Calm, Warm Afternoon

          Another Autumn Day with promise and warning. There are high clouds, but my untutored eye reading was that these were a view of the present, as their power hinted of a less benign future. I was not considering a distant location, but a walk towards the nearby Forest Centre. Potentially, the distance involved, could take me a not inconsiderable distance to head home should the heavens open!
          Fortune favours the brave — at least on this occasion, for though there was a suggestion of possible rain, it remained within the clouds, and I spent the afternoon capturing a relaxed view of autumn colours and with the aid of the sun, textures of leaves, especially where the wind had turned and sometimes trapped them upturned to reveal their undersides. Not only was I treated to Autumn golds, but also vibrant reds that sometimes only formed a border to the earlier lush green. This season treats us to a grand finale with a curtain closure of as rich, but a different palette of colours to that of Spring.
          Getting out with a camera, and being able to gather the images together to illustrate the narrative of an afternoon’s activity is currently one of the ways in which I can exercise my ‘little grey cells’ and fill the void created by my overall lack of fellow human contact and interaction. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall variety of subjects that filled my time whilst exercising my legs and eyes. I hope others can share and enjoy the results of my efforts.

Autumn 2021-Forest Centre

 

          It is immediately apparent when you look through this latest gallery of images from a walk I took in the Marston Centre Park, which I am lucky to have, almost on my doorstep, the woods do have some greens. But, there is a vast preponderance of reds, russet and gold, and pale yellow. It is therefore no surprise that my eye and camera feature these colours predominantly; I was lucky in that the sky was a rich blue with only wispy, high level clouds. Although the sounds of birds was underwhelming, the insect life did not disappoint, and I was soon alerted to the short darting flight of a Dragonfly; it was very unsettled and would land, then leap into the air within seconds before returning to almost exactly the same spot it had just left! Bees were equally restless as they rarely alighted for long on the abundant orange and pink clusters of flowers in one garden close to the main building. 
          I suspect that this spell of clear skies is due to close as the mornings are beginning to take some time for the mist and overcast to dissipate, and reveal the wispy, high-level clouds. I was therefore making the most of the current colour palette before the golden tones and russet of Autumn take over, the abundant red berries are already beginning to show signs of dying back, so I did my best to capture them before the coming frosts took their toll.

          I was pleased to find the end of my walk passed a cluster of high pale gold reeds and some wonderful roses in good condition and lush red bloom.

Bedford Park - Warm Afternoon

            Warm sunshine in early October is certainly an invitation to be outside, and is an invitation I find irresistible — so I head for a park I have not visited recently, and the beauty of sunshine lies as opposed to light from an overcast sky, is this casts shadows, and enhances texture and detail. A single teazel separated from its blurred background is therefore an ideal start point. Intricately patterned leaves either obliquely lit from above or through from behind are too good to miss! The leaves and sharp thorns of brambles, or the breeze lifting their leaves to display the rubbing beneath are always aspects of nature that will catch my eye, and entice me to record them. For the next several minutes, I found myself fully absorbed by the textures and colours I found all around; some so abstract they might well have been shot from above by satellite! And, as if to emphasise the beholder, as I panned towards what lay immediately beneath me, I grabbed a shot of my own silhouette, before taking a couple of rippling reflections that were accentuated by the original uniformity of the protecting rail, by the Canoe Slalom Course.
            A nearby bush was alive with bees and butterflies eagerly feasting. Rushing water within the pool by the lock gates, and the contre-jour but now somewhat forlorn remains of the spiders’ labours also caught my eye, as did the Mallard ducks being tossed by the turbulence of the water, then the frantic aggression from one male towards another (possible suitor?!) After this, the chasing male spread its wings to dry them, for the next encounter, perhaps?!
           A pair of swans found there was far more interest below the surface than above — but no! One at least had found a tasty morsel of reed upon which to feast. The predator Mallard ignored the passing feather from the previous fracas as it drifted past and the duck continued to paddle against the current. On the shores other Mallards relaxed in the warmth and swans dried their wings, or simply displayed their plumage as a mark of power. Overhead, gulls were gathering, and occasionally swooping to gather morsels of bread being thrown by children onto the water by the shore. This provides me with the chances to capture the gulls as they hover. In sunshine, it also gives me a better chance of capturing detailed images of the birds in flight; that is until some careless dog owners do not control their charges, and two dogs frighten the assembled birds! That irresponsible behaviour is a disgrace, and shows a callous disregard of the owners’ responsibilities!
            There were several Cormorants in the lake on this occasion, and I was intrigued by one which had something in its beak, but it was too distant for me to see exactly what it had in its beak, but after it had played with it awhile, I was unsure whether it had eaten it, or dropped it back in the water. The Grebes sadly kept their distance from the shore on this occasion, because it is a species I enjoy watching. The ravens I encountered on this afternoon seemed to accept my presence as unthreatening, and came reasonably close, and it was interesting that one pair was so different in their personal grooming - one was immaculate without a feather out of place, the partner: the complete antithesis! Unlike the male Mallard which was washing itself all over! While it’s partner watched calmly from the shore. The subsequent display seemed to justify the male’s behaviour, as they both snuggled up to each other — a display I have never ever witnessed before! I suppose you must admit, that definitely should be a feather in its cap!

