• English Breakfast

    Weston-super-Mare Breakfast – This has to be done every once in a while. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Vacation Day 3 – A hearty breakfast

    This is not quite what I would call a full English breakfast, as it was missing black pudding. It was a very nice breakfast, though, complete with a cup of tea. It was a good start for a busy day. A busy day that included a drive to Cheddar Gorge, a trip to Bath where we spent many hours touring the Roman Baths, and we then had a look around Bath Abbey. We also managed to fit in a row over navigation in Swansea, and ended up somewhere, I can’t remember but it was a God forsaken place, which did at least have an Indian restaurant. The evening’s entertainment was provided by an odd dispute between the restaurant staff and a belligerent customer who was much the worse for drink. It finally verged on fisticuffs and the farcical.

    Tomorrow, we head up to north Wales.

  • Connaught Place, Weston-super-Mare

    Connaught Place, Weston-super-Mare. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    We spent some time walking around town working up an appetite, waiting for the café to open for breakfast.

  • Silica, Weston super Mare

    Mouldy Carrot – I have no idea. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Mouldy Carrot – I have no idea. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    A couple more views of Silica, Weston-super-Mare’s giant sperm mouldy carrot statement public art piece. I’m all in favor of public art and unusual, even challenging architecture/art. This doesn’t do it for me. It looks totally out of place, and it doesn’t appear to be well maintained. Maybe seeing it all lit up might make a difference, but I doubt it.

    At least it is doing public service as a receptacle for lost shoes, footballs, and rugby balls.

  • WTF, Bus Shelter or Mouldy Carrot?

    Bus Shelter or Mouldy Carrot? I have no idea. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    I have no idea.

    Officially, it’s a bus shelter and is called Silica – though comments in the local press have called it a mouldy carrot. It had a shop in the base, but that has been converted to a bus shelter.

    We came across this while having an early morning stroll around Weston-super-Mare. I tried to fit as much of it into the frame as I could but obviously failed. I think it bears an uncanny resemblance to a plummeting sperm. But then, of course, I would.

  • Weston-Super-Mare Sunset

    Weston-Super-Mare Sunset

    Vacation Day 2

    Picked up a rental, and we’re headed off towards Wales and Ginger’s first gig. We’ll be a couple of days getting to Wales and take in some sights on the way.

  • Weston-Super-Mare From Our Hotel

    A miniaturized London Eye in Weston-Super-Mare

    Vacation Day 2

    Picked up a rental, and we’re headed off towards Wales and Ginger’s first gig. We’ll be a couple of days getting to Wales and take in some sights on the way.

  • Portsmouth From Fort Widley

    Portsmouth Panorama

    Vacation Day 1

    Portsmouth on a cold wet and windy Tuesday evening. My first attempt at a panorama.

    Portsmouth from Fort Widley.

  • Welcome Home …

    Pork Pie

    Vacation Day 1

    My brother knows how to make us happy. This was waiting for us when we arrived.

  • Vacation!

    Tonight I must sleep, for tomorrow may bring … Pork Pies !!!!!

  • We’re On Our Way to England

    Photograph of Gary and Ginger Allman on board an American Airways 'plane bound for London Heathrow.
    Gary & Ginger Ready for Take-off. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    My sister is getting married.

    So, we’re on our way to England, and we’ll be staying a month. It’s going to be busy as Ginger has a lot of work lined up. We’ll be traveling a lot, and I plan to get in some hiking. We’ll see how that goes.

    And seven hours after this picture was taken we were in England. To make things even better, we had the entire row of four seats to ourselves. This was the first time we’ve tried flying from Charlotte, and we are very impressed, it makes the trip a lot easier.

    Oh, and if my beard looks a bit unkempt, there is a very good reason for that.

    Embarking. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • It’s a Sprink in a Box

    Main Coon Cat - Sprinkles in a small box
    It’s a Sprink in a box. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    No box is too small for our Maine Coon, Supa-dink aka Sprinkles.

  • Steam Punk Wedding Outfit

    Photograph of Gary Allman wearing a Steam Punk outfit featuring a utility kilt and leather vest

    I decided to go all-out on a costume for my sister’s wedding.

    This is not quite the final version as I’m not happy with the shirt and it needs some sleeve bands. The watch chain also needs attention and I ought to pull my socks up!

