I took this photo on Christmas morning…

Exactly 4 years ago I took a very similar photo…

It’s amazing how much and how little changes with the passing of time. Sophie has grown up so much yet she’s still got this adorable little quiet smile that make me melt a little bit. Christmas was lovely. Lovely food and drink, company and gifts, smiles and laughter. We had Eirene’s dad over (hello!) – it’s always lovely having him around (I’d better say that, as I know he’s a regular reader!) and we ate and walked and visited and talked and snoozed and opened and then far too quickly waved goodbye.

Santa was really good to us. I got a new jumper, a scarf and a Sargent Pepper Mill and a book called ‘Mess’ that look quite fun – an interactive book. Eirene got a watch and a 3G kindle, as well as a ticket to an event in Birmingham in Jan. Felix got a remote control helecopter – a G Bladez which.is.SUPERB. Jaygo got a claymation type rostrum studio with clay, software, backdrop and everything.  Sophie also got a watch and everyone got new pajamas.

..Amongst a whole bunch of other top stuff. Textbook lovely Christmas. We’re in that weird inbetweeny week and I’m working. Steady away though, steady away.

Here’s a link to a set of snaps from our Christmas.

A colour combo I spotted outside our house earlier

Twas the night before Christmas, well the day at least. I’ve had the busiest period at work I’ve had in a long time – huge deadline – nailed. It’s held off the ‘Christmas feeling’ for me, but today – it’s upon us.

We’ve got Eirene’s dad over for Christmas (lovely). Went for a bit of a stroll with him down to the (surprisingly un-busy) sorting office this morning, wi’ dog.

Popped out for a few drinks last night with some old friends to The Muckles (a pub) and have so far had a lovely morning. I’m currently mid production of a pan of Chestnut and Bacon soup and looking forward to seeing RichP, who’s popping over for a hello in a bit.

Later this arvo, we’re off to the Christingle service at St. Peters, then I’ve got a whole bunch of wrapping to do. I may do some rapping as well. My old chum SimonB is bezzing over tonight, and we may imbibe an ale or two to keep us amused.

Eirene took me on a surprise weekend away last weekend, and a very nice weekend it was.  It’s been a while since we spent the weekend, sans kids. We did take the smallest of our brood with us though – Elsie (pic’d above) – our 12 week old Springador – who got her first official walk and was suprisingly excellent off the lead – I think we’ve blueprinted on her sufficiently for her to stick close.

What was billed as a surprise mystery location, but “close by”,  turned out to be The Chevin Country Park Hotel & Spa.  Our room was in fact a lodge type building with a grass roof type affair. Isolated and cosy yet close enough to the bar and restaurant (2 minutes walk)  for it to be hotel like in what it had to offer. As we dined on the 6 course taster menu on Friday evening, who should walk in but Chall & M, celebrating M’s 30th. A surprise for her also, we ended up having a few drinks and natters in the bar whilst a happy kilted wedding party got merry around us.

Saturday – After a beautiful walk along The Chevin, to see the view from Suprise View, with a very well behaved Elsie we headed back for snacks, naps and splats by the pool / sauna / steam room combo. Another 6 course taster menu that evening (reassuringly different from the Friday evenings), we headed back to watch Tommy Cooper’s Christmas Special on the tellybox. Just like that. Not like this, like that.

The final surprise was the discovery of an outdoor hot pool on the Sunday morning, where spent a blissful half hour in the rain,  pretending I was a Japanese Snow Monkey.

Last night we went to a ‘Puppy Party’. This was an informal dog socialisation class at Vets4Pets in Harrogate. It was ace. Elsie got a chance to get all giddy with other pups and play with some cool toys.

I still think flickr is on of the best things on the interwebs. It encourages people to look at things and share what they are looking at. It’s a fantastically designed system of information with it’s main interface, being the humble, simple, still photograph. They’ve bolstered this ‘place to stick your photo’ with some of the worlds best online tools – meta tagging, geotagging, multiple auto sizes, lightboxes, slideshows, groupings, set, comments and faves are some of my personal fave tools it provides.   I still find its the best way to research a new place.  Instead of getting a glossy brochure eye view of a town, you’re getting the nit and the grit from people who know it. You’re getting the macro and the micro. You’re getting the main square, the ornamental garden just off the main square, a little ladybird who lives in the ornamental garden.

With myself, over the past near 7 years, I’ve personally added 6399 images into it’s space. Over 2 new photos a day average.  Most of these I’ve meticulously tagged – especially when it comes to things close to my heart – like Felix, Jaygo and Sophie. My more used tag is Harrogate and I’ve only got 720 or so untagged items.

People seem to curate their space with a bit more TLC than some of the other social networks. People seems to take more of a pride in their output within flickr. I’ts a great place to browse, to explore, to kill time, to find out about stuff.

Here are the last 36 photos of other peoples photos that I have chose to click ‘favorite’ on. No agenda, no real reason – usually there’s something about them (aesthetically, subjectively or objectively) I like or may find useful in some way. Vive la flickr.

1. Shopping. #harrogate #reflection #puddle #mall, 2. The Nose…., 3. _MG_66202, 4. enjoy it, 5. ” Choose your future. Choose life . . . But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life: I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons.”, 6. So many rules…, 7. Natural History Roof, 8. Godson, 9. Congestion, 10. Good, 11. polished stones from the beach, 12. Centenial Red Kite, 13. Angel of the North, 14. Whitby, 15. King Lear – Abbey Shakespeare 2011, 16. DSCF1535, 17. King Lear – Abbey Shakespeare 2011, 18. King Lear – Abbey Shakespeare 2011, 19. Atari 1040stE, 20. Mr Strong, 21. IMG_9991, 22. Two toons, 23. Work hard and be nice to people, 24. 1307049722600, 25. Moo n River, 26. Untitled, 27. By Mr Chat, 28. 1307043874089, 29. 1, 30. Angels, Cherubs, Nymphs and Ninnies, 31. P1010091, 32. Shocking, absolutely shocking, 33. little man, 34. untitled, 35. 0185.19 Lollipop Man, Glasgow, 36. “So… Been to the races before?”