Early Morning Medley

Indulge!

As I post today's blip this evening I am still at the office and will be for a while yet I fear. Some more urgent bug-fixing to be attended to before I leave for home. It's the nature of the beast I'm afraid. I'm a bit of a slave to my software, but it does also give me many freedoms when it's not locking me inside like now. I shouldn't really complain.

I woke up very early this morning with the brightest of light coming in through the window. Despite a late night working It was impossible to turn over and get back to sleep knowing that there must be great blips out there to be had. I wasn't sure (one never is) but I suspected I'd have something nice to post today when I eventually got a chance to look at my booty!

I've been overwhelmed today by so many lovely comments. You've honoured me greatly with your words and I look forward to getting around to thanking everyone individually over the next couple of days, and seeing what you've been up to. You're all stars. The only problem with this whole blip experience is that there just aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with all the journals that I'd ideally like to follow! I'm sure everyone can relate to that.

More than anything else blipping has provided me with a much deeper appreciation of my surroundings. I have taken a whole new pride in this little corner of the world where I live. And it's also helped me take a certain little pride in myself. I don't mind admitting that! Where my days used to be centred around my training run or ride, and how I was going to squeeze that into my working and family life, it has now become focussed on where my bip is going to come from. I'm finding that this new pursuit is actually a lot more fun than the previous one! It's good that they're not mutually exclusive.

I should admit that I have it easy compared to a lot of people here because my environment and lifestyle provides for lots of great blip opportunities. I live in Ilkley on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and work in Shipley on the edge of a World Heritage Site resounding with echoes of our industrial past. It's hard to go wrong really! I have found that cycling and blipping have a wonderful synergy. Whilst out cycling I have found some great blips - but also the now very important desire to get a good blip has got me out on the bike when I quite probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise. Last night being one such occasion. Tired from a difficult day at the office it would have been all too easy to have stayed home and blobbed out with the boys. I had a much more rewarding and energised evening as a result of being forced outside to blip.

There are more thoughts I would like to add on the community aspect of this experience but that will have to wait for another day. Work beckons. Thanks again to everyone out there who has made me feel like I am a photographer and given me some belief that I have a little bit of talent at this lark. As a result I'm eager to experiment and learn and improve, and there is no better place to do that, I believe, than here - but you do need to let me know if I post something that doesn't work for you! I'm very receptive to constructive criticism.