Bills Posts

I think I first encountered podcasts around 2003. At that time I had a regular two hour drive to work. I bought my first iPod, Now, I do liked a bit of music, but not much, I know what I like and am not interested in the rest. So what could I put on this wonderful new device?

I can’t remember how I first found out about podcasts, what were they and how did they work, actually thinking about I must have found out about them through iTunes. My computer would have displayed them, and I probably thought something along the lines of “what are these” of course I found quite a few to which I enjoyed listening.

My use of podcasts kind of just tailed off. Every so often I delve in to it, and it seems that the podcast world is still very active, but I’m not as sure that it is as vibrant as in the early days, the focus today is very much on the visual, I’m surprised to find that YouTube started as early as 2005.

Given the success and the persistence of radio, especially after the introduction of television, there is no reason why an audio medium shouldn’t successfully exist along side a visual, and that is the case.

We get to the point in this blog, where I consider my determination to engage with Vlogging, and I cannot ignore my failure to do so. Unlike the written word, blogging where, in terms of success this blog stands as evidence.

I wrote tonight’s blog to show that I haven’t forgotten about Vlogging. I admit though, that I haven’t given much thought about podcasting. Is that something worth thinking about? Possibly.

The perennial problem is what topic? Now if I can blog every day, surely I can do something like a vlog once a month, or even a podcast. I mostly have the tools I need for it. Just me thinking.

It was a lovely bright day. The only job I had to do was to sort this mornings bin, it’s the grey bin – normal household stuff. That done, I had breakfast, but first, I loaded up the bird table. It didn’t take long for the babies to arrive, and the parents weren’t far behind.

It was the usual noisy rabble. And there was a crowd on the ground as well.

We went to The Range. It’s been quite a while since I went there. We had a good look around, and Elayne bought some compost. Peat free of course, and quite smelly.

We went to Lee on Solent for an ice cream. Gosport Borough Council are changing the method that people pay for parking. Using either a mobile phone app or cash. They’ve disabled the wifi, so you have to use a card. It’s a bit messed up. Most frustrating. Very nice ice cream though.

We had a very pleasant afternoon sat in the garden snoozing or reading. Quite relaxing. Followed by the remains of yesterdays BBQ, very nice. I think an entirely apt end to a bank holiday.

I’ve just realised that I have no recent pictures of Starlings. At least the header picture is a bird!

Today being Sunday I delayed loading the bird table for two reasons; the first is the squirrel, they are greedy. I’m happy that they clear the table of the previous days meals, but I’d really prefer to get first sitting at the table, and sometimes can mean waiting until the squirrel gives up eating. The second reason is that yesterday, the starlings were really noisy. It is Sunday. I think having a bunch of baby starlings squawking, still demanding to be fed at 8 or 9 AM would probably be just a bit too noisy for Sunday, so I didn’t want to encourage it.

Of course when I did put the food out, I think it took for about 5 – 10 minutes for the first starling to arrive. From then on they are backwards and forwards, a heaving mass of squabbling feathers.

As the day went on, I’d be making a cup of tea, or doing lunch and look out the door, lined up on the fence would be lined up, squawking. There was one point where I had to go down to the shed. I went out the back door, not only the birds on the fence, but another half a dozen hidden in the bushes burst out and flew off.

I have to say that I feel honoured that we get so many of them. I get a lot of pleasure from watching them.

Up until today, the air has mostly been cold. Today, though it looks as though the sun is breaking through. It’s been quite a pleasant day. We did a little bit in the garden, and then spent some sitting at the bottom of the garden.

First, I put the morning breakfast on the bird table. For once, the squirrels didn’t get a look in. The bird table was absolutely rammed with starlings. It looked like they were on their first family outing, A number of the baby starlings, were clearly identifiable through their light grey feathers. They weren’t engaging in the melee and were still being fed by the adult birds. It was lovely, fascinating and brilliant to watch.

We walked into town. Bought sandwiches and a drink from Gregs and sat at the waterfront for lunch. Just watching the steady stream of small boats moving through the harbour, along with The Victoria of Wight and the St Claire WightLink ferries People were walking along the Esplanade. We indulged in a bit of people-watching.

All in it has been a very pleasant day.

Usually in the morning after I get back from my walk one of the things I usually do is a post on Facebook. Usually three or four paragraphs something about the walk, the antics of Misty the cat, visitors to the bird table, and anything else that takes my fancy.

I’ve been having a bit of a problem with the Facebook post recently. I’ve not been doing them. It’s surprising and heartening the number of people that I know that comment when I don’t post. I confess I do feel guilty for not doing the daily news.

