Good Intentions.

The day of my 365th blip has run the same course as so many of the last year. Full of good intentions but overcome by events.
A long miserable journey to work due to heavy rain, once I got there it was one of these bitty days where it was a struggle to achieve anything.
Stressed, as I knew I had to get away in time for camera club, but also had to pick up ingredients to make my contribution for the MacMillan Coffee Morning.
As I have no working oven at present it had to be rice crispie cakes!
Camera club was very interesting - a visit to the studio of a professional photographer who is one of our members. Made me realise that I know virtually nothing! I was too shy to try out my camera with his fabulous radio controlled lights, shame, as I could have got a nice portrait.
So I nearly didn't get a blip at all, I faffed about with a nicely coloured sycamore seed with no success. This left me at 11.00 pm with no blip and no 'baking', hence the crispie cake blip.
Maybe now you will realise why I chose the title of my journal - maybe 'The Road to Hell' wouldn't have been allowed, but more appropriate.

BUT the last year has changed my life;


It has made me take a few minutes every day to look at other journals, this is a good kick up the a*%e as people with lives far more hectic and troubled than mine produce amazing photographs and write so movingly. Often a reality check for me, thank-you.

I see pictures everywhere
I have a camera of some kind to hand at all times (although I don't always take the chance)
I think my skills have improved slightly from a pretty low baseline
I have upgraded my camera and equipment and joined the camera club
I have the 'nerve' to take part in challenges

Most of all I have discovered this wonderful community and been touched by your photographs and stories. I love the privileged glimpses into your lives and parts of the world where I will probably never visit. I sigh with blip-envy when I see the daily blips of people who live in beautiful places. This has stiffened my resolve to get away to a place where I can walk out the door and see water and sky, must be west coast to see the sunset over the sea. Maybe one day I'll the green splash as the sun goes down into the sea like my father used to tell me when I was a child on Arran.

So thank-you, Vikki for showing me your Blips and encouraging me to dip my toe into the water.
Thank-you BlipCentral for this marvellous facility, not just a photo sharing site, not a social network site, but a supportive community of friends, who invite you for coffee to dry off and warn you of road closures, thank-you Canalcairnbaan and Quaver, they typify the many acts of kindness of Blippers.

Special thanks to those who bear with me and take the time out of their lives to drop by and view and comment on my mad mixed up jumble of photographs!
I am hooked - so onwards and upwards.