ON THE FLOOR/GROUND

Well, if you needed any convincing that I am slightly (!) mad, then this blip must be the one that confirms it!

Decided to take a photograph of the front of the Royal Arcade in Boscombe as it is such a lovely building - completed in the late summer of 1892, it provided an all-weather promenade and shopping centre, which it still is today.

I got down on one knee to take a photograph, and was asked by a young man if I was all right - he thought I had fallen over (and I had not been drinking, I assured him, but was, in fact, on my way to church!)

Then another couple came along and asked the same thing - so I explained about blipping and told them my challenge today was "ON THE FLOOR/GROUND" but said I hesitated to lie down to take the photograph, whereupon the man said that it would only take a couple of seconds, so why not do it?

Why not indeed? So here is the front entrance of the Royal Arcade, with "Yours Truly" at the top right - just to prove I did take it lying "on the ground" and how fortunate I got up quickly, because 2 minutes later, two young mums came along and asked if they could help me up and then a police car drove by, so I blipped that too! I wonder what they would have thought if they had seen me?

Then I wended my way to the Salvation Army, where I enjoyed a good service and some words from the reading resonated with me:

…….by the grace of God, I am what I am.
1 Corinthians 15 : 10
New International Version

By the time I got back down to the beach and wandered along the pier, the wind was gale force, and the rain was hammering down. I walked along with a young couple and told them I was going to take some photographs from under the pier and the man said how good it was to hear someone being so positive, especially in this weather - perhaps he meant "mad" but despite being almost blown over, it was worth it.

Old age is an excellent time for outrage.
My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week.
Louis Kronenberger