           One of the Finger Lakes must be especially shaded from the wind as its surface is almost entirely covered by a layer of green algae, but the birds on it seem undeterred by its coverage, and their passage through closes behind them, as they paddle further. As I head back to my car, I stop to take shots of a Magpie that heads in my direction, entirely unfazed by my presence, but eventually, far less so with a couple of men heading towards me from behind the bird, as they licked their way through ice cream cornets. I resumed my pursuit of leaf textures, dying leaf structure, and berries — the Magpie flew off, and I captured a few more varied leaves and berries on the last stretch before returning to my car, and home, ending a satisfying and enjoyable afternoon’s exercise of limbs and brain. Enjoy!

Warm and Sunny, Occasional Wind

          The present situation is a constant concern when in close contact with others in confined spaces but when outside, tensions recede and those stresses disappear, and when I last visited the lake at Brogborough, the wind was more apparent, but the urgency to be out on the lake was less apparent; ironically it had a calming effect! At first few were actually out on the water, but activity on shore was building as the boards were rigged and sails were tautened, and soon sailors were heading offshore. Sam soon was shedding his cloak, and making his way from the grassy foreshore and out onto the lake with his wingsail and, taking to the air. I am fairly certain he was very much aware of my presence and the camera, so I was soon grabbing sequences of his abandoning the water for the air.

          The sky began to darken, and the clouds began to look threatening, and a few drops of rain seemed to fall, but then seemed to simply darken though less threateningly, then to dissipate. Sam continued to jump — with occasional calamitous endings. The lake began to fill with more taking to the water, and the clouds receded and were replaced with higher wisps, which had a calming effect upon the sailors, so my subjects changed to those of leaves and their shapes and colours, and I headed into the woods with the intention of choosing a different background beyond the sailors. It seemed as if I had turned off the power to the wind, by my walking into the woods, because when I emerged further down to the shore, few sailors ventured in my direction, and when I returned the lake was emptying of sailors and their craft.
          Perhaps this short Season is closing.

Brogborough Lake - Sun and Some Wind

            I noted that the lake had several cars parked, with a couple of their owners preparing for their waterborne adventure, donning their wetsuits. There was no urgency, and considerable, convivial chatting. Above, there were fair weather clouds, and as the day drew on, these forms took their majestic shapes, and as ever, I was drawn to capturing their forms against the clear blue sky beyond. I also enjoy photographing rushing water, and waving weed filaments at the mercy of the eddies as they rush upon the shore, disturbed by the forms of brick and concrete detritus from the lake’s past.
            Not all the clouds were benign, some were a glowering slate colour, which occasionally formed a few passing droplets of water, but on this occasion, it seems we missed the showers; they were destined to fall elsewhere. It is on days like this that I am drawn to record the varied stages as they progress from benign, through threatening, and then disappearing leaving clear blue, or paler shades, and distant ghosts of their former shapes with lesser power, and now no longer threatening. I am not blessed with the skills to capture these shapes and colours with brushes and paints, but in case I need reminding of those fleeting moments, I record them with my cameras, and constantly envy those who are able to use painterly skills to produce them from memory or imagination.
            I may not possess the skills to create scenes of beauty and drama with paints and brushes, but I am fortunate that I am able to recognise and appreciate the splendour that occurs in nature, and value my blessing, and recognise how devastating it is for those who are sightless. Some of what I photograph may seem benign or banal, but I am grateful to have been able to witness it, and value it, and perhaps some can enjoy what I share — in this case a happy afternoon.

