My Garden Stalker

Although not native, pheasants are '10 a penny' in the UK and a quintessential part of the British countryside. I don't , however, live in the country, so you can imagine my surprise at seeing this beauty in my back garden. Ok, I've only got to go a few miles down the road to find some and It's true I do back onto farmland, but it's arable so at this time of year especially there is no ground cover. Being on the edge of a town means these fields are regularly patrolled by endless dog walkers and there is a clay pigeon shoot the next field over. All this generally keeps these birds well away so maybe this one had got lost and thought my garden a place of safety? He clearly hadn't spotted Brac watching from the French doors. He's gone now but not until he had spent a good few hours searching between every blade of grass in a general leisurely way for some morsel to eat. I wonder if I'll see him again?

Happy Birthday To Us

Today is OUR birthday. Mine, Paul's and Brac's. Well OK, officially it was Brac's yesterday but he's not going to know. In effect today is like a second mini Christmas as we all open our presis together, which means waiting until Paul comes home from work :-( You can tell which are Brac's. They are the ones wrapped in Christmas paper. He's not fussy.

Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

So what have I been up to recently? Well I guess it's all a bit sad really because it's not been anything wildly exciting that has kept me away from blogging like a wonderful holiday or moving house. No I've been here all along but I've been working on my web site in my spare time and by the time I'm finished I've just had enough of typing. Why, well I'm adding a series of tutorials to my web site on Adobe Photoshop. I use it as the main tool after my camera, for creating my pet portraits and as such I've built up quite a lot of working knowledge about it. Many people keep asking me how I do this or how I do that when they see my work so instead of simply repeating myself over and over I've started to write it all down. It will take me years to finish, if I ever do, but that's OK, I'll just keep adding more tutorials as I get around to it. If you are interested in knowing how to use the most comprehensive images editing software available then do check out my web site. If you don't find what you are looking for today, try again in a few days time, or, alternatively, ask me what it is you would like to know and I'll add it to my list and discuss it in a tutorial as soon as I can.
Similarly, if you have any trouble using the site do let me know so I can fix it.

The First Emperor

Sorry for not Blogging for a while. Been a bit busy on other things but more about that later.
I went to see the First Emperor exhibition with Paul last night at the British Museum. There were about a couple of dozen or so statues from China's Terracotta Army including horses and chariots. Although there were only a few statues at the exhibition you were able to get right up close to them which apparently you can't do in china. It was all pretty amazing but even more so when you consider that there are over 4,000 of these in place around the Emperor's tomb. Each one is different. It wasn't just men and horses either. He had bronzes made of all the bird life too. It really is an exhibition worth seeing if you get the chance but we were extra lucky because Paul is currently working for the sponsors of the Exhibition and so we were able to go to a special members viewing for free and without the queue.

Snowball the dancing Cockatoo

This is one blog all you animal lovers have got to see. It a video of a bird that just loves to dance. Click here to be transferred.

Dreary or what?

With Christmas is well and truly over and all the deccies taken down, I packed them away today. I really hate that part. I don't mind taking them down and leaving them in a pile on the floor but actually packing them away in their boxes and bags and stowing them in the loft is the bit I really hate. I don't even mind the bare look to the rooms, that's almost refreshing, but packing away is the pits. Still it's all done now for another year. Life can get back to normal and so too can our eating habits!

Side Tracked

First let me apologise for neglecting all my blogger friends lately. Partly this was because I was either very busy entertaining over Christmas or I was away visiting between then and New Year. The other reason has been my Christmas Present. 'Santa' in the form of my wonderful husband, was very generous this year and bought me a Nikon D300 complete with a 18/200mm Nikor zoom lens. As I have been strictly a point and shoot photographer up to now converting to a top of the range professional DSLR is a bit learning curve that I'll continue to climb for some while yet. As my first photoshoot of the year is set for this morning I needed to get up to speed with it or content myself with using my old camera today. I'll take my old Nikon 8800 with me just in case but I feel fairly confident I can get my new toy to perform adequately. Let's hope I'm not speaking too soon!

Up Date
The photoshoot when like a dream thanks to my new toy. I got a little carried away and took over 120 frames but this was not because they were no good. It was simply because it was like picking cherries. I simply didn't know when to stop. Only a handful were not fully focused. I'm now spoilt for choice as to which image to use for the portrait. This image is just a detail from a full face and neck shot. I think I'm going to really enjoy this camera. :-)

Brac counts down the hours

Brac is present mad. He cottoned on very quickly and seems to think that all presents should be his. Since I put the presents under the tree a few days ago he has been keeping watch. He wants them but knows he has to wait until they are given to him. So he sits facing the tree looking longingly at the presents, waiting. Every now and then he gets a little impatient and gives a little woof just to remind us he is still waiting... and waiting, and waiting. I wonder what thoughts are going through his head? I wonder if he hopes for anything particular to be in them? He can certainly smell which ones have come from a pet shop and which contain food but even those meant for us with cosmetics or some other non dog attractive contents are still watched longingly, while he waits. It's a hard life for a dog.

