Picasa Mac Fail
Grrr.... grumble. Picasa on my mac has ceased to function properly. It's developed this bug which prevents me from editing my images. The editing feature of Picasa is the best, so simple to use and very effective. But each time I try to apply an edit it either ignores me or removes the edit as soon as I look away. This is frustrating, but what's worse is that it's now hunting through my entire catalogue and removing every edit from all my old photos! So I've stopped using it until I can find out what's wrong and fix it. Here are some collages I created before all this started.

I tried this as a desktop background, but it didn't work.

These photo of my greenhouse creation I sent to Gardener's World

A panoramic collage of our Lake District holiday

the other half.
[25-11-09]

Mistaken Lyrics
Brian Houston's album Sugar Queen, track 10:

My lady's got a red barge of curry
[17-09-09]

Ectoplasm
Has anyone stopped to think recently about how horrific Fairy's original washing up liquid is? I can' get my head around the fact that people still want to purchase it. It's lurid green colour and oozing texture resemble some sort of toxic slime and it would not look out of place in a bottle marked "poison". Indeed, due to it's carcinogenic properties it perhaps should indeed be in a bottle marked poison. Yet people still seem to think it's OK to liberally douse their eating utensils with it when washing up. And what's worse is the surprising number of people who do not seem to think it necessary to rinse them. Umm, lovely tasty poison, just what I want to eat with my dinner.

And about those bubbles. THEY'RE FAKE. Fairy (or rather the omni-chemical giant Unilever) actually add a chemical specifically to make lots of bubbles. They don't help in any way with the cleaning ability they just put the user under the false impression that cleaning is going on. I don't doubt that Fairy does do a good job of lifting grease off cookware, but at what price? Think how many tones of the stuff is going down British drains every day polluting our water.

The answer? Ecover. Environmentally friendly biodegradable cleaning products. Not poison.

"Apple green Fairy". Not the green of any apple I know.
[17-09-09]

Sleeping Bee
The sky was stunningly clear this morning and made my front garden look fantastically Tuscan. So I took some photos. The bumble bee in the first photo was having a nap at the time.

A sleeping be on my morning sunflower
[10-09-09]

Wine and Jam
In preparation for what I hope will be some wine making of my own I decided to bottle up the rather ancient wine that had been brewed by a pervious housemate and left in the shed. The airlock on the top of the demijon was dry and had been for perhaps two years or more, but the liquid inside was, I think, still wine. I got the professional opinion of Christian who confirmed that it was still wine, although with a vinegerish finish on the pallet.

The full demijon, but is it wine?

4 bottles of the 'wine'

Boiling and de-stoning the broth

The mass of stones (very tasy to suck clean)

And six bottles of jam. Job done.
[15-08-09]

A Shot of the Front Garden
Here's a quick photo of my front garden. This years major project (after the green house build) was to grow a field of produce. I was inspired by my visit to the outback of Korea where every little house was busy growing vegetables on every spare piece of land they had. As our front garden was being rubbish I decided to make it productive. Contained with in are sweetcorn (maincrop), mixed squashes (subcrop), runner beans, tomatoes, sunflowers and marigolds.

A growing field
[04-08-09]

Kitchener Garden by Night
This evening was just lovely, so still and calm and peaceful. The sky had gone that summer blue, where it's dark, but not quite and gave me the opertunity to try out my new camera. Evenings, that summer is made for.

