Virtual Office Monday 24th August...

[byslantedlight]

Who was a good little bunny, and got up early, and was at her desk and working actually before nine o'clock this morning? Me, that's who! And who has been working through all that time, and yet is only just about to start on the actual bit of the job that I get paid for...? *sighs* - me...

On the bright side - rain! Relative cool! So much nicer than the nasssty 28.8C that we had on Saturday, all humid and heavy with wanting to rain but not quite managing it... I did nip down to Stourhead for a wander around the gardens, cos I'm usually up in the house and yet it's famous for its gardens. Oddly few flowers, though the lake was nice of course - and there's already an autumnal tree by the pantheon (which I'll be conservation cleaning later this week, btw, as a change... *g*)

Sunday was all quiet and tucked-up-inside, which I hadn't meant to do, but was nice. I was going to go to Bath and splash out on a new camera, because all the way around Stourhead I wanted to take better pictures - but... laziness. And then I remembered this morning that the current cashback offer runs out on... ack, Wednesday! So if I'm gonna do it, 'twere best 'twere done quickly... i.e. tomorrow. Which means getting on with work again after this posting-break...

But there was writing this weekend too - yeay (including a next installment for the still-ongoing discoveredinalj Round Robin Challenge *g*). And writing-research. And I finally watched Tripod tells the Story of Tosswinkle the Pirate (Not Very Well) and it was every bit as good as I was expecting. *g* Meanwhile, have a Lonesome Gregarious Cowboy to cheer up Monday morning...

Did you have a good weekend?

Comments

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

I am swiping one of your pictures for my computer wallpaper, if I may? :-) The fourth one, of the water through the trees, is gorgeous. Well, they are all gorgeous, but that one in particular.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Of course you may - what a lovely thought, that the pic is going to good use! *g* If only I'd had my proper camera, it could have been even more so... *sighs* It was lovely and calm there - maybe I need to gaze on the pic a bit actually, cos right now the Christian festival up the road is doing my head in with its pounding bass as I'm trying to work. It's 11am on a Monday morning, people - tone it down! If it's not done by 11.30, I'm seriously going to be driven from my house/desk/office... grrrr!

So your question has definitely cheered me up. *g*

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Festival? On a Monday? at 11 in the morning? with super-bass?? Oh, that's just WRONG, not to say incredibly RUDE. Thinking peaceful quiet thoughts for you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

And it's raining! Why can't they go indoors like normal Monday morning people - they ain't Glastonbury...! *sighs* Was bad enough in the evenings. For the last three weeks. *sighs* I shall try to be patient a bit longer though - tomorrow seems to be the last day... *crosses fingers*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

What gorgeous photos - if that's what you do with a not-so-good camera, then yay! for getting an even better one!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! *g*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Lovely pictures, as always. Especially that of the pantheon. Will you be posting pictures of the cleaning?

And back to Bath! I'm really looking forward to those pictures, as I start my own itinerary. :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I expect I'll take a pic of the cleaning if I can - I'm not entirely sure what we'll be doing, it looked pretty shiny in there the other day!

And hee - I won't be able to take pics of Bath with a new camera if I buy one, cos I'll need to charge the battery, but I can probably manage one or two on this week (phone) camera... tomorrow, hopefully - if I can get on with work now...

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Ha, I was working this morning, too!
I started the work laptop shortly before ten, because there was airing and hanging up clothes and procrastinating...
And I stopped working because it started to rain and I had to hang up the stuff inside....but that's alright, RAIN!!! Yay!!

I was such a good girl and I called 13 numbers from my list of 286.....

But it was so much easier this time, than the first time I called, I'm getting the hang and I really talked very earnestly with myself to call some more, but I said no....tomorrow is another day and even though I'm Maus-less today, because she slept at the grandparents place, I started to potter around with my Cloud again.
I have to go shopping, because we didn't go on saturday, we came home from Denmark around five pm and unpacked and washed and stuff.
So, shopping I will have to go.

Hopefully you're more succesful with your work the rest of the day, good job starting so early!! *g*
And such wonderful pics, reminds me of my visit there earlier this year, it is just so beautiful!!
Lucky you for getting to visit so often. I might have to watch Pride and Prejudice again...*ggg*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Go you, 13/286! *g* You good girl, you! Hope shopping's fun too.

I was distracted in the middle with the stoopid bass beat of the stoopid festival up the road, and so I... um... might have worked a bit on my tranferring-a-photo-to-canvas experiment too... (so far so good! *g*) I need to get back to work now...

Stourhead is very pretty - I hardly ever go into the gardens though - and there's walks I need to do further afield, as well... but for now, work...

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Beautiful photos - I especially loved the trees with the misty light. I take it that you couldn't get the screw out of your old camera? What a pity! Still, nice to have an excuse to buy a new one. Do you have a particular camera in mind? I'm tossing up whether to buy a new one before going to NZ next year, or to rely on the one I bought in 2010 (totally obsolete now in terms of pixels - in fact my phone has a higher pixel size - but it hasn't had a lot of use)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And no, couldn't get that last screw out for love nor money... I'd rather not have bought a new camera now, to be honest, cos they're not cheap and I really need a holiday - but I also know that I'll enjoy all the holidays much more if I have a proper camera again. I always feel as if something's missing if I don't have one, even if I have my phone camera as a substitute!

I'm hoping to go for a Nikon D5300, I think - as long as the camera grip feels solid. I've got a Nikon lens that I could use with it, so it makes sense to stick with them. I was going to go for the 3300, but actually there's a feature or two on the 5300 that I quite fancy playing with. The 5600 isn't apparently a big improvement on the 5300, and I'm not fussed about the touch screen, so... as long as the grip's okay - a 5300!

What do you have now? You know, if your old camera has a good sensor, it might still be better than something else you might buy now, even with fewer pixels.. not that I've been reading up or anything... *g*

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

My old camera isn't a DSLR and that's one of the reasons why I was thinking of replacing - it's a Nikon Coolpix, a pretty basic model, but I liked the balance of it and it wasn't too expensive for an occasional photographer. I've been looking at the 3300 actually, as a possibility.... whatever, if I DO get a new camera, it will have to have a viewfinder and not just the digital screen on the back which is impossible to see in bright sunlight.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I had a Coolpix years ago, they're pretty decent. Although it was the kind with a viewfinder - I couldn't handle just a screen at all! I often offer to take photos of people when I'm out and about and I see a couple or group who're trying to make memories, and I'm always thrown when it's a camera with just a screen - the first few times I could barely work out how to do it properly! *g*

I was going to go for the 3300, it looks pretty decent and the reviews have been good. It looks like it's a worth-the-money improvement from the 3200 (which the 5600 isn't from the 5300 unless you want the touch screen). If you're going for a DLSR instead of an ordinary compact, I'd say go for it - so much more fun! *g*

[ci5mates.livejournal.com]

Stunning piccies, what a peaceful setting and a lovely place to relax.

Is this an okay place to let you know what story I will be reviewing for the reading room 10/9 or would you rather a PM?

***goes to search for the round robin story and the next installment***

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The setting doesn't half help when you're taking photos... *g*

And sorry - you did tell me about the story and I didn't reply or add it, but I have now!

[ci5mates.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Stourhead looks gorgeous - all that lush dark green. And go you with your conservation cleaning of the Pantheon, keeping it gorgeous for everybody else!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It was very green there - though I was expecting more flowers still!

And go me, all covered in Pantheon dust and potentially pigeon poo... *g*

[dollidaydream.livejournal.com]

Fabulous photos. I'm not sure why, but I like NT properties the most in autumn. (Well, I know that it is not actually autumn *yet*, but it feels like it might soon be.) I'm off to Bath next week to see the Canaletto exhibition at the art gallery whose name I've forgotten!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I like NT places in autumn too - though that might just be cos I like autumn... *g* And sometimes I like them in winter (oh, Anglesey Abbey!). And sometimes spring.., *vbg*

Yeay Bath! I'd say feel free to drop in on your way past, but I suspect you'll be very exhibition-y... *g* I've not been to any art gallery in Bath yet, so I've no idea about names. I need to get on an remedy that really... *g*

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

What fantastic photos. Can't wait to see what you can do with a new camera.

I tried to read the next instalment of the Round Robin Challenge, got to the bottom of page 2 on LJ, but couldn't get on to the next page. Is there more on Page 3?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hello - how nice to see you! *g*

And thank you! I'm glad you like the pics! *g*

You should be able to read the installments in the actual post itself - I've been cutting and pasting them into it. There are two parts to that, but you've probably found those links. Just in case... *g*

Part One
Part Two

The installments are written in the comments first of course - I think we're only page 2 on the Part Two post - but the last installment is at the bottom of page 1, it's just a couple of comments that are on the second comment page. If that makes sense! *g*

[(Anonymous)]

Ahhh beautiful pictures!!!! Your kind of weekend sounds and looks so much like my kind of weekend [sighs enviously]. Interestingly enough; we had matching temperatures the other day = things are warming up to delicious mid-late 20's here too = yay! I will have to check this round-robin out too - where can I find it? I've been missing your writing. ....Kiashi

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well thank you! I'm just on my way to bed at last, (but popped in to say hi) cos I'm off tomorrow morning to clean that Pantheon in the pic - wish me luck, and not too much rain! *g* I'm pleased things are cooling down again here - I don't want your high-20s very often, thanks! *g*

If you look in the comment above this one, there are links to the Round Robin story - it's in two parts, over at discoveredinalj. You'll have to see if you can pick out my bits, though, it was a joint effort...! *g*

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for the heads up on the Round Robin story - can't wait to read it and yes I will be looking for yours especially [lol]. Had a horrendous day. On my way home from the dentist where I had a tooth pulled [erk] I was then hassled by some strange bloke in black at the station - 3 times before I finally asked for help from the station crew who were watching it all unfold on the monitors. Scared him off only to discover he lives in a street not far from me! Where are the lads when I need 'em?...Kiashi

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The story's not quite finished yet - we're working on it! *g*

Erk for your horrendous day though, that sounds horrid! Hope your tooth at least won't give you any bother now - and the strange bloke too... Hopefully he just thought you looked nice and didn't know how to deal with that, and you're not too fretted by it all...