Aha - here we have a buoy, a couple of fishing boats and in the background three sailing barges. Is this on the way to Textile Astrid? And were you drinking coughie? I am here at nearly two in the morning. I am at work. I am being paid to do this - I hope!

Picturit: I am on Textile...Texel....and yes I was drinking coughie and Koffie here, I am so sorry they put you to work at this unhealthy hour...hope that my coughie will keep you awake, I do hope Mrs.Ratty VIII is sound asleep though.
Astrid.

LOL at Chris. Drinking "coughie?" Yes, of course you are.

You are not going to believe how I almost fell off my chair when I opened this, Astrid, because the center fishing boat is the spitting image of one I captured off of Magnetic Island in Australia. Yours is in B&W; mine is in color and closer up.
BUT I think they are distant cousins. Who would have thought they could have drifted so far apart.

Radiance of the sea. Another heaven on Earth! I feel like I'm that bird, soaring above it all.

Picturit: 'Coughie' he gets Ginnie, I don't mind, I have that brew too, hand picked beans.
I hope you could grab yourself on the edge of the table before falling...we don't even have to be together and we come up with the same pictures....who said something about a Dream Team....we are..MDJW
I was standing on the dike and the sun was shining on the water, it was a fairy tale sight...I stood there for quite a while....just dreaming away.....this is heaven to me...sea, boats, wind, sun....
Astrid

The sea...glittering like the 7Dwarves' diamond mine when they turn on their lamp.
Gorgeous, languid image, Astrid...even the gull seems to be taking its time.

Picturit: Ray, I love your choice of words, you always surprise me...thank you so much for your words.....vacation is everything about taking time...
Astrid.

A photo of the sea is always nice to see, but I like your choice for black and white.

Picturit: Sometimes B&W is so much better than colour, it does not distract our vision from the colours.
Astrid

Astrid, I love that you capture the sparkles on the water - the sun's reflection on the waves. Very nice.

Picturit: Thank you Kay, the sun was my treat of that day, the silver sparkles on the waves were magic.
Astrid.

Astrid great composition,I like the sparkle of the sun on the sea,good B/W shot (cant beleive I said that)

Picturit: Vintage, YOU made my day, this is the nicest compliment you can give me.....yes you said it....
I am very pleaased you like this one.
Astrid

I really like the glittering sea. Nice.

Picturit: Thank you Jan Erik, it was in the morning and it was like silver on the waves.
Astrid.

ahhhhh .... this is the sea I remember from childhood days .... when we were young we went to Bournemouth annually and the absolute magic of seeing it for the first time is still fresh in my memory !

Picturit: Jude, I am very pleased that I am able to get that great memory back, childhoods memories are so precious, I remember I always ran to the beach for I was afraid the water would be gone, like in a bathtub when somebody would pull the plug somewhere..
Have a great day.
Astrid

That one seagull Astrid flying free and watching all the fishing ships waiting for them to disgard some of their catch.
Love the sheen from the sun on the sea, it makes it look silver.
The crop you have made is also very good.
I could go on and on but now I will just say FANTASTIC

Picturit: Tracy your words mean a lot to me, I just said to Ginnie, THIS is heaven to me, I was standing there on the dike and dreaming away...I would love to be the seagull, float on the wind and be happy...
Have a great day, with whatever you do....
Astrid

A beautiful pic, taken early in the morning or during the evening sun- the glittering sea surface with thousands of light points (lichtpuntjes), the shadowss of the different ships, sailingboats, fishing boat, freight boats, the buoy, the lighthouse in the background- I imagine to be in Texel and to taste the salt on my lips and to enjoy no ending holidays! - echt mooi!

Picturit: Early morning in Oudeschild http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oudeschild I love to be in that harbour, the activities of the boats, the restoring of the fishing nets, it is a place to be alive...I love the smell of the sea, the sounds of the waves, the sound of th seagulls....the horizon is Noor-Hollnd, Den Helder.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_Helder
Ik ben blij je het gvoel te geven van een 'never ending holiday' als ik op de veerpont ben, begint mijn vakantie gevoel....
Hartelijke groeten Astrid.

Great panorama Astrid. I love the tones you have here - the sea is sparkling. What a great collection of different types of boat.
Ingrid

Picturit: Thank you Ingrid for your kind words, I happen to be at the harbour to buy fish and I always want to walk on the dike and there they were...a lot of boats and that is rare that they are so 'close' from the shore.
Astrid

Nice Pano View, I Like the B/W work here very muc

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words.
Astrid

Wonderful shot Astrid with these silver sparkles. What a great freedom feeling looking at this bird and these boats sailing away!