Brogborough – Activity in the Sun

            The Sun had surprising warmth for the time of year, and there were signs of fitful wind on the lake at Brogborough, and this was enough for me to consider that I could capture some windsurfing activity. Should that be scarce, then the hedges would be worth investigating for as I walked along the margin between the grassy area and the shore, I found I was disturbing myriad small flying insects. However though, no sooner had they broken cover, the they would once again freeze, and I would have to scan diligently whilst I was still and occasionally I might see the now stationary insect – but finding it in the viewfinder was another equally slim chance!

            I am not averse to such a challenge, but the odds were undoubtedly in favour of the small insect, as seeing these insects was comparatively straightforward, compared to actually acquiring the image on screen and being able to record it was quite another achievement! But, interspersed with successful images of human activity, it took some fifty-odd of those images before I managed successfully to record an acceptable few of these fleeting insects amidst the brambles.

            The first acceptable image gives a good indication of how small these insects were, if you measure them against the thorns of bramble on which two were poised! (The stem was barely a millimetre thick!) – this is also a measure of how versatile this lens is, when you consider every frame of this day’s images were captured by the same lens – I cannot praise this Leica lens enough! Before describing the rest of the day’s photos, let me state that the eleven varied frames numbered 50 through to 60 are all from this same excellent lens! – (Only the lone paddle boarder is close to full frame!)
            I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent at the lake, and may I thank Sam personally for granting me the ten frames 83 to 92 showing his versatility in adversity! (I am reminded of those Clint Eastwood words…! – as those frames helped make my day!)

Brogborough Life Mix

            Having decided that there was likely sufficient wind to tempt windsurfers to head for the lake at Brogborough, I ensured that my small LUMIX had a fully-charged battery and a fresh card, and headed out to the car and drove to the lake, and it was a relief to see there was at least some activity in the Car Park.
            However, I did not see much activity on the water, so locking the car I headed for the shore. I did then see one sailor on the lake, and looking around there were a few others preparing themselves or their gear, so I returned for the camera. There was a slight breeze, and warm sunshine, so no need for anything more than the camera. I took a stroll along the bushes, as I had already seen signs of crane flies and interesting leaves, and some blackberries.
            During the time I was getting shots of these as I walked along the bushes, a few windsurfers were launching onto the lake, but the fitful nature of the wind meant the number of sailors were now to be captured on the water, but I can be easily distracted, and the frothing water at my feet, and the arrival of a dragonfly soon attracted my attention. In the lull, I returned to activity on the water, before spotting damselfly alighting close by.
            My third page of images was finally concentrated entirely upon human activity, but from not too many souls, and as these numbers dropped, I chose to return to process the images back home. I gather that stronger and more sustained winds are due, so I am very likely to return soon.

Late Afternoon Local Walk

          My younger daughter and her family came to visit and, since they had spent the time mainly indoors, Lizzy prepared a cooked meal so that on their return it was ‘bath and beds’, to be ready in the morning for the return to School the next day. Once I had waved them off on their journey home the sun was yet to set, and I could not resist grabbing the camera and heading out. After almost immediately crossing the main road, I found beaming flowers inviting me to capture their images even before I had reached the path into the woods. It was gratifying to know that I had recorded these blooms before the onset of Autumn, and heading past the bend and onto the path into the woods. 
          Although the fresh, red berries were an announcement of the next season, there were still brave new leaves to suggest the current season was not yet over, and there were still blackberries to fully ripen; I succumbed to the temptation to sample a few after at least honouring their presence in a photo! The versatility of this camera allowed me to squat to record a shot of the slow passage of a slug across the path. Later, on my return home I was able to note it had survived the wheels of bikes and the feet of passing humans, though unable to confirm whether this was as a result of fewer evening footfalls, pure chance, or simply a different slug in a similar spot on the return trip. 
          I feel there is great beauty and power in clouds and I often find myself drawn to capturing them both alone in towering power, or restful backdrops to buildings, hills, landscapes, lakes, sea, or trees — theirs is an attraction I have felt over years and they still retain this power. 
          This walk was not over long, nor was there a wind to make vast and rapid changes to their form or stature, but they nevertheless changed their structure during the few minutes that elapsed as I walked on both my outward and return journey, which exercised my limbs as well as my imagination and enjoyment of the late afternoon.

