In The Pink

John Martyn died today....my partner text me the news at work. I have said before that I believe in celebrating life, and that death is part of life, but today my heart is sad and I have the urge to bawl. I love John Martyn and his music has touched me for many years, since the very first time I ever heard him 18 years ago when a friend played me Solid Air, the album I am currently listening to. He was a unique song writer and musician and in tribute to his glorious talent I would like to share some of my favourite tracks of his. If you have the time and have never heard of him please listen to a song. I do not think you will regret it. Who am I kidding, they are all my favourites, don't worry there is plenty more on You Tube. Good bye John. Be at peace.

It was a dreadful day on the roads today. Almost every road seemed to have an accident and subsequent traffic jam on it. Thankfully I was not too far a field however at one point I did wonder just how I was going to get home! I do not have a GPS out of choice but this would perhaps have been one of the few times it could have been really useful for me. My route did eventually clear and I while I was sitting there in my truck changing from first to second gear...and then back to first I did take a moment to think about just how much I love my new truck and being in it. I am very pleased to have a car I love so much that suits my needs. I know the day of the car is numbered, or certainly the combustion engine, and it will not be a bad thing at all but I like cars and engines. If money was no object, and I had smaller dogs (much smaller dogs), this would be my dream car; the TVR Tuscan. I do of course have a long list of sports cars I would like however this is the most beautiful car on t...

Well its coming back to our screens 2008 style, here's a small tribute to the original which brought me many hours of joy as a kid. One thing's for sure, the new version of the theme tune is just not as good! Dennis Waterman can wail some!

Image Credit: Astronomy Picture of the Day

When I started this blog I was writing poems fairly regularly. After a prolonged period of what I suppose may be termed 'writers block' I stopped trying and have not written any verse for.....longer than I would like to admit. I find peace in writing and some of the things I compose I enjoy re-visiting. I have been reading through some today to try and inspire me to write again and have decided to re-publish this one. It's not my favourite, but I enjoy it and can still vividly remember the day it popped into my head. These words I place upon the page bear witness to the telling, of time and space I occupy, and moments that I dwell in. Of experiences interpreted with mortal imperfection, of sporadic impulses bereft of all direction. Of paths that I have ventured down seeking illumination, of venom that I have endured to recreate sensation. Of countless souls encountered, of faces memorised, of deeds born of pure intent, of some intent disguised. Of dreams that I have realise...

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To join Sky Watch or see other participants click here

I have just had the most lovely walk with the pups and there is a warm southerley wind which is welcome following the recent cold spell. Infact yesterday we had the mother of all frosts but today spring is in the air. I know this song by Nana Mouskouri but found this version on You Tube instead. Wishing everyone a warm southerly wind!

I am delighted to announce the arrival of my new truck! I give you 'The Pup Mobile'! Don't worry I am not calling it that or anything else for that matter, I have never named one of my vehicles, however it will be perfect for taking the dogs out and about with me to site and I cannot wait to get behind the wheel!

I did not provide an explanation of my previous Sky Watch Friday post and several people have asked what it is. The picture sums up our skies of late and is a shot taken at a sculpture park my fella and I went round some time back. It was all set in a woodland and was fabulous to walk round. Here is a better shot of the piece itself.

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Wo Hoo! (Almost all fixed!) Image Credit: GeoCities

Well that went well! For anyone who has not visited me before this is not how my blog usually looks however due to an over enthusiastic mouse hand and a blogger error that wont let me upload a saved template I have managed to trash my blog! Ok slight exaggeration however I had finished all of my site editing and was very pleased with the changes until this happened! Ah well you have to laugh..... I expect that later on I will be able to upload my saved template, if not it will be a visit back to edit html land to fix things! Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

Ok I know its not Spring yet but I need little more than the passing of the winter solstice to give me Spring fever! It is my favourite season and always makes me giddy. So I am undertaking a Spring clean of my blog today. I have made little adjustment or additions to it in some time save adding the odd picture in my sidebar. There are several blogs in the sites I visit section that are no longer available and some links I would like to add. I am also going to tidy out any additions that seem to make it run slower and have begun this already. Finally I thought I would have a play with text colour and possibly the format. I am pretty happy with how my blog looks but I am a creature of change and it's been a while since I have made any alterations. If anyone reading this pre or post Spring clean notices any parts of my blog that are difficult to read please leave me a comment and I will address the issue.

Some time ago I came across the Greater Good Network. I'll let them tell you a bit more: About GreaterGood.org GreaterGood.org is an independent charitable organization devoted to addressing the health and well-being of people (particularly women and children), animals, and the planet. GreaterGood.org distributes funds generated through the GreaterGood Network of websites to the many charitable organizations responsible for implementing programs named on these sites. 100% of the funds generated through the GreaterGood Network pass through GreaterGood.org to our partner charities. GreaterGood.org has ultimate authority and discretion with regard to the distribution of its funds. All expenditures made are consistent with the exempt purposes of GreaterGood.org. Text Credit: The Greater Good Network The Greater Good Network provides books, health care, food and shelter for people and animals in need around the world. The buttons displayed on my side bar, that say Click Every Day, link ...

I had a text message read out on Radio 2 last night! On request from the team I sent a suggestion in for a rock 'n' roll song that Rob Brydon could sing as he had already done an Elvis track and proved he had an excellent voice! He was standing in for Steve Wright. I chose Great Balls of Fire however in retrospect should have gone for Way Down as I think they favoured another Elvis track. Still I would like to have heard him sing Great Balls of Fire. Anyway, he read my text out! I have had three texts read out on the radio. The first was when Johnnie Walker asked Scott Gorham (formerly of Thin Lizzy) if he still had his lovely long hair on my behalf, the answer was yes. The second was a comment I made in response to a debate on Radio 5 Live regarding the use of torture as a means of extracting information, in particular with regard to terrorism, and whether it could be justified. I said 'A big no to torture, we must lead by example' and they read it out. Its a silly th...

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And just like that it's Ja nuary again! All over the world new calendars are adorning walls, filled with new events and anniversaries for the year. My sisters birthday is the first in our house coming soon this month and it is also my fathers 70th birthday this year. The 1st January 2009 has dawned cloudy and crisp and I am about to go exploring with the pups to get my first sniff of the New Year air. This picture was taken yesterday morning at about the same time. There was a hard frost which always makes the pups a little more lively. This afternoon we are going to my parents house to stay for the night and celebrate the New Year. We still have a few days before the working routine kicks in again and we have really enjoyed being out of work mode. So for now, let the celebrations continue! Happy 2009!