Somewhere%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20last%20week%2C%20a%20curious%20thing%20happened%20to%20me.%20%20I%20found%20myself%20in%20the%20mood%20to%20do%20something%20useful%20about%20the%20place.%20%20Normally%20a%20week%20on%20leave%20means%20a%20holiday%20somewhere%20else%2C%20and%20nothing%20ever%20gets%20done%20as%20the%20house%20gradually%20falls%20down%20over%20a%20period%20of%20years%2C%20but%20like%20the%20rest%20of%20you%20I%20haven%27t%20been%20very%20far%20from%20home%20in%20over%20a%20year%20now.%20%20So%20at%20the%20moment%20a%20week%20of%20leave%20means%20a%20period%20of%20inactivity%20at%20home%2C%20perhaps%20with%20the%20odd%20photography%20related%20jaunt%20in%20my%20plans.%20%20But%20the%20weather%20has%20been%20too%20good%20for%20photography%20during%20this%20particular%20break%20from%20the%20hamster%20wheel.%20%20No%20clouds%2C%20no%20wind%2C%20no%20rain.%20%20Perfect%20for%20lounging%20about%20in%20a%20garden%20chair%2C%20but%20rubbish%20for%20grabbing%20a%20moment%20of%20drama%20from%20an%20insolent%20sky.%0A%0AAt%20times%20like%20this%2C%20which%20have%20really%20only%20been%20over%20the%20Christmas%20break%20during%20the%20last%20twenty%20years%2C%20I%27ve%20found%20myself%20deciding%20to%20%26quot%3Btry%20something%26quot%3B%20towards%20the%20end%20of%20the%20period%20of%20rest.%20%20One%20year%20I%20decided%20I%27d%20try%20my%20hand%20at%20making%20falafel%2C%20but%20the%20only%20thing%20I%20achieved%20was%20to%20part%20with%20more%20money%20than%20necessary%20and%20leave%20the%20kitchen%20looking%20like%20a%20bombsite%20the%20day%20before%20returning%20to%20work.%20%20The%20falafel%20was%20more%20of%20a%20chickpea%20soup.%20%20I%20promised%20Ali%20I%20wouldn%27t%20try%20again.%20%20%0A%0AMany%20years%20ago%20a%20colleague%20told%20me%20that%20whenever%20he%20felt%20like%20doing%20a%20spot%20of%20DIY%2C%20he%27d%20lie%20in%20a%20darkened%20room%20until%20the%20sensation%20had%20passed%20over.%20%20It%27s%20always%20been%20the%20same%20with%20me%20too.%20%20In%20fact%20I%27ve%20always%20called%20the%20art%20of%20home%20maintenance%20%26quot%3BD-I-Won%27t.%26quot%3B%20%20From%20a%20distance%20I%27ve%20always%20been%20slightly%20awed%20by%20those%20men%20who%20spend%20their%20entire%20weekends%20in%20a%20set%20of%20overalls%20tinkering%20away%20at%20whatever%20needs%20doing.%20%20The%20sort%20of%20men%20who%20can%20take%20the%20briefest%20glance%20at%20a%20problem%20with%20your%20plumbing%20and%20say%20something%20like%20%26quot%3Boh%20yes%20you%27ll%20need%20a%20flange%20sprocket%20for%20that.%20%20Hang%20on%20a%20moment%20-%20I%27ve%20got%20one%20in%20the%20shed.%26quot%3B%20%20Then%20they%27ll%20race%20off%20in%20the%20direction%20of%20their%20toolkit%20in%20a%20fit%20of%20excitement%20as%20I%20stand%20by%2C%20watching%20like%20an%20innocent%20child%20and%20wondering%20whatever%20on%20Earth%20a%20flange%20sprocket%20is%20or%20does.%20%20Of%20course%20if%20I%20were%20to%20hand%20them%20my%20camera%20the%20chances%20are%20they%20wouldn%27t%20know%20what%20to%20do%20with%20that%20either%2C%20but%20then%20I%20often%20wonder%20whether%20I%20do%20myself%20-%20and%20more%20to%20the%20point%2C%20the%20skills%20they%27ve%20acquired%20during%20their%20leisure%20time%20are%20actually%20useful.%20%20I%20might%20occasionally%20make%20a%20pretty%20picture%20for%20Ali%20to%20look%20at%2C%20but%20the%20shed%20roof%20still%20leaks%20in%20the%20rain%20doesn%27t%20it%3F%0A%0ASo%20during%20this%20week%20of%20leave%2C%20I%20corrected%20the%20error%20of%20my%20ways%20and%20earned%20some%20brownie%20points.