Through the Window

Ok. Not a window really, more like a slit. Yes, it's one of those ubiquitous tourist photos that nearly every person that walks into Stirling Castle takes. However, I'm hoping that since I was at the far end of the Castle grounds on a walk that is not trod so often, that perhaps this one is a little unique. And, well frankly, it was a damn fine vantage. Sadly, I don't recall which direction I'm facing, but I believe it to be Southeast-ish. If anyone knows for sure, I'd love to edit this entry with that information. This photo, like so many taken on these dreary overcast days with a new camera, was a little grey. So, I've applied some saturation & contrast changes to it and added a 50% overlay to it. But since the colours really are that vibrant I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about modifying the image as necessary. ;-) Wastrel On! (Listening To: Fire in the Head by Emerald Rose & Personally by Karla Bonoff)

George at the Castle

Stirling Castle. You can see the view it commanded of the surrounding area. Is it any wonder that the Scots were desperate that it not fall into the hands of the English? My very good friend, George, is in this photo as the foreground to the amazing view in the background. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting George (Dr. George), you will never again find yourself a better man nor friend. A truly amazing human. Anyway, he's standing on the battlement that rings the garden just outside the foreworks of the castle. The garden lawn is inside the castle grounds & it's outer defences, but not inside the Castle itself. The Castle begins when you go through the forework gate (and past the arrow-slitted towers and murder holes) and into the Outer Close. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Miles Davis' Funeral by Morphine & New York, New York by Frank Sinatra)

Robert the Bruce

We left the Bridge of Allan brewery and headed directly to Stirling Castle. Apparently we were under some sort of schedule; I certainly felt like I was being hustled about. Anyway this pigeon-shit covered statue guards the entrance to the castle with his regal pose & humongous sword. An ancestor of mine, in some sort of round-about way, he nearly destroyed this castle in the early 1300's. Not wanting this strategically defensible castle to fall into the hands of the English (Edward Longshanks, the Hammer of the Scots), he blew chunks of it to bits with cannon. Apparently, at some point, he came to his senses, because the magnificent castle remains standing. Historic Scotland (a preservation organisation) owns the property now and have recently "completed" a HUGE renovation project that restored the Great Hall to it's original majestic glory. A true sight to behold. Wastrel On! (Listening To: If I Had My Way by Vince Gill)

The Bridge of Allan Brewery

Bridge of Allan, Scotland. Near, but not in, Edinburgh and close enough that we did this wonderful little brewery before heading into Edinburgh to visit the castle (a MUCH curtailed trip that is an entire entry of itself...if I choose to record it). Here, my wee wife had located, prior to the trip, a brewery. A brewery that was able to and interested in providing private tour for a batch of American tourists. We were treated to discourse by two delightfully knowledgeable men who taught us more in half of an hour than I had learned in several tours through several breweries in my life. It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit with some truly excellent, world-class brews. They even make, for the wee-ones and non-drinkers a wonderful variety of sodas. Their creme-de-la-crème is a masterful Scotch Ale that, sadly, wasn't available to us on this visit. However, Joseph & Kelly went back to Edinburgh as we all vacated New Milne and scattered across the isle (or back across to the U.S.) and picked up a foursome of it. They gladly shared it with Marita Beth & I when we met up in London a week later. Overall the Bridge of Allan brewery is a short, but delightful memory. Wastrel On! (Listening To: A live version of Fried Neckbones by Santana)

