Had the best intentions to swim tonight, but the swimming club have the pool. Bummer!

For tonights photo I have a late entry for the Photo Friday Challenge.

Seems my nan is really quite ill so I don't feel up to posting much tonight other than the giants, as promised.

Nights were hot enough to be in shorts but not too hot to be sweaty, which I loved. Tenerife can be a real ugly place to go on holiday if you don't know where to go. One thing is for sure, Los Gigantes is a little, quiet, beautiful treasure hidden against the Giants (the cliffs - which I will post a photo of tomorrow probably).

Back to work today which I was dreading, as you do, but enjoyed it seeing the guys.

Now my mum is better it seems my nan is ill. Honestly, it really doesn't let up for my small family. Still, I will be strong for them.

Days in Los Gigantes were filled with walks, sunbathing, (when the cloud cleared after the first week-end) and eating. These lazy days feel great and everyone seems to lighten up when away from England with the pace of life running at Spanish speeds. Truly these were happy times with everything seeming so much less serious.

That said, after a while I always miss Blighty. Ain't that strange?

Where to begin?

Well after feeling ill for a number of weeks it was a good start to my holiday to feel something like my normal self.

The flight over to the islands on the Friday was fine. That is to say I crapped myself flying but the flight itself was smooth and uneventful. Everyone chilled out in the cabin while I sat forward, more than a little tense for most of the 4 hours, although having extra leg room seats helped. Having Nik somewhere else on the plane did not. (The girls being short had normal seats which couldn't be allocated behind the premier seating for some reason!?).

Anyway, once at the island and after a reasonable transfer we got down to enjoying the hotel and the bay of Los Gigantes. We have been here many times and the peace and quiet is appealing.

The hotel itself was fantastic. We joked after having dinner the first day that Nik and I were the youngest people there and we weren't far wrong. So the place is great for people without children or teenagers, the later of which would be slightly bored although there are many amenities to keep them busy.

Hi everyone, I'm back!

I am still knackered from the flight and not getting home until 4, so here is one shot that I have managed to process.

Also my photos may well have that 'holiday snap' theme for a while so I hope you can bear it!?

One thing I will say - I was worried a little that because I had gone back to the same little bay in the Canaries that Nik, her family and I have been to many times, that I just wasn't going to be in the mood to shoot. It certainly was that way to start with. I had to really push myself to take any shots and it showed. They were flat and uninspiring but, towards the end, I got more inspired. There was no particular reason other than I stopped trying so hard and just looked around for new things to shoot that took my fancy. Thankfully that worked. I guess sometimes with photography it is better not to try and force it (providing you have that luxury and not on a timetable).

My entry for this weeks Photo Friday Challenge - LARGE.

Just time for a quicky. This is one of the set I shot for the Leicester Regeneration project competition in which I came third back in August (here is the old photo).

Off on hols soon so no more posts for a week or so. Hopefully I will come back with lots of juicy photees to post.

See you all later...

Rain. Work. No time equals no new photos. You get the picture.

So here's a dandy from old stock.

Another old shot today from Newark, (man, I need to get out and take some shots. Oh yeah, on holiday I should have the chance).

I am keeping the avian theme alive with this shot from Fuerteventura.

OK finished mums form on ISIS.

Found John - he is in LA still and running into famous people. He saw Jessica Simpson arrive at their bar, Natalie Portman leave and he thinks he ran into Jenna Jameson. Wow! I would suggest checking out the Menagerie when he returns in a week.

Oh and we have birds in the chimney.

What the hell do we do about birds in the chimney? Anyone?

Here is my entry for this weeks photofriday challenge.

I have made a slight change to imagi in line with some of the other tweaks I made to the site recently. These ongoing changes will do till until I find time for an overhaul. I did also tweak the imagi symbol to make it a little more dynamic.

The thing is with a main symbol you don't want to overdo it straight away as designing decent identities can be a little like a shooting range. There's no point blasting all over the skies looking for a lucky shot. Better to tweak over time with small moves and hopefully at the end you get a bulls-eye.

Of course in the meantime the clouds can suddenly come in and obscure the target but, hey, that's the nature of the work.

I know I harp on about feeling crap at the moment and I am trying to not to mention it but I will allow myself enough space to say I am feeling better (not wanting to jinx it). I think that it is more down to my body repairing than the medication I'm on but I am not complaining. As long as the pain abates I am happy. And it will be just in time for hols because after looking forward to this trip, if I felt the way I have over the past three weeks, I might just jump off the pier (or stone wall - Gigantes has no pier!)

Talking of hols, Minty has been on the west coast of the good ol' US of A for a while now. I (I'm not sure if he is back as there was nothing new on the Menagerie when I looked last but that could be down to the problems John has had with his computer.

It seems a lot of people are having computer issues at the mo. Hmm, when don't they!? The technology is wonderful till it screws up then it's the worst thing in the world. Time consuming, expensive and frustrating – as David at Chromasia will testify. From his entries in the blog he is knee-deep in tech-sludge at the mo'. Good luck to him.

