Why - Donna Leon / Susanna Rustin (Sat 15 Apr 2017)

Markets - Venice (Mon 15 Sep 2009)

Donna Leon on Why:

"I’m interested in why people do things."

via Donna Leon: Why I became an eco-detective writer by Susanna Rustin.

On Miracles - Jae Schaefer (Mon 06 Dec 2015)

And sometimes Miracles do occur .. - Racice / Prague (Fri 29 Aug 2009)

Jae Schaefer on Miracles:

miracles are more fun than wishes

via From Pain to Peace by Jae Schaefer.

The Importance of Elsewhere - Philip Larkin

Sunrise - somewhere between Lourdes and Col de Portet d'Aspet / France (Wed 23 Sep 2009)

The Importance of Elsewhere by Philip Larkin:

Lonely in Ireland, since it was not home,
Strangeness made sense. The salt rebuff of speech,
Insisting so on difference, made me welcome:
Once that was recognised, we were in touch.

Their draughty streets, end-on to hills, the faint
Archaic smell of dockland, like a stable,
The herring-hawker's cry, dwindling, went
To prove me separate, not unworkable.

Living in England has no such excuse:
These are my customs and establishments
It would be much more serious to refuse.
Here no elsewhere underwrites my existence.

Referenced in The Importance of Here by Kathryn Heyman - Good Weekend (Sun 15 Jul 2006) posted here on Thu 10 Sep 2015.

Not exactly sure I feel the same release from who I am when away from home. If anything I regress more into myself to the point that I make sure I am oblvious to anyone. Admire people who have the confidence to be themselves wherever they are. It's a great quality to have and it certainly would make life a bit more comfortable.

I am who I am and there is not much point trying to be something, or hoping to be something, I am not. It's too hard and I worked that one out a long time ago, though I do try every now and then to push myself a little.

On Dogs, Humans and Love - Richard Glover / Spectrum (Sat 12 Sep 2015)

Me and Teal - "Always be nice to a dog - always say hello to a dog" - Victor Hugo Market Restaurants / Toulouse / France (Sun 19 Sep 2009)

Richard Glover on Dogs, Humans and Love:

Worse things have happened to you and worse things have happened to me, but there's nothing like the death of a good dog to bring tears that are so hot and unrestrained. [..]

Every dog has lessons to teach. They are experts, of course, in demanding love. Humans, quite often, seem to doubt whether they are worthy of love, but dogs have no such uncertainties. "Look at me, just look at me," Darcy would say and, as my eyes met his, it was impossible not to submit to his unspoken demand.

"What a good dog. What a handsome dog. You are the best dog that ever was."

Then Darcy would return the favour, looking back as if to say: "What's next boss? You, after all, are my favourite human and I would follow you anywhere, through hot deserts or raging streams or high mountains."

This giving and receiving of love seems so right, so nourishing, one wonders whether it might have useful application outside the world of dogs. I'm guessing that's what Darcy was trying to teach us.

via Do you ever get over the death of a dog? by Richard Glover.

Something about our pets that makes us more Human. A touching article and it brought a tear to my eye for many reasons. Some obvious, but others less so ..

For a Moment, Forever .. To be an Aurora - eljeiffel (Wed 19 Aug 2015)

A Moment - Before, During and After - Racice / Czech Republic (Sat 29 Aug 2009)

For a Moment .. You think, you dream, you are inspired and you decide to go for the Team. You plan, you flex, you push, you pull, you metal, you shuffle, you kettle, you stand and paddle, and jump a few hurdles, and suddenly, you've made the Team, the first stage of a dream. You smile for a while, but you know it is only the first mile. You train, you strain, you pain, you drain, you gain, you laugh, you try, you cry, you learn, you create capacity and experiences, and build motion, connections and emotions for a Moment that seems so far off. You desire, you aspire, you perspire, time transpires and suddenly the Moment is there just in front of you, just there waiting for you to decide and respond as only you know how to. May you seize this Moment just ahead. It is just there .. waiting .. yes, just there. Where? It's there, just there, you know it. Grasp it with both hands. Fight for the inches, they are hard to find but they are there. And given an inch, take a mile, no mercy. What lies ahead is a mystery and shortly it will be history, to become your few threads in the rich tapestry that became before you. Be in and saviour this Moment, it is there waiting for you to move into and through, just like a door, to shape you and to become your memories with friends for a lifetime. Forever. As Jenny would say, "Don't Wonder 'What If?'". Go Australia!! Go the Auroras!!

Birds of Tokyo, "Lanterns": Stripped Down (Live)

On Photography and Editing - Larry Towell / James Estrin (Mon 10 Nov 2014)

Untitled - Venice (*) (Wed 16 Sep 2009)
Larry Towell (*) writes on Photography (*) and Editing (*):

Photography is not just about seeing and taking pictures, it’s also about making sense of the photograph and making sense of it is what editing does, .. You take a series of photographs, you tell a story (*) with them and many pictures fall between the cracks in the process. [..]