Garden Buddliea Gallery

        Living in Marston Moretaine means that I am close to both lakes and open countryside, and in different weather conditions there is never a shortage of varied subject material for photography. On this occasion I only opened my back door and my Buddliea was hosting different butterfly species about their business of pollinating, whilst savouring its abundant and welcoming pollen.
        The preceding days had been dull and uninviting for them, but on this day, the wind had subsided, the sun shone, and I was feeling the need to be outside as duller weather was forecast, so it was not a difficult decision to forego exercising my car, and to simply take advantage of the visiting butterflies and exercise my small LUMIX, without any need of even a monopod for support. This camera does have its quirks, and I do need to keep using it frequently to establish the best way to master it, as my memory, or rather, lack of it, necessitates that I keep up my familiarity with its controls, as they are not as easy to master as my Canon bodies and lenses.
        It is interesting to note that fellow photographer, Adam, had arrived at a similar conclusion as myself but two years or so earlier than me, and in his case, the choice was Sony equipment. In my case I was at the NEC for a photographic show, and I was meeting up with a fellow photographer with whom I had once worked alongside, who had brought a friend with him who suggested I visit the LUMIX stand as he felt the FZ10002 might well be worth taking a good look at, as he had recently bought one, and was highly impressed. Playing with it on the exhibition stand, and looking at the impressive results, on an impulse, together with this endorsement from a user, I decided to buy one, there and then, along with a spare battery and charger as it seemed like a reasonable risk. I have to say it has lived up to, and exceeded expectations, and although it is still not as easy for me to exercise total control over it compared to my Canon bodies, it is no toy! The pictures in this gallery I could not have managed with my long zoom on the Canon camera without recourse to a tripod, and even then I could not have moved around to capture the shots I managed with the LUMIX! Thank you Panasonic.

Harold-Odell-BirdsNBerries

               Although the day was warm, it was very dull at the park I had chosen to visit along with my camera — on this occasion, the LUMIX FZ10002. The location was a park I had not visited for a while — Harold-Odell Country Park. 
               The avian denizens of the lake were in abundance, the only down side was the dismal light! However, the chance to satisfy my need to keep active and to take photographs meant the weather being dry, the challenge was welcome rather than an annoyance.
               The numbers of Swans and Geese on the lake were high, and the car parks were full, but overall the numbers of birds was large, especially in one area close to the left side area beyond the entrance, mainly geese, Canada and Greylag. As the day wore on, various groups would detach themselves from this large group, and others replaced them in ever smaller groups.
               I spent some time, panning groups of formation flying by the varied groups of birds, as practice with this camera, since it is not the easiest of cameras under such circumstances. I also spent some time with capturing shapes in gnarled trees with interesting alter egos (so another small set of challenges for those with a keen eye! — are you able to see what I saw in the images I captured?) I spent some time playing with shots of red berries and varied choices of blurriness and shapes of backgrounds. It was as much an exercise in my handling of the camera and it’s controls as adding to my store of images.
               I have a colleague who invested in a Sony compact camera, and he is enjoying it in the same way I enjoy this LUMIX. In my case, I have found some aspects of the LUMIX controls harder to master than my Canons, but I am persevering, and enjoying the journey.

