Beautiful, simple, subtle, perceptive. Thank you for bringing light to a dark time.

Steve

It really is known locally as the Blue Bridge. Taken while combining dog walk, collecting medical supplies and permitted daily exercise. Not quite centred, my excuse is holding a dog on a lead while trying to see and line up a Q-S1 screen in bright sun. Q-S1 + 02 lens.

And yes, I did let the person cross the bridge before crossing it myself, thus staying well separated.




Steve

Beautiful, fascinating, intriguing.

And full marks for having the imagination to see a photo opportunity in something so familiar. Proof that we don't have to go out and travel for miles to find creative opportunities.

Steve

Remembering a girl friend from your youth???

Steve

The contorted hazel in a tub on the patio usually has a few nuts each year. Last autumn there were a couple on the ground so I put them in a pot of compost and forgot about them. One has now sprouted! The big question is whether it will be contorted or uncontorted. An no, I'm not going to suggest a 'grow a hazel' competition.

Steve

Perhaps one person's panic buying is another person's perfectly rational purchase of enough food to last a family of five for 3-4 weeks in lockdown?

And of course, fresh food from abroad might be in short supply for obvious reasons.

A mark of a civilised society? There's all sorts in all societies. Yes, we're a civilised society (most of the time). No riots, no looting, no rush to buy guns and we don't even make 8 year olds work in dark satanic mills anymore.

Anyone come across someone panic buying lenses? Ricoh says "we do not currently anticipate any disruption to the order of new products", but they would say that, wouldn't they?

Steve

And not me either - I did my bit last year!
Very true. I sent Children in Need charity packs of seeds. Don't know if they were a specific variety or a mix of seeds that were surplus to requirements. The results were highly variable, but so were the growing conditions - from London to Denver, Colorado.

Steve

Chaffinch, wren, dunnock, robin and skylark heard while walking the dog in fields over the last couple of days.

Wood pigeons on the garden fences showing varying degrees of enthusiasm for starting the next generation.

Plenty of gulls flying around, one or two using my car for target practice.

Steve

Or even better, run a competition for the tallest/biggest flower/most seeds etc.

A year ago I sent the children, grandchildren, neices etc. some sunflower seeds for Christmas with instructions for a competition to run during the next year (i.e. 2019). Even got the neice and family in the USA to join in (couldn't send seeds so my brother bought some when he visited them). The young (and even not so young) kids loved it. They kept up to date with each other's plants via Facebook etc.. There's even a family book of the competition - my younger daughter produced a photo book from everyon'e pictures throughout the year and gave it to me for Christmas.

Steve

Not sure if this counts as lightening the mood, but here goes...

I demolished my shed last week with the help of a friend (just in time!). The most enjoyable few hours I've spent for a long time. Thoroughly recommended to raise the spirits and forget doom and gloom. So pick up those sledgehammers, folks, and find something to destroy - it's FUN!!!!

Found a couple of very dead, very big and very desiccated rats under the shed, a reminder of the days when neighbours kept chickens in messy conditions and the rest of us tried to kill the rats they attracted. It explains why the dog was so interested in the bottom of the shed!!

Steve
PS: Next week, weather permitting, the shed will become a huge bonfire with an effigy of a coronavirus on top. Another chance to forget doom and gloom - unless the neighbour's fence joins in the fun...