Speaking of which my 17" Powerbook has been dead for a while now. It is probably only a power issue and I really ought to get someone in the 'know-how' to have a look to see if it can be salvaged cheaply enough. Another one for the 'to-do' list.

Google analytics has updated to a beta version of its new interface which is a lot better for dishing out quick information. So I can see where my visitors come from. It is free and a fantastic resource for your websites.

Wow, I have typed quite a lot today. Right, I will check to make sure any of it makes sense then into the garden.

Hmm, those grey clouds look ominous...

This one's from Tenerife (where I will be this time next week).

To all the men (& women) who have finished at Timken in Desford, UK. When one journey ends another begins. The road always goes on...

And now for an older shot. This guy was singing to children in the park somewhere in Chatham (Kent) back when the world cup was on. Nik and I went down to visit friends and took a few snaps.

It was really lovely watching him engage the children. They were fascinated with his song and with all the exaggerated facial expressions he pulled as he sang the narrative. It was really kool to see.

I must admit not to being quite so happy with the new photo. No matter what I did to it it just doesn't seem to zing. It shows you, better to get as much right optically as there is only so much you can do post processing.

Perhaps this older processed shot has more about it?

Getting really fed up to the back-teeth with feeling s&*t. Docs later or tomorrow (when I get a mo' - busy, busy, busy!) unless I improve soon.

Don't know if I will post tonight. I'm knackered, at work and it's 8.30am. Muppet!

What can I say? Ill, but still soldiering on. Aren't I good?

Here is my entry for this week photofriday subject 'Smoke'. Something a little different (My Nik hates it).

I know, I know. Where's the smoke I hear you cry? Well the background is a bit cloudy/smokey. I just fancied doing a pretty photo and I know mum will love this one.

How many of us have stumbled out of the boozer with this kind of abstract vision?

Ok, so I haven't done it for a few years but there is plenty of time left!

Touch and go in the morning at work but my illness eased up a touch in the afternoon. Man, it wipes you out though. Hope tomorrow is a bit easier.

Worst nights sleep I have had in ages but I am managed to get into work this morning. Err, hang on!? I'm ill. Why have I come in?

God I hope I am ok for work, as today I have been pretty bad with my abdomen.

I am not going to do much on the computer tonight so here is an abstract piece from my trip home tonight, doubled-up from Nik's parents' house.

Some more of the beautiful swan on her lake.

Is it me or does everyone photograph swans!?

Given the imagi identity a bit of a working over today - Nice, simple, clean. I quite like it!

Lets see if I still do after a few days, (that's the true test).

It was nice ot have the folks over today with the dog Misty apart from I am still feeling bad (possibly a case of IBS?).

The medication I have seemed to be working but I am pretty bad tonight. Typical! Long bank holiday and I can't enjoy it.

Hey on the plus side - not long till hols.

Not sure if feeling ill is getting to me or what but I am in a melancholy mood tonight.

I wish I was young again, living always in the moment and not a thought for the future. Hey, who doesn't want that, right?

This is actually a book cover with the back on a chair casting a pattern over it in the sun. Bit disco, eh?

Here's a quicky from my day out at Rutland.

I have to say I am feeling a bit under the weather at the mo'. I have recurring pains in the stomach which have been going on now for almost two weeks. It may mean a quick visit to the docs but unless it seems really serious I am loathe to go.

I just realised that it has been a year since I started 'imagi'.

Wow, how time flies!

Looking back at how 'imagi' started and how the site developed is interesting. I started with far more emphasis on the blog side of things, now it's more about the photos.

imagi's aesthetic was a compromise of time and effort. I wanted to spend longer designing the overall look but had to balance my wants with getting something up so I could post my photos. I never really got to where I was happy with the general layout and always said it was due for a face lift. So maybe for the future?

That said, many things I intended for the site haven't come to be. I am sure we all appreciate that the best plans often get delayed. Well, we do all work for a living, right?

Farquar's Bar never saw the light of day. Astron didn't come together (although I did start drawing the maps for it the other day). "How to' came about then didn't really get used!

On the other hand, taking photos over the year has been a blast with over 200 posted now!! The monthly themes have been fun. I may even do another colour theme with Ian when he has more time (maybe mid-summer?) as the 'RED' theme worked really well. 'YELLOW' this time?

Using GOOGLE ANALYTICS I have been able to see in depth information over the traffic through this site. It is really amazing tool and fascinating to see browsers from the United States, Europe or even viewers from Hong Kong!

So to everyone that has come through this simple little photoblog - Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like the photos and I will see about getting some commenting on the site soon, so you can drop a line.

Oh, and for evry spollng mistach I ma sory. Oh uyo get teh point! 8)

Matt 'Yogavenger' Stokes

Another shot from Timken here.

It is so hot in my conservatory I have had to come in, which is good as I forgot that I had to do the monthly update. Oops!

Ah, I love the summer.

The poor old 'How to' part of the site hasn't really had a sniff since I made it so it may get relegated soon in favour of something else. Maybe Farquars Bar or Astron? (if I ever get time to do some work on either).

It's just so difficult, with all the great weather, to be inside but here is another months theme to keep imagi ticking over.