500

Well, after a few weeks break my camera hand was rested enough to take a photo. I stopped blipping partly because I just couldn't think of something worthwhile to photograph for my 500th and partly because I was out of ideas full stop. I didn't plan to do a blip today but while watching the sunrise over the bay, I got the urge to take a few pics. Not my best effort, but the moment was so nice I decided to share it. I think I mentioned on 400 that I had used water, air and earth in my blipdays. Well, the big fireball on the horizon continues the element theme.

I was waaaay out on the bay fishing with my friend Tony. We launched the boat at 3.30am in the hope that the fish would be on the bite in the hours before dawn. Last night was very windy but as I expected the wind died down between 2.30 and 3am. It was quite rough on the way out though because the sea hadn't had a chance to calm yet. Navigating choppy sea in the dark isn't all that easy and I think Tony was a bit nervous. My boat handled the conditions well though. It has been windy for weeks now so the only real time to go out is early in the morning at the moment. As I type this it is late morning and blowing a gale again. Mind you it is quite hot so I am not complaining.

The fishing was a mixed bag: Squire, Grinner, Bream, Tailor, Whiting and a Stingray. Tony took the Whiting home for dinner. He has never cleaned a fish before so that is going to be interesting.

Dawn was slow to arrive but when the sun poked itself above the horizon, it happened quite quickly. I got a battery alert on my camera but it hung in there. The boat in shot is a professional crabber moving moving between their pots. I can think of worse jobs.

Thanks Joe and Co for providing such a first class website, all for free.

Thanks also to my regular commenters.

I will try and comment more in future. My plan is to blip only when the mood takes me from now on. Taking photos for the sake of it is no fun. I would rather aim for quality, not quantity. Anyway, that should leave me more time to comment.

Oh, and moderators, the text is done by drawing with selection, the same as I have done in the past.