Nothing Beats An Old Classic...

One of my favourite photographs of all time is Charles C Ebbets' "Lunch atop a Skyscraper"... taken in New York, on the 69th floor of the RCA Building as it neared completion in 1932. The famous photo shows 11 construction workers precariously perched on a steel beam 800 ft (240 m) above the ground.

Some people reckon the photograph is a fake....but I'd like to think not. I admire the photo so much, that I have a large canvas print version of it hanging up in my beautiful new kitchen.

Recently, Ebbets' iconic photo was recreated by Michael Crompton....but in 2011, the 11 construction engineers in central London swapped vests for high-visibility jackets and safety harnesses as they ate out on a girder over the construction site of the 46-floor Heron Tower (230 m) in temperatures of almost minus 9 degrees C.

Interesting.... but nothing beats Ebbets' original!

........

In other photographic news, I could not resist sharing this shot of a rather well-endowed...er....squirrel!

Warning!!! This photograph contains full-frontal squirrel nudity which some viewers may find alarming!

Squirrel exposed!

All eyes should have been on the delicious array of cakes and pastries prepared by the finalists of the Great British Bake Off. But the baked goods had to play second fiddle to a squirrel.....the subject of a lingering camera shot in the grounds of the mansion where the BBC2 show was filmed.

And viewers could not help noticing its unmistakably masculine appearance. Clips were posted on YouTube, while hundreds took to social networks and TV forums to discuss it.... everyone was going nuts for the risqué rodent!

Happy weekend everyone!

One For All The Blackberry Sufferers Out There...

Lucky for me, I'm not a Blackberry fan... but is seems some people have been having more than their share of angst with their phones this week.

This sketch first appeared on a Christmas TV special on British screens last year, but it is rather apt for the current situation....

Additional useless information:
Ronnie Corbett is the surviving member of the comedy duo The Two Ronnies.
Harry Enfield is famous for his sketch shows, like Saturday Live.

I'm the Party Pooper...Again

Darn!


Despite all my OCD attempts to stave off the disease-spreading microbes that go rampaging this time of the year...like washing my hands 200 times a day, overdosing on Vitamin C and avoiding anyone who has even the faintest hint of a sniffle...it appears some ballsy little bugs have made it through the antiseptic barrier, and taken up residence in the back of my throat.

They’re currently throwing a Block Party in my sinuses (as in “block-them-up”) and have tapped into my cranial nerves to power their stereo beat box, which is cranked at full volume inside my head....or at least that’s what it feels like!

In retaliation, I’m going for the Vaporise Plan of Action: exterminate the little pests with a constant onslaught of hot lemon and honey infusions, coupled with regular bouts of steam inhalation.

The Terminator found here

 
With a bit of luck, they won’t be back....
 
 
This is a re-post of a sad tale that first appeared way back in November 2009 - I'm reposting it as (a) I'm a big fan of recycling (b) hardly anyone read my blog in those days and (c) I'm too busy feeling sorry for myself to come up with anything new and original today!

This Weekend, I...

...reaffirmed my complete and utter hatred of crowded shopping malls! I've made a good start on my Christmas shopping, but the rest will have to be done online as I'm not going anywhere near the big shops until February 2012 at the earliest.

...indulged in a gorgeous strawberry gateau - shopping malls do have some compensations!

...was disappointed to watch both my teams (England and South Africa) crash out of the Rugby Union World Cup.

...disposed of some unwanted items at our local bulk recycling centre, and was reminded just how much we throw away as a society.

....discovered that my hubby has been popping my rather feminine 'evening primrose oil' capsules, mistaking them for his sports joint care ones!

....realised that autumn is very much upon us.

Photos taken with my phone camera 

So, what did you do this weekend?

Stained Glass Windows

For me, the stained glass windows are the most beautiful part of any church.

Here are a few I captured in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris...

And in St Leonard's Church that I wrote about here....

And finally, in St Michael's Church in Beer (Devon)....

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Beach Scenes...

One of the things I love most when I'm at the coast... hey, that was almost a poem!... is the opportunity to capture all kinds of things on my camera.

You just never know what you'll see....

A beached boat on a misty day

Thistle silhouettes

A seagull trying to blend in....

"Spotted" on Seaton beach

An ambitious puppy if he thinks someone's going to throw that stick for him to "Fetch!"

They don't call it the Jurassic Coast for nothing!

A slightly bizarre photoshoot... at one point the model was asked to pose with the fish on his head!
Sadly, I didn't get that shot....

A Devon Country Garden

Just a few photos taken in the garden of the rented Devon cottage...

Happy Monday everyone!