This monument stands on the north Wales coast, at Prestatyn, and marks one end of the Offa’s Dyke Path, which goes from here all the way down the Welsh/English border to Chepstow on the Severn Estuary, 180 or so miles away. Not that I came here to do any walking, but it is a reasonable spot to while away a bit of time.
Dreadful photo, but a fun night out in the Trades Club. This is about the best that can be done with my camera in such an environment, but evening photos have disappeared from the blog lately and I do want to acknowledge that now and again, I do still have a social life.
A day of significant family happenings, but they were all digital and so left nothing to photograph. Meanwhile, out in the world, the week’s fine weather has brought out these buds: they weren’t here a week ago. A year ago today, it snowed substantially in Hebden Bridge, but no danger of that this February 28th.
Went into Bradford today just for something to do that wasn’t sitting on my arse at home, and it did help me get some writing done. These arches stand outside Forster Square railway station, but above them is a road, not the railway line, which sticks to the lower ground: Bradford is a very bloody hilly city, as I was frequently reminded today. They look like they need something to fill them; like they are a row of little stages, micro-theatres perhaps, waiting for performers.
Two hemispheres… one of them real, atop the Corn Exchange in Manchester, one just apparent. But it balances nicely on the other. Would it be better if the spike pointed right to the terminator? Well, maybe, but then it wouldn’t balance, would it?
Two days in a row of photos at 7:nn am, as well: the last time that happened was May 2017. Must be the good weather making me keen. Or the realisation that I have six months left of my forties, which is true as of today.
I have no idea what the weather’s been like in the rest of the world but in the UK this late February, as anyone round here will tell you, it has been extremely pleasant. Even 7.55am on a Monday morning looked OK in these conditions. It’d be nice to think this is spring arriving and bedding in, but it must be recalled that this time last year, it snowed.
Piles of frog spawn filled various random bits of water (such as, literally, roadside puddles) on my walk yesterday and an equally huge pile filled the ornamental pond in my in-laws’ garden this morning. Now you’ve seen the size of a frog, right? These rafts of spawn were two feet wide. There must have been mass spawn-laying orgies taking place on Friday night. Wouldn’t we all like to be invited to such parties.
I continue with my attempt to re-cover the whole Lake District, having already done it all once. Hesk Fell is certainly one of the 330 LD peaks that I am now glad I never have to return to a third time; it’s not awful, but as this picture makes evident, it’s just a big grassy moorland, although it does have a decent view. Those are the Scafells in the distance, the highest peaks in England. Someone has made a very great effort to bring those stones up to build the summit cairn, as there certainly aren’t any that occur naturally on the ground for some distance in any direction, so let’s pay homage to their effort with today’s picture (others can be found on my walking blog, if you are interested…).
Beautifully — some might even say, ridiculously — warm day today for February, with temperatures up to 20ºC in Hebden Bridge. It’s the half-term holidays as well as the weekend and all this tempted people out, including me, as the afternoon saw a decamp up to the in-laws’ place in Morecambe. Preston station was busy and well-lit; on such days it’s hard not to admire the durability and aesthetic qualities of your basic Victorian station architecture — love those pillars.
I know I’m anthropomorphosising, but please tell me you see this bumblebee’s grumpy little face… long nose, protuberant jaw, etc. It’s like, “I know it was a nice sunny day today, but bloody hell is it early in the year to get up.” However… respect the pollinators, that’s what we have to do….
Being 42 