With a picture like that it makes you wonder why we bother with DSLRs. (OK, I know the answer, but it's still a really good picture.)

The worst case of dog and tripod I've encountered is a huge German Shepherd that started growling when it saw me and tripod walking towards it. The owner grabbed the collar pretty quickly. It turned out the dog had been badly treated as a youngster and now saw anything that looked like a stick as a threat. Old folk with walking sticks were its speciality!

Steve

And therein lies the problem for HMG. You, like me, can go for a walk in open fields without much chance of contact. That's not the case in an urban area. But HMG must have the same rule for everyone, and Joe public will criticise them if they don't. Same with 'If you're 70 or over...'. Nothing suddenly changes on your 70th birthday, but they have to give a precise age because Joe public wants and needs a clear instruction. As for clubs and societies, if the age of every member is 70, the risk to members is little different to if they were all 69. Same with speed limits, safety doesn't suddenly deteriorate at 70mph. But in all such cases there has to be a cutoff that applies to everyone.

My guess is that a lot of gardens will be looking a lot better than they do now after all the attention they will get from self-isolated over 70's. And there's no reason why those with a garden shouldn't also have a long-distance chat to a neighbour over the garden fence.

Steve

A choir I know has cancelled their Easter concert series because the ages of members and audiences puts most of them in or near the 'vulnerable' category. That's probably the biggest factor in coming to a decision. And also the possibility that people will have put a lot of work into preparing for an event then hardly anyone turns up.

Things for children seem to be carrying on as normal.

But Dorset has only just had it's first confirmed case, so it could all change very quickly.

Steve

None in Tesco last Tuesday evening, but it was on the list 'cos we were getting low. I mentioned to a shelf-stacker how ridiculous it was and normal shoppers like me would have to suffer for the silliness of the rest. "Never mind", says I, "I've used newspaper in Russia and come to no harm". "People strip the shelves as soon as we put things out", she says, "But I think you're in luck. I think we've just had a delivery, would you like some?". "Please, if that's OK", says I. So she went backstage and came back with a couple of multipacks. I went home with 18 rolls. Unusually, there were hardly any newspapers in the shop, either...

The moral of this true story is - Be nice to people and they'll be nice to you.

Steve

Daughter and family won't be visiting at Easter now. She's a GP. A bit busy at the moment and expecting it to get even busier. Got to sympathise with those in the front line trying to keep things going. Don't go to a surgery unless it's a matter of life and death, you're likely to get savaged by a specially trained receptionist.

Steve

That's the DEATH of the brewing industry then ....

Steve

It shows you don't have to be knee deep in the white stuff to be able to take attractive snow scenes.

Top of the list for me are No. 5 for the contrasting layers of pattern and No. 6 for the light and composition.

Steve

Subtle rainbow, lovely light, lovely picture. That white wall (?) is perfectly placed, well done to the architect as well as the photographer (of course).

Steve

Er.... just a couple of queries - what on earth is a Chaoborus and should we be worried if we met it in the street???

Superb picture of whatever it is!!!

Steve

So that's why the local rooks and jackdaws stagger around the sky shouting noisily at the weekends...

Steve