A Walk Along the River Great Ouse in Bedford

        The sun was favouring the River Great Ouse with its warmth and light as I arrived to spend a relaxing couple of hours in early September. I strolled through wooded shade towards the riverbank, and as if to confirm the warmth a paddleboarder came into view, soon followed by a narrowboat. By now I was right by the riverbank, and spotted an unusual gourd-like plant floating on the surface on a long stem, which disappeared from view into the depths. A Robin paid a fleeting visit to a shadowed branch of the canopy, so my eye turned elsewhere and a small butterfly caught my and unlike the Robin, it seemed unfazed by my presence. I walked on with boats passing by on my left.
        My lens and I caught sight of the first Dragonfly of the day and from my low viewpoint it appeared to match the desiccated and web-strewn seed pods of its vantage point. Soon I was to spot an abundance of dragonflies choosing far more fresh examples of vegetation, greener reeds waving slowly in the occasional breeze. A Cygnet gently passed by as I captured yet more dragonflies moving from one vantage point to another with occasional dances with potential suitors. I found interesting eddies to capture in the gently swirling waters caused by raised stones close by the riverbank, or clumps of vegetation. Also in the shadows and shallows, the water seemed to glow in the dappled light coming through from gaps in the overhanging trees that had started to shed their leaves by the bank. Drapes of Ivy hanging by the path’s edge seemed to provide a silhouette of an Elephant and its trunk, and I mentioned that to a passing couple walking past me, and they smiled and agreed with my observation! From my constant seeking of suitable viewpoints to choose clear views of birds and insects, I often note that flying insects are always willing to practise their skills by attempting landings on unstable waving reeds and leaves. This day was no exception; several times a landing will be attempted, then abandoned shortly after, when the blade of grass or reed drastically dipped under the extra weight! I also observe shape similarities in nature that have equivalences to human engineered tools — I tempt the reader to spot a dragonfly on the handle of a whisk!
        I don’t only observe the denizens of the animal kingdom on these photo sorties, I also capture fellow humans making the most of these areas, as once again I capture appealing scenes of wave-rippled reflections of brightly coloured paddles and cascading water as they leave the water. Leaf textures and shadows add to their appeal, and overlapping backlit leaves can form shapes that can be recognised as entirely disconnected impressions of other familiar objects — see if you can spot a caricature dog?! Or a Duck in the healed wound of a tree that years earlier had lost a branch. Or the basis of tic toe in blades of grass, or individual characters of the Alphabet? This park also can trace incidental architecture from the time of Egypt’s Pharoahs, and to continue this game see if you can spot a lamp standard keeping its eye on a runner?
        Perhaps it’s just me, but the world is full of interesting shapes and juxtapositions, and this trip just seems brimming with subliminal artefacts! Hopefully, I can catch up with some more of my backlog of images yet to see the Light of Day.

An Explanation for Last Several Days

          I have a serious apology and explanation to give for the recent lack of activity on this blog. I have been suffering from being unable to resolve a series of what would normally have been minor problems, but which completely undermined my ability to write the narratives that describe my various sorties with a camera.
          Fortunately, my son-in-law, Tim has been a model of patience and helpfulness as he did his very best to resolve remotely, the issues I have been experiencing with what in the past had become second nature to me; the preparation of images taken during my sorties with a camera. The problems began when we suffered a power outage; and it occurred whilst I was processing a day's worth of pictures to prepare them as a Lightroom gallery. The total loss of Electricity could not have occurred at a worse time as I was close to finishing the work of selecting, cropping and balancing the exposures and colour for some three hundred pictures! As I was actually working on an entire folder from the day's shooting, there was nothing other than the originals saved, and I was close to seven eighths the way through, and in mid operation, so I faced starting back at the beginning! I cannot explain just how much effort those hours of diligent work represented.
          I cannot remember how long I had to wait for power to be restored; time during which my memory of how I had cropped, or adjusted the colour, or brought detail into the shadows, or restored tone in burnt-out clouds. The isolation of the last year had already taken its toll on my short term memory, but the necessity to restore what I had already achieved thus far in my editing, and try to decide which of three exposures I had chosen first time around, really sapped my normal confidence and judgment, and the waiting to learn just how much was recoverable, also really ate into my fragile self confidence. When the moment came and power was restored, was when I learned the full extent of what damage had been wrought. Because my setup consists of numerous interlinked hard drives, and the closedown was not tidy, so I had a lot more problems beyond Lightroom to first assess, then do my restoration. All this sapped my already fragile memory, making restoration and resurgence of confidence, a slow process.
          Just how much my ability to function was illustrated today, when I set to, to putting a fairly simple 2-page gallery this afternoon, I needed Tim to resolve why I have been unable to save this gallery's completion to disc – task which under more normal circumstances would have taken a total of a couple of hours at most, had completely eluded my ability to save it correctly; further damaging my ability to cope. Tim with infinite patience had to guide me over the phone, the steps I had to take.

Hiatus Gallery!

