pink top

I was so made up with my pic from yesterday, so I decided in a moment of blipmadness to set the alarm ultra-early and get up in the dark so I could fire off a load of sunrise-lit shots.

It may not sound mad to many, but to someone who loves their bed as much as me it was. I almost didn't get up, but I did - which is a good thing because otherwise I would've missed the best morning of my life so far (except for the morning I proposed and the morning I got wed, obviously). Standing in a field in the pitch black with nothing but my camera, my tripod, my gloves, a warm coat and a bananaforbreakfast to keep me company was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

If none of you have tried it yet, give it a pop. Hearing all the little things spring to life as the light slowly grows is something else: The owls wipadawooing, the birds testing their morning chorus vocals, the farmers putting their wellies on to the excited approval of the dogs, the tractors waking up, the lights in the village further down slowly twinkling off, the sun warming the air and melting the frost on the ground, the mist floating along in drifts of cotton wool, an early morning jogger gravelkicking past on the lane behind me, the two foxes that trampled the field back to wherever, the cat that prowled the other way just in time for breakfast and even the odd contrail cutting a red line in the freshly born sky. And all graced by the sunrise itself, with marshmallow pinks to pure gold graduating over everything.

I took about 150 photos rooted to the same spot throughout, some intended for panoramas, some for blip, some just for me and some for a rainy day (if ever I decide to do something with my picture taking). I had a nightmare trying to choose one for my blip.

(rest of the day roundup: out mountain biking with friends at 10.30 (fantastic), spot of leaf sweeping after lunch (quite nice in an 'I like autumn' kynda way), tea with a friend, rugby world cup final with my bestbuddyboyos (get in springbox!) and finally 2 bottles of red wine with lady sp33d and her mate, who stayed over. A TOP day.)