When you’re editing you’re editing towards a certain end, and when that end is met you forget about the pictures that didn’t make it, .. What this Magnum project has done is allowed us to go back and re-edit. There isn’t enough re-editing being done today.

via Magnum’s Archive of Once-Orphaned Photos (*) by James Estrin (*).

Venice.

When it Works - Christopher Nolan / Andrew Purcell / Spectrum (Sat 08 Nov 2014)

Crossing the Garonne - Toulouse (*) / France (Sat 19 Sep 2009)
Christopher Nolan (*) writes Inspiration (*):

when something works the way you intended it to, just in that moment it's a tremendous thrill.

via Interview: Christopher Nolan (*) by Andrew Purcell (*).

Yes. We all know that feeling. It happens when that program compiles and runs the first time, and works exactly as you intended. That's a rarity, but it happened a lot when I was using Eiffel (*). It happens in sport. It happens with photography, though sometimes you don't know it worked until years later.

Always get a nice quote out of the Interview from the Saturdays Paper Spectrum Magazine (*).

On Subtitles - Salamander / Annabel Ross (Mon 20 Oct 2014)

18 - Brussels (*) / Belgium (*) (Fri 11 Sep 2009)
Annabel Ross (*) writes on Subtitles (*):

Watching drama with subtitles shifts the perspective to take in more than can be fully understood. Once into the rhythm of this complex narrative, the sensation is truly that of entering another world.

via The Guide (*) by Annabel Ross (*).

The only TV Drama I seem to watch now is subtitled and mostly from a DVD. Recent favourites include The Bridge (*), The Tunnel (*), Borgen (*), The Killing (*) and now Salamander (*). I think it is partly because of the drama, but it is also because of the subtitles as Annabel so nice describes. Seeing the words helps me remember more than I would if I just hear it.

On Self Belief - Scott McGory (Wed 23 Jul 2014)

Water - Lac Nere / Haute-Pyrenees (*) / France (Tue 22 Sep 2009)
Scott McGory (*) writes On Self-Belief (*):

The greatest performance (*) enhancer is self-belief (*).

He expands

Wiping away those doubts (*) of uncertainty (*), of losing, the fear (*) of getting beaten. Gone - GONE! - are those limiting thoughts (*), replaced by the phrase made famous by the first black president of the United States: 'Yes We Can' (*).

The unstoppable force of self-belief (*) is so often the missing ingredient in an athlete's journey (*) along the road to success (*). [..] The strongest weapon in any sporting endeavor is the mind (*).

via Guest blog: The greatest performance enhancer is... (*) by Scott McGory (*).

On Belief - Mick Rogers (Tue 22 Jul 2014)

A new day - Somewhere between Lourdes and Col de Portet d'Aspet / France (Wed 23 Sep 2009)
Mick Rogers (*) on Believing (*):

I used to be afraid of failure (*), but once you believe (*), and you’re not scared (*) of the outcome, things become clearer (*), and opportunities (*) arise.

via Rogers makes it two for Tinkoff (*) by Matthew Beaudin (*).

Congrats Mick. An amazing stage win. Thanks for sharing so much of your victory and what you have learnt about yourself this year. I started my journey (*) on learning many of the same lessons (*) on the very roads (*) you cycled last night.

At Fabio Casartelli's Memorial - "we stumbled upon it by complete accident" – Col de Portet d'Aspet (Wed 23 Sep 2009)

On the Journey of Writing - Paulo Coelho (Mon 21 Jul 2014)

Water - Lac Nere / Haute-Pyrenees (*) / France (Tue 22 Sep 2009)
Paulo Coelho (*) writes On the Journey (*) of Writing (*):

It’s not always an easy task, sometimes it’s very challenging (*), but this is what I do and this is what I like. So the journey itself is the miracle (*); it is the blessing (*). There is no point to reach. You have to travel (*) your journey with joy (*), hope (*), and challenges (*) in your heart (*).

via Paulo Coelho Discusses the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Alchemist (*) by Paulo Coelho (*).

Another formative book (*) I read shortly after Jenny's passing. Jenny's Oncologist rang me about six months passing to see how I was going. In the conversation she mentioned the The Manual of the Warrior of Light (*) and thought I might get something it's pages. So, it was a natural progression to The Alchemist (*) and a dozen other of his books.

On Victory - Simon Gerrans - Cameron Wurf (Mon 28 Apr 2014)

Bikes and Canoes - South East Belgium (Sun 13 Sep 2009)
Camron Wurf (*) writes on Simon Gerrans (*) victory in the Ardennes classic of 2014 (*):

Those are the victories (*) which really impress me, the ones where the target (*) is firmly planted on your back and the opponents can do is watch the bullseye (*) ride away from them.

via Fun in the sun in Turkey!! (*) by Cameron Wurf (*).