The Keg & Inverness Thistle Football Club

We've left Urquhart Castle and returned to Inverness via a meandering bus ride. I spy The Keg. I nipped into this unassuming little pub down a sidestreet in Inverness for a wee-heavy, while my wife was kitsch-shopping up the avenue a bit. No sooner had I purchased my half 80, then in comes my wife with a look of avid concern on her face. It seems that the proprietor of the shop up the street had warned her against the "unsavoury types" that frequented the Keg. My belief? I think the proprietor just wasn't an Inverness Thistle Football Club fan. In the upper left corner of the photo, next to a security camera, you can see a sign proudly proclaiming that this was the Inverness Thistle FC Social Club. On the look, it appears that the "Social Club" is next door, but that's not the reality. Now I don't support any particular Scottish Football team, other than the national, of course, and I certainly was not about to go into a pub wearing the "colours" of another team. Thus, I walked in with no fear, ordered by half-pint and sat to enjoy a spot of local culture. Now along comes my wife with this near-angry, half-mad look, so I downed my libation quickly and left. It wasn't until we got out into the alley that she explained what was going on. I s'pose I'll never fully be able to explain to her, that footy fans are the same the world-over; that is, we're just fans. Sure there are a few hooligans out there that try to wreck the fun for the rest of us, but most of us just want to watch our boys run around the pitch while drinking with our fellow supporters, hollering at the stupidity or brilliance of our team & cussing at the offical; all from the sanctity of our pub (social club). I guess if there had been a game on (we were there in off-season, so there wasn't), she might have understood it a little, but she doesn't quite get the rabidity with which we approach the world's game. So, I left with her on my arm, and nary a look back. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Frankenstein by Aimee Mann)

The Ruined Tower of Urquhart

The sheer grandeur of this ruined tower overlooking the loch begged for black & white. On a less dreary & rainy day I likely would have opted for colour to capture the brilliance of the Scottish lichen on the rocks. However, being so overcast, any colour photo was simply going to turn out flat & lifeless. I couldn't do that. The vast emptiness to the right of & behind the tower is the Loch Ness. This tower sits nearly on the cliff overlooking the loch and provides an amazing view up & down offering it's inhabitants additional security.
We did not climb the tower this time for several reasons. We had already spent a little too much time wandering about and still needed to visit the "must see" exhibit in the gift shop. Furthermore there were a number of folks climbing both up & down the very steep, very slick metal staircase. We'd been in the tower before, on a clear day, and knew what the view up & down the loch was like. We decided to avoid the throngs and head on toward the gift shop.
Wastrel On! (Listening to: Keep Talking by Pink Floyd)

Marita Beth at Urquhart

Worn out, wet & cold, but still smiling is my wife in front of Urquhart Castle. Due to the very poor lighting, many of my photos from this particular trip did not play out the way I would wish. So, I've had to manipulate most of them. This photo has three layers in it. The bottom layer has had both Saturation and Contrast adjusted and a Gaussian blur (.89) applied to it. The middle layer had no adjustments made but is set as an 88% overlay. While the top layer is an unaltered layer set to 70% transparency. The overall effect acted to clean the edges and provide more colour to an otherwise relatively dull & lifeless photo.
Still working on this project at work, but I made a logic break-through yesterday, so hopefully we'll see the end of it soon. I have a UAT scheduled for next week with the team that has to sign off on the application. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Now, however, it's time for a beer. Wastrel On! (Listening To: P.A.S.S.I.O.N by Rhythm Syndicate)

Urquhart Castle new View

The original photo, taken from onboard our Loch cruiser at the dock, was very washed out. I've manipulated the photo to give it an All Saint's Day sort of appearance. I first created a new layer on top of the original. I solarized the original layer and sharpened it a little to make it stand out. The new layer, I turned into an overlay at 88%. The result is an eerie look at one of my favourite spots in the world.
I've had to take a break from coding. I have a logic flaw that I can't seem to wrap my head around and it's making me uncomfortable & irritable. Unfortunately, I also have an absolute deadline that is fast approaching. I pray I can meet that. With the new boss breathing down my neck and requesting nearly daily status reports, the whole thing is becoming nearly unbearable.
However, I did reward myself last night with a 300GB harddrive & an enclosure so I can be mobile with it. Wonderful.
Back to work, I s'pose. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit)

