tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89759002024-08-28T22:03:23.404+02:00Staying a bit sane in the hills of the Massif Centralblueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-17513902204400632032011-01-10T10:00:00.002+01:002011-01-10T10:02:21.424+01:00

Which means 'to sleep'. Rather than delete this blog, just a note to say it is no longer active. I hope that what is here might still be of interest to some people ... have a browse!Au revoir

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-70389324947207518562010-03-01T09:16:00.002+01:002010-03-01T09:17:09.151+01:00

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blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-28235918004122537452010-02-18T15:19:00.000+01:002010-02-18T15:19:25.726+01:00

Scientific Curiosity Captured in Photos

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-71819541261447061452010-02-02T12:16:00.001+01:002010-02-02T12:22:19.917+01:00

Allons enfants de la patrie – ieLe jour de gloire est arrivé !Contre nous de toute l’amitié – éL’étendard riant-élevéL’étendard riant-élevéDe nos enfants et nos campagnesEmbrassant nos aimables amisEt sautant tous dans leurs brasJouons tous, et dansons tous ensemble – eAux jeux des citoyens (badababoum)Formons tous les équipes (badababoum)Chantons, buvons, et tous ensemble,Faisons tous – e la

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-33868769720172851382010-01-15T08:35:00.005+01:002010-01-15T08:43:14.665+01:00

Batala Massif is beginning to branch out to provide opportunities for young people. We started a group this Wednesday called Batala Bidons, that I guess we would call a junk percussion band in English, or a bucket band in the US. Four smiling enthusiasts as you can see. We have hopes and expectations of a few more during this spring term. The local secondary school is keen to support us too.

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-86015329805213298092009-10-08T11:54:00.001+02:002009-10-08T11:55:36.449+02:00

Les extraits du spectacle que li'l lam a vu hier soir au Puy

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-80117263307333281942009-10-07T17:13:00.005+02:002009-10-08T14:49:27.635+02:00

Before we (Batala Massif) played for the last time at Montbrison Sunday 4th October, we had the chance to watch this group. Apparently there are guggenmusik groups all over the place where they come from, but this is the first time I'd seen any. And having looked at a few on YouTube since, this lot are better than most!And this is what we thought of them! (And what the guy was looking at and

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-1313552792005067352009-09-26T15:50:00.003+02:002009-09-26T15:55:10.537+02:00

Being short of space in our garden, a friendly neighbour lent us a couple of rows of his field. Yesterday was the day we lifted them. Highlights? 200kg of spuds for the winter, I got to drive the tractor a bit, and we had a great meal altogether afterwards. Marvellous!

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-6340852123302271822009-07-28T10:38:00.001+02:002009-07-28T10:38:23.300+02:00

carnival main parade 484 Originally uploaded by ograndeviadoWhat a fantastic weekend of music and madness. More photos on facebook and soon on flickr. This ones by ograndeviado - Angus (amongst other things) to the rest of us.

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-91882338234967774062009-07-01T19:44:00.004+02:002009-07-01T20:02:07.271+02:00

I never heard about the essential oil solution again. I took that as a no, and set to work on the flies in photoshop. And ran out of time. So no completed SoFoBoMo for me this year. I might still complete it on blurb or some such platform. But in the meantime, I'm getting some prints together for a summer exhibition. The subject is stone transformations. Lots of stone. Obviously.

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-220268028800429992009-06-16T20:20:00.003+02:002009-06-16T20:31:29.785+02:00

I wish I could do it justice. Imagine a keen foreign photographer, yours truly, sat at his kitchen table. With a beer. And a farmer. Who also has a beer. It's a scene that has been played out often. Frequently. Weekly even. Except that this time is different. We discuss the merits or otherwise of ASM (Clermont-Ferrand's rugby team) in the recent top 14 final. It is ASM's 10th final. And their

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-42311943053656549132009-06-05T10:30:00.001+02:002009-06-05T10:32:06.583+02:00

The rubbish weather this morning hasn't made any impact on the flies, so I'm about to raid the essential oil supply for some eucalyptus ... and the kitchen for vinegar

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-80160264246239275132009-06-05T09:30:00.002+02:002009-06-05T09:34:04.381+02:00

