Bills Posts

It obviously isn’t a blank page, but I have just spent the last 15 or so minutes staring at the web page that had only the number 1708 at the top – at least I knew that.

I was really stuck for something to write about this evening, quite simply, I really couldn’t think of anything to write about. Well, that’s not strictly true. I could always write about my vlogging and retirement plans, my intention to go for a full amateur radio licence, my studies on Future Learn, so there is stuff there, but I am very aware that I have a bit of a tendency to go on about it.

The vlogging side of things iss a bit frustrating, I haven’t done anything for a few weeks, and I really should get out with the phone, gimbal and microphone. There are things that I could be videoing.

Part of the problem is that I can’t get away from the limited time that I have available in my early morning walks. I think what I need to do is to be much more focused on what I want to record and why, and what I want to say on the video, and very importantly, am I going to include any talking to the camera, rather than just the microphone.

I only want to record a couple of minutes of video on a couple of locations. I should perhaps have a go.

I took this, this morning, I was sat on the waterfront having breakfast. It’s the Whitonia, one of the bunkering ships, heading out of Portsmouth.

Breakfast? Oh, it was a breakfast wrap and a hash brown from the new McDonalds. I had missed the first day of opening, but had promised my self a breakfast wrap the first time I walked past. I took the opportunity to take a brief break from my walk to enjoy the breakfast, which was very nice. The hash brown was one of the best I can remember for a very long time, nice and crunchy.

The walk itself was very pleasant, but I have to confess that I only took a few photos and no video at all. It’s likely that Friday will be my next opportunity.

I haven’t written about vlogging very much at all over recent weeks. I think it is time to take another look at what is going on in the high street. I may do that tomorrow if I wake up in time, like I didn’t this morning.

I’ve also had an idea for a photo project for the coming camera club season. Not going to say anything about it other than at least one of the pictures will be a collage of the subjects. I shall start looking tomorrow.

A pigeon doing some square-bashing. Totally unrelated to today’s post.

Waking up at around 4AM, as I usually do, I consulted the weather app which told that it would be raining at 0600. I went back to sleep. I was conscious again at around 0545, sufficiently so to get up and look out the window. I have to say, that the sky did not look like it was going to rain. Sadly, I had made my mind up first time round, so I went back to bed.

I spoke to my boss today. I told I was going to retire, and gave her the intended date. All I have to do is submit the paperwork. Not quite yet though. Soon, very soon.

The Arrow, a relatively small container/cargo ship coming into the harbour today. I was lucky to catch her as it has been several days I was last at the waterfront, and I had only been there to meet the ferry.

It’s a bit of a short post today, tired and later than I wanted it to be.

I got told by a friend today that the new McDonalds is open. Well, I guess the frost time I go past on my morning walk I will indulge in a breakfast wrap. To be repeated no more than once a month.

I had a bit of a lay in until about 10, having been awake since around 4AM, I decided around 8AM that I needed a bit more sleep, so put my head down, and that was it. Obviously, I did need it.

We said goodbye to a friend today, she passed a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a sad affair, everybody was calm and respectful, but it was mainly a really nice buffet we stayed for a couple of hours and just talked about Enid, and what a nice person she’d been. I think it was just a nice way to say goodbye.

I haven’t been for a walk since last Tuesday/. I couldn’t go Wed & Thurs for various reasons and Friday I’d basically lost the will. I had actually got up and got dressed, but then just gave up. Silly really. Couldn’t go today as had things on, and am not sure about tomorrow.

I gave ChatGPT a normal picture of Gosport High Street and asked it to do something with it for a new project I’m working on (more on that later in the month, hopefully). I asked the AI to convert the picture into a drawing and age it by applying sepia toning to it. I have to say, that I am really pleased with the results.

The purpose of producing the picture in this way was to produce an image that. reflected the past history, the present and the future of the town. These are the elements that I would like to capture more of in the blog. Now, there are about 70 people who have subscribed to this blog (for which I thank you so much). I can’t help wondering if you read every post and what you get out of the blog – I’m not asking you to tell me but I can’t ignore the fact that you are there, and I really do hope you enjoy my (mostly) daily meanderings.

Naturally, I would like to increase numbers of readers, who wouldn’t, but that I think is a plan for later time. In the meantime, thank yuo for reading this and have a a lovely day.

Elayne retired a few (well, almost 10) years ago. I am still working and vowed that I would do so for another well, almost 18 months really, that was the plan.

Until we went on the river cruise, and our Granddaughter. Events can bring a new perspective. The river cruise introduced me to the retired life. I think, apart from the crew, you could count on one hand those amongst the passengers who still worked. I really enjoyed the holiday.

I find myself becoming increasingly frustrated that I am not able to give Elayne the time she would like, being tied to meetings or other work related activity. I have decided that it is time to finish. I am going to give my boss a few months warning, but I have set in my mind a date, which I won’t disclose here until I have discussed it with my boss.

Of course, what that means is that once I publish this, I can start to write about a new phase, a new aspect of my interests, and how existing ones are going to change, and indeed new ones that I can add. Basically, real soon now – that’s the plan anyway.

There are a few things that I haven’t worked out about how people work, like developers. I honestly thought that by now the old bus station would have gone, but apparently so Elayne tells me demolition has been delayed because pigeons are nesting there.

Now, as it happens I am thinking “really, pigeons”? It could at least have been bats – mind you, they are probably there as well. As it happens I have a lot of sympathy for pigeon, I think they are a hard done by species. Some people might describe them as pests, and I can understand that, but I do feel sorry for them. Some people might finding out that they may be the cause of a delay to the demolition is actually fine.

I’m expecting to walk down the high street and finds McDonalds open. That’ll be a breakfast wrap then. Not every time mind, perhaps once a month.

So the milestone; Post No. 1700, over 4 1/2 years of posting, and I wondered if I would keep it going for a year, so I am well chuffed roll on post 1825. It was around mid August 2020 that I started, so post 1825 is going to be nearly 4 months after that date. That then equates to the number of days that i have missed posting. More than I wanted it to be, but there you go. A minor celebration (beans on toast for tea) was in order.

One of the sad sights of this evening, is the George and the Dragon pub in the background, disused and boarded up. Of of several places that are closed near the town centre.

I went r for my usual morning walk, which was nice, but then this evening was a camera club activity. I had offered to host a walk along the high street, partially looking at the architecture, one of the main topics for the next season of the camera club.

It was quite a blustery evening, and the breeze had quite a chill. But we still managed to gather a few members of the club, and had a really nice stroll from Morrisons down to the waterfront, with a couple of diversions off Beamister’s land and one of the other passages. It was a a really pleasant evening.