Picturit: Richard, this is always a very nice view for me, many times we walk on the dike and just watch the boats...or the waves....I am pleased you like it.
Astrid

Beautiful shot and crop

Picturit: Thank you for your kind words.
Astrid

Very strong phoot, great colors and nice tones!

Picturit: Thank you Robbie, I just wanted it to try in B&W, it turned out well I think.
Astrid.

oh astrid you did make me laugh with your bathplug comment

Picturit: I was maybe 4 years old, but they always said to me; 'Go look if the water is still there....'
So I raced to the top of the dunes to make sure the sea was not gone and do you know what, when I have my run in the dunes and intend to run on the beach in the early mornings....and when I am on the top of the dunes...I always think of those moments and I always say 'Goedemorgen' to the sea.....
Maybe I am mental...but those moments I cherish and I am the most happy person in the Universe, I bet a lot of people never had such a feeling or are ashamed to share.
Astrid

Vintage likes it. Well you know, theres nothing I can say to top that.
Lovely conversion Astrid.

Picturit: He made my day, amazing that those words came from his mouth.....see he is getting used to B&W...
Thanks Aussie.
Astrid.

a bit dark, but the contrast is okay here

Picturit: Thanks Chantal, it was my intention to be that dark.
Astrid.

fantastic shot!! I really like that boats faraway, nice frame in BW.

Picturit: Thanks Arash, I never ge bored looking at boats..it is good for my soul.
Astrid.

Those sails, trawlers, buoy, bird, are nice elements on this sea of crystals.

Picturit: Thank you Ruth, the sun was my friend that day...
Astrid.

Love the sparkles of the ocean. Draws me right in...

Picturit: I am pleased you like it, the sun was my friend that day.
Astrid

Absolutely superb.

The black and white works a treat, and the light from the water is excellent.

Love it

Picturit: I am so pleased that you like this one, it was in the morning and the sun was in the right angle on the water, it was like diamonds.
Astrid

very attractive image Astrid, that bird in shot adds so much even though it is small and I love all these reflected flecks of light from the water surface. mal

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words, I was very lucky with the sun that morning and with the many boats, I was surprised, I went to the harbour to buy fish for supper and I always want to see the view from the dike...and I never go without my camera...
Astrid.

Looks a busy wayerway, super reflections on the water nice one.

Picturit: Normally it is not tat busy so I was really surprised, it is a busy harbour though in the weekends, thank you for your kind words and for visiting me.
Astrid

Looks calm in this shot, but I know that it can get very rough. A good documentary style shot.

Picturit: You know very well....I had some wild water shots from the last time I was at the island....I am pleased you like it.
Astrid

Goedeavond Briefschrijsfer Astrid 2008. Is this the view from Texas? It is late pm now and I need more the (with a thingy over the e). I love the light refected on the water and you have framed this very well.

Yours sincerely from the stury regular letter writer that is chad.
tot morgen mit coughie.

Picturit: Goedenavond terug Chad, I just made you some koffie...without the thingy over the e...I am pleased to know that you like this picture, this is indeed the view to the east...and yes both feet are, while taking this picture, on Texas...we Dutch sometimes say Texel......
Zeer zeker tot morgen..met een kopje koffie..
Astrid.

The narrow crop makes it look like a view from the bridge. A good photograph, the light on the water makes the shot. Not sure about the gull, he is a bit of a distraction way out there on the left, but I can undersyand you wanting to keep him in ;o)

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words, I was kind of wondering about the seagull but I gave him/her/it a change if it would not make any noice..they always scream murder...and I liked a quiet nautical scene
Astrid.

i love nautical scenes! this one is nice ... cool shimmers of silver coming off the wave tops

Picturit: I am pleased you like this one, I do too love everything about the nautical life.
Astrid.

une ligne d'horizon magnifique, avec une gamme de gris mêlée d'argent formidable !

Picturit: Merci beaucoup pour vos mots aimable, thanks for the compliment.
Astrid.

Woah! Wooaahh! Wwoooaaahhh!
SUPERB !!!
I like the sea and the boats, well, here, I'm happy !!
Very good shot, Astrid.

Picturit: THANKS so much for your very kind words, I am happy I could make YOU happy, Fabrice I love everything about the sea, so you will see every once in awhile my pictures with sealife.
Astrid

The world's smallest signature is the finishing touch to this very pleasing seascape Astrid.