Urquhart Castle on the Loch

Urquhart Castle on the shores of the Loch Ness. This is our first view of this fantastic castle. It was so drizzly and misty that we were nearly on it before seeing it. But there is is, rising off the shores of the Loch in ancient glory. The place is hauntingly fantastic and features a newly completed not-to-be-missed visitors centre. Due to our travel constraints, we had to catch a bus on time to return to Inverness, we didn't have quite the luxury of previous visits, but we managed, nonetheless, to soak up a good bit of history. One of favourite places in the world! Wastrel On! (Listening to: Lyin' Eyes by The Eagles)

Cruising the Loch Ness

On the Loch Ness. We have joined up with Jacobite Tours, took the 30 minute (or so) bus ride down the Loch to the boat dock. Now began our journey down the Loch in the 40ºF chilly rain. Our beloved Dr. George has finally donned his oh-so-fancy see-through hoody in order to fit in with the locals that much better. The boat obeyed the Canal District speed-limits and never exceeded 35 mph, which allowed for the dreary, dreamy landscape to fade in and out of sight slowly o'er the horizon. Truly a spooky delight. When next I return to the Loch, I shall once again take a cruise/tour, but hopefully one that lasts a bit longer than this 2 hour tour. Wastrel On! (Listening To: The Killers Andy, You're a Star)

Gellions - The Oldest Pub in the Highland's Capital

We've dispersed for lunch. Pubgrub for my wife & I (our preference in Scotland, actually), with Ginger & Ed deciding to join us. Now was to come the absolutely most devastatingly difficult decision we were to make the entire trip and for decades on either side. We had been awakened early that morning by a call from our house-sitter stateside. It seemed that Marita Beth's family needed to contact us regarding a "death in the family." Of course, we fretted & worried through the entire morning's events, but there was nothing that could be done from our location except wait. We had called MB's family, but could do nothing but leave a message. During our lunch at Gellion's, we finally received the return call that let us know William Todd's wife had tragically left her family. No details about that need to be written here, but suffice it to say it was not unexpected. Certainly, MB and I had discussed that eventuallity during our trip North to Inverness. Did we stay & finish our holiday, or did we return home to attend her funeral. The family & we decided there was nothing we could do there so we finished out our holiday. But first, we finished our lunch. Sitting in Gellion's, I could look across the street to a very modern office-building in the shadow of Inverness Castle directly over it. The dichotomy was brilliantly breath-taking. Some pasties & chips and a couple of pints later, we left Gellion's to meet the rest of our party for the afternoon's excursion. Wastrel On! (Listening to Everlasting Love by U2)

Inverness in the Rain

June 16, 2005 Inverness, Scotland 49 degrees F. Delightful! The events of this morning are behind us, we are all safely now in Inverness. We will scatter briefly to obtain food from a variety of eateries. We all have our differing views on the "best" food, so off I go to a pub. Because, for me, the best food is accompanied by a good Scottish bitter. Others went to a Thai restraunt they'd espied; others to an Italian/French bistro and yes, some went to McDonald's. There was, after all, a 7-year old with us. This photo was taken down High Street in Inverness while we were establishing where to go & when to meet back. What is more quintessentially Scottish than High Street in the rain in June? Wastrel On! (Listening to: Für Elise (Techno Remix) by Ludwig van Beethoven)

