#28 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn abstract photography, Tamar ValleyLeave a comment

Waking up on a clear November morning prompted me to share three boats from the Tuesday river trip. The acidic yellow of this one almost makes me want to blink against its brightness. A proper wake up and take notice colour.

Not that we needed anything to wake us up this morning, a pocket call from Hong Kong woke us for a brief conversation about trampolines and needing a wee with our granddaughter. Urgency, and necessity, made the call short and sweet and left us awake enough to enjoy a cup of tea and the sound of a winter dawn chorus. The call was a video call and another boat on the river fairly accurately depicts what our side of the call looked like.

Last night was firework night, when most of Britain ‘celebrates’ the attempt in 1605 to blow up the House of Lords as part of a plan by Catholics to overthrow Protestant James the First and replace him with a Catholic head of state. Normally I love fireworks but post supper ennui and a genuine wish to just quietly sit this one out, won over. The first year in a new house made us slightly hesitant to leave the dogs at home while we headed out to watch fireworks, not knowing how much flashing and banging was happening at home. The answer was loads of banging and no flashes, the dogs were untroubled by any of it. Leaving this calm blog untroubled by pictures of flashy pyrotechnics. Just calm boats snoozing in bright autumnal sunshine.

#27 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Music1 Comment

The reason for yesterdays late blog and slight discombobulation of the daily blog schedule was that I was scurrying around to get tasks done so I could be in a calm frame of mind to attend an on-line broadcast of a funeral. While such things are never easy this particular funeral had lovely and unexpected music. Ave Maria by Sarah Brightmam to start. Mr Brightside by the Killers to end.Proper wake up music for the soul . No one ever expects a gift from a funeral but hearing new music was exactly the gift from yesterday. New York by Riopy which calms the soul and may become a headphone favourite on my dog walks. Too good to not share!

Something lovely to just take some time out and enjoy.

https://youtube.com/user/Riopyjp

#26 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Tamar ValleyLeave a comment

The better late than never blog. This morning I got lost in a world of responding to complaints letters, to an organisation I do some work for and ordering wallpaper. One distinctly more pleasurable than the other, then the sun came out and it would have been rude not to have been out in it. So here we are…

More tales of the river banks from my Tamar cruise of Tuesday. It seems to me that regular readers of this blog will have seen the locations in these pictures many times but always from the perspective of me having my feet firmly planted on one bank of the Tamar or the other. Tuesday, unusually found me sailing up and down the Tamar. The top picture is of course the Tamar Road Bridge and the Albert Rail Bridge two structures that link Cornwall with Devon and by extension the rest of the world. As best I can these pictures are in order as we sailed past them, some locations photographed better on the way up and others in the setting sun on the way back. First up is Smeatons Tower on the Hoe.

The picture below is our swimming beach, 5 mins away at cruising speed. Tranquility Bay at just after midday at  high tide.

Last night we were swimming there while Miss Spearmint a,newly resident seal, was having a supper of very fat fish just off the steps. I’m not sure any of us were aware that very fat fish swam anywhere near us! Below is the Royal William Yard where at least one of our daily dog walks takes place.

The next picture is of part of the waterfront of Devonport Royal Naval Dockyard. Not somewhere anyone can casually walk a dog. Some of these buildings are High Security, Ministry of Defence areas.

Maybe that is enough for one blog. Allowing even more tales of the River Banks later.

#25 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn abstract photographyLeave a comment

Sharp November sun and calm waters were exceedingly kind to our river cruise yesterday. So much so that there are too many pictures for just one blog. Today I’m going to concentrate on the, almost abstract, waterscapes that presented themselves in the liminal time an hour or so before sunset. They will be a little bit repetitive because all they involve are the sky, a river bank and the river itself.

In these images I am looking out of the back of the boat in the direction of Calstock. The land with autumnal colours of tan, gold and orange is in Devon and is enhanced by the setting sun about an hour before sunset.

This picture is looking directly towards the east, the Devon Bank, just a few minutes later. There is, deliberately, barely a trace of human habitation in these pictures. A slightly longer exposure time enhances the effect of light on water.

Not so long later the Cornish and Devon river banks take a turn in the sun together , everything changes as the river winds itself through the valley to the sea.

Cornwall is the thin slice of  bank that meets  the Devon bank on the horizon. Although they look joined in this image, caused by another twist in the river. The Devon bank identifies itself by being indistinct because there is an example of an Atlantic Woodland growing down to the riverbank at this point.

As the light fades further the Cornish bank takes over the star roll, the river is less winding as it opens out into the Hamoaze and eventually Plymouth Sound. This shot looking towards Saltash gives no hint of the thousands of people who live in the first large town on Cornwall’s border.

Not so very far along is the sunset over Torpoint.

More tales of the riverbanks tomorrow.

#24 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Plymouth, Plymouth SoundLeave a comment

Same view this morning and a completely different reason for looking. Usually I am most interested in the stretch of water between the shore and the swimming buoys. Today my interest lies between the swimming buoys and the island. Later on today I am going on a Tamar River Cruise, not a booze cruise or a tourist cruise but a cruise to see sights of special scientific interest, historic interest and industrial heritage interest. A fact finding cruise on the challenges and projects that working in an area of outstanding natural beauty presents. For now though I am only bothered about the sea sickness quota that Plymouth Sound will serve me.

