waiting for some rain

fields on Romney marsh

So all my children have eloped to Canada where it rains a lot. Twice as much rain there as we have here in London.

For the last 6 weeks they have had rain almost daily, while we have had none. That'll learn 'em.

At some point the farmers and gardeners amongst us will be complaining.......

I saw a big cloud this week, but it didn't release any droplets despite my asking.

I shan't complain about that but I would like to complain about my geraniums.

The foxes have stolen them before I could plant them.

They haven't told me where they have taken them to, and they are probably dead by now.

But I am not in the mood for complaining.

Other half (OH) has done more than enough of that recently. He has developed a rare and dangerous rash of unknown cause. It makes him itch and scratch. I provide helpful doctorly advice such as 'put some cream on it'. He ignores my advice and then complains some more.

His legs aren't much cop either. He is talking about getting an electric wheelchair. Always the optimist....

None of this has stopped him going to work, or cycling to the pub.............. but it is all very serious nonetheless.

To compensate and in an attempt to keep myself in a  healthier state than OH I have taken up running.

Couch to 5k is my goal. I am on week 5 of an eight week programme. Today was hard. I had to run for 16 minutes. Now for a marathon runner that is absolutely nothing, but I am a mere beginner, and it is only my friends that are keeping me at this. Without them I would have fallen at the first hurdle.

The sea wall at Camber is a great place to watch clouds and birds. Or go surfing. Or walking, or running.

sea wall, camber sands

I keep trying to find landscapes in the concrete.

This is my latest. it reminds me of sea and sky on a grey day.

Even grey days have their upside.

Landscape photographers love them. The moodier the better.

the new sea wall at camber sands.....in which I discover a plentiful supply of textures for my photography

sea wall © caroline fraser 2016

The new sea wall at camber Sands is almost finished.

Men in orange are putting finishing touches to the railings so that dogs and people don't fall off.

A building project costing millions of pounds is almost done.

Rocks from Norway are settled into their new home.

I have 1999 photos documenting the building process ready to make into the movie, the book and the t-shirt.

sea wall camber sands © caroline fraser

 Cyclists have space to ride alongside the dog walkers and the kite surfers.

sea wall camber sands © caroline fraser

Cones are few and far between.

Shiny new life rings are taking their place.

And a wrapped blue thing  awaits unveiling.

sea wall camber sands © caroline fraser

Children have a new place to play.

sea wall camber sands © caroline fraser

Grown ups have a new place to hide.

Charlie Rock is long gone, and his rocks are all tidy behind the wall.

charlie rock © caroline fraser

charlie's rocks

The surveyors have finished their calculations.

And the numbered pieces are all slotted into place.

The joins are joined.

The car park is large and fully equipped.

disabled parking

and footprints are preserved for posterity.

Helpful signs are up

And sculptures adorn the view across the marsh.

The concrete is smooth and tempting.

Textures and markings catch my eye ; they will be useful for composite images, but also as a record of how it all looks before wind, rain and sand take their toll.

The seagulls will also do their bit.

This wall could keep me busy for ever.

I mustn't let it keep me from the beach....

The view from the other side is quite stunning.

Camber Sands

The Cones of Camber Sands and some fascinating traffic cone facts

I think you probably already know that I have a bit of a cone problem.

'I see cones'

'I see cones.................EVERYWHERE.................'

I wish the Cones Hotline was still available. Set up by ex prime minister John Major in 1992, it permitted members of the public ( me) to report traffic cones being deployed for no apparent reason.


If it still existed I would be making daily calls.

In 3 years it received 'only' 20,000 calls, and was therefore disbanded as a waste of money

 Rick Wakeman, in the TV series Grumpy Old Men, mentioned it;

"I've spotted some cones."

"How many?"

"About four and a half million on the M6, doing absolutely nothing."

"Thank you for telling us."

.
The cones are still there.

The hotline is dead.


Cones along the roadside sport leafy  clues to the fact that they have been there far too long.

cone with hair

They even have cones in the highlands of Scotland.

cone with highlands

deep in the undergrowth

cone with grasses

and upside down cones

upside down cones

There is a series on Nickelodeon called "The Traffic Cones'

Luckily I don't have the necessary facilities required to view it.


You can purchase your own supply quite easily on the internet

They are really very reasonable.

One of my neighbours has her own.

She uses it to encourage people not to park outside her house. It seems to work, for reasons I can't quite figure. I would like to paint it pink.

Tamil Nadu pink cone

The Dull Men's Calendar has found another obsessed individual.

Polar bears like cones too.

As do grown men.

I, of course, don't actually own any cones. Or cone costumes.



Yet.




Thankfully I am currently focussed on documenting the Cones of Camber Sands.

Collecting photos, not the cones themselves.

While the seawall is being reconstructed there is a plentiful supply.

Cones of Camber 1

Cones of Camber 2

Cones of Camber 3

Cones of Camber 4

Cones of Camber 5

Just a few harmless photos for now


The book and the TV series will come later.

don't touch those rocks............

Norway, Camber Sands

The sea defences are under reconstruction from Jury's Gap to The Suttons at Camber Sands.

For two years rocks from Norway will be brought ashore by boat and built into the sea wall.

Men in orange jackets are guarding the rocks closely. Health and Safety prevails.


It is a long walk up the beach to see the rocks at present, and only a few people have strayed that far from the  Kit Kat cafe and the bratwurst bar to take a peek at the works.

If you get too close, a man will shout and wave at you, and tell you to go away.

man in yellow jacket watching me watching him

There are several piles of stones, and the workers are always working, so tactics would be needed if you wanted to get closer.

Decoys would be required. False identities assumed.

For the man in the red hat will be very upset if you get near his rocks. They are dangerous.

'can't you see the sign? it says no entry'

The 'no entry' sign is in the car park, completely invisible to those who arrive on foot, strolling along the seashore. I don't envy him his job, for it will get harder and harder as the works move nearer the populated end of the sea wall.

rocks and a power station. 

Some naughty people walked right past the diggers before they were spotted.

works

Obviously I stayed well away.

And will continue to do so.