We all know that the photographic capabilities of smartphones are incredible. The miniature camera(s) on the digital phone are both a huge benefit and a major influence on the purchase decisions. They are a vital selling point.
Plant Brains
You probably have enough oxygen to realise that conscious thought becomes increasingly difficult as the level of oxygen decreases. You’ve probably always known that brain death happens very rapidly. You may even know that decay starts within 5 minutes of an interruption to the supply of oxygen. In short, you might not know it as hypoxia. Yes, brain hypoxia can cause severe brain damage or death surprisingly quickly.
Magnolia 377
The Southern Magnolia aka Magnolia grandiflora and I’ve located one so far. Oh, but you don’t know what I mean even though you guessed from the title that this is journal #377.
March, being the month of magnolias, will be marked this year by my challenging myself to make a chapbook of magnolia photos. Magnolia will be the next photozine from Bracket Books Ireland.
Earthquake
‘It was drizzling most of the way, cold enough for gloves for the first hour and thereafter, wet, particularly so once I fell in the sea. After climbing across the granite/schist contact that separates White Rock and Killiney strands, I was walking in the shoals of wave washed glacial till that cover Killiney Beach. I chose the walk to have lots of different surfaces to help train my legs; steep steps, grass, heavy pebble beach and some climbing over huge boulders. Anyway, I needed to catch my breath and decided to take a picture at the water’s edge. The undertow sucked the pebbles from under my feet. I had the iPhone in photo mode. Over and in I went, the phone too. I grabbed the phone as a small wave broke over us and it still worked. My rain gear kept most of the water out though my pockets and shoes did fill up. It felt strange after spending an hour watching TV coverage of today’s tsunami in Japan.’
List
I could tell you a story or two to explain why I’ve not been posting journals for a few weeks. Instead, I’ll tell you that I’ve been occupied on my next chapbook project. I’ve been consumed by what I needed to learn in order to make it worth doing.
Shambles
Imagine being a year locked down for a pandemic and two and a half years into retirement. You’d probably get a tad frustrated at being unable to do things you postponed for a decade or two before retiring. Things like exploring new (to me) places and new (to me) arts. Or challenges like going to Rome on foot from Manchester. Of course I’m free to explore new (to me) ideas by way of books and a web of electronic transmissions (without which I couldn’t order the books).