On the Trip to Inverness

The morning started grey & dreary & full of excitement. We were leaving New Milne as an entire group and headed to Inverness. The excitement didn't fade as we neared the train station in Perth; in fact it grew in intensity as we realized that there were no parking spots. Three cars, 17 people and no parking spots. The drivers took off to park. George & Joseph in one car, Desiree in another and I took the third. George & Joseph found a spot pretty quickly and were returning to the depot while I expressed woes & concerns to Marita Beth who had just purchased our train tickets. Joseph jumped in the car with me and directed me to where he & George had just parked. Nearby & handy. Sadly, no sign of Desiree. With 5 minutes til train time, still no sign of Desiree so KyleF & I walked down the street a ways in the direction we were pretty sure she had taken. Eventually we did indeed spot her way off in the distance, a good 800+ meters away. KyleF moved toward her and I went back to teh station to inform our waiting passengers that she was visible, at least, if not close. Less than 2 minutes to go, everyone but Marita Beth, Alison & Kara moved to the platform. We would take a later train, if necessary. I returned to KyleF, Desiree was nearly there, and said, "we can make it, if we run." Desiree took off, up the hill, around the corner into the station. As soon as they saw us, our waiting companions took off toward the platform. MB said, "the train is late, we might still make it." We redoubled our efforts and arrived on the platform. Empty. Devoid of persons and trains. Our excitement turned inward upon itself and mutated into despair. Then, "Kyle! Hurry, the train's coming!" It was Ed and his magnificient booming voice urging up the bridge, over the tracks, down the stairs and onto a different platform. Our legs straining, our lungs heaving, we ran on. To the sound of our friend's & family's applause, we made the platform just before the train did. Despair had again retreated to be replaced by the excitement promised by a train ride through Scottish countryside. And we were not to be disappointed. This photo was taken through the window of the moving train as we slowed down to enter a station (I fear I don't recall the name of the small village). The scenery was only going to get more beautiful as we went. Wastrel On! (Listening To: The Godfather Soundtrack)

Shutterfly | Help

Shutterfly? Run away! The worst photo services company around. Here's my story. I have a Shutterfly account. Opened earlier this year to accommodate the 1400+ photos I took while on holiday in Scotland. I recently contacted Shutterfly to find out how to obtain one of the original high-resolution images that I had uploaded rather than the 96 DPI images they show online. I was informed that I have to purchase it on CD and they would mail it to me, and that there was no other mechanism in place to provide to ME MY original files. It beggars belief! Nor do I find this information in their policies & procedures Lies & Riddles. I feel like I was a victim of the bait and switch tactic I decided to go ahead and try and deal with the lower resolution files, so I took a look at their FAQ to determine the best way to extract the image. The FAQ very clearly says to Right-Click and Save As the image to my computer. To wit: *Note that you can save a lower-resolution version of the picture by using the right mouse button to click on an image in your account and selecting the 'Save picture as' or 'Save image as' option. (If you are using a Macintosh hold down the control key while clicking.)* I did so only to find upon opening the file that what I chose to save and what I received from the Shutterfly server were very different files. Another email to tech support, yipppeee! This time around, the response was, and I quote: "Please note that what you are trying to do isn't a general use feature on our site, so this is probably something that won't be fixed." My response to them, in much more polite & professional terms was "fuck off." It's a very good thing that I burned my holiday images to CD before uploading them. It's a very good thing there are other services out there that accomplish the same thing as Shutterfly. In this age of "everyone's a publisher," I cannot fathom the company that does not do everything within their power to ensure that they keep their customer base happy & placated. Suffice it to say, I have had enough of Shutterfly and encourage everyone to remove your account and shun their business.

The Great Stairs at New Milne

Perthshire, Scotland. New Milne House sits on approximately 700 acres of land that borders on Scone Palace. It was our house for a week, a glorious, short week. This photo is a look up the stairs from the foyer, and down the stairs from the landing outside my room. Exquisite Scottish polished wood stairs & bannisters matched by polished wood walls. When standing looking up the stairs to the immediate left is the game room and just beyond that the formal dining hall. To the right is the sitting room where much of our after-hours gathering was done. Behind the stairs to the right were 2 bedrooms that housed the Fords, Alison & Kara. Up the stairs to the right was Ginger's room while to the left was everyone else except Marita Beth & myself. It was our 10-year anniversary, it was Marita Beth's contacts & planning that made the entire thing possible, so we took the top room. Glorious! Wastrel On! (Listening To: Night Fever by the Bee Gees)