%20%20On%20the%20drive%20we%20now%20have%20two%20cars%20with%20mirror%20like%20bodywork%20that%20we%20can%20still%20see%20our%20faces%20in%20three%20days%20after%20I%20cleaned%20them.%20%20Because%20Tesco%20had%20run%20out%20of%20wash%20and%20wax%2C%20I%20ended%20up%20buying%20an%20expensive%20alternative%20online%20that%20produced%20rather%20pleasing%20results.%20%20During%20this%20period%20I%20learned%20that%20I%20wasn%27t%20washing%20the%20cars.%20%20No%2C%20I%20was%20in%20fact%20%26quot%3Bdetailing%26quot%3B%20them.%20%20I%27ve%20no%20idea%20what%20the%20difference%20is%2C%20but%20even%20Ali%27s%2086%20year%20old%20father%20remarked%20upon%20how%20clean%20her%2010%20year%20old%20Hyundai%20was%20looking%20on%20Thursday.%20%20I%20have%20solemnly%20agreed%20that%20henceforth%20I%20will%20continue%20to%20%26quot%3Bdetail%26quot%3B%20the%20cars.%20%20One%20day%20I%20might%20learn%20the%20distinction%20too.%0A%0AFor%20my%20second%20act%20of%20usefulness%20I%20produced%20an%20unexpected%20piece%20de%20resistance%2C%20obtaining%20and%20arranging%20the%20necessary%20materials%20in%20such%20a%20way%20that%20the%20roof%20of%20the%20woodshed%20won%27t%20leak%20next%20time%20it%20rains.%20%20So%20shocked%20am%20I%20that%20I%20actually%20did%20this%2C%20I%20have%20to%20keep%20peering%20out%20of%20the%20living%20room%20window%20to%20check%20that%20the%20new%20roof%20really%20does%20exist.%20%20At%20one%20point%20a%20rogue%20branch%20decided%20to%20spring%20forward%20from%20its%20place%20and%20try%20and%20cause%20some%20damage%2C%20but%20luckily%20it%20was%20stopped%20in%20its%20tracks%20by%20my%20bottom%20lip.%20It%27s%20probably%20a%20good%20job%20you%20weren%27t%20present%20to%20hear%20my%20choice%20of%20vocabulary%20at%20that%20point.%20%20Ok%2C%20we%27re%20admittedly%20talking%20Basil%20Fawlty%27s%20%26quot%3BO%27Reilly%26quot%3B%20levels%20of%20workmanship%20here%2C%20so%20if%20you%20were%20wondering%20whether%20to%20get%20in%20touch%20and%20book%20my%20services%20I%27d%20urge%20you%20to%20reconsider.%20%20But%20it%20does%20seem%20that%20we%20will%20have%20dry%20wood%20for%20the%20fireplace%20next%20winter.%0A%0AI%20was%20going%20to%20cash%20those%20brownie%20points%20in%20today%20but%20the%20sky%20has%20gone%20from%20one%20extreme%20to%20the%20other%20and%20completely%20%20clouded%20over%2C%20so%20I%27m%20going%20to%20watch%20the%20FA%20Cup%20semi%20final%20instead.%20%20Maybe%20I%27ll%20try%20again%20tomorrow.%20%20Apart%20from%20Monday%27s%20outing%20%28and%20thank%20you%20for%20helping%20to%20propel%20the%20image%20from%20that%20adventure%20onto%20the%20Explore%20page%29%2C%20there%20has%20been%20no%20photography%20of%20note%20this%20week.%20%20Last%20night%27s%20outing%20confirmed%20that%20it%27s%20still%20too%20early%20for%20bluebells%20as%20well%2C%20so%20I%27ve%20returned%20to%20that%20wonderfully%20icy%20and%20windy%20evening%20a%20couple%20of%20weeks%20ago%20at%20Easter%20when%20the%20beach%20was%20empty%20and%20the%20sands%20untouched%20by%20humans%20at%20low%20tide.%20%20The%20colours%20brought%20the%20perfect%20opportunity%20to%20try%20the%20ten%20stop%20in%20the%20blue%20hour.%20%20It%20was%20one%20of%20those%20evenings%20when%20I%20knew%20it%20had%20been%20a%20good%20session%20and%20I%20was%20happy%20with%20the%20results.%20%20A%20little%20bit%20like%20this%20week%27s%20out%20of%20character%20foray%20into%20useful%20pursuits.%0A%0AEnjoy%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20weekend%20everyone.
source https://www.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=51120628337
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét