End of the Summer

The end of the Summer. One of my favourite times of the year. Time to hunt in your wardrobe for those hoodies that you adore and that save you from the sometimes bitter early morning chill and time to find your fingerless gloves for morning explores with the doggy. Every year, autumn comes and I find myself making preparations for the winter.

Today whilst walking Monty in the south fields, I spied a branch of Sloe Berries glowing a radiant dark blue amongst the green leaves and after hunting in my pockets found a cloth bag in which to stash some of the autumn fruits. After a half an hour of getting spiked by the thorns in the hedgerow, I had a full bag of the berries to show for my efforts and that is always a good feeling.

I plan to make Sloe Gin with the berries which is always a long process. I adore the fact however that after the Sloe Gin is made you can drink it and remember picking the berries (and caring for the cuts on your hands from the spiky bush, afterwards) and the drink tastes even better for having been made at home. Most of the Liqueur will probably be given away as Christmas presents but I probably have enough berries now for two bottles. Another couple of berry picking sessions and I shall have enough to get started!

Now all I have to do is find some small empty wine bottles with screw cap lids... I think its time for a trip to Sainsburys to sample some of their miniature wine bottles!

Long Time, No Winter

Greetings folks! I must apologise for the shamefull absence of blogging coming from my computer of late. there was no real reason for this other than lack of inspiration and a rather un-usefull habit of forgetting to take my camera anywhere. it has therefore been languishing and getting used to a life of long snoozes and occasional brief outings Since my last post was a good few months ago, I thought I would post a few photographs of the winter and spring, which came all too soon but which has brought happiness to many after a winter of "road grit rationing", and near record low temperatures. (yet again, I seem to be left longing for a return of winter which was glorious and once again did not last long enough.)

Fishing on a calm, very cold December morning

The morning after the first snow storm of the year. this snow stuck around for roughly a month

Lauren finds the first Snowdrops of the year (Feb 17th)

Snow still on the mountains. Fitz park, Keswick

Hill and Forest walks with Sue in Cumbria

My aim is to start blogging again a little more regularly. wish me luck in my endeavour!! the world is full of things just waiting to be discovered and with a little nudging from my sister Stephanie, I'm sure there will be more posts on their way some time.

My Sister and I go to LONDON!!! = D

Tower Bridge All 311 steps at the monument! (we were TIRED at the top!)

Me at the top of the monument

Pippa at the top of the monument. (st pauls cathedral over her shoulder)

The view down to the ground.

St Pauls Cathederal

The River Thames

Tower Bridge! = D

Pippa and I on Westminster Bridge

The houses of parliament and Big Ben

The blue man!!

(the Embankment is FULL of some AMAZING street performers!)

The London Eye and the Houses of parliament, taken from the golden jubilee bridge

Me in Trafalgar Square!

We went to see the queen! LMAO!(she wasnt in though hehe!)

Buckingham palace is amazing. very beautiful and I love watching the guards

St James's Park

St. James's Park with a view of Buckingham Palace

Dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum

Philippa and a Diplodocus

The Seashell.

This sculpture is one of my favourites.

Stuck on a beach on the suffolk coast, this piece of art can either be swamped by people coming from all around to see it, or it can be devoid of human life. These are the special days. Just you, the metal, the sea roaring a few feet away, the gulls calling down the beach and the elements that are blown into your face. Wind, rain hail; none of these detract from the beauty of the scene.

Many people are dissappointed that the seashell was put on this beach but on a quiet day, you can go and sit on a sheltered part of this sculpture and you will not care because the ocean is there and that is all that matters.

A long time gone.

As I sit down to write my blog post today, I feel a sense of coming home. I have not written in ages! My camera has not been idle by any means however. I have had many opportunities to excercise my artistic side which has made me very happy of late.

These pictures were taken in Aldeburgh, a little fishing town on the Suffolk coast which, despite the tourists and modern times, still feels like it is in a different era. There are fishing boats on the beach, surrounded by winch cables, old nets and plastic crates to load the catch into. On the waterfront are the old fish huts where the catch of the day is sold. I find that the fish you buy from here is always better than fish stalls on markets because you are getting it right from the source. over your shoulder you can smell the salt of the sea, the crash of the waves, and the vessels that brought the catch home are stood just over your shoulder. The fish is never more than a couple of hours old so it is that much more tasty when you get it home and cook it for your tea. It is perfect. The sign on one particular fishing hut in Aldeburgh is quite the most photogenic signs I have ever seen. It must have seen some weather in its time, that is for certain. Scratched and beaten up, It makes you think of those grey, windy, stormy days when even the gulls stay tucked up and anyone foolhardy enough to venture outside does so huddled against the chill and wishing they were back in their warm and cozy house .

There are always pictures to be taken beside the sea and that is maybe why I love it so much. it can be picturesque whatever its mood and I never care which sort of mood that might be.

Have fun everyone!

Morning Comes

I have been meaning to post this picture for a few days now and finally I have been motivated by my friend Kimberly to get my act together. This image was taken a few days ago when I got to bed at 2:30 in the morning. Dawn was already breaking in the East and there were the most fantastic clouds haunting the sky. These fascinating, vaporous ghosts hung in exactly the same place for two hours and I couldnt help but watch them from my window as I failed completely to sleep. They caught the light of the rising sun beautifully and I am sure that at one point I even saw a small rainbow grace their delicate waves.

Eventually they dissappeared and all within about five minutes. I looked away from the window momentarily to read some more of my book and when I next looked up, I was surprised at their absence and almost missed them. Somehow they had something close to personality. This picture does not do justice to what I remember of that morning. There was a magic in the air punctuated first by a lone herring gull waking up and flying overhead towards the town where it would forage for food, its quiet morning squawks waking the rest of bird-kind to start their morning chorus, and then Mr Fox running down the road to get home before the humans woke up to drive around in their noisy metal vehicles all day.

I did not stay up much longer after they left and I think I eventually got to sleep at 5am. Needless to say, I was tired when I woke up 3 hours later to start my day.

Mature Summer

As summer nears its mid point, I find that it has developed a sense of maturity. It is no longer in a furious hurry to appear hot and fiery as of a few weeks since. Outside today is a near constant slow rain, a cover of clouds and a cool breeze. I love these days as I am able to wear a hoodie to keep off chills but I am still able to walk in the garden bare foot.

My feet (after a few months without being cosseted in boots) are now hardened and can walk on almost anything so pebbles and twigs or rough pavement dont bother me anymore. If society would let me, I would probably walk bare foot everywhere but unfortunately, funny looks and broken glass prevent this. My Boots therefore, sit forgotten under my bed feeling jealous of the small shoes I wear out and about.

The Photographs here were taken today in my back garden. My dog Monty kept me company as I snapped away and enjoyed just watching me (quite obviously wondering why on earth I was "watching" the flowers and bushes so closely).

He loves it when I spend time with him outdoors and days like this with weather so perfect are wonderful for my camera. It seems my camera loves damp, green, moist weather. It brings out colours that are easily captured and enhanced (given the right settings of course).

Everyones idea of a perfect summer is different but I wish you all good weather and happy days wherever you are.