May 2014

Sarah May 23, 2014

Go Ape in Grizedale Forest #countrykids #goape #grizedale

During the easter break, which seems like a while ago now, we got offered an opportunity to go and try out the brand new high ropes Tree tops Junior at GoApe in the beautiful Grizedale Forest in the stunning Lake District. We were really keen to have a go as my son has been asking so many times to try out GoApe and up until now he was below the height and age limit for the adult courses. The extra bonus here was that all the little ones could go on as well. If they were under 6 they had to be accompanied by an adult and my OH was pretty keen to volunteer! 🙂

They all got kitted out with their harnesses and had a pretty in depth demo on how to do it all. One great thing that we noticed, which put our worrying minds as rest, was that they were always attached to the safety line. I have been to some high ropes courses where the kids have to clip on and clip off at each different activity in the trees. Which if you are a 5 year old might be something you forget to do! I thought that was such a well thought through addition, especially for the little ones so that they can be included safely.

There are two levels of course and they kids have about 90 minutes to have a go at as much or as little as they want. Our bigger kids went for both levels and our youngest adventurer went for just the first level with her Daddy. The kids had a great time and at no time did i have any concern for their safety.

After we handed the harnesses back and picked up the kids certificates for completing the course we headed out for a little walk around the stunning Grizedale Forest and its tribute to the Gruffalo. With wind up trees that played songs and little clues and tips on nature and what is in the Forest.

I really love the Lake District. It is a place we have lived relatively close for such a long time and not visited nearly enough! It is a true gem of a place. We really love it there.

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Sarah May 21, 2014

Moving water #oneweek #mamarrazi

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Fast moving water is always great to photograph, especially when it is bouncing off something else.

It can be in a pond or even just off the grass as your wee ones throw water about in the garden. To capture fast moving anything you want to consider your shutter speed.

The speed your shutter can fire at is dependent on the camera you have. Unlike aperture which is all about your lens. Shutter speed is an ability within your camera body itself. I have written other posts on shutter speed before which you can go ahead and read if you would like. But this isnt so much a tutorial as just an excuse to share some shots. Water, like fire, is one of those things i could just sit and watch for ages. I also thought i would share my settings for these images. I think people like that. I have noticed that people like to see the numbers and work out how they might replicate it.

So here we are:

You would need to be working your manual settings and the first two shots were essentially shot at a Shutter Speed of 1/6400. F stop (aperture) of 4.0 and my ISO was 250. So thats 1/6400, f4.0, ISO 250.

These last two I went a little bit faster on the shutter speed to 1/8000, f stop remaining the same but a big change in ISO now up at 1000. Outside on a very bright day using super fast shutter speeds means that either you have to open your aperture wide or crank up the ISO or sensitivity to the light to allow enough light to hit the camera’s sensor. Having a shutter open for one eight thousanth of a second is not going to let a whole lot of light in of itself so it needs a bit more help ! So thats 1/8000, f4.0 ISO 1000.

I have gone on in other posts about the three dimensions of aperture, shutter speed and ISO and those posts are in my mamarrazi bunch of posts should you fancy having a browse. But really I just wanted to share some really cool images of water. Because it really is amazing isnt it! 🙂

Included this week in B is for over at Grappling with a box of frogs 🙂

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Sarah May 19, 2014

Suddenly silenced #oneweek #allaboutyou

Last week was one of those weeks where you are left wondering as my son would say ‘what the heck?’

It has been an incredibly sad week. In a period of 48 hours we got news of three souls that where no longer with us. Two lost to the thief that is cancer and one tragic little young life whose brave hearted and selfless parents made the agonising decision to prevent their little one from suffering any more. Heart-breaking and so unfair.

I sat in the car after dropping the kids off at school and nursery with that empty space feeling. Where you almost don’t want to move for fear that life is going to just continue on, barging through the sadness and racing away into the next thing.

I didn’t move. Not for a while.

Then instead of going home and sorting piles of washing, clearing up the discarded cheerios, return those calls and emails that were silently, unrelentingly bleeping on my phone. I drove to one of the prettiest places i know in this city at this time of year and i just walked with the slow leisure of someone who, at the moment, was just looking after herself. I tried to notice things with new eyes. Eyes that appreciate the here and now, the time we have, the glimpse of light that is our life and how we must try and seize every precious moment of it.

