.000Z

The Last Night on Earth

We watched the end of the world come dressed in crimson. Watched the sky turn to warm blood even as ours froze in our veins and we choked on ice and ash.

First image taken with my new camera! This photograph was born of experimentation! I took the camera along to the forest near me. I wanted to try and take pictures with the night mode in total darkness. I was surprised that anything actually could be taken. :-)

Strange, huh? Please note that no photo shop affects or alterations were made to this picture. This is how the photo actually turned out! So darkly strange beautiful. As if there sky had turned to blood and the tree's dark arms stretch out to embrace it. Yes, I like this. Beautiful and strange :-)

I have returned!

2004-12-27T20:54:00.000Z

AH HA! So... I have returned! I have been away for a few days as it's been Christmas. I went away and stayed with my family. I went away and ate too many chocolates!. Actually, scrub that, there is no such thing as eating too many chocolates!!! :-D

Ah, good to be back home tho and good to be back blogging! Stay tuned for more photos, poetry, prose and output from my really odd mind!

Happy New Year everybody! :-)

Language of the Heart

2004-12-23T23:07:00.000Z

Language of the Heart

I'll
Speak the language of the heart
And I'll see visions clear
Open my soul as a flower
Thirsty for the rain and sunflower sun
And never mind the thorns.
I want to kiss warm rain
Be kissed in cold rain
I want
To
Step to the cliff
Edge
On tip toes
And
Fall
Down
And
Down
Without
Fear
And
Spread my wings
Catch the wind
And
To make love with the sky
The clouds and stars sigh.

Copywrite 2004 - All rights reserved.

A poem today. I hope somebody likes it :-)