At 2.45 p.m. it wasn’t long before sunset on this shortest day of the year when Jackie drove us to Barton on Sea where she enjoyed coffee and a slice of Victoria sponge while I sat on a bench peering through dim haze at
The Needles and their lighthouse.
I could just make out a fishing boat beyond
the choppy, glinting old gold, indigo, and spume-white seas rushing to the shore
along which an intrepid couple cycled alone.
Unusually silent gulls swooping, darting, floating, overhead enjoyed the fun of skydiving as I stretched my neck following them with my lens.
Meanwhile, a trio of crows pecked up scraps left by other customers eating cake in the Beachcomber garden. Without even retracting their undercarriages they took off when I approached.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s powerful chilli con carne with savoury rice, with which she drank Tiger Beer and I drank more of the Saint-Chinian opened two or three days ago yet still most potable.
I think I have mastered the enlargement problem, so these images should be capable of what Pauline calls bigifying.
Excellent biggifying! Going full out I could see every drop of water flying off the top of those breakers. I remember the dark at 3pm scenario. It’s still light here when I tottered off to my bed last night at 10 and the sun was long up when I finally rose at 6. All this socialising is exhausting!
🙂 Very many thanks, Pauline
Oh Hi Derrick, I have missed your wonderful photographer, but hear I am, back again, and thank you for all the glorious photos today.
Thanks very much, Ivor. Be well
🦋 Great pictures.
Thanks very much, Chrissy
This was truly beautiful. It gave me a moment of peace in my busy day. Thanks Knight.
Many thanks, Flower
You make even the gray days seem beautiful!
Thats lovely, Luanne. Thanks very much
Excellent.
Many thanks, Rabirius
What Luanne said! 🙂 So many gorgeous photos–and all those action shots of gulls and crows are incredible. Wonderful bigifying, too!
Many thanks, Merril
I like the verb, ‘to bigify’ – is it OK to borrow it?
It comes from Pauline, https://thecontentedcrafter.com – I doubt that she would mind. She has commented on this as well. Her biggify has two gs
These are fantastic photos, Derrick! I might have to borrow that word, ‘bigify.’ I like it! Cheers!
Thanks very much, Jill. Bigify is good
I love the silhouettes – they’re very atmospheric.
Thanks very much, Susan
Really amazing photos derrick!
Many thanks, Lynn
I enjoyed the meditative feel of this post. You sat still on that bench long enough to experience where you were and the world around you.
Very many thanks, Nicki
OHMYGOSH! Your photos are spectacular, Derrick! 🙂 So beautiful, with an air of calm!
I love how the birds can perch and balance on such thin tree/bush limbs!
HUGS!!! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn X
You have captured a winter day quite perfectly!
Thanks very much, Andrew
Hark it’s dark. Nice silhouettes
Thanks very much, Sherry
Gracefully flying gulls,and those bird shots are so lovely too.
Thanks very much, Arlene
Tell Jackie it’s time to kick her feet up and relax!
https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/merry.gif
I will. She needs to. She might listen to you, GP. 🙂 Thanks very much
Your sea waves are fabulous. I can almost hear and smell them. Merry Christmas to you and Jackie.
Many thanks, Lisa. And to you. Keep well
We hope you have a lovely Christmas and wish you a very happy and healthy New Year
And to you and yours, Anne. Thanks very much
Yes, excellent enlargements. Victoria sponge sounds lovely. I have never seen it served over here.
I’m not a great cake lover, but I do like Victoria sponge, Laurie. Thanks very much, especially for confirming the enlargements
The crows regard the Beachcomber as a low dive?
Nice pictures and impression of The Needles. Different to when I saw it from yachting past them, or from walking to the end of the Isle of Wight.
🙂 Nice one, Leslie
I enjoyed bigifying so many birds.
🙂 Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal
Some of those later shots would have pleased E A Poe. And I would like a little bit of your short day to soften the length of mine.
Monday, 24 December 2018 (AEDT)
Sunrise in Melbourne 5:56 am
Sunday, 23 December 2018 (AEDT)
Sunset in Melbourne 8:43 pm
It is hard getting little kids to bed on Christmas Eve.
And to keep them there in the morning 🙂 Many thanks, Paol
Yes! We have bigification! 😀
Excellent. Many thanks, Widders
The choppy, glinting old gold, indigo, and spume-white seas rushing to the shore. The description did bowl me over but then that is why I keep returning to your blog.
Very many thanks, Uma. Best wishes
Great photos of birds in flight. It looks like a coffee and sponge cake sort of day.
Many thanks, LL/PS 🙂
Wow, great captures!
Thanks very much, Amy
…………..is strictly for the birds
🙂 Thanks a lot, Brian
Stunning photos, Derrick. Happy holidays to you and Jackie!
Thanks very much, Dolly. And to you
Thank you
Nice to see the telephoto getting a work out! 🙂
Thanks a lot, Bob. I think that in future I’ll probably stick to stationary subjects with it 🙂
You need a lot of natural light for the long distance ones! Dawn or dusk shots are tricky unless you want silhouettes. 😉 If you can select to adjust the iso up high it may help?
I think that would help for the sake of getting the best picture, but, as this is a diary, I prefer to show it how it is
Whatever works! 🙂
Recently a couple asked me to take their photograph with their camera. The image was much brighter than mine. That is what they must have done. Maybe I’ll try it for indoor stuff
Wonderful word picture Derrick, though I worry about the “powerful” chilli.
Thanks very much, Quercus. Well you might 🙂