Dignitea's Blog - page 2

Our weather has been good the last few days, many projects done, like lifting and relaying over 70 slabs, but it does look better, but on the down side, when I woke each morning, pain every where, but I wake every morning and embrace the day, thanking that I can just do what I do, it takes longer, but it has been part of the adapting and I no longer get frustrated about this.

I got a few tomato plants the other day, first time in a number of years, I have grown any, I wish I could eat them, said that before many times and yes once again, I will try, can never understand, why I can eat tomato in something that is cooked with them, but a fresh one, straight off the plant, the best you can get and nope it is a no go.

OK this is longer than I meant to write, back with the usual Sunday.


The damselflies are back around and I got too get downlow and enjoy this Large Red, mother nature does give me, the best of things to see, well worth kneeling on nettles and getting many stings.

I was once again the other week, if one of my pictures could get used for an advert type thing and once again all, that was to be given was a credit for the image and once again, I said no. If something is going to be used commercially , I want paid for it. That is my rule. To many people give it away for free. But each to there own.

I will be the keeper of some new treasure this week or next, depending on delivery. The time of wait is over. Old faithful will not be retired, far from it. She is too much part of me and well she have given me more, than you can imagine. So many memories and so many more to make.

I only work tomorrow, injection on Tuesday, one thing I have to watch for , is getting pollen in my eye, hard thing to do, at this time of year, when so much is about, thought of buying an eyepatch to put over my eye when out, this is hopefully my last one.

I then work a week and then 2 weeks off, hopefully a lot of nice weather, never thought I would say such things.

I spent a bit of time at the coast on Friday morning, it was really good and then in the afternoon, I was where I call the nature reserve, I am not supposed to be in there , but when you chase the butterflies, well what can I say I venture forth.


The chase was worthwhile, Orange Tip butterfly, really fresh looking. I always think we are heading closer to summer, when they appear. Once I just had the dream to get an image of one, now I still just look and marvel of them,

In a little over a week, my last macular injection maybe. Has it made a difference. It has, on the eye chart, I can see two extra lines now.

It has helped me no ends, with the photography, I have been leaning more towards the macro type shots, or close ups, I love my landscapes but, I am changing.

I have been taken a lot of flower pictures, some in the garden, more in the woods. It is slow process of photography, sometimes, you have nothing to really show from it, but that never bothers me, I only ever try for one keeper, but I am usually lucky in getting a few.

I sometimes wish, I had taken an interest when I was younger, but it was just not the time, so many other things and with me, it all about time management. I do a thing 100% or not at all.

So the other week, got a flash for the camera and with the diffuser I got, into the greenhouse, I had seen some tiny spiders. So manual focusing on them and taking a few pictures, learning and then back out the next 2 nights as well, each time improving.

So from that first night, I have a blog picture.


I see it, as a starting point, from this, I have had a lot of smiles. I have have that feeling, that contentment , that I find with a camera.

I walked this evening, had been hoping for a bit of nice late evening sunshine, but been an overcast day, but my little woods, were a riot of colour with the Bluebells and then I found a patch of wild garlic, now I must have walked by it before, but for all I am always looking, sometimes, not enough. It was in a nice little spot for a seat and to just look around me and just enjoy the night.

I really just did pop in to post the picture, I was going to last weekend.


I have one Tulip in the garden, this year I think 11 blooms are on it, spent a hour on Sunday morning just seeing, what I could see, I will shoot a lot of flowers this next while, I am changing, this is part of who I am.

Been around a month, since I have been here. Like everything else, time flies by, close to the first 4 months of the year has gone by. When you are young, you think you have all the time in the world, then you get old and you are spending more time looking back some days wondering how you managed to get so much done everyday.

Just like the Doctor's all warned, your body is going to break down. But stubborn me will just keeps fighting.

I have taken plenty of pictures recently, been posting them on Flickr, no grand landscape shots, mostly using macro gear. bought some new gear as well, not the camera yet, but a flash and a diffuser. The diffuser came from USA, ordered one a Saturday and here on a Tuesday, used it a few times, mostly in the greenhouse shooting spiders and once, one early morning shooting cherry blossom.

I have already decided to buy another camera, before I have even got this one. It will be for my 60th birthday next year.

I truly think that to move on in life, you have to find peace within yourself first and foremost and I like to think, that is exactly where I am, staying away from here was just part of my therapy programme for me.

I am closer to death than the time, I have lived, but I will live it and enjoy every last second, that I can.

I was never angry with the world, I was angry with me.

You really have to look with in, before you can look out.

Till the next time, Smile.

