Monthly Archives: August 2017

After an appalling night’s sleep last night, I woke this morning to an arthritic flare. It’s not all that unusual as the summer winds down, and it will settle down in due course, but it’s a real nuisance and I’ve … Continued

I have two offerings for you today, from  Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve, just north of Cheltenham. When I realised this morning that we were in for a decent day, I immediately began calculating where to go for a chance of … Continued

The rain is raining all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea. Robert Louis Stevenson Why is it that I can remember a verse I learned when I … Continued

A beautiful female Common Blue nectaring on a thistle, unaware that she was being stalked. I was also unaware of it, because my focus was on focusing on her, and not on what else might be lurking in the shot; … Continued

When I saw the theme for today’s Mono Monday, kindly hosted by TheAphid, my immediate reaction was “A selfie should cover it” – but then I got a grip, stuffed my (uncharacteristic) panic about an approaching Significant Birthday back into … Continued

Over the course of this summer I’ve become increasingly interested in grasshoppers and crickets, as I’ve noticed them pinging around the butterfly meadow. They’re extraordinary to look at: the design of their exoskeletons makes them appear quite prehistoric, I think … Continued

The weather has been very strange today, with periods of warm sunshine interspersed with heavy showers (including one of hail); and this afternoon a half-hour thunderstorm accompanied by a torrential downpour. Every time it was bright and balmy I thought … Continued

R and I went to Oxford today, to see the Raphael exhibition at the Ashmolean, which we both enjoyed very much. I’ve always had a rather irritable relationship with Renaissance art – too much religion and classical allegory for my … Continued

I love calla lilies and find it very hard to resist buying them, though it’s frustrating that I’ve never had any success in bringing one through the winter. I was shopping for odds and ends at Waitrose this afternoon, saw … Continued

I was on my way out of the house this afternoon, aiming for Toddington and some photos of steam trains, but froze with my hand on the back door handle when I saw three green woodpeckers grubbing for ants in … Continued