Thursday 20 December 2018

A Year In The Garden

One of the rewards of having made regular visits to the Botanic Garden in Cambridge throughout the year is that, while outside it's darkest, dankest and dreariest December, I can randomly wander through a year's worth of glorious colour, just a couple of clicks away on the computer. Perhaps you'll join me.....





































Take care.


Monday 17 December 2018

A Calendar For 2019

Time for my regular prowl through a year's photography in search of images that might make a nice calendar. One of these years I may be organised enough to get something printed up!


January




February




March




April




May




June




July




August




September




October




November




December



Take care.



Friday 14 December 2018

Walks By The Water

Not all the walks I take produce a hatful of pictures. Here are a few photos from three recent strolls, all beside water in various quantities.

In The Fens

Just over a week ago my brother and I took a walk beside the River Cam going northwards from Clayhithe.


We set out along the riverside flood bank opposite the Bridge pub with dredging equipment and a bright red narrowboat bringing a little colour to a grey day.



Boats going through Bottisham Locks. You can see from the size of the lock that quite large vessels can make their way up to Cambridge, and in former times they often did.



Some of these boats are lived on throughout the year. Behind it is the pumping station needed to keep the Fens drained, as much of the land is actually below the level of the rivers. Flat land, flat light - not ideal for photography, so we turned around and made our way back to that pub.


Mist On The Mel

On Saturday I helped out with my village's footpath volunteers spreading wood-chippings on the path beside the River Mel. There were plenty of us and we shifted two lorry-loads of chippings with shovels and wheelbarrows in just over two hours.


A couple of days later I passed that way again and was rewarded by a spooky mist rising from the water and being lit by the low sun.



This lovely Little Egret was enjoying a little fishing by the river till I disturbed him, though I'm sure he returned as soon as I'd gone.


A Man-Made Lake


We have no natural lakes in East Anglia and with the land being so flat it's difficult to find places where a reservoir can be easily accommodated. Grafham Water, which was constructed in 1965, is the exception. My brother and I (we try to meet up at least once a week) went for a walk there earlier this week but didn't do the full ten-mile circuit, but a five mile walk at the east end.


I sometimes think walking is an eccentric pastime, but then I see an angler standing waist-deep in the water and I don't feel so crazy.



There were lots of winter ducks on the water including hundreds, possibly thousands, of Tufted Ducks. Some Goldeneye, Gadwall and Wigeon were also there in smaller numbers. And lots of Mallard along the water's edge. And two of those white spots in the photo above - you'll just have to take my word for it - are Whooper Swans just recently returned from the Arctic to spend their winter here.



We turned "inland", making our way through woods and along a disused railway line, to the little village of Grafham.



By the time we got back to the car park the weather was beginning to look decidedly gloomy.


Take care.



Wednesday 12 December 2018

A Garden In December


This was always going to be the trickiest month to photograph at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Of course, one hopes for a covering of snow or an all-day frost but that's not seeming likely at the moment. I also had the back-up option of cheating by confining myself to the Glasshouse Range. In the end  that didn't prove necessary and I had a pleasant afternoon wandering around outside, though rather curtailed by the early sunset.

Last vestiges of Autumn:





Winter colour:







Subdued tones:









A final Hurrah!


…..because I've managed to complete a whole year of monthly posts from the Botanic Gardens. I shall certainly renew my membership for 2019 though I haven't decided whether to continue with monthly posts or perhaps do something a little different.


Take care.






Tuesday 4 December 2018

The Taste Of The Town

When I said I might go to Mill Road Winter Fair to check out the bands and entertainment, my brother replied that he'd probably go to check out the street food. Good idea, Bro. So, though I did enjoy the music, I thought I'd show you some of the incredible edibles on offer.


I could go on but the sight of all this food is making me hungry! 


Take care.