What the Heck!

You will all be pleased to know that the pity party is over. I have been given a stern talking to by a very dear friend who has had an incredibly exciting life. So from now on:

- No worrying about what people I don't know may or may not think

- stop fixating on my age. Its just a number that I don't feel and have been told I don't look

- Stop over thinking and taking everything so seriously

- Be bolder with activities and make my feelings known to people

- Live by the motto "What the heck" After all, what's the worst that could happen and think of how much fun I could have finding out! So to celebrate this new found freedom, she is taking me quad biking!

Anyhow, back to the business of the blog, Beth and I visited Gloucester Cathedral last week and the thought that gets me every time is how on earth can this have been built with no machinery, no electricity and no computer aided graphic design. And still be standing several hundred years later!

I am not a religious person at all but there is something very special about quietly wandering around the cloisters and imagining what it must have been like. Probably pretty horrendous for the people actually doing the building!

As a matter of interest, several scenes from the Harry Potter movies were shot in these corridors.

As with most Cathedrals, the work is exquisite and the challenge today was to try to capture that without the use of a tripod! I bought a "Photography Permit" from the gift shop for £3 which has pride of place on my camera bag, and I might never take it off!

I had my lovely new Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 lens on the camera and it is a fabulous piece of kit. However, the lighting in the Cathedral is subtle so I struggled with shutter speeds. Had to wop the ISO up quite a bit to compensate, but generally they turned out ok.

I loved this tombstone. The gentleman seems to have been caught mid pirouette and looks very elegant with pointed toes and the draped arm. We wondered whether there used to be a sword that he was holding.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Cathedral were the stained glass windows. We were lucky to have a sunny day which sent vibrant colours dancing over the walls. It was very beautiful and quite ethereal.

This last picture was taken from the inner courtyard and shows what a magnificent building this is. Determined next time to get to the top of the tower if that is possible as I am sure the views would be phenomenal! 

So a fabulous day spending some real quality time with Beth and having a play around with the camera. Then finishing it off with Afternoon Tea at Patisserie Valerie. Truly Scrumptious!

Lessons Learned: You only get one go at life so don't leave it regretting what you haven't done. When I fall off a mountain, or zip wire or whatever crazy stunt I am doing at the time and my life flashes before me, I want to think "heaven's did I do all that, I am pretty darn awesome!"

Diet Diary: See above picture. 'nuff said!

Rambling Record: Slow week this week due to working, but still chipping away at it

Reflection

When I started writing the blog, I made the decision that it had to be warts and all. No glossing over the mishaps I have had so that you could all share in all the highs and lows and know that I am just a very average person trying to do something a bit different.

I have done some really daft stuff, but also had some completely awesome moments and I hope the daft and the awesome will both continue for a while yet.

(Talking of awesome, favourite place in the World, Llandwyn Island, Anglesey.)

But the change is fragile. I have spent too much of my life with little self confidence to suddenly become the amazing "out there" person I am trying to be. I have been told that I have inspired people so to let everyone think it's been easy would be unfair. There have been times when I have felt it would be a lot easier to swap the hiking boots for slippers and learn how to knit!

I have had a few knocks to my confidence recently, none major and most individually quite trivial, but together they have had an effect and made me really think about what I am doing and how I am perceived. I have come to 3 major conclusions. (stick with me, I do get more cheerful)

Firstly, I over think things. I care too much about what people think of me and am really quick to take comments to heart. I am however conscious that there is a very fine line between eccentric and ridiculous so I am trying to tread that one very carefully indeed! Secondly, I think it's an age thing! I am looking back and thinking about all the things that I haven't done and wanting to do them before I am too old to, and time is running out! I also want to be told that I am amazing, and not "amazing, considering my age"! I'm not sure if this is a mid-life crisis type of thing. I guess the indication of that would be if you see me disappearing into the sunset in a sexy red sports car with someone young and completely fabulous by my side. (Heavens, I should be so lucky!)

(Recent trip to Surf Snowdonia, trying out my new 70-300 Tamron zoom. Gorgeous piece of kit! btw, that would be me if I ever decided to try to surf, I know my limitations!)

Thirdly, I won't let all the nonsense stop me. I have come so far and there is still so much more "Daft and Dangerous" that needs to be done. I won't try to toughen up, as that would fundamentally change who I am. Inside I am pure marshmallow and despite making me a bit over-sensitive, I love it that way.

