The weather is strange. Hot, muggy, grey and purple. No rain though – well, none to speak of!

We’ve been out walking on the moor, up to the Cheesewring, across to the quarry pool at Withybrook, back along the path to Minions and home. I took a shot of DM, the dogs and my folks on this same spot, high on the top of the Cheesewring, last year but looking out across the moor. This time, I got below my subjects and shot into the sky.

From the left…..Mark Hemhauser, DM (of course), Rosie, Archie and Simon Kirk. To tell the truth, I think DM felt a bit outnumbered by all the Nikons on display as Simon and Mark both shoot Nikons. They were rabbiting about their cameras and lenses and somewhat unusually, there was no-one to talk ‘Canon’ with because I’m no techie and am not really interested in kit as such. Well, let’s put that a bit more strongly. I have no interest whatsoever in kit…..I only get excited when I see the application of a bit of kit then I get it. BUT I just don’t lust after lenses or cameras.

Maybe it’s because I’m a philomath but for me the exciting bit is being able to learn a new trick. To be able to learn something of light (and therefore learn to use my starburst), to learn something about focus and depth of field (and therefore to use my lensbaby), to learn something about how hairy plants are (and therefore use my macro lens)….those are the things that make me tick.

I spend hours and hours trying to work out how to get the shot I want by trickery or some other strange device. The length of the exposure for the ghostly bum shot, the grapes, the fire, these are the things that interest me.

My day has just been topped off by a fantastic phone call from my Mum who deserves a medal for her wonderful willingness to help me out of a tight spot and her amazing tenacity when her ‘easy’ option to help was thwarted by someone not being where they were supposed to be.

Mum (aged 63) was called on for help this morning when DM realised he’d stuffed up big time and hadn’t organised cover for animal feeding while we’re in Cornwall. Not only that, but the gate was bolted and padlocked from within. Mum was told where she could get a key to the house from (and no, it wasn’t under the doormat or in a plant pot in the shed, it was in the hands of a trusted person)……BUT the trusted person wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Mum decided she couldn’t face travelling home (40 miles away) then back tomorrow so she decided she would get in regardless of the small matter of a lack of a key.

She enlisted the help of our neighbours and they provided her with a ladder so she could get over the six-foot high fence. She did what she needed to do, fed them all up so they can manage a couple of days without us, then climbed back over the fence and returned the ladder to the neighbour. She’s a remarkable lady and I can easily see where I get my own tenacity from – hers is every bit as strong as mine.

I am so relieved and grateful to her for bailing us out of trouble. DM is feeling sheepish as well as equally relieved and grateful. THANKS MUM! You are a star!!!!

Last year I was getting naked on the table and two years ago we were sharing our dream of a home in Cornwall with Alan and Dee.