Looking to the east I’m feeling pretty confident that I will only see breakfast once today. This is a good thing in my opinion. Looking to the west no judgement could be made as everything was shrouded in mist but I am very confident that if the east looks good then the west will be in exactly the same mood. Who knows what shape tomorrows blog will take after an actual cruise, albeit 5 hours rather than days or weeks. For now though another view looking to the east, almost Mediterranean!

#23 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Ist day of the monthLeave a comment

Sun rising on November and Tranquility Bay. Our favoured swimming beach.

October was a mixed bag, much like any month. Some sadness, huge amounts of happiness and the continued inexorable emergence from Covid restrictions, and constraints, while the virus still burns on through populations far and wide.

Just like autumn leaves, friends and family blew into our lives last month, gathering in our house and making it seem brighter and more full of colour. Some people of course continue to be kept away from us, or us from them, by the Covid restrictions that have not been lifted.

©Kevin Lindsey

So here we are the first day of November. A month of short days, fireworks and far too early Christmas adverts. Brightly coloured leaves and decorative brassicas bring down the curtain on the first blog of the month.

#22 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Art for sale, Drawn To The Valley ArtistsLeave a comment
©James Crozier

Full circle, two days of exhibiting with friends and colleagues from Drawn to the Valley at Butchers Hall in Tavistock is over. More than 3,000 people attended and the event was judged to be a huge success.

©Alison Freshnay

Thank goodness the weather turned down a few notches from the deluges of Thursday, the set up day. The watercolour filter on my phone makes the turgid River Tavy look a little more vibrant than it actually was as I carried my paintings to the hall.

Wind and rain did their worst to one of my paintings and it has been sold with the promise that when the canvas properly dries out I will make good any watermarks that appear. The wind had whipped off the wrappings and rain soaked the back of the painting. To my horror the super matt blackness of the background started to develop little white tide marks as the canvas dried out over the two days of the exhibition. The background will be the blackest of blacks very soon.

© theoldmortuary

Eight hour days in an exhibition hall made me very grateful that Black Sheep Brew on Pepper Street makes fabulous Coffee to keep hands warm and conversations flowing.

https://www.blacksheepbrew.uk/

The 2021 Exhibiting Season for Drawn to the Valley has come to a close. It has been a year of huge uncertainties, there was always doubt if any of our planned events would go ahead. Thankfully they all have and the public have supported us by turning up and buying the work of local independent Artists and Makers. Significantly our membership has grown which means next year there will be many new artists exhibiting with us. Many New Stars to find.

©Briony Upton

#21 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Friends and Family, Out, out, Out,out.1 Comment

Ten pin bowling after two years of lockdowns and avoiding crowded spaces was an Alice in Wonderland kind of experience. The noise, the colours and the nightclub style lighting made it a hyperreal experience. No magic potions were imbibed , although liberal amounts of alcohol were used to clean our hands because bowling balls are still communal. Even though we bowled out of a large perspex box and wore our own shoes. I can’t say I was ever a huge fan of wearing those communal shoes. Putting on shoes damp with my own sweat is always a bit grim, let alone the sweat of a random stranger who just happens to have feet the same size. The thing about ten pin bowling for fun is the absolute joy it beings to everyone involved. With each pod of bowlers contained in a perspex box there is less interaction but the air is constantly punctured by happiness in the form of cheers at success and woeful groans as the ball fails to do what the bowler intended. Alas my bowling skills have diminished during Covid but my ability to laugh at how hopeless I am seems almost to have improved. This morning as I woke up I discovered muscles in my fingers that have been tuned overnight to be ready for unusual action. Too bad that a handshakes are no longer popular I could do a nasty crush with just with my freshly sporty fingers.

#20 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Drawn to the Valley, Drawn To The Valley Artists, Serendipity1 Comment

A really late blog today. Floods and powercuts are the reason. Finally the exhibition in Tavistock is set up and the doors are open. After 18 months of being affected by plague it is somewhat irritating to be affected by a flood for this exhibition. Tavistock issued its first flood warnings for 11 years overnight.

© Sally O’Neil Scallywags

Fortunately we have some Scallywags as good omens for the rest of the exhibition.

Thankfully we are awash with colour and amazing creativity.

©Jayne Deane

And personally I am currently in a sun beam.

©theoldmortuary

#19 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Friends and Family1 Comment

A sluggish start to the morning. A late supper with generous portions washed down by rum and ginger beer was great for a solid night of sleep but not so good for a perky rise. Today I am helping to set up an art exhibition in Tavistock. Thankfully this afternoon, so I should be at peak performance by then . The word ‘peak’ may be an exaggeration. My performance levels, at best, are only usually at hillock level.

Hillock= small hill or mound.

We’ve just had a fabulous two days with DFL friends and family. Two days of talking all things London and perhaps eating too much. They are crossing the Tamar into Cornwall now for more eating and drinking and I need to drive up the Tamar Valley and start being useful.

DFL= Down From London.