Two-year journey

These elvers (baby eeels) which spawned in the Sargasso sea, somewhere near the Bermuda triangle, have been on a two-year journey back to the river Severn in Gloucestershire. How they navigate is still not fully understood. On arrival, some will be caught for food; some will be put in tanks in schools for several weeks as part of the Eels in Schools project, before being released into rivers; some will live on uninterrupted before heading off to find fresh water (the Severn is tidal). Eventually, on reaching maturity in 10-14 years' time, some will make their way back to the Sargasso sea, where they were born, to spawn their own young. I wonder, as a mere human bystander, do they ever stop and ask Why?

My blip journey began two years ago, at the very same dining room table at which I am now writing, but then with a bowl of porridge and a rose in front of me. Today, I see before me not one, but two camera bags; a Graze box containing two punnets of seeds; two devices for connecting my iPad to my camera, two banana-shaped boot deodorisers for my climbing shoes; a red and blue plastic toy that makes four farm animal sounds; two geraniums and two Streptocarpus plants. At least I don't have to lug any of that lot to the Sargasso sea!

So, where have I come? I've gained a job but could be made redundant in a year's time; I've taken up climbing; I've taken far, far too many pictures but without necessarily getting better; and I've written a lot of words that I probably wouldn't have written otherwise. Blipping is good for mental health.

I've made loads of Blip-friends, and met a fair few of them in the flesh. Next week, CleanSteve and I are off to stay in HerbSusan's caravan! We've found another blipper in Stroud, and I've seen my mum's house on Loch Etive in a blipjournal. I've also become a rubbish commenter, because I couldn't really cope with the withdrawal of the Blipster app for the iPad, but I am trying to climb out of that abyss, and not to be envious of other people's much better pics. I will never be perfect, or even prefect!

So, thanks for all who keep reading and have stuck with me. I wanted a totally fabulous elver-shot (they are going to be released into the river Frome tomorrow) but they move very, very fast, and I kept getting my own reflection in the school eel-tank, or a flash-explosion instead. In the end, I took off the tank-lid, changed to the Sports mode, and snapped a few wrigglers, hoping that I wouldn't accidentally kill them by forgetting to put the lid back on, or dropping something in....

Historic river Severn eel net blip

I look forward to many more happy years of blipping, and never having to swim to the Sargasso sea! I still enjoy reading and looking at each of your journey-journals, and long may it last!

Song: Pressure Drop sung by Toots and the Maytals, because I love Ska, it's Monday and I'm under pressure to do two jobs, cook tea, change for climbing, watch Pointless, and blip my 2nd birthday shot all at the same time! Think I'll have to catch up with my tea later on i-tea-player.