        So named due to a disastrous week when my personal situation became almost totally chaotic, except for those spells when one or other daughter joined me briefly with their children. I am hoping I have come out the other side finally, but only time will tell. The cause of all this started with a power cut which corrupted both what I was working on at the time, and my overall catalogue of photo galleries. How this will play out in the future is uncertain, but I have other images yet to be processed, so as they say: “Time will Tell”.
        The main reason for the captured images of the bee was that during my somewhat tardy attack on the beyond- knee-high grass cutting, the bee was injured, possibly partially concussed. I had spotted it amongst the remnants of cuttings, wandering in circles absent-mindedly, so to avoid further injury, I marked the boundary area with some of the cuttings and finished the rest of the mowing, checking every so often on its progress. Later still upon my completion of the mowing, it seemed a tad less weary. Worrying that since I realised it needed energy to recover, I put down a plate of sugared water so it might drink. On the last visit to check on its progress there was no sign, so I am presuming that since there had been some progress on each of my checks, it had recovered its energy and had finally flown off.
        The rest of the images covered the web the largish spider had woven, and the more defined images of the butterfly on the Buddliea. And, as evening arrived, I heard the somewhat raucous sounds of a couple of groups of birds heading for their overnight roosting sites.

A Return Visit to Biddenham

            A visit to Biddenham; the first on my part for some time and, although in the village itself, there were several groups and individuals, once I entered the woods, although I heard voices from elsewhere than the path I had chosen, I only occasionally came across others in my meander through the woods themselves. Early in my walk past the larger houses, I had encountered unusual choices of hedge vegetation species, found more commonly as individual trees; my assumption for the choice was the tall, dense privacy they offered.
            Every so often there were breaks in the enclosing boundaries to the paths, and I was puzzled in one of these gaps, by observing what appeared to be a concreted area that may have been the foundations of an earlier building, but with no indications of walls. Occasionally I would break out into more open areas, and another observation puzzled me — here there was an approximately circular grassy area, suggestive of a golf course’s green, but I spotted no indication of a hole for a flag. I returned to the taking of smaller subjects, such as a ladybirds, small berries, and poppies, then bright and healthy apples.
            In amongst the shafts of dappled sunshine, I found the enticing textures of fresh young leaves, and the early signs of ripening blackberries. I am always attracted to the rippled textures of fresh young leaves, and the symmetries and textures of differing leaf structures. The cast shadows on one hanging branch of leaves suggestive of a squirrel caught my eye, as did a bee on a white-petalled flower, which had been repeatedly damaged by an upturned sharp stick remnant piercing two of the petals numerous times in the breeze with the extra weight of visiting pollinators! I also liked another of the white blooms attempting to be seen beyond the spherical bloom of a Chrysanthemum-like pink flower like the rising sun.

            In the warmth of the sun, bees were making the most of the bonanza of fresh blooms, and I was doing the best to do my own capturing of textures and colours, such as the golden toffee of holly leaves and their rich red stems. If the abundance of red berries is accurate in foretelling harsh winters then I also found that strong message clinging to a mortared stone wall. I was amused by the determined ivy escaping from the fence to reach the life-giving warmth of the sunshine, and I soon spotted its cousin succeeding in its journey to the same life force, framed by the evidence of past adherence to the fence. I felt honoured by the generous lighting I was offered in the capture of the textures and sheen on nearby leaves.
            My observations were not confined to the natural world around me. I spotted a slip-up from a human in a spelling mistake by humans in the preparation of a map for this location — Greay! As I was about to leave this map a couple appeared to view the same notice, so I passed on my discovery; rather than simply keep it to myself! I closed the gallery with the high fair weather clouds, and blue sky, I hope the images encourage others to visit and enjoy this enticing park area.

I Revisit a Park Just North of the A421

          I headed across the A421 to visit the woods beyond. Once parked, I took the soft case from my LUMIX FZ10002, leaving it behind in the car’s boot, and hung the camera around my neck. On this occasion I am travelling light, very light! Not even my monopod. Locking up the car, I take to the long dark tunnel of trees into the open air beyond, occasionally stopping to capture images along the way that caught my eye.
          Currently, the weather seems somewhat unsettled, and slightly less clearly season defined, but I did find metallic green flies, at least three species of butterflies, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, and some others that I could not immediately identify. Variegated leaf colouring and backlit leaves also attracted my interest, as did a fair number of small, or simply young hoverflies. Beyond the woods, in the open area of the park, the wind had picked up, and despite taking several of the paths in hope of further interest, I was disappointed, as nothing much caught my eye, and therefore my camera — the rest of my walk yielded only fair weather clouds, the green winding paths and one long, lightly leaved and bowing branch framing the curving metalled path.
          I had gained the exercise, enjoyed the fresh air, and was impressed yet again by just how versatile this small camera is and fully justifies my decision to purchase it — it does not replace my more expensive kit, but when travelling light, fully earns its place amongst my heavier and pricier cameras.