Briefest Forest Visit

            I set off to drive to a woodland destination with the desire to use the warm pale sunshine to capture the first signs of our next season, to reach my intended destination, but due to the stress of recent issues, I took the wrong exit from the second roundabout I encountered and then rather than find a way to correct my mistake, I took the serendipitous decision to continue in the hope it might prove to offer new and different opportunities for photographs.

            However, after encountering no obvious spots to park with prospects of interesting vistas, or woodland walks, a roundabout offered the renewed chance to view my return trip from the opposite viewpoint, and take the intended road with somewhat less time for my potential photography. I had ordered a new high capacity hard drive, which was scheduled for delivery in a projected one hour’s time.

            The very first potential image was the view of a distant tree’s fungal growth framed by the crook of a nearby tree branch and trunk — the colourful growth gave my view the appearance of a one-eyed horse’s head. These forms I frequently encounter whilst I am outside with a camera, and though some may be more immediately recognised by others, many may be more obtuse, or simply appeal to my sense of the bizarre.

            On this occasion when viewed in retrospect, it seemed at least to me, to be a pointer to the image I was later to mention which I posted with just this single image! There was a danger that since that Blog entry contained no link to any gallery of images, it had the potential to confuse any regular reader. But, since my encounter with two charming ladies in this truncated trip, I had taken a picture as they both headed towards me, and I had offered my card to be copied to the walking lady that she might see what I had captured. This narrative therefore covers the other images I managed in this somewhat curtailed trip. Since I have not ridden a horse since my early twenties, in that earlier image failed to spot my bloomer but having learned the errors of my ways, I have chosen by headlining the finally created narrative with an improved image.

            On my return from the woods, it was not long before I was able to unpack the weighty disk drive and start to add this gallery and its images, and then start the catch up process of filling in the gap with several of the earlier image galleries and their narratives. sadly their their true chronology is lost.

            

Brief Woodland Walk – Gallery Later

               On this warm, late February afternoon, I needed to de-stress, as currently I have been having difficulties putting up galleries of images, so I decided to take a walk in the nearby woods, but I took a wrong turning, and because the purpose of my trip out was to relax, I decided to live with the route I had taken, and simply followed its general direction, until I realised that despite the passing scenes were not unpleasing to the eye, they provided little reason to stop, and also few possibilities of parking, so upon reaching a roundabout, I simply used it to retrace my route and have a lesser time outdoors than had been the original plan.

               For those visitors more familiar with this blog, the headline text would normally provide the means to reach a gallery of varying numbers of thumbnail images, that when clicked would enlarge to more fill the page. However, on this occasion I am only providing this single image because I am foregoing quantity on this occasion, until I can completely resolve the issues that have prevented their being published for the last month or so.

               By the time I arrived at the intended car park, I was almost out of time to be at my house for delivery of a large capacity hard drive which I am hoping will resolve my computer problems, which I believe stem from running out of space.

               I did succeed in taking more than this single image, but I found it pleasing to the eye, and since the subjects did not appear to mind my capturing it, I felt obliged to at least put this image alone  up in the meantime. It also means for those who follow my work there is something to keep their interest from waning!

To paraphrase earlier TV announcements this wording springs to mind: "Normal Service will be resumed as soon as possible."

Fowlmere Visit with Catherine

Catherine and I met up close to the woods at Fowlmere; a destination she had suggested that was equally distant from both of us, and she had some software on her phone that gave her an indication of my location. So it was unsurprising that we soon met up!

The day was not cold, but the light was dull, but I was still able to capture some colour, and the amount of rainfall certainly favoured greens! The season contributed deep reds, and golden browns; and rotting tree trunks and rippling waters of the stream gave texture. So, despite the lack of sunlight, colour was still evident, and I did my best to bring this out in the images that appear in the gallery.

This all took place some time back, due to my inability to publish the gallery of images taken over the period, but with help provided by Tim, my son-in-law, I am trying to slowly bring these galleries out of their forced darkness, but in many instances, the narrative story surrounding these photos is lost in the gloom of my failing memory as a direct result of my isolation from human contact at this time. I hope that the images themselves give some pleasure to those who visit my blog and the galleries I create, as I wander the woods, fields, rivers and lakes that I visit with my camera to capture the beauty and activity, as I exercise my eyes and brain to keep sane.

Emergency Service Training Afternoon

               On this occasion, I apologise to all readers of this Blog; 'Normality' currently does not seem to be part of my vocabulary.

               The gallery of images relating to this trip out to a park in Bedford covers the pure serendipity of my coming across a fascinating Rescue training exercise taking place along a section of river devoted normally for canoes and kayaks.

               The gallery of images of a dozen brave souls, kitted for the afternoon in full wetsuits was not my intended goal; fortunately my chosen camera gear was able to perform satisfactorily to cover the action. I apologise in advance for the delay in publication, but despite my current limitations the gallery will have to tell its own story, whilst I return to try and get the ten or so Galleries that I have been unable to put up on this blog for a month. (NB. Clicking the Images above the Narrative only enlarges those – Clicking the Headline Text finds the Gallery).

Minor Update News…

          Thanks to the kind and continuing support from Francis Newman; my generous host for this blog, and additional help from my son in law, Tim Howarth, they helped me to get one gallery and associated narrative up; it appears below the recent text-only pleas for guidance, with its originally intended publication date. Hopefully, I will be able to put up some of the others that failed over the coming days — should it snow however, and be graced with some sunshine, I will prefer to be back out with my camera!