On Remembering - Colin Pantall (Tue 18 Mar 2014)

Remembering Jenny (*) - Two Months on .. World Champions (*). How? I don't know, but.. - Prague (Sun 30 Aug 2009)
Colin Pantall (*) writes On Remembering (*):

It's strange how one remembers things without being aware on any conscious level of why one remembers or how one remembers.

via A Happy Post for Happy People (*) by Colin Pantall (*).

As the Green Day (*) lyrics for Time of Your Life (*) go:

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf
in good health and good time

On Mastery Motivation - Drew Ginn (Fri 7 Jun 2013)

Water - St Agnes / Cornwall (09 Sep 2009)
Drew Ginn (*) writes On Mastery Motivation (*):

Deep down I always wanted a greater connection and loved to explore. This happened in many areas.

Exploring thought process, movement patterns, biases, relationships, failure and obvious exploring success.

I really stuffed up more than I care to remember. Many mistake were made and the surprise is that I kept at it when many others gave up, left, changed their plans.

I stayed the course, and in one sense it was just the course, which probably was unclear to others yet, I knew I was seeking a better way, greater, intending (*) and learning (*).

Mastery (*) then is key I think as its takes the performance from simply doing and achieving or not to becoming more aware, intending (*), taking action, making mistakes (*) and making it count, and reviews (*).

Mastery (*) dare I say it is a journey and never the destination.

It’s the joy in striving for perfection, the working towards the best, to be the best and yet the result is not just best but a newer version or a reshaping of things.

Strange how I can see all that striving was the best part and when I watch other not full enjoying the striving I find myself wondering how I can assist in the unearthing of the mind shift from result to mastery seeking.

Sure I get the need to get the results and after having a few results fall my way its easier to state these words.

What I realise is that some time ago just learning (*) become the many motive

via A Wanderers Update (*) by Drew Ginn (*).

People ask me why I keep paddling? Why put myself through it all, over and over again. I've been fortunate and have experienced it all - the highs and the lows. Maybe it is like Alex with his photography (*), but maybe it is what Drew writes about so well here?

With Eileen - Ealing / London (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Eileen - Ealing / London (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Truro Blue - Truro / Cornwall (Sun 06 Sep 2012)

Truro Blue - Truro / Cornwall (Sun 06 Sep 2012)
Seem to have a liking for the colour blue (*) and the abstract (*). I like this very much and it is one of my best - all modesty aside - smiling to myself.

On Believing - Alex Coghe / In 35mm (Thu 21 Jun 2012)

Cross - Somewhere between Lourdes and Col de Portet d'Aspet / France (Wed 23 Sep 2009)
In Order from Chaos: The Essence of Photography, (*), Photographer and Writer, Alex Coghe (*) writes:

If you believe, you are stronger and the light (*) will reward you.

While Alex makes this observation from his experiences with Street Photography, from my own experiences I would say it can be applied to all aspects of our lives.

Church - Somewhere between Lourdes and Col de Portet d'Aspet / France (Wed 23 Sep 2009)

On Succeeding - Drew Ginn (Mon 18 Jun 2012)

Boats - Cambridge / UK (Thu 03 Sep 2009)
Drew Ginn (*) abstracts the following On Succeeding from yesterday's win (*) in Munich..

To succeed [..] we sort of need to want it less. To care but care less. To push but push less and to create without trying hard.

As he indicates ..

.. this sound stupid but its [..] the complete opposite [that] is need[ed] to achieve what's desired.

I know exactly what he writes about. It does not make sense, but it does in so many ways.

Drew, good luck to you and your crew for your final preparation and assault on London 2012.

On Letting Go - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass (Wed 30 May 2012)

Joanne - Haute-Pyrenees (Tue 22 Sep 2009)
Spencer Lum (*) writes (*) ..

Be willing to give up yesterday. Let go of [..] Stay out of your comfort zone. Make room for tomorrow’s you. Opportunity is limitless, but time is preciously limited. Don’t rest on laurels and past achievement. Let every day be its own. Because if it is all about journey, there really is no point of arrival, and there is no place to be. There is just getting up and giving it a go.

From Forget the Destination. Love the Journey. (*) by Spencer Lum (*).

Water - Lac Nere / Haute-Pyrenees / France (Tue 22 Sep 2009)

Water - Lac Nere / Haute-Pyrenees / France (Tue 22 Sep 2009)
At the far end of a long walk, we sit by this beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere. The water was incredibly clear. We scattered some of Jenny's Ashes here so we will always remember this day and place.

900th Post.