(Another from Surf Snowdonia, friend, inspiration and possible passenger candidate!)

So all I can say to anyone who is thinking of doing something daft themselves is Go for It! If it was easy, you would have done it ages ago, but doing it now, when it's harder, makes it so much more rewarding!

Lessons Learned: Got to get my act together and plan some more crazy before all the real old lady stuff kicks in. To quote the ubiquitous fridge magnet "I am still hot, it now just comes in flushes!"

Diet Diary: Still struggling to lose the holiday weight. Lost some, but not all. Will get back into it soon I am sure, but am currently really enjoying cake!

Rambling Record: Currently just over 880 miles so far. The 1000 miles is tantalisingly close and I hope to have it done by the end of October. Who'd have thought!

Back Home Again

Heavens, what a holiday! Just returned from 3 weeks in Florida and have had an absolutely amazing time.

Took the new lens and my new little Sony Cybershot for all those times I didn't want a bulky camera. It came in very useful and generally the quality was ok.

I won't bore you all with hundreds of holiday snaps as that would be the quickest way of ensuring that the blog was never read again! So selected highlights!

Disney's Magic Kingdom

Happiest Place on Earth. Well it is once you get over the $20 car park fee and the exhorbitant price of everything inside, not to mention the exhorbitant price of the tickets in the first place! 

But it is magical and a fabulous experience. So much to see and do and this is the first time I have been since being more serious about my photography so there were less photos of Mickey and more of what was actually going on around.

Animal Kingdom

Favourite photo of the whole holiday. Short walking safari past the hippo enclosure to get to see said hippo having a wallow with the fish nibbling him all over and the heron sitting on his head. Bizarre!

Scariest moments of the holiday (1)
Rock n Roller Coaster, Disney Hollywood Studios. Always been a rollercoaster reluctant. Seen the family come off them buzzing with the thrill and always wanted to feel able to go on them, but never brave enough. But this year, new brave me and all that, decided to go for it. As Beth said, if you can zip down a mountain at 100mph attached only to a piece of wire, you can do a Disney rollercoaster. Can't really argue with that!
So I did it, complete with g-force speeds, loop the loops, pitch darkness and Aerosmith blasting through the speakers! Won't be doing it again.

Scariest moments (2)
I dropped the camera!!! Sitting having pancakes one evening in I-Hop and I knocked if off the seat onto the floor. Cue sickening cracking sound and the sinking of my heart! Someone somewhere above is looking kindly down on me as the lens was intact, but the filter was completely smashed. So at least that was the cheaper thing to replace. Next purchase was a fully padded camera bag.

Clearwater
As an antidote to the madness of the parks, we had a couple of days elsewhere and my favourite was Clearwater. A gorgeous beach resort with the most amazing sunsets over the pier.

Sanding on the pier, watching the sky enflame with real live dolphins frolicking in the water below us. Forget Disney, this was truly magical.

Plus, after all the problems with litter at the beach over the summer, a philosophy for us all to remember:  

Harry Potter
Wow. OMG and Wow again! Spread over Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Harry Potter world is completely unbelievable.

They have built Howarts, Hogsmeade and now Diagon Alley and Nocturn Alley and they are incredible. The attention to detail is just fabulous and gave the opportunity to try to take some different photos.

The 2 parks are joined by a ride on the Hogwarts Express and if there are any Harry Potter fans reading this, you really need to go here.

So, back now with 880 photos to process, suitcases full of shopping and the most horrendous jetlag to get over. Fun times!

Lessons Learned: Cameras don't bounce.
One suitcase per person on an America trip is simply not enough.

Diet Diary: In my last blog post I said that the diet was going really well but 3 weeks in America would probably change that. Well, it did. Put on 6lbs! Although we had meals out every day, so 2lb a week wasn't too bad. I had set myself a mental limit of a weight i didn't want to go over and I was 1/4lb below it! Phew! Getting acclimatised back this week, then on Monday, diet is full on! Got a full camera bag to lose now.

Rambling Record:
Did a lot of walking while away, so total currently stands at 831 miles. Over 110 miles ahead of target, so if I can get my act together again, hopefully will have this 1000 finished by the end of October!