Out of synch...

So there I am in just jeans and t-shirt, the Sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the air is buzzing with sound insects going about their daily business. When is this? June? July? No it's the beginning of November, now put me in a dress and call me Susan but doesn't that