Friday 16th March 2012, 9.15am (day 204)
Yes, I know it’s blurred. But one of these days I’ll take a photo like this and it’ll be sharp, and then the world is my oyster 🙂
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Category Archives: Flora/Fauna
Sheep quintet above Longsleddale
Monday 12th March 2012, 10.00am (day 200)
Worked yesterday on the way home so I could get a day’s walking in today, but the views were disappointing again – despite a good forecast, cloud obscured most things above about 1,500 feet today.
I did like this little group of sheep, however, who arranged themselves across the shot like an 80s indie band on an album cover. There’s the lead singer down in front, the tough bass player behind, the lead & rhythm guitarist stylishly ignoring the camera in the centre. Not sure what the job of the one on the right is. It’ll probably be the synth player who’s on his way out after this album, like Viv Savage from Spinal Tap, say.
By the way, today’s the 200th day of this blog: I will put up some more ‘Best of the Rest’ but not tonight.
Lille Lungegårdsvannet, Bergen
Wednesday 22nd February 2012, 4.25pm (day 181)
This is an artificial lake in the centre of Bergen, by the art museum. It’s actually not that cold here (although the weather was still revolting today), but there’s still this scrim of ice on the surface of the lake, enough to support these birds’ weight and provide a nice optical illusion effect to add to the other nice patterns and colours on this shot.
Pigeon meeting
Sunday 12th February 2012, 1.20pm (day 171)
“OK everyone. We just missed our scavenging targets this morning so I’ve adjusted the afternoon rota accordingly. Frank, Paddy, you two are on tourist duty in the square. Simon – fish & chip shop. Who wants to take the path at the side of the river? I know, I know, there’s a lot of those bastard ducks around today, but that’s why we need someone flexible, not afraid to take risks. Cecilia – I think you’re ready.”
Wrapped up against the cold
Wednesday 8th February 2012, 8.45am (day 167)
As someone who grew up in the South but now has firmly settled in the North, I do have a certain sympathy for some of the anti-Southern sniping which takes place up here and which is often deserved. However, on this occasion the reason the papers are all saying how crap the weather is in the South, and not mentioning the North, is not some innate metropolitan bias: it’s simply that at the moment the South (being closer to the very cold air settled over Europe) is having bad weather, and we’re not.
Having said all that, there was a deep, damp chill in the air today; these dogs were not the only ones wrapped up against the cold as the kids walked to school.
Turned cold again
Saturday 4th February 2012, 4.10pm (day 163)
The forecasts have been promising a snowy turn to the weather for a while and today it duly arrived – although it was hardly The Day After Tomorrow. This did not, of course, prevent most of Britain’s infrastructure clogging up as we all fretted about the place, and councils and national government blamed each other for there not being enough gritters. But it’s the same every year.
This bird is apparently a Muscovy duck: not indigenous to the UK (a fuller shot of it is here). Either it’s stopped over for a busman’s holiday, or it’s an escaped pet. I have been told the eggs are very tasty. They’d keep well if laid outside in this weather, too.
Tree stump creature
Friday 13th January 2012, 12 noon (day 141)
First of four days spent in the Lake District, all blessed by far sunnier, drier and (except Monday) milder weather than anyone has a right to expect in the UK at this time of year. There is plenty of detail of the walking aspect of the weekend, and lots more photos, on my other blog.
Today’s shot was nabbed in the woods near Aira Force. I don’t know exactly what this tree stump looks like, but it looks like something. There’s a kind of tentacular thing going on here, with blood-soaked mandibles. Very Mirkwood.
Blackbird in tree
Thursday 12th January 2012, 1.45pm (day 140)
There have been a run of animal photos lately (and yes, the Norwegian Blue counts!). But I make no apologies for including another one, as it successfully encapsulates a glorious day. And more to come, according to the forecast. Which is good, because I’m going to the Lakes for the weekend – though probably without Internet access, so regular visitors might bear in mind that it is unlikely any more photos will be posted until Monday 16th. I will be back then… never fear.
Cat behind gate
Wednesday 11th January 2012, 8.55am (day 139)
Dogs are too needy, and I don’t do needy. Cats combine beauty with a couldn’t-give-a-toss attitude that I find much more admirable. This one might well have haughtily ignored me on a different day but today it was quite prepared to act as a model. Actually I think it just wanted me to open the gate and let it out, but I didn’t have the key, so took without giving back.
All on our way to work: Royal Exchange Arcade, Manchester
Tuesday 10th January 2012, 7.45am (day 138)
Same train in so I pass through the same parts of Manchester at the same time. Off I go to work one way, this guy goes a second way, the bird goes a third. I wonder if pigeons sometimes wake up in the morning with a headache, and just don’t feel very much into the day, but set off anyway through a sense of obligation.
Being 42 