The spring is so pretty, so vibrant. So alive.

I sat on a bench for a while and a lady sat near me. She was all flustered and sat down with a thud. She had a large notebook on her lap and flipped it open in a business like way and started to dial a number on her phone. Whoever she called was met with a very chipper and short ‘Hello Stephen its me, now about that wallpaper…’

I listened to her for a while, her conversation moved onto the colours of paint she was picking out and how small the room was. Stephen must have said something funny because she let out a loud chuckle and grinned into the phone.

I wondered what we must look like?

Two people sat on the same bench but having very different emotions. Funny how life carries on. Funny how we can’t all feel the loss of another life. Why the sadness of one person doesn’t somehow reach out and touch another. How we don’t all feel a wrench when another soul takes their last breath. But i guess that is what keeps the wheel of life turning. That whilst there are those suffering great hurt there are those experiencing great joy. Surely its the very promise that the sadness we may feel will pass and start to fade, not forgotten, but replaced by a different sort of status quo that is well with our souls.

Balance.

On this beautiful spring day when there were demands a plenty on my time, i took a moment to be still and promised to ‘carpe diem’

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Sarah May 19, 2014

International Blog Swop Day..

A few weeks ago I signed up to International Blog Swap Day – a project that has been jointly organised by the Digital Parents Network in Australia, and Tots 100 in the UK. Bloggers from each country were paired up, and invited to guest post on each other’s blogs. I signed up and didnt think a whole lot more about it and then i got an email with the address of my ‘penpal’ swop. I was really thrilled when instantly recognised the blog of the lovely Ruth at Dorkymum. Who is actually a british blogger who now lives in Tasmania. The little Island that is part of Australia. It was pretty incredible that we got paired up and if you want to see why head over to her blog and read my post,there’s a little bit of news in there somewhere 😉

But first here is what Ruth had to say and check out some of her amazing images below as well!!

It feels very odd to be the Australian half of this international blog swap! I have spent thirty years of my life living in the UK, and only nine months living in Australia. But last September I moved with my family from Harpenden to Hobart – from the Home Counties to the Holiday Isle – so I guess it’s time to get my head around the fact that I am now an Aussie blogger.

G’day, mate.

A quick blurb about where I live now. Tasmania is an island state that lies south of mainland Australia. In terms of landmass, it’s roughly the size of Ireland, but only has a population of around 500,000 – about the same as Edinburgh. Almost 45% of the island is held in reserves, national parks and World Heritage sites. Hobart serves as Australia’s connection with Antarctica – the great red icebreaker Aurora Australis spends the winter in port here – and there are often French and American research vessels in the harbour too. When we travel back to the UK to see friends and family it will three flights, several thousand dollars and at least thirty hours of travel time. Tasmania is, by any standards, pretty remote.

Living on this island at the edge of the world, there is of course a long list of things that I miss about the UK. I miss Jon Snow and his colourful ties. I miss Marks and Spencers granny pants. I miss sitting down on a Saturday morning and spending a couple of hours working my way through the Guardian. I miss Pickled Onion flavour Monster Munch (although I’m delighted to have found a shop here that sells Irn Bru – my other guilty pleasure!). I miss looking in my purse and immediately being able to pick out the correct change. I miss Gap Kids and Clarks shoe shops. I miss Innocent Smoothies and Ella’s Kitchen Fromage Frais. I miss CBeebies. GOSH do I miss CBeebies!

But honestly? The transition to life in Australia has been a lot easier than I expected it to be, and all three of us have settled in very quickly. The people here are incredibly friendly. From postmen to policemen to plumbers, everyone makes time for a chat and a smile, and they do all they can to help and make your life easy. The education system feels a lot more relaxed than it did in the UK – lots and lots of time outdoors and a focus on play based learning – and my little boy is thriving in his new environment. The food is incredible – there is fresh, delicious, local, seasonal produce in every shop, and dozens of quality restaurants ranging from Mexican street food to Asian fine dining. I love that we can drive twenty minutes in one direction and be on top of a mountain, twenty minutes in the opposite direction and be on a deserted, beautiful beach. There are festivals and farmers markets, museums and monuments, street art and bookshops and poetry slams aplenty.

For our little family, Tasmania is the perfect place to be. I guess I’m going to be an Aussie blogger for a little while longer.