Merry Christmas

I've been a bit distracted lately with getting ready for Christmas so I've not been doing much blogging. In case I don't get the chance to blog again before hand I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Turning bad energy into good

OK enough of the sulks! I attacked my study last night, it's still work in progress but as I was not in any mood to take prisoners the results are really quite evident. I am now staring at a blank wall where once my drawing board, A1 folio, cutting boards and Mount card were all stacked. My desk top will be next followed probably by files cabinet. The extra space is helping me feel better as is the sense of achievement. As I no longer do any garden design work I have finally decided that anything to do with that business can either be stored in the loft or chucked out completely. The only stuff allowed in my study now must relate to pet portraits, photography or computing. Even my genealogy stuff is under threat as most of it is on my PC so why do I need so much paper?
Turning depression into meanness brings a certain sadistic pleasure which is OK provided I focus it on inanimate objects. Oh and BTW, one of the big factors in yesterdays mood was that I am/was premenstrual but didn't realise it, the penny dropped this morning when I saw the calendar. Now all I need is some hapless telesales person to ring my by chance. Come on...I dare you!

Sometimes I just hate Mondays!

You might think that people who work for themselves don't get Monday blues but you would be wrong. If any day of the week is going to be a bad one you can bet your life Monday will be it for me. Since my shoulder injury I have not been able to get a comfortable nights sleep. I cannot find a comfortable position laying down no matter which side I lay on. So I try sleeping propped up on loads of pillows in a semi reclined position. The result is I don't sleep that well and when I finally do get off, usually in the early hours, I end up slipping down the pillows and laying on my bad shoulder so that when I wake up it hurts like hell. This morning was no exception. I have Co-codamol to take which is probably not helping my mood and I've recently been given sleeping pills which I am too scared to take for fear they will increase my chances of becoming depressed. So anyway, not a happy bunny this morning with a very stiff shoulder. At 11 am I had a physio session which only increases my sense of feeling down. The physio asks me to make some really simply insignificant movements with my elbow that no matter how much I try I can't do. She didn't seem alarmed by this but I felt extremely disappointed as even when she made the task easier for me all I could manage was a twitch and not without some discomfort. I went back to my car that was parked in amongst some trees nose in which is something I never normally do except this is one of those car parks that is laid out so that you can only park one way. As I pull out my front nearside wing collides with a yew tree. The quarter light was ripped out of the bodywork and there is a huge dent in the wing.
When I got home my mum rang to say she had just returned safely from her two month trip to Australia and to thank me for looking after things for her. I wanted to sound happy and welcoming and be all interested in what she had done but I couldn't and that has made me feel even worse. I told her what was wrong when she asked but that still isn't the kind of reception she should have got and I'm not sure I have the mental energy at present to cope with the tales she'll want to tell.
Roll on Tuesday. The sun is supposed to be shining tomorrow and there is another opportunity to try and get some sleep before hand.

Frustrated Woodpecker

Just five minutes ago I was alerted to the sound of a woodpecker creating a fuss. When I looked out of the window I saw it was a female great spotted. She was looking for a nest box probably to roost in and had mistaken my bat boxes for for nest boxes. On not finding the hole she was clearly getting quite agitated but didn't want to give up and even tried knocking her own hole through. She tried from every angle to no avail before flying off and trying out a tit box for size. The silly thing is there is a woodpecker box in the next tree if only she had looked there. Apologies for the poor quality of these shots but this is something that literally just happened outside my study window and all I had to hand was my little pocket camera with minimal zoom. Added to that the tree she was in was at such an acute angle and I could not open the window without scaring her away.

Dog from Hell

I saw this on flickr and really couldn't believe it was for real but unfortunately for the dog it is. Poor thing, I just hope no-one shows him this photo or he'll be traumatised for life!

The Eternal Optimist

I took this photo 2 days ago on the heath when Brac decided size did matter when it came to sticks. Having uploaded it to flickr one of my contacts noted what a confident dog he appears to be. She was totally right of course because thankfully Brac has tons of confidence.
Today when I got him out of the car for a walk he was instantly set upon by two abnormally objectionable poodles. He did his best to ignore them even though they kept trying to head him off. He didn't even give them a growl. He got clear of them, ran after me and on passing me a few yards rounded a corner and came face to face with two springer spaniels who also took objection to him and had a go. Poor dog, it just wasn't his day but I was so impressed that he didn't so much as curl a lip. It was third time lucky though because next he met a couple of Westies and they were as happy with him as he was with them.
One thing I don't believe in is being over protective as I think that just induces nervousness. It is true that confidence was one of the characteristics I looked for when I chose him as a puppy but that is something easily lost and I am sure that by not fussing and showing concern myself when he gets into situations I have helped him retain his outgoing nature. That's not to say I wouldn'd get involved if I had to. He has on three separate occasions now been attacked by German shepherds and each time I had to intervene to get the shepherd off but I don't them pamper Brac and fuss over him or give him any indication that I was worried about the situation. This aside it still has not put him off making friends with GSD's, he simply avoids the ones that have been nasty.