Night garden.
[01-07-09]

IT IS FINISHED (and bound)
Today I collected my hard bound copy of my thesis. This is finally it, everything is handed in, I've been passed by the senate and now I have a book in my hand that I have written. Shortly after this photo I had to give this copy to my supervistor, the most excellent Graham, so I now need to print and bind my own copy, but at least I know it exists!

me and my thesis

with special gold lettering (three lines of it)
[29-06-09]

Community Outing to Stourhead
Organised by our very own Ku, we took a day trip out to see the National Trust Stourhead house and gardens. The weather was simply stunning, like the first day of spring, it was warm and sunny. We took a packed lunch and eat it on the grass overlooking the pictureesque lake in front of the pantheon folly joined by a host of ducks eager to share our edible gifts. We wondered right around the gardens enjoying the pleasure of being both outside and away from Southampton. Then we headed to have a look round the house (no photos allowed) followed by an icecream as the sun went down. A beautiful day - one of those precious one that hark back to childhood joys. So much so in fact, that it felt like I was out with family not firends. A real treasure.

first a guided walk (Stourhead is near Bristol, Emery)

then we met the first fleet of ducks

Su "enjoyed" feeding the ducks at lunch

the ducks also enjoyed our lunch

I found a cool fallen tree to photograph

then we found some tame swanlets (or 'signets' in latin)

the magnolia were stunning

In the house Su sneeks a play of the grand piano

we're exiled from the house (as it was closing time)

some daffodils were still in bloom

follys adorn the landscaped gardens

the sun began to set

so we adopted position in the folly

then we decorated one of the statues

standing back to admire our handywork

before walking home

Suyeon and I with the rhododendrons
[04-04-09]

Rose-hip Jam
Some photos of my first attempt at jam making from the rosehips in the garden. Use these simple steps to make your own wild jam. Full recipe to follow (one day).

Collect hips and wash (also remove most brown bits)

cover with water and boil a lot

break up the hips as much as possible

then seive to separate the pips and juice

now you have some lovely red rosehip juice

heat again and add sugar (lots)

it goes clear as you boil it to reduce to jam

bottle up your lovely jam - yummy
[03-11-08]

Me in Malaga
Just to prove that I am really here and that I am still taking photos and uploading them to this website. I am, honnest, and I do have lots to add too. And I love you all. (OK getting gushy now...)

Taken at the end of my windy coastal trek

(a sneeky failblog shot)
[25-04-09]

Frosty Southampton
It's not quite snow but at least it makes the place look pretty and a bit more like winter.

The lawn in frost

Our industrial sculpture

A dark holly leaf

Ice conquers the hollys prickles

A forrest of crystals

Each crystal with it's own unique shape
[10-01-09]

Bourgonvelia
Just before Christmas my intrepied bourgonveilia that I rescued from Haskins garden center decided it was time to flower again. It gets a it confused, what with the indoor living and climate change. Unfortunately I was away over Christmas and it got a little dry, so when I returned I found it in full bloom but also preparing for autumn as it quickly shed it's leaves.

Thankfully some much needed TLC has persuaded it not to kill off all it's flowers and now new leaves have sprouted so it's looking rather good again. Here are some photos of it still in its second month of flowering in the middle of winter.

My growing windowsill

Bougronvelia and bamboo

Arty photography
[06-01-09]

Bristol in the Snow
Rather anoyingly I have timed my trip to exactly avoid the worst (though, of course, I mean best) of the snow. On Sunday night I caught the train to Bristol to stay with my brother and visit Bristol Uni Chaplaincy for my work. We watched the TV reports from Southampton of the "horrendous" (read awesome) snow storm. In Bristol we get snow, but not that much (see photo). Then I return to Soton (via Bath) and what do I hear - horrendous snow now in Bristol. Then later in the week my Mum rings and says they've had 6 inches! Not fair :(

[03-02-09]

I Was Given A Sign!
Today the Lord gave me a sign, a wondrous sign. It was as if he wanted to show me something, to give me an indication of his sacrificial love for the forgiveness of my sins. And what's more, he did it all in the blister pack of my ibuprofen. Here it is:

definitely a sign
[18-12-08]

Heathrow
On my way to Korea in the summer I camped at Heathrow over night. At night they light Terminal 3 with some beautiful purple lights. Most artistic.

heathrow purple
[05-12-08]

SCM Chaplaincy Bonfire - with Jsoc and Cathsoc
This yar November the fifth was a Wednesday, so we took great delight in celebrating Bonfire Night with the fourth annual Kitchener Road SCM Bonfire party. This year we held it joint with Jsoc and Cathsoc which was lovely and proved there were no hard feelings regarding 'ole Guy, who, it turns out, was a Catholic (some silly people seem to think that Bonfire Night is all about burning Catholics. Rubbish! It's all about burning rubbish).