  • Steam Punk Sidearm

    Photograph of a steam punk weapon / side arm.

    My sister is having a steam punk themed wedding.

    And l have made this steam punk gun for my outfit. After the wedding I’ll give it to them mounted in the frame below.

    I spent a lot longer on making this accessory than I should have, but I’ve never tried making a model like this before.

    Touring the flea-markets looking for parts was fun. I ended up buying and old heat gun and a candlestick. I spent a lot of time working out how to make sure it was TSA friendly for the flight to the UK. The hardest bit was working out how to fix the candlestick in the barrel. The sights are an old transistor and I used a monitor cable, the top of a water bottle and some other bits from my junk box.

    Photograph of a steam punk weapon / side arm.

  • This Weekend’s ‘Compact’ Rental

    Photograph of a BMW Rental vehicle from Enterprise
    The people at Enterprise on South Campbell look after their regular customers. I asked for a compact vehicle for the weekend, this is what they gave me (and unlimited mileage too).

    Grace Church, Carthage, Saturday, and St. Mark’s, Kimberling City, Sunday, here I come.

  • Glendale Speech and Debate Team Banquet

    Lanie & Madison trying not to drop their trophies. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Tonight we went with Lanie to collect her speech and debate trophies

    Apparently it has been a record year – the tables were certainly full to overflowing with all the trophies the team has won. The team is now 13th in the country. Well done everyone!

    Lanie will be going to the National competition in Salt Lake City, Utah in June.

    A record year for trophies and the team is 13th nationwide.
    Glendale Speech & Debate Trophies
    It’s been a record year, and that’s only about two thirds of the trophies the team has won.
    Lanie – Glendale Speech & Debate Team
    Glendale Speech & Debate Team
    Lanie & Madison trying not to drop their trophies. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Lanie & Madison with their trophies
    Lanie & Madison with their trophies
    And of course the teachers deserve lots of recognition too.
    And of course the teachers deserve lots of recognition too.

  • Infinity

    Hotel Eastlund, Portland Oregon. Corridor seemingly stretching to infinity. Black and White Photograph.
    Hotel Eastlund, Portland Oregon

    Clever painting and carpet coordination.

    The areas outside the rooms were painted black and the carpet was also black, creating these visual stripes and making the corridor look like it went on forever.

    You might expect to see two young girls in bloodied party dresses in this corridor.

  • Riverside Walk – Portland Oregon

    Loading Grain – The Ken Mei on the Willamette River, loading near Steel Bridge, Portland Oregon. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    Having settled in at the hotel I decided to go for an afternoon walk, and headed off towards the river.

    For some reason, I thought Portland was near the coast, and I was looking forward to seeing the Pacific. But Portland isn’t on the coast, so this was as near to the sea as I got – The Willamette River.

    Cycle Route Road marking – After an hour or more in Portland, I thought the tales I had heard about Portland being full of bicycles were untrue. Then I saw this and discovered the riverside cycle route. I can confirm, bikes abound in Portland. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Blossom. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Riverside Housing. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Riverside Housing. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Steel Bridge, Portland Oregon. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    River Willamette – Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Wet feet – For some reason I thought Portland was near the coast, and I was looking forward to seeing the Pacific. But portland isn’t on the coast, so this was as near to the sea as I got – The Willamette River. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    After spending an hour or more in Portland, I thought the tales I had heard about Portland being full of bicycles were untrue. Then I discovered the riverside cycle route. I can confirm, bikes abound in Portland.

    I can also confirm that you can end up waiting a long time to cross the tracks near the bridge if a train comes through …

  • Rivets

    Rivets - showing detail of Steel bridge, Portland Oregon.
    Rivets. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.


    Detail of the structure of Steel Bridge, Portland, Oregon.

  • Motor Vessel Ken Mei

    Black and White image. The motor vessel Ken Mei on the Willamette River, loading grain near Steel Bridge, Portland Oregon.
    Motor Vessel Ken Mei

    Seen through the structure of Steel Bridge, the motor vessel Ken Mei on the Willamette River, loading grain in Portland Oregon.

  • Railway Sleepers

    Close up of railway sleepers on Steel Bridge, Portland, Oregon.
    Railway Sleepers. Copyright © 2016 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    The strong smell of creosote reminded me of my childhood and brought these ‘new’ sleepers to my attention.

    Note that they are composite and are not made from a single piece of wood.

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