Inside an orchid

And suddenly it’s by 1000th blip! When I first started blipping, such figures seemed an eternity away - and yet, here we are. 

This is the third milestone in a row that’s occurred while we’ve been away from home, and technically, my 1000th should have been yesterday when we were in transit to Madeira. However, I really couldn’t bring myself to blip any of the airport or hotel shots, so I’m missing out a day for the first time since I started; I may well  back-blip later. 

The journey here went well - flights even early, though getting through passport control in Funchal airport took an age. I must admit I’ve found it all exhausting - but I don’t suppose this should came as a surprise. 

It’s lovely to be here in warmth and sunshine - though at the moment there’s a bit of a personal battle going on; I feel I should be heading out exploring the city once again, but my body tells me I need to just stay here and rest. Right now, you’ll be pleased to know, I’m listening - and but for a few photos, most of my day has been spent lying on the bed. 

This means the type of shot I’d like to post today just isn’t possible, location limited to the hotel and grounds. 

It seems a good time to look back to what I wrote way back in December 2020 - and I’ve finally got round to updating my profile page. I’m pleased to say I’ve been successful in my aim to take photos everyday using my ‘proper’ camera rather than my iPhone - though I still feel iPhone’s take fantastic wide angle shots, and sometimes it’s definitely easier to go with convenience! 

My old faithful Canon 7D has been pensioned off, replaced by the 90D. More recently, of course, I joined the mirrorless revolution with an R7. Hopefully, over the last 1000 blips, I’ve improved my skills; I’ve certainly developed my knowledge - of photography, but also of natural history, something I didn’t expect - and thanks to challenges, I’ve expanded my repertoire of styles and subjects though, of course, I’ve still got huge amounts to learn!

And in terms of engaging with other blippers, that side of blipping has been a joy. Viewing amazing shots from fellow photographers around the world is often inspirational, and sharing something of the lives of others is a privilege.  Most of all, the support and kindness of the blip community - especially during my current illness - has been absolutely wonderful. 

So it’s with gratitude for all this that I post my 1000th blip - and with special thanks to those whose background dedication allows all this to happen. 

Finally, a very special thank you to G without whose love, patience and willingness to drive me to locations, few photos would be possible!