Wednesday 19th October 2016, 12.50pm (day 1,882)
I think this ladybird looks quite snug and comfortable on its apple tree leaf. Winter is coming, though… better get inside somewhere, beetle.
Snug bug
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Category Archives: Flora/Fauna
This year’s habaneros
Sunday 16th October 2016, 1.50pm (day 1,879)
Look what’s been ripening away beautifully on my bedroom window sill while I was away in Prague. This house is now self-sufficient in habaneros. You want some wicked fresh chili peppers, this is the place to come.
Wasted windfall
Friday 7th October 2016, 9.30am (day 1,870)
Thanks to the very good weather over the last few weeks (though it changed today), there has been a huge crop of apples this year. Our garden tree has produced so many that for the first time ever we have a surplus. Not as much as this tree however — or rather the tree implied above the upper edge of this shot — which resides on campus, near my office, and unfortunately isn’t the agricultural territory of anyone in particular so all this windfall has gone to waste.
Off on a trip tomorrow…. a new city and new country for the blog. Come back to find out where…
Duck on the canal
Sunday 25th September 2016, 2.30pm (day 1,858)
I can’t believe there’s anyone who would wish ill will on ducks as a species. They aren’t aggressive, they don’t crap on your head, they’re good-looking and they pose very readily for the camera. What’s not to like?
Last weekend of summer (Zen shot)
Sunday 18th September 2016, 10.55am (day 1,851)
What is a summer, but a return to autumn? An end, but a start?
[Haiku warning]
Taking a swim (in my beer)
Sunday 11th September 2016, 4.15pm (day 1,844)
I took the shot, then fished it out. It lumbered around drunkenly on the table for a few minutes, drying itself off in the sunshine, then flew off and presumably will lead a long and waspy life. Therefore, no insects were harmed in the making of this picture.
By Hebden Water
Monday 29th August 2016, 6.05pm (day 1,831)
Quite a Hebden-bound period of the blog — in the 20 days since we got back from North Wales, 13 shots have been here (and five of the rest in Manchester). Not so bad I guess but it’s time to get out a bit more. Still, I feel happy that the period signs off with a good shot, this duck and the evening light came together just so — and here’s a sign of where lens flare is integral to what I wanted from the picture.
Harvest bounty
Wednesday 24th August 2016, 5.15pm (day 1,826)
As August winds down each year there are some regular events, firstly, I get a year older and so the title of this blog becomes one more year out of date — that’s coming on Friday. To ease the pain of this, however, the garden finally begins to pay off. Blackberries, blueberries and rhubarb in this shot, with apples and plums gathered but unseen here (we have realised fruit is much less hassle than vegetables). There must be a photo like this every year around this time, and hopefully that isn’t going to change however far I take this blog.
Station spider web
Tuesday 23rd August 2016, 7.45am (day 1,825)
The spider colony, rediscovered
Wednesday 17th August 2016, 9.35am (day 1,819)
Those of you who haven’t already quickly moved on, shrieking, may care that I hadn’t seen any of the cave spiders in the shed since a couple of years ago: 22/6/14 was the last appearance of one on here. Thought they had moved out, but three turned up today under an old table that we had in there. I think the one on the left is the one I got in a better picture of on 9/6/12; the red markings on the legs (though not that clear on this shot) are very similar. And look, it’s sweet. They’re breeding….
Being 42 