I've been searching the web for fly solutions (no pun intended!) this morning. And there are a few out there. Mainly seem to be for horses, but flies are flies I reckon. So I'm going to run these past the farmers and hope to get their go-ahead to try them out. I'm going to go for the natural recipes I've found. Citronella and eucalyptus are popular ingredients added to vinegar bath oil and

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-11231210839333077052009-06-04T10:57:00.005+02:002009-06-04T11:10:39.833+02:00

Flies. Are. A. REAL. Problem. Not sure what to do about them. Yesterday I waited til evening and wandered over to the first herd's new gaff. Having spoken to their guy first, me and my little lamb ventured into the field with them. They were quite curious. Not very, but enough to get up close and personal for some intimate shots. But God those flies ... not nice. So I need to have a think

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-8641896821530225912009-06-02T11:04:00.005+02:002009-06-02T11:13:52.956+02:00

My SoFoBoMo project is underway. This morning's crop of photos were accompanied by some free-ranging thoughts. The cows are the starting point and the focus. But the hills, rocks, hay fields, flowery pasture, silage, fences and walls are all part of the context. So I've taken some shots of those things too. The impact of dairy farming on the landscape is also interesting. And then there's

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-88300466662307603842009-06-02T10:28:00.003+02:002009-06-02T10:42:21.819+02:00

SoFoBoMo is short for Solo Photo Book Month - a group event where a bunch of photographers all make solo photo books start to finish, in 31 days, at more or less the same time.I've chosen cows with coiffures. This follows a project to take some portraits of sheep last year where I discovered some real individual characters. I thought it might work with cows, and that the hair styles might be

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-70038963496619931422009-05-24T07:51:00.001+02:002009-05-24T07:51:46.343+02:00

Batala Originally uploaded by mobilevirginThanks to mobilevirgin on flickr ...

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-58568164712514353752009-03-04T15:36:00.000+01:002009-03-04T15:38:22.812+01:00

“There is an Indian belief that everyone is in a house of four rooms: A physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room everyday, even if only to keep it aired, we are not complete.” Rumer GoddenFrom Sally Lever

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-77579406659005409482008-10-03T18:49:00.000+02:002008-10-03T18:50:28.619+02:00

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-48448394183874098062008-09-08T11:00:00.003+02:002008-09-08T13:05:51.467+02:00

jess leevin spit! spit! by buswye a bus?dunnoare ew woshin the rugby l8r?woo's on?dragins an sumwunwot channel?essforseemite do if I gerrome in timeunless yew is goin via bangor, yew shood do!i jess not countin my chickinsyew got chickins onna bus anorl?!of corsemuss be the west wales servis en?guzacklyrite shurrup I'm weedin inna gardingyew shurrup, i'm tryin to do a crosswerdonna em4 at lars,

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-63142540236351693042008-08-30T16:36:00.001+02:002008-08-30T16:36:45.206+02:00

Notting Hill Carnival-Batala Band de Percussao Originally uploaded by Daniel_C_CWe were at the back somewhere, but we were there! And it was the best.

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-14190500690884423732008-08-16T16:15:00.002+02:002008-08-16T16:18:38.763+02:00

Braved the market in Brioude this morning, with a view to finding out why this Clermont-Ferrand based samba band got a gig instead of us. Beats me.OK OK I left the camera in the car, so I'll have to post it later.

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-85782198174508294892008-08-05T16:28:00.003+02:002008-08-05T17:49:10.131+02:00

Some recent photos on flickr hereAnd one or two video clips on youtube hereAlex took some at rehearsal a few weeks ago, and they are here

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-85089348557472642702008-07-19T09:43:00.005+02:002008-11-13T16:08:57.685+01:00

It's a variable activity, blogging, for me. Like other things, there are phases and periods of activity and quiet. Anyway, here's the latest photo window frame project I've been working on. It's been a bit of a case of two steps forwards one step backwards. But with a final revised bit of wood bought this morning at the market we should be ready to see if we're going to keep the glass in the

blueskypointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630952374491541389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8975900.post-9756266821455842422008-05-07T09:29:00.000+02:002008-05-07T09:30:29.212+02:00

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