It's all a bit foggy...

(A.k.a. Foggy Five Hundred :o) )

Well I never thought I'd get my 500th blip on today...

Not because I didn't think I'd ever get 500 blips; I enjoy it all too much to have not taken a 500th, but because I risked life and limb to get this simple photo back home! While I was out blipping the heavens opened and turned my cold part of the world into a skating rink. A skating rink on a slope where the only way home is downhill!

I have no idea how I got home in one piece. At one point I thought I might just give up and slide all the way down on my backside! That would have made a fun little video if I'd thought about it...

No work today but I got up pre-dawn anyway. The forecast was for either snow or fog, but when I looked out we had clear skies with skittish clouds and a low mist. I walked the mile or so close to the spot where I got my 365th blip, the dawn glow beginning to colour the world behind me, tantalising and unknown.

It was one of those mornings where I was spoilt for choice; it had to be this one though, the mist was lying low turning the world almost monochrome but for a hint of colour from the golden sunlight, the viaduct peeking through, stripped treetops searching for the sun, a couple of purple tinged clouds, the horizon momentarily amber, my kind of morning.

I took many other photo's for nearly an hour and then the rain came in. I must have been enthralled as it's only as I look at my last 20 or so photo's on the PC that I see rainspots that I hadn't noticed first time round. And thus I packed up my gear and my epic trip home began!

And that's a nice little segue into this 'epic trip to the 500th blip' (see what I did there?)

500 blips and still here. Since my 365th blip I've startled cows, been stared at by cows , been deer stalking, witnessed more sunsets and sunrises, and best of all discovered there is life after dark when it comes to photography...

I have to admit a sort of panic ensued when it dawned on me that I'd be coming home in the dark and how was I going to get my landscapes, but then I realised it was a whole new challenge, an opportunity to learn something new, and I fell in love with photography all over again.

I'm still stumbling around in the dark trying to improve and find my way, but the reason I enjoy it so much is because there is always something new to learn. And it's all part of this.

This Blip thing.

This thing that makes us go out at ridiculous hours freezing our backsides off, or drive to the middle of nowhere in the pitch black for the chance of starry skies, yet equally not taking it too seriously.

But more than that, for me it's the people here and the encouragement they freely give. For every single comment, every single view, every sub (even if you quickly desubbed!), every heart, every star, each one I'm so grateful for.

And of course, to the Blip Boffins who keep this going.

I'm also grateful to you just for putting up with my ramblings!!!!

Cheers Blippers :o)


Paul