spots and stripes

I don't even need to comment on the conditions we've all been experiencing this week. Needless to say I'm a little over the fact that it has done nothing but rain, constantly, all week. And it's cold to.

It could be worse though, I have friends who are moving house...Good luck Dean & Ainslie!

Me, I'm considering a few months of hibernation. We talk ourselves up as the top of the food chain, intelligent creatures blah blah blah, but you don't see squirrels running from street corner to street corner trying to stay dry and walking into buildings looking like drowned rats. No, they're currently curled up, all snug and warm and DRY...point made?

So as you have probably guessed, I haven't really been anywhere that was dry or interesting enough to take a camera this week. Fingers crossed for some clear blue skies (what does that look like again?) over the weekend (yeah, right) and next week.

 A guy in my office got an email informing him that all soccer matches had been called off this weekend. It was from Captain Obvious. What a waste of cyber space.



there she blows!

You know what sucks more than anything in the entire world (famine, war, global warming and pollution type issues aside)? Sea sickness. What's even more sucky is sea sickness when you can't take any medication for it. There's nothing you can do about it, the only way to make it stop is to get off the damn boat...and when you're stuck on a 4 hour tour with 20 other people, you're not getting off anytime early.

Out through the heads - let the games begin

It didn't start off badly... the swell was big, and it was slow and rolling, so you felt ever inch of that wave...up...over the top.....and down....and on and on.... oh and it was freezing, but I felt fine and when we saw the huge pod of dolphins that came to play in the wake of the boat, I just started snapping away...

They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning

And then the whales came. 

Thanks not a wonky horizon... that's a wave...uuurrrggghhh....



What was that?

From here on in, I was a pretty putrid-green colour and was spending much of my time visiting the facilities. Nuff said.



High Five!

Sadly we only saw them breach once, unexpectedly, hence no photo...despite being promised by the research  dude (who looked a lot like a drunk pirate) that "if they do it once, they'll do it again".

How do you type the Jaws theme? Duh nuh.......Duh nun......

Did you know these guys don't eat for 6 months when they are at the Antarctic?! 6 months?! Every day's a school day. I can go about 3 hours at the moment, just. 

Dropping in at Manly on their way north for some good old fashioned feeding.

Note to self: don't go whale watching when pregnant, have a sensitive stomach, are prone to motion sickness at the best of times and can't take anything for it. Apart from that, will definitely be going again. Next year. When it's warm.



Bleached with Beachley

The highlight of my week had to be meeting Layne Beachley...she is a bit of a personal hero of mine, between us we hold seven ASP Women's World Champion titles....

The shoot was for work (sadly I wasn't the main shooter this time) so the even the unofficial images have to go to be approved before I can publish them, so they'll be up next week. But here are a few taken on Dee Why beach during the shoot... gorgeous day!

By about 9.30 I was watching people getting in and out of the surf and thinking 'what am I doing wrong that I'm not one of these people coming down to the beach at 9am on a Thursday'....



a weird symmetry

 I wonder what this guys does for a living?

This is as close to Layne's photo as I can get for now - her board. It's 5'5", the same height as her. She's just cool, sorry. You'll be glad to know, I was much more calm and collected around her...I think.

I hear the waves were pretty mammoth today, so enjoy a sunshine filled weekend everyone, I'm off whale watching.

Oh, and one more thing, I'm trying to get into this Facebook Fan Page thing, so if you haven't already, please visit the page, cunningly named Images by Sophie and click Like. If I get 25 fans I win a prize or something.

change

It happens to the best of us.

I'm sure you've all missed me incredibly over the last few weeks (it's a shame sarcasm doesn't translate well through the written word).

You may have all been wondering where I have been since May...well those of you who know me, will know I have been busy 'baking'. For thoses of you who are further afield, that's a euphemism for having a bun in the oven, up the duff, knocked up, in the pudding club, eating for two, on stork watch etc etc. The last few weeks have been pretty exhausting and nauseating, a combination that does not mix well with getting up at 5.30, for any reason, let alone to drag my weary ass out into the cold, pitch black morning and try and find some creative morsel in my otherwise energy depleated, rapidly expanding body.

However, you'll be glad to know (again, sarcasm) that I am feeling much more lively, and promise to suck it up and get back on the wagon.

The weekend looks like it might be nice, spare me a thought when you're out and about, I'll be stuck indoors revising for my end of term yoga exam. Awesome. I shouldn't be all that nervous as I randomly taught my first ever Ashtanga Class on Wednesday night...a complete fluke, a story for another time.