Thursday 12th January 2017, 8.25am (day 1,967)

The second door in two days. This one not as helpful as it first appears. The irony is obvious if you read the sign. Dedicated to my friend Doug, who collects this kind of thing.

The second door in two days. This one not as helpful as it first appears. The irony is obvious if you read the sign. Dedicated to my friend Doug, who collects this kind of thing.

There was never going to be a great deal of excitement about today’s picture, I can assure you. Still, I get out and about more as of tomorrow. In the mean time let’s enjoy some nice afternoon light while we can — tomorrow’s weather forecast looks pretty cruddy.

“Pssst. Do you think the humans know that we have seen through their devious ruse?”
“I don’t know. If we keep looking nervous, perhaps neither they nor the evil ducks will notice how we’ve reoccupied this strategic vantage point.”
“Why the frig anyone thought a plastic owl would scare us during the daytime, I’ve no…”
“Ssssh!”

Due to the 24-hour industrial action on the Tube, the bus stops on Euston Road this morning were like scenes from Dante’s Inferno. The bus advert just adds tragicomedy.

We love them for those three weeks in December — but then we cast them out for the woodchipper. ‘A tree is for life, not just for Christmas….’? (I’m not being entirely serious you know.)
This shot is taken in London, as I had to come down to get a Russian visa for my imminent next trip to Moscow. This is the 52nd shot on the blog to be taken here, which means it finally overtakes Brisbane as the fourth-most depicted place after Hebden Bridge, Manchester and the Lake District.

Your word of the day — xylophage, from the Greek ξύλον (xulon) “wood” and φαγεῖν (phagein) “to eat”, thus, ‘wood-eater’ — referring to the fungus that has started, slowly, to consume this giant fallen tree down by the Hebden Water. Close up like this it looks like a giant cliff, hence the title of this post.

I had a picture of the lights on Canal Street when they were up — and here they are being taken down, as tradition dictates, before Twelfth Night tomorrow. By the guy on the ladder in the background, who busted the photographer — one reason I quite like this shot, as well as the depth of field.

Hint: if really struggling to find a picture for the day — go sit in the allotment for ten minutes and wait for a robin to turn up and flirt with the camera…

Our window sill, and indeed our house generally, contain more pieces of deceased sheep than most people would consider normal. Souvenirs from a few Lakeland walks….