very special day!

What a day!

Today is my 300th blip, and my journal has had over 39,000 views. I have made some good friends, most of whom I have never met, a few I have. A huge thanks to everyone who visits my page, especially those stalwarts who drop by every day, it means such a lot. In common with many others, I can honestly say that blipfoto has changed my life, opened my eyes to the world around me and given me the focus of a new interest in photography. I also want to say a big thanks and give a big hug to my partner, John, for his unwavering support and encouragement - to hear him talk to our friends, you would think I was the next Annie Leibovitz!!! Dream on AnnieB!

A big day in other ways too. Today was the official opening of the New Lanark Search Room, where I have been volunteering once a week for the past year. We finally have our on-line archive live with a few photographs and many more years of cataloguing to go! Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, paid a short visit to do the honours. He also launched the New Lanark 'fly through', which is part of an amazing project called The Scottish Ten and which will be the subject of tomorrow's blip.

As if this wasn't enough, I then attended a lunch given in honour of Arthur Bell (no relation!), to celebrate his 40 year association with New Lanark. Arthur has been Chairman of New Lanark Trust for the past ten years and is now retiring as Chairman though still remaining a Trustee. I have known Arthur since my first days in the village. We had a lovely 4 course lunch, some speeches and I met up with a few people I haven't seen for ages. In typical blipper fashion, my battery gave out before I could take a lunch shot.

The collage shows the search room all tidy and ready to go, The Scottish Ten display stand, Arthur introducing Mike Russell, the official ribbon cutting, and finally my most popular and highest rated blip of the last 299.

So - it has been quite a day. Onwards to the next blip milestone, only 65 days to go!

Thanks again to all my special blip pals, here's to many more blipmeets in the not too distant future.