Bills Posts

Wednesday morning, I was out with my gimbal & phone doing some videoing and taking the odd photo – of conkers, shoing that they are nowhere near drropping, give them another month I reckon.

I took some video as well. Particularly, one sequence that is just under four minutes long of me face to camera talking quite normally about vlogging. Some of what my plans are, and the words I use, and the way I talk to camera are not bad – I wish I could be like that all the time.

The main thing, though, is that it demonstrates some extremely bad videoing, along with some bad characteristics of my approach to camera. All in, if any of my favourite vloggers had presented such material, I would not be impressed. Given that knowledge, i think the words are (how can I say this without appearing…boastful) almost reasonable. So, kind of literally warts and all. I thought I would put it on my YouTube channel (it would be the second video – and I’ve just done what Rob the Maritimer explicitly told us not to do – talk about the channel)

Here comes the frustration. I store the videos in iPhoto and use iMovie as the editor. Do you think I can get iMovie to export an. MP4 file. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I don’t know why I am having the problem. I haven’t given up. But I am extremely frustrated.

The main ship in the picture is called Optimus. Her role is Bunkering. I have explained this in the past, but it was quite a while ago, so I think it’s worth covering it again.

The term bunkering comes from the days when ships were by steam generated by burning coal, the coal bunkers needed to be topped up with coal, hence the term bunkering, which as you can see is really just a carryover into todays need for for ships to be refuelled.

Optimus is one of several bunkering ships that visit Portsmouth Harbour including; Janey W & Whitchampion. Optimus is a bit different though, and it’s unusual configuration tells us that it is a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) carrier. I see her occasionally.

Here’s another picture to make you smile;

If I go out at my normal time, I don’t see this. Typically on a Wednesday, I leave the house a bit later than usual as was the case this morning. This chap was there, and he had a big bag of food with him. I always check that he is OK with my taking his picture, he always says yes.

This morning I commented that “Every time I see you, I think of Mary Poppins“. To which he responded “Oh No”. I love seeing him there surrounded by pigeons. Just makes me smile.

When I go out for my morning walks, I am usually doing one of two things: I go kitted out for a chat on the #Breakfastclub. What’s that, you might ask? Well, that is when anyone who is a licensed radio ham and has the correct type of radio and is within range of a couple of locations, one in Portsmouth and one in Southampton, can join in a chat.

The second is I’m doing a bit of videoing. The intention there is to build a vlog on my YouTube channel. I think my saying that is a bit pretentious. There’s only one video there. I keep on meaning to do more. For some reason, I am having trouble with the introduction.

Whichever mode I am in, the one thing I really enjoy is meeting & interacting with people. In either case, people will stop to chat with me, mainly to ask me to explain what it is I’m doing. But then there are people whom I see regularly, it normally starts with nodding heads to each other, and over time develops into a stopping to have a chat.

Then there’s the random one-offs like this morning. As I reached the Cockle Ponds, there was a chap walking his dog. He had his hands clasped together, and was making a beeline for me. He was very keen to show me the slow worm that he’d rescued. It was hidden up his sleeve and came out into his open hands. He put it down in the grass.

This mornings walk was very pleasant, and that one episode just added to the pleasure.

I’ve used this photo today, for no reason other than it’s not a picture of the Spinnaker or of The Commodore Clipper coming in. Not that there is anything wrong at all with either subject, but I just happened to take this one because I quite like the way the sun glinted off the shop window and continued across the street.

That picture was taken at probably around 0620 today. I was having a good #Breakfastclub, chatting to friends on the radio. I’d just passed and bumped fists (it’s what he likes to do, rather than shake hands) with a chap whom I see fairly regularly, and always stop to have a brief chat. I like seeing people on my morning walks who I say good morning to regularly. It just adds something to the day.

The nights are now getting noticeably longer, and that means that the mornings will be getting darker. When I have the opportunity, I think will adjust my walking times so that I can walk during daylight in the mornings.

I’m going to start having a closer look at U3A and get serious about which groups I want to join. I can’t help wondering how easy it is to start a group, Of course one issue will be venue. I know there are quite a few rooms in Gosport. It’s reasonable that a charge is made, I just need to work out what to do. Of course initially to judge interest and commitment, we can just meet in a bar.

Things to think about.

This time last week, I wrote a post outlining a very simple plan about what I was going to do in the coming week, which I could relate to this blog. It only kind of partially worked, but I am going to persist.

So here is another go at planning out some things.

