Monday 6 August 2007
Lightning
Had the most amazinf thunder and lightning last night. Never seen anything like it. For over an hour there was a flash of sheet or fork lightning every few seconds!! The thunder was just constant.. on and on. Closest I've ever seen to that was up in the Rockies where you'd get something similar sometimes but it would never last longer than 5 mins or so.
Sunday 5 August 2007
New 'arty' video
I've stuck a short new video on my torvizcon phanfare album.
I wanted to create something which was like watercolours and pencil sketches of the villa, etc. Sort of like you see of Tuscany, etc.
Anyway 3 or 4 hours with Virtualdub, Sony Vegas and a few other bits and bobs and this is the result.
This is a still from the video so you can see the sort of effect I was going for.
Friday 3 August 2007
One week gone
Thought I'd post a few piccies from the winding streets of Torvizcon. All taken with my Nokia N95 phone if that interests u...
Wednesday 1 August 2007
45 degrees in the shade!!
That's 113 F in old money.
It peaks at about 5pm in the day. Really really hot. Nice though. It's so dry.
I noticed today, that metal in the shade is even nearly too hot to touch.. so even the air has heated it up.
Bloody bliss lying by/in the pool. Still got aboot 1/3 of Harry Plopper to read.
I've built the mountiain bike up, but tbh I'm not sure it's gonna get much use... I mean mountain biking (and it would be up and down mountains) in 45+ degrees heat would be slightly mental.
I think the best thing is maybe to get up early one morning and go for a bike run. It's coolest when the sun rises. By about 11am it is getting very hot, so it'd need to be pretty much after sunrise.
Saying that, I ain't planning anything.. it's a holiday. If it happens it happens.
I'll buy a place here in a heartbeat though... it's just so perfect and quiet, and hot.. :-)
It peaks at about 5pm in the day. Really really hot. Nice though. It's so dry.
I noticed today, that metal in the shade is even nearly too hot to touch.. so even the air has heated it up.
Bloody bliss lying by/in the pool. Still got aboot 1/3 of Harry Plopper to read.
I've built the mountiain bike up, but tbh I'm not sure it's gonna get much use... I mean mountain biking (and it would be up and down mountains) in 45+ degrees heat would be slightly mental.
I think the best thing is maybe to get up early one morning and go for a bike run. It's coolest when the sun rises. By about 11am it is getting very hot, so it'd need to be pretty much after sunrise.
Saying that, I ain't planning anything.. it's a holiday. If it happens it happens.
I'll buy a place here in a heartbeat though... it's just so perfect and quiet, and hot.. :-)
Tuesday 31 July 2007
Bull Fighting
Watched my first bullfight on the tele a few nights ago. Never seen one before, just wee snippets.
I have to say it was educational. I can see the attraction of bit of it. It's like a blood sport version of american wrestling merged with gladiators.
The bull comes out and has a wee run about thinking 'what the hell is all this then'
then the matador makes an appearance with a large red/pink sheet.
He flaps it about a bit, and the bull made a half hearted charge at it then walked away (are the bulls trained ? I dunno). He tried again, but clearly the bull was really not that bothered about it all.
After about 5 mins the crowd obviously started to get restless so this other bloke on horseback comes out. The horse has a suit of armour on made of what looks like wicker/cane to protect it.
The bloke on horseback goes up to the bull which is not too bothered at this stage and gets a 10 foot stick with a large spike on the end... He then procedes to stab the bull in the back with it.
Not deep, just an inch or so, but keeps at it.. stab stab stab... I assume to try and piss the bull off.
This works (surprise) and the bull starts to get a bit fecked off with all this stabbing at it... I mean wtf did it do it's probably thinking... christ I left that bloke alone, even though he was goading me with that sheet, and this is the thanks I get....
So, the horseback stabber retreats and the matador comes forward again.
All this time the matador is acting like he is in some sort of pantomine... playing to the crowd.. big gestures like 'fa... this bull is not worthy of me... look at me, I am a god.. look at the socks I have stuck in my stupid looking skin tight spandex suit covered in gold buttons', etc , etc
So now the bull starts charging and the matador starts playing with the bull. It's a big sheet at this time so not really a lot of skill as far as I can see, the bull seems not to really give a toss about the bull fighter, just the sheet (hence me wondering again if they are trained to hate the sheet..).
After a bit he goes in, and gets a smaller sheet.
He now starts the pantomime bit again, but it's clear now that some skill is involved. He can clearly 'read the bull'. the bull onlt charges when he tells it to. Sometimes he turns his back to the bull and walks away (the crowd like this bit). I am assuming that this is what seperated the good bullfighters out.. this affinity/empathy with the bull.
After a bit with this, he goes away and some other matadors come out whose job is to run up to the bull and stick 2 spikes into it with the fluffy bits on the end.
There are 3 sets of these guys. Basically their skill seems to involved sneaking up to the bull, stabbing it then running like f*ck and jumping over the wall.
The bull by this stage is looking a bit fecked... its saying 'what the hell have I done to deserve this ?'.
Anyway, to a big round of appluase the matador comes back out with a wee sheet this time and a sword.
He ponces about a lot this time, goading the bull. sometimes making it charge, sometime not. Sometimes just going up to it and looking it in the eyes (bull just looks back)... sometimes even getting up to it to pat it.
Eventually he starts stroking its head with the sword.
Anyway, a bit of a pantomime ensues again.. will be stab it.. no... this time ? no.
I am assuming that ideally he is supposed to lunge the sword in the once and the bull is dead ?
Anyway, he has a go... sword goes in about 6 inches, sticks there... he turns round bowing to the crowd, but the sword falls out, and the bull is still up.
So he gets another sword, and pantomime again... following my stabbing number 2.
Again, the bull stays up.