Sadly the pire was not really up to my usual height standards this year. This was another Thesis Affect which inhibated my ability to plan or prepare for any future events. But we had enough stuff, and a shed load of fireworks, plus a bathe with Bertha later on. So all in all much fun was had by all.

three groups assembled

people chatted

"always remember your Safety Johny"

the fire lit with a mini firework display

luke then added some more rubbish

the crowds sood gradually back and admired

I tended to the blaze with my foot

and Luke launched rockets with meths

afterwards the garden was a complete srtate
[06-11-08]

Photo Absence
I'm afraid that my thesis writing has mostly killed off my artistic desire. I've not had the joy to go out and take photos for a good few months now. There's just seemed like either no time, or nothing worth taking. Or more probably I've simply not even had a thought about taking any. Thankfully, early on Monday morning, I came to the tempory end of my thesis - second draft, so I can now think again. Hopefully I'll get around to taking more photos soon.

my acknowledgements were emotional to write
[05-12-08]

Kitchener Community Garden in September
This month really saw the garden bloom, in particular the new raised beds with their stunning sunflowers, sweet peas, rudbeckia and cosmos. This is the first time I've grown sunflowers larger than a person and I'm so pleased!

Sueyon overlooked up the impressive sunflowers

a couple of sunflowers

close up on a side flower

the developing seeds - gerbil food

food for the local bees

the new raised bed

rised bed with guard rabbit - Blackberry
[20-09-08]

Painting the Kitchen
Like I needed something else to occupy me, but our kitchen has been frustrating me for a while now. I've been wanting to paint it as it was looking drab, but all the colours I'd tried clashed with the lower pale yellow plastic panelling. Then, while thinking of my sunflowers and the blue sky, I realised that light blue is the opposite and would work. So I got the paint and Suyeon and I painted the kitchen with a little help from Christian. I also took the opportunity to give the shelving a lick in a deep berry red.

Beginning the blue conversion (not conservative blue)

Su and I listened to BBC Radio 4 while we painted

a shot before for comparison
[15-09-08]

Coffee Bean Roasting
Taking it one step further than simply grinding beans Luke has now taken to roasting his own green beans. Heating gradually in a pan turns the little green chewy gems into fully fledged brown nuggets of coffee joy. 24 hours later the flavour has fully developed to its optimum and coffee is enjoyed.

Luke is our coffee connoisseur (sp?)

Keep the beans moving over a gentle heat

Cool rapidly to seal in the flavour

Today I made the most of Waitrose's Ecover offer

Mount Blackberry

She uses this vantage to reach the raised veg patch
[07-09-08]

Su's Birthday
For Suyeon's birthday, as it was a totally georgeous day, we cycled out to the (stupidly expensive) Hiller Gardens near Romsey. I've not got the photos we took from there, but it was splendid and we both wondered the gardens barefoot. In the evening we had a pancake & bonfire party. Lots of friends, loads of fire and a full mixing bowl of pancake mix. We also fired up Bertha and Su had her first outside bath.

On friday night she dirfted off with Blackberry in her arms

A raging bonfire - the perfect birthday celebration.

Su firing up Bertha to charge the bathwater
[30-08-08]

Raised Bed Council Soil
After completion of the raised bed structure, I called in the council to deliver 3 cubic metres of their composted soil. Not free, but great value.

*If you live in Southampton you used to be able to contact a lovely chap called Andy. They used to compost the city's green waste and sell it back nice and cheap, but sadly they've been outsourced to Petersfield. I'll let you know when there is another option available.