To be honest, Monday and Tuesday should be straightforward. The plan is once again to be out on the streets of Gosport with my radio, just walking along, taking things in and chatting with friends

Wecdnesday will differ only in that instead of my radio, I will have my vlogging kit. Apart from the obvious things, I intend to try and work on doing an introduction video. I know it’s not going to be perfect, but I would really like it if it were at least coherent – to a degree.

Now, there is one particular topic that “I would love ot blog about, but can’t at the moment, until I get permission. I’m going to talk about that with Alex this week. If I get the Ok, that will take care of Thursday.

Now, Friday is the awkward one, but only in that there is no specific plan. So, if I do go for a walk, it will focus on whatever comes to mind.

First off, the mis-numbering I somehow managed to go from 1722 – 1733. I’ve corrected that now, and I just hope that I haven’t made the same mistake in the past. If I have, I’m not going to revisit and re number everything. I don’t think I have though. Sorry about that.

I had a bit of free time today. I haven’t used my bus pass for a while, so I thought I would take a trip out. I walked into town to the Interchange, arriving just as the driver shut the doors and engaged reverse. I mouthed “I’m too late” and she very kindly stopped and opened the doors for me. Every kind of her.

The journey to Fareham was nearly uneventful. We were in Elson when a blue car pulled out of a side road – the driver had to slam on the brakes. I heard her mutter something. When we arrived in Fareham, I commented on driving. She replied the sunshine brings them out.

I had about 10 minutes to wait for one of the fast busses to Portsmouth. I know now not to get anything other than an X4 or X5 if I want a fast run.

Arriving in Portsmouth, I had a bit of a walk along the high street, and of course ended up in Waterstones. I had a good browse, and did see a couple of books that might have looked interesting, but I ended up not buying anything.

I caught the ferry back, that was useful as I had an odd number of journey on my 10-trip ticket.

The week is beginning to follow a bit of a pattern, Monday, Tuesday, morning walks with radio in hand and the occasional photo. Wednesday, is a walk with my gimbal, doing some videoing. Thursdays I have some duties around the house that prevent me from going for a walk (that is merely an observation, in no way a complaint – indeed, it is a pleasure).

Fridays can either be a walking or a relaxing day depending on how I feel. Today was a relaxation day. The problem with that is it leaves me having a bit of a problem of thinking what to write about, no inspiration arising from walking under the conker tree, & waiting to see if they are ready to fall yet (real soon now).

This leads me on to the thing that is on my mind; being prepared. I would really like to have a list. I think I mentioned yesterday that I had been watching. This one particular episode was walking through the material that was going to be produced over the coming week.

Of course, it was all in support of a business, which my material (such as it is), is not. So, I need to become better at planning ahead, even if it means my cheating and resorting to ChatGPT to compile a list of topics for the coming week.

I might just try that.

At this precise moment, the answer to that question is I have no idea. really that is a problem. There’s a particdular YouTuber I watch. I really can’t think why I follow the channel. They are American, and like a lot of American channels, they are very business oriented.

Of course, in their own right, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s fine. t’s just not what I am looking for. Uk channels that I follow are effectively also business channels, but they are not sellin g courses on. how to do YouTube, rahter they are making programmes that I like to watch.

In a lot of cases, they are history-related, particularly pre-history, Neolithic, that kind of area, where what we are looking at and deducing its role in life from what we are seeing. There aren’t enough channels delivering that kind of output. Now, having said that, what I did about American channels, there are some that I do like, that are not, or at least don’t appear to be business-related, which is good.

I have to be honest and say that I’m not entirely convinced as to the accuracy of that title, but it sounds quite dramatic, so I thought I’d go as long with it.

It being the first Wednesday of the month, I decided to allow my self the indulgence of having a Double Sausage & Egg McMuffin, as as meal so hash brown & orange juice. The previous breakfast I’d had from there was just after it had newly opened – I have to say, the best hash brown

so I ordered an extra one, well I accidentally ordered two. It was very nice, I sat down aft the waterfront to indulge.

You’ll very quickly notice that the picture of the Brittany Ferry Islander (which I don’t think I have seen before) has only the merest hint of an association with the subject of the title of todays post.

The round tower is the site of one of the defence works that guard the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, Built around. 1490at the behest of King Henry V, and was intended to stop raids by the French. The link with the picture? Oh, was taken from the beach in front of the tower. See, I said the link was tenuous.

We were at the tower ass part of a Camera Club trip out. Very good it was as well, there were I think ten of us there, and given that Architecture is one of the main themes for the next season for the club, there were plenty of opportunities to get some pictures.

After we’d done with our photo shoot, we retired to The Bridge, a pub on Spice Island that overlooks The Camber. We had a very pleasant bit of time there. Plus I found another very nice alcohol-free beer.

All in, it was a seriously pleasant evening.