I think Chris suffers when he works nights

Picturit: I know, I had to put my signature in, but it distracted too much, I know for sure that everybody has good eyes....
I am so sorry for Chris, first he had to work at night and during the day he got attacked by the RED balloons...what is life...
Astrid.

The great lighting effect on this Astrid is really enhanced by the use of B&W. It just wouldn't have been such a strong picture in colour.

Picturit: I totally agree with you, the colour was not good at all, it was too much of the blue because of the cloudless sky and the reflection of that blue in the sea and the bright sun, so I started working on this picture and I was surprised by the change...
Astrid.

fantastic scene Astrid, and so well captured, super stuff for sure

Picturit: Tim, your words mean a lot to me, thank you so much, I love the sea and the boats, I have always to look if I see some boats at the horizon.
Astrid.

like vintage not a big fan of b&w,but well captured.

Picturit: Thank you so much for your words even the B&W is not really your choice, some day I will post something like this, but I kept in the colours.
Astrid.

I love this, the sparkly water and the silhouettes

Picturit: Thank you so much Ellie, the sun was my friend that day, it was in the morning and just about the right angle to give that nice sparkly water.
Astrid.

Prachtige pano. Mooi met het licht gespeeld. en een boeiende beeldvulling.

Picturit: Dank je wel voor het compliment, ik ben gek op de zee.
Astrid.

Lovely! I like the spearkle on the water. There certainly seems to be a lot of shipping movements.

Picturit: We were lucky that day, normally only over the weekend that there many boats, thank you for your kind words.
Astrid.

There is a wonderful sparkle to the shot. Very nice.

Picturit: Sorry for the late response, thanks for your kind words.
Astrid.

I like this, the crop, composition, the bird and glittering sun.

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words Nig,
Sorry for the late response, I have been very busy...Monday I post again.
Astrid.

A beautiful light and I do like the silhouetted ships. Well done!

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words, I love the view from the harbour at Oudeschild.
Have a great weekend,
Astrid

Wow, diamonds is a girl's best friend

Excellent - all this coughie stuff is giving me an idea for next week.

Picturit: I have heard that story too, I have to admit, I don't owe one diamond....I don't miss it either...I am glad I could give you a nice idea about the koffie, ik kom wel een bakkie bij je halen...neem ik wel stroopwafels mee goed,
Groetjes Astrid.

Lovely shot, the composition with the fishing boat and the distant boats create such a peaceful setting. Great tones and like the contrasts on the water.

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words, I was really lucky with the sun this morning,
Have a nice weekend.
Astrid.

http://tiff.shutterchance.com/photoblog/RATTY_EIGHT_/

Picturit: the link does not work Chris, I would have loved to meet Mrs.Ratty VIII

Beautiful scene and great in b&w

Picturit: Thank you so much for this compliment, I was very lucky with the sun here.
Astrid.

Simmering shimmering sea ... and/or ... fishing boat bobbing sea.
OR both.

So Astrid, I don't think you have failed with this one. richard

Picturit: Richard, your words mean a lot to me, thank you so much, the middle one is a fisher boat.
Astrid

The photograph of the atmosphere of the very good ocean.
His sun intense heat was felt very much.
Greetings from Yogyakarta Indonesia.

Picturit: Thank you so much Bram for your kind words, I am impressed by the quality of your pictures too.
Thank you for visiting.
Astrid.

Great waterline shot. i especially like the fishing boat. its an eye catcher.

Picturit: Thank you David, I was so lucky with all the ships that day.
Astrid.

amazing shot!

Picturit: Thank you Olivier, I love the sea and all that comes with it.
Astrid.

Fantastic image Astrid. Really well taken. Love it.

Picturit: Thanks John for your kind words, at the moment I am busy with some other things, I will post again in a few days.
Have a great day.
Astrid.

The vastness of the scene is awesome.

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words and for visiting,
Astrid

I think you have EATEN YOUR CAMERA TOO!

Picturit: Hick...hick....yep I might have...don't you worry Chris, I will be back......
on monday the 7th of june, well to be honest Monday morning 1A....we have to wait for you guys to pass midnight....you never have the same time as we have....
hartelijke groeten,
Astrid.

Hope you are fine Astrid...!

Picturit: Yes thank you very much Wim, I have been busy with other things at he moment....
I will post on Monday again.
Astrid.

Wow. Nice!

Picturit: Thank you Dave, I was very lucky with the sun here and the many boats.
Have a great weekend.
Astrid.

Bonjour,
nice shot..beautiful tones..bravo!

Picturit: Thank you so much for your kind words, I was really lucky with the sun
Astrid