Tribute to the Spindle Bush

Although the autumn colour here in the South East of England has been disappointing I couldn't let the autumn go without giving a tribute to the spindle berry bushes. They have been fantastic. I have never seen them so well berried up and what amazing berries they are. Only nature could get away with mixing pink and orange together. One possible reason as to why I have noticed the berries more this year is because Euonymus is one of the shrubs that is supposed to have good autumn leaf colour but this year the leaves fell off before turning thus exposing the berries. Another reason might be that we had a very sunny early spring and a lot of fruiting trees and shrubs produced an abundance of blossom. Often when this happen we get a late frost and it ruins the drop but that didn't happen this year and the subsequent wet summer did no harm at all. I'm sure the birds will eat well this winter.

10,000 flickr visitors

I've only been using flickr for 6 months but incredibly I had my 10,000th viewer to my photo stream today. I find that quite awesome and amazing. If any of you enjoy digital photography and haven't already done so you really ought to check flickr out. My skill as a photographer has expanded enormously since I have been sharing images on it. There are so many creative ideas out there to try. But more than that, it has encouraged me to experiment more with my photographs rather than simply file and forget them. Sharing ideas with other photographers gives me a real buzz too. Be warned, flickr can become addictive.

A Touch of Frost

One thing I really like about late autumn are really frosty mornings and clear, china blue skies. On such days I simply can't wait to get out on the heath with Brac. I've absolutely no idea if he appreciates the cold, he's always more frisky when it's biting cold but whether that is just to keep warm or an expression of happiness I can't say. I'm not sure I would be too keen to be running around with bare feet in freezing conditions but then nor do I enjoy sticking my nose up strange peoples bums! :-)
Frozen puddles certainly prove to be a challenge to him as he hasn't worked out yet that you simply can't stop or turn on ice like you can normally. Many a time he has completely lost his feet but that never seems to deter him or slow him up. Just all part of the fun.
The next few days are supposed to be milder which probably means damp and dreary but the weather does seem to be shaping up well for a decent winter so maybe soon we will get some snow.

Shoulder progress

Well I've now been photographed in places I would never imagine. Inside my shoulder. If someone had said these pictured were of the surface of Mars I would have been none the wiser. Lots of red which apparently shows inflamed tendons and a cloudy one which is or was an a spur of bone. The latter was trimmed off and was apparently causing the inflammation and restriction in movement. It has a fancy name...of course 'sub-acromical decompression'. I think these names are supposed to make you feel like you've achieved something :-) Perhaps you can use them like letters after your name...Sally Jane Turner BA(Hons) SAD. Ummm, maybe not the best initials :-) This was all done yesterday and I'm home again now resting but in a mobile kind of way. I've got to keep it moving but without using any muscles! Back to physio tomorrow, hopefully it will work this time.

Sucess on the Cards

With Christmas fast approaching I have been kept quite busy with producing pet portraits for Christmas presents which is great. My turnover this year has probably doubled on this time last year as word gets round and my web site becomes more popular. This year though, people have started noticing my cards as well as my portraits and orders for cards are now really taking off. I produce the cards to order which means they can be customised in any way customers require. People who have ordered portraits are now returning to order Christmas cards of their pet while other people who have not had or require a pet portrait are simply ordering cards because they like the designs and want a stock of animal cards to cover various occasions. All the cards shown in my gallery are for general sale and can be customised with any greeting or message either inside or out. The more pet portraits I do the more cards I can add to my gallery so if a particular breed is not shown today, just check back later to see what new ones have been added.

Shouldering On

For the last 3 months I have been having regular physiotherapy and hydrotherapy on my frozen shoulder to try and get the mobility back again. I've even had some acupuncture sessions but all to no avail. I still only have about 50% of the movement I should have in my left shoulder and it gets quite uncomfortable at times. Monday I saw the consultant again. He agreed that it wasn't going quite as planned so tomorrow I am booked in for an MRI scan on it. I'm hoping this will show what's wrong but in either case I will be having another op on it on 21st which will involve inserting a camera into my shoulder to see what happens when it is manipulated. What I think this will all add up to in the short term is a lot of pain, more physio and some big bills but hopefully this time it won't be in vain.

On a brighter not, next Saturday, Brac and I get to try out for the Southern Obedience Team for Crufts next year. We will naturally be trying for the Beginners place. There are 5 dogs in each team, a beginner, a novice, an A, a B and a C class dog. Only 2 of the dogs can be border collies the rest of the team can be any breed. Border collies are discriminated against as the kennel club is trying to encourage other breeds into the sport. Hence, even if Brac wins his trial on Saturday he is still unlikely to make the team but the experience will be good for us and I'm looking forward to it. Do wish us luck.