I have decided to take a break from here, it has been coming for a long time and well, a status last week, was the final straw for me. Life is just too short.

I am not sure, if I have even logged in before writing this blog, I did have a look on the status page and just seen the usual and shut the page down. So a week really since my last visit.

I took a picture of someone and there dog the other week, I got a message showing me it, all printed now and hanging on the wall and it does look very good. Printed all nice and big. She was telling me, that 3 people that have seen it, have asked who took it and one was interested in me taking a picture of there dog. But I guess being hundreds of miles away might be a hurdle lol.

5 weeks till I order my new camera. Why wait, why not. For me waiting means it means even more to me. I am kind of still waiting to see, if Canon do come out with something new like rumoured, but that might just mean buying another camera in a year or two.

I have started another little saving fund now, for what, not got a clue.

I had just finished taking a picture this morning, was putting the gear away and I got one sent with Speedy in it, She has her own page and a picture of her is posted most days, sometimes more, that old dog. has more followers than me lol this morning, all stretched out in front of the stove.

In the grand scheme of things, it has been a good week, a hospital visit with my Mum went great, she never goes further than the garden, but as long as she is happy, so am I.

I have 3 days off now, hospital tomorrow, so till next week or maybe the week after.. enjoy life.


This is a blend of 4 pictures and still I just missed what, I was after, does it make it a bad picture, no. It still looks good. one that I would even print for myself, if I had a nice printer, guess what the saving fund is now going to be used for.

Sunday's are a busy day for me, I never even got a walk today, as I was doing other things and then when I was going to go this afternoon, it rained, but it never really mattered.

I sat last night and was just staring at one of the ice pictures for ages, I have 6, one will be posted at the end of this blog. for me it is one of the pictures that means an awful lot to me, probably to no one else.

I am wishing for another morning of frost to try again at these pictures. Maybe I will never get the same again.

I go next week for injection number 4 to the eye next week, only one more after that and maybe that will be it.

minimum of 12hrs of daylight now, things will start growing even quicker, was maybe around 12c here today as well , time for some sun.


My ice abstact, the ice was covering a muddy puddle, I treat it with the same care as any I take and was straddling the puddle with the tripod spread over it to preserve the ice, The more you look at some of these, the more you see. My favourite is a black and white edit and it is very close to being my most favourite view, I have ever taken. yes it really does mean that much to me.

With it now being light around 6-30am here, this morning was back into a routine, a habit call it what you like. I wake around 4am, take my first lot of tablets. I read for a little while and then got up and washed and shaved, was down stairs for around 4-50am and then I can eat breakfast , so that I can take another 6 tablets, then just a case of drink my tea and put some extra layers on and out I go.

I was planning on shooting some fungi, I saw yesterday , but was still to dark, so I walked on and ended up shooting ice patterns in a frozen puddle and it was the most amazing thing. One little mistake in not have a filter with me to polarize the glare away, but I am already hoping that I get another chance to do this. These abstract images are so amazing. Mother nature she knew, I needed this and I was grateful . I think I got some of the most important pictures, that I have ever taken and it taught me a lot as well. I kept 11 images and have started to edit one.

Putting it full screen is , well I am not even sure if I have words to describe such beauty, such amazing shapes and patterns, how it is even able to happen is way beyond my knowledge, that is for sure.

Not even really looked at the frost covered fungi yet and I was excited in what I saw on the back of the camera, when I took a few. I made mistakes , but I am learning all time. today was just the start of a new path, I was going to start on anyway. My new camera will make this easier as well. Exciting times.


I got this picture yesterday, was hard to believe that it was tipping it down with rain 1hr before. That it had been heavy rain for close to 2 days and then this. I called this one Two becomes One. The two trees have grown together.

For the last year or so, a routine changed. This morning, I think I finally saw it and well, I need to act on it. Since I had to start shaving I shaved every day, sometimes twice, if I was going out at night, but then as I said a year or so ago, I might got a day or two, but it has been a week now and looking in the mirror last night. I saw it for what it was. A form of giving up. I think the last year has been a tough one for me, but that is not an excuse. The depression and stress has got me in another of its way's that sneak attack. Before Christmas I had the very darkest of thoughts. Made another of my plans. No one would ever know it was coming. In my day to day life, I act the same on the outside, help everyone, but never ever give anything away. I think it is why I still write here, an anonymous person, getting it out. Once I write it, it is real.

I lift the camera and take a picture, why I have been getting out more than I had been, I did take a picture every single day for a few months. Now I am back to when I want to rather than need too.

No one else has the answer's but yourself, seeing the signs and still being able to act on them, thankfully I am still there. Now I am off to cut my hair and most important of all, have a shave.