I've just been told about this change and have had to ammend this post beacuse they were getting to many requests for the topsoil from this website. Oops!

The completed and painted raised beds

We went triangular on Luke's reccomendation, not because of Gardeners' World

The soil was delivered direct to the driveway

3 cubic meters of earthy goodness
[05-07-08] (*ammended 29-04-09)

Kitchener Garden in 'Summer'
So the summer has been rubbish, but this is how the Kitchener Community garden looked when I got back from Korea. The folks here had done a superb job looking after the place, including new tubs of patunias around the garden table. I was particulary excited about the sunflowers as they were totally massive - far taller than I've ever managed before. Three glorious yellow crowns looking splendid.

the original vegetable patch

the new raised bed - just taking hold

Suyeon's cosmos still flowering

actual fresias grown at home (smelling beautiful)

rudbeckia for the first time, just emerging

the king sunflowers
[17-08-08]

Bangers and Mash
This evening, with the help of Suyeon, I cooked perhaps one of my finest achievements - bangers and mash. "How strange" you might think, bangers and mash must be one of the simplest meals to make: boil then smash potatoes, and stick in sasagges. Well yes, it is simple, but, you see, the trick is that it's English food. I'm just not good at English food and so any time I make something that remotely resembles a Sunday lunch I get overly impressed by my skills. This particular meal used Tesco veggie saugges, a sweet onion topping, runner beans from the garden (boiled) and spinach with cream and nutmeg (also from the garden). Splendid.

Suyeon picking spinach from the garden

and rummaging around for some beans

Emery harvested some peas and a yellow caugette for his dinner

Suyeon with our English deleacy

Bangers and Mash - proper british food!
[20-08-08]

Advertising on the BBC?
Maybe there isn't any and I was just making it up.

I did a search and found no results.

No, no I was right. That is definitly an advert for Airbus.
[16-07-08]

Mid Summer - Rainy Day
For everyone else not in the UK right now you have permission to feel smug. The weather here is appalling. Granted it's not as bad as last year, but today the rain has been relentless. Still it helped me get some work done.

Relentless rain on the window

One very wet and spiky haired rabbit
[09-07-08]

Bougainvillea
Last year I rescued a bougainvillea plant from Haskins garden center. It was only small but flowering quite profusely. After if finished flowering it got an attack of black-fly. I sprayed with organic insecticide and the poor thing lost most of it's leaves. But this spring they began to grow back, I pruned it and it's shot out in quite a few directions and it's been enjoying living outside since. Then a few days ago I noticed it was flowering. I never expected to get a bougainvillea flowering in the UK, so I'm ever-so pleased. My bamboo is really doing well too.

Lots of new growth since last year

A close up of the lovely emerging petals

And my mega bamboo growing on the windowsill
[07-07-08]

Kitchener Community Allotment
Over the past two months we've been working on a project to redevelop part of our garden. Previously there was a rather dodgy shed which was gradually collapsing (and in threat of going up in flames during bonfire sessions. So in one sunny May weekend Luke and I took out the shed and all it's rat infested crap inside (discovering a rat living beneath the floor). The a week later we had a conflagration with the rubbish wood (most has been recycled in garden).

Now we had a newly discovered area of land. We (well, Yann) excavated back the soil to expose the plateau gravel 'bedrock' and then we started work on building a raised bed. With Luke's inspiration we went for a nestled triangular structure (not inspired by Gardeners World as he doesn't watch it). Then everyone pitched in to put a lick of wood preserver on it.

Shed with lots of crap inside

The walls came off pretty quickly

And the rest didn't take long either

Viola - no shed

Of course then you need a fire

Yann was an excavation machine

The first triangular construction

Then there were two

And a shot showing their context in the garden

Yann's excavated soil drew the attention of one particular garden friend.

And she (Blackberry) dug herself a warren - how cute.
[08-07-08]