The Woodland Garden (Friday 10th December 2021)

I took this picture in the garden this afternoon to test a lens that had let me down the day before. Unusually for Pentax, the lens is controlled by a motor within the lens rather than in the camera body and it turns out that it has a tendancy to freeze up if not used for awhile so that the auto-focus doesn't work properly. From online research I discovered it can sometimes be teased back to life by first using Live View rather than the viewfinder, my normal practice, until it frees up, and that is how I got it working again today.

Yesterday morning I had a visit from Refna who I hadn't seen for a couple of months as she has cut back on her gardening and taken up part time work at a posh nearby school. She called by for a cup of tea and a catch-up, and I took a couple of portrait shots using this lens for Blip, but when I came to process them yesterday evening they were unacceptably and annoyingly blurred because of the lens motor playing up.

Thanks to BikerBear for Flower Friday.

L.
Friday 10.12.2021 (2009 hr)

Blip #3554 (#3304 + 250 archived blips taken 27.8.1960-18.3.2010)
Consecutive Blip #000
Blips/Extras In 2021 #209/265 + #091/100 Extras
Day #4277 (978 gaps from 26.3.2010)
LOTD #2696 (#2536 + 160 in archived blips)

Taken with Pentax K-50 (Yellow) and Pentax smc P-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM prime lens

Lozzarhythm Of The Day:
Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday (recorded 10-13 June 1967, RCA Studios, Hollywood CA)
R.I.P. Mike Nesmith (30 December 1942, Houston TX - 10 December 2021, Carmel Valley CA
This tune was written by Carole King to Gerry Goffin's lyric, a satire on suburban life after moving from New York to Pleasant Valley Way in New Jersey. Carole King's demo has previously featured on a LOTD. The Monkees' version is faster and has some lyric changes from Gerry Goffin's original that Carole King disapproved of.
Mike Nesmith went on to do much after the Monkees but inevitably this period of his life is for what he is best remembered.
According to Wikipedia, "The basic track for Pleasant Valley Sunday was recorded on June 10, 1967 with Michael Nesmith on electric guitar, Peter Tork on piano, Chip Douglas, their producer, on bass guitar and session musician Eddie Hoh on drums. Micky Dolenz, was present at the session and may have played acoustic guitar. The next day, Nesmith overdubbed another electric guitar part, while Hoh recorded percussion (shaker and conga) overdubs and Bill Chadwick, a friend of the Monkees, performed a second acoustic guitar portion. The Monkees (including Davy Jones) recorded their vocals, with the possible participation of Chip Douglas, on June 13. Nesmith played another guitar part, while Hoh overdubbed more percussion. Dolenz sang lead, with Nesmith harmonizing with him.
"The distinctive guitar intro (and the main riff) was played by Nesmith on a black Gibson Les Paul guitar through three Vox Super Beatle amplifiers. Chip Douglas wrote the intro based on the riff of the Beatles' I Want to Tell You."

One year ago:
Calne (Yarn Bombers)