Yesterday morning I did a post and it went ok. But, this morning I started to write, but it didn’t seem right and I just dried up and ended up scrapping the post. I don’t normally post over the weekend so I shall use the opportunity to take a considered break, with the intention of resuming properly next tuesday. Let’s see how it goes.

I should stress that the header picture is nothing at all to do with Dorset. That august county is the subject of a book by author Jon Woolcott which I am currently reading.

I have to say that I like the style of writing, it’s straightforward, humorous, sometimes self deprecating and entertaining. It’s an easy read. But now, I am going to pause the reading of the book. That’s because the latest issue of Dorset Life has arrived. I recognised the picture on the front cover immediately. It’s Swanage pier. I have such memories of that place. I have spent hours on their. It’s where I decided that I really didn’t like fishing.

I had bought a crab line, it was summer, I reckon I was probably about 10 years old, Mum was working in Swanage, it must have been a summer holiday because it was nice weather. I dangled the line over the side of the pier. When I hauled the line up I’d caught a small (4 or 5 inch long) fish. I had no idea how to get the hook out and another young lad who was there helped, by unhooking the fish, then killing it and throwing back in the water. What a waste. The shock I felt then was palpable. I should really tell you about when I saw the film Ring of Bright water. Perhaps not. Too painful. Sorry, this started off very positive didn’t it? Didn’t mean for that to happen. Sorry. Not happy with this post, but I’ll leave it there.

When I got back from my morning walk, I sat with the iPad and Facebook open. I really wanted to write something, but for some reason I couldn’t bring my self to do it. It wasn’t writers block, well, yes I suppose it was, because I just could not think of what to write.

The simple solution is just write the walk, why couldn’t I do that? So I’ll make a point of trying to do it tomorrow. Perhaps I was getting a bit prentices and wanted to deliver a message of some sort? Don’t know, can’t remember.

Elayne is at her WI meeting. Tonight she is surrendering her presidency of the group. She’s been President for five or six years now, so giving it up is quite a poignant moment. I think she has enjoyed her time. In some respects she both happy and sad at the prospect.

Here we are then, the milestone that I have been waiting for number 1000, now that doesn’t mean 1000 nights unfortunately, but I’m still happy that I have got this far.

I think there were two main reasons why I started this blog; I wanted to write, and because of Covid, I had the time. The trouble has always been that my writings have been unfocused in that I don’t have a solid consistent topic to write about. Is that a bad thing? Most of the bloggers I have found appear to be entirely business related. I have never wanted to do that.

So, having reached 1,000 ami going to stop? Of course not. I shall carry on writing about my walks around Gosport, and other places (hopefully soon including Dorset) my train set, which I haven’t started, my photography, interest in astronomy and history, the book of the day. Along with anything else that grabs my attention.

After the mess/mix up over the weekend, it’s nice to be back on track. Once I am past tomorrows milestone I think I will be able to get on with my normal meanderings.

There’s reading of course, I’m getting my fiction mostly at lunchtimes when I listen to my audio books. I’ve re-visited a lot of my favourite science fiction. I don’t really feel the need to review them. I’m more interested the non-fiction books that I am reading. These, at the moment are mostly about Dorset.

Perhaps it’s because I don’t feel the same connection to Hampshire. With a move to Dorset in the offing, my focus for locality is clearly shifting. I also haven’t given up on the idea of Vlogging, but I need to find my niche.

I did get very keen on the idea of microscopy, although amateur instruments I have a couple of quite good instruments. The trouble is that I didn’t have the space to use them in a way that I would like. Now, there’s an interesting thought. Perhaps I need to do some proper thinking about the space that I would really like to have. I’ll do a bit of that thinking.

I have an excuse for messing things up. My step-son invited me along on his stag do, even though I’m a grumpy old so-send-so. He had a good time, enjoyed himself with good friends, and didn’t end up in a mail sack on the midnight train to Edinburgh. But, what it has done is messed up my striving towards my 1000th post.

Having reached No. 996 on Thursday, that meant no. 1000 would be due on Monday 22nd May. I really did want to keep the sequence going. The plan was to do a quick post on Friday (no. 997) a scheduled post on Saturday (rubbish post, but it did happen no. 998, and I was going to do no 999 tonight. I messed it up by missing Fridays post, I ran out of time.

So, with Fridays post missing, and tonight’s post the wrong way round, I can’t in all honesty claim 1000 tomorrow. So that will be Tuesday. Then of course we have another target approaching; post number 1095. Now if I had been really good, and had properly done a post every day, then 1095 would have been three years. It’s obviously not three years, but not far off. Still a number to be proud of.

Pretty much back to normal tomorrow..resuming with no. 999.