Day: November 1, 2020

Who Won the Week (1 November 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

Fed up hearing about Biden and Trump?

Even in the UK we are fed up with hearing about the US presidential election, so heaven knows how bad it must be in the USA.

But one company has come to the rescue. Hotels.com are giving one lucky person the chance to live under their very ovn rock for the week! In fact this is a man-made cave, fifty feet underground, which has been hewn out of the rock in New Mexico, near the town of San Juan.

As you can see, the cave has electricity throughout. It also boasts running water, wi-fi, TV and a kitchen which includes microwave and refrigerator.

Still not convinced? Well, maybe the price will temp you? The cave was available at the “presidential rate” of a mere $5/night, with a discount of 20% being offered to early-bird bookings.

And, if you feel that life in a cave for a week might get a little… boring, never fear. In addition to the doorstep attraction of… hiking, if you’re prepared to travel that bit farther you can treat yourself to a round of golf (only a few miles away), or you’re only 10 miles away from San Juan’s (pop 592) casino, for that added pizzazz!

Full details, including several more images, here. Looks lovely!

Life through the Lens (1 November 2020)

As my previous series came to an end, I had the idea to post some of my own photographs.

When my eyes were better, I used to enjoy photography. I had some decent kit and was around just as digital photography was taking off. Although it was strictly a hobby for me, two of my photos were published. One rural shot of hay bales ended up in a brochure made by the UK’s NFU (farming), another ended up in a coffee-table book about lighthouses. I wasn’t David Bailey but a couple of times, I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

I thought I’d share some. All these photographs were taken by me, I own the copyright so if you’d like to use any, go for it. Just so long as you don’t use them to make any money.

My aim is to publish weekly again but this time, on Sunday afternoons. I’m just going to repeat this spiel each week, too, for the benefit of new readers, so you can safely skip to the camera graphic to save reading the blurb each time.

If you look at the category above (high on left, by the date), I’ll put every photo in that same category so you can find previously-published photos. If I feel a photo needs some explanation, I’ll maybe write a line or two to go with it. Like the last time, I’ll keep going until I run out of steam. Oh, and feel free to join in, if the fancy takes you.

I’ve linked to a higher-res umage under each photo.

A lot closer to home this week. About an hour away from us, we have an ape rescue centre called Monkeyworld. It has an international reputation, even has a TV series following life at the park. It is mainly known for rescuing chimps who have been used as props in the tourist trade. But their interest, really, is any ape which has been forced to live outside of its natural habitat.

What amazed me was that there are online groups, where peoplevisit the sanctuary so frequently, they recognise individual chimps. So I found out that my photo today is of Marjolene. I love her pensive expresssion. I remember having to play with the camera settings, as we were indoors, she was behind glass, and I didn’t want to get glare by using a flash.

Fandango’s One Word Challenge (1 November 2020)

for Fandango’s One Word Challenge(FOWC), ominous.