Category Archives: Flora/Fauna

This year’s plum crop

Saturday 2nd June 2018, 3.15pm (day 2,473)

Baby plums, 2/6/18

In both 2013 and 2015 our plum tree fruited in ludicrous profusion. In 2015 we were taking bags of fresh plums down to the pub and giving them away, we had too many to use: the tree produced about 45 pounds of fruit (20kg) that year. Not so much in the last couple of years — but looking at it right now, it’ll be a bumper harvest in 2018. As long as the branches can bear the weight.

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Self-portrait with moth

Friday 1st June 2018, 5.05pm (day 2,472)

Self-portrait with moth, 1/6/18

It landed on me. We communed for a minute. I took a photo, it flew off but it had done its job.

God, I’m getting grey. Slowly but surely.

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In Carol’s garden

Wednesday 30th May 2018, 9.20am (day 2,470)

Columbines, maybe, 30/5/18

Our exertions of yesterday finished late enough to make crashing at the in-laws’ desirable. Morecambe was still a fine, sunny place this morning however. These flowers may, or may not, be columbines — the identification is hesitant. I like the one in the centre, though, just opening up, stretching its tentacles like a little octopus. Or pentopus maybe.

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Goslings

Saturday 26th May 2018, 2.20pm (day 2,466)

Goslings, 26/5/18

Are the babies of all species innately cute? Is this just something nature does? Well, OK, not flies, maybe, but the rule seems to hold for most birds and mammals at least. These goslings were being closely watched by Mum on the canal at Mytholmroyd this afternoon.

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Garden mint

Tuesday 22nd May 2018, 3.40pm (day 2,462)

Garden mint, 22/5/18

I’ve been moving around a lot in the last couple of months — Norway twice, Slovenia, Croatia last week — but apart from a couple of trips to London there will be no more of this until into August. So expect plenty of HB, Manchester and, when the local train service allows, the Lakes. It will give me a chance to show the progress of the summer, anyway. The arrival of the first mint crop in the garden is always a welcome one, as that means it’s also home-made mojito season.

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Pigeons fighting in the rain

Monday 14th May 2018, 11.40am (day 2,454)

Fighting pigeons, 14/5/18

I’m aware this photo could have been taken anywhere, but it happens to be in Zagreb, Croatia: making this the first place to begin with Z that has appeared on the blog in its 2,454 days.

The pigeons of Zagreb, at least, the ones pictured here, may have decided for many reasons to have a fight but amongst those may have been the fact that on this late morning it was absolutely throwing it down with rain, as is visible here (and it’s not always easy to see rain on photographs unless it’s very heavy). I have been here 24 hours now and there’s certainly been copious amounts of moisture pouring out of the sky. I think there are three birds visible on this shot, but I must admit I’m not entirely sure.

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Fallen blossoms

Friday 11th May 2018, 8.30am (day 2,451)

Fallen blossoms, 11/5/18

They’re very pink, but very ephemeral, the cherry blossoms. Maybe that’s why the Japanese like them so much, it matches their general aesthetic.

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Baby fern creatures

Thursday 3rd May 2018, 4.40pm (day 2,443)

Baby ferns, 3/5/18

Didn’t a creature looking like this once erupt out of John Hurt’s stomach? The end may be nigh.

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Spiral on stone

Tuesday 1st May 2018, 8.15am (day 2,441)

Snail on wall, 1/5/18

Just hanging out. I sometimes feel it would be nice to spend a pleasant morning, as it was today, just chilling out in a sunny spot.

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Blossom on May Day (nearly)

Monday 30th April 2018, 5.30pm (day 2,440)

White Lion blossom, 30/4/18

OK, maybe I didn’t take the picture on May Day. But that’s when I’m posting it, so it still seems appropriate. Let’s hope spring is here to stay now.

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