I’m sure there are lots of things that could be better about this picture, but hey, it ain’t easy to capture wild red deer in England — there really aren’t very many of them, and they really don’t like people. This was my best attempt. I like the way the two bucks are clearly keeping an eye out for anyone who might be messin’ with their does, so to speak.
Taken from Cold Fell, on the very western edge of the Lake District, looking out to the Irish Sea. I’m very aware that this is a subject that can cause mixed reactions; maybe it would help to know that if the camera had panned a couple of degrees to the right, Sellafield nuclear power station would have loomed large in the lens. It’s a choice, a very conscious one in a lot of ways.
Rydal cave, on the slopes of Loughrigg Fell, is the biggest cave in the Lake District. As A. Wainwright says in his Pictorial Guide, “there is room in here for the entire population of Ambleside (though admittedly many of them would be standing in water)”. It’s not a natural cave however; instead, it is the product of quarrying. I guess you need a certain confidence in the local geology to dig out such a big hole…
On some days you’ve just got to go with a particular shot simply because it’s exactly the picture you wanted to take when the shutter was pressed. This was one of those days.
If out in the hills and in doubt about the photo, try the sheep group. I always feel these guys know something. But that’s probably just paranoia. Probably.
Far too glorious a day to not go on a walk. The walking blog will get updated tomorrow, but for now, here’s one of today’s spectacular views: Great End on the left, then the three lumps from centre to right are Loft Crag, Pike o’Stickle and Harrison Stickle — the Langdale Pikes. England doesn’t get a great deal better than this.
“OK, I might have a bit of a silly tail. But I live in a cooler place than you.”
And yes, that’s snow in May.
There’s a lot of it about… particularly among the ewe population of northern England.
Though the choice of photo didn’t reflect this, I was walking in the Lake District yesterday, and I’m going to walk there again tomorrow — so to mark the day inbetween, here’s another version of the Lakeland panorama, cast in metal and placed on Morecambe promenade as a view indicator. Attractive enough in its own right, too, on another beautiful day.
Sometimes there are days — and associated weather forecasts — on which one has to admit (for the sake of general sanity and effectiveness in life) that one’s personal priorities are more important than one’s paid employment. I rearranged a few things as a result. And yes, I like being out in countryside like this, as did the gentleman pictured here, who I slowly caught up over the course of a mile or two and was able to use to give a good sense of scale. This is a desolate spot, but worth reaching. You can see more photos from the day on my other blog.
Being 42 