He get close ups of the matador here, and he does not look best chuffed.
After the 4th stabbing and the bull staying up the crowd has clearly had enough, and the bull is looking really sorry for itself, but still on its feet...
They are clearly then about to bring something else on... maybe killer dogs or trained eagles to peck its eyes out ?... but the bull finally has had enough and topples onto its side.
The crowd cheers.
I have to say it was educational. I can see the attraction of bit of it. It's like a blood sport version of american wrestling merged with gladiators.
The bull comes out and has a wee run about thinking 'what the hell is all this then'
then the matador makes an appearance with a large red/pink sheet.
He flaps it about a bit, and the bull made a half hearted charge at it then walked away (are the bulls trained ? I dunno). He tried again, but clearly the bull was really not that bothered about it all.
After about 5 mins the crowd obviously started to get restless so this other bloke on horseback comes out. The horse has a suit of armour on made of what looks like wicker/cane to protect it.
The bloke on horseback goes up to the bull which is not too bothered at this stage and gets a 10 foot stick with a large spike on the end... He then procedes to stab the bull in the back with it.
Not deep, just an inch or so, but keeps at it.. stab stab stab... I assume to try and piss the bull off.
This works (surprise) and the bull starts to get a bit fecked off with all this stabbing at it... I mean wtf did it do it's probably thinking... christ I left that bloke alone, even though he was goading me with that sheet, and this is the thanks I get....
So, the horseback stabber retreats and the matador comes forward again.
All this time the matador is acting like he is in some sort of pantomine... playing to the crowd.. big gestures like 'fa... this bull is not worthy of me... look at me, I am a god.. look at the socks I have stuck in my stupid looking skin tight spandex suit covered in gold buttons', etc , etc
So now the bull starts charging and the matador starts playing with the bull. It's a big sheet at this time so not really a lot of skill as far as I can see, the bull seems not to really give a toss about the bull fighter, just the sheet (hence me wondering again if they are trained to hate the sheet..).
After a bit he goes in, and gets a smaller sheet.
He now starts the pantomime bit again, but it's clear now that some skill is involved. He can clearly 'read the bull'. the bull onlt charges when he tells it to. Sometimes he turns his back to the bull and walks away (the crowd like this bit). I am assuming that this is what seperated the good bullfighters out.. this affinity/empathy with the bull.
After a bit with this, he goes away and some other matadors come out whose job is to run up to the bull and stick 2 spikes into it with the fluffy bits on the end.
There are 3 sets of these guys. Basically their skill seems to involved sneaking up to the bull, stabbing it then running like f*ck and jumping over the wall.
The bull by this stage is looking a bit fecked... its saying 'what the hell have I done to deserve this ?'.
Anyway, to a big round of appluase the matador comes back out with a wee sheet this time and a sword.
He ponces about a lot this time, goading the bull. sometimes making it charge, sometime not. Sometimes just going up to it and looking it in the eyes (bull just looks back)... sometimes even getting up to it to pat it.
Eventually he starts stroking its head with the sword.
Anyway, a bit of a pantomime ensues again.. will be stab it.. no... this time ? no.
I am assuming that ideally he is supposed to lunge the sword in the once and the bull is dead ?
Anyway, he has a go... sword goes in about 6 inches, sticks there... he turns round bowing to the crowd, but the sword falls out, and the bull is still up.
So he gets another sword, and pantomime again... following my stabbing number 2.
Again, the bull stays up.
He get close ups of the matador here, and he does not look best chuffed.
After the 4th stabbing and the bull staying up the crowd has clearly had enough, and the bull is looking really sorry for itself, but still on its feet...
They are clearly then about to bring something else on... maybe killer dogs or trained eagles to peck its eyes out ?... but the bull finally has had enough and topples onto its side.
The crowd cheers.
Saturday 28 July 2007
Torvizcon -day 1
Cool.
well, got here at last.
flight was on time and ok, apart from the fact I was sitting next to mother and baby for 2 1/2 hours... so we had the full cycle from crying to feeding to shiting.
Still here at last.
Wow... what a place. It' stuck in a little valley. Less than 1000 people. Mostly farming. Definately not touristy. Absoltutely awesome.
It's 9.30pm and still 34 degrees in the shade !!!!
My wee villa is the bees knees.... lovely private garden, pool, sun area, shady area... then inside great kitchen, lovely living room opening to a vast balcony and sun deck.
I tell u, this is the sort of place I'd live to own.
That's a pic from the living room balcony.
I've sadly... done a 4 min video of a 'tour round the house'. you can see that here:
http://powerlord.phanfare.com/album/360787#imageID=22468095
Dunno how much use the new mountain bike is gonna get with the heat....
Also, I missed the shops and tomorrow is sunday, so I have to survive on what's in the house till then. Luckily the owners got me a few bits and bobs in, so tonight and knocked up a pork curry with some onions, peppers and spices.
I am still alive after eating it.
Saturday 21 July 2007
Monday 9 July 2007
Just added a new gallery to phanfare with stills and video from 6th June flight over Kilncadzow, Carluke, Lanark and New Lanark. You can download original resolution images, and video from there too.
Basically this is a personal blog for me, friends and family.
I'll post stories, pics and vids of paramotor flights mostly, but if any other stuff comes up in my life, then I'll be trying to update the blog with that too.
Most of the updates will be via PC, but I've got a Nokia N95 all set up with 3g access too, so hopefully will be posting pictures and videos direct from that too.
stu
I'll post stories, pics and vids of paramotor flights mostly, but if any other stuff comes up in my life, then I'll be trying to update the blog with that too.
Most of the updates will be via PC, but I've got a Nokia N95 all set up with 3g access too, so hopefully will be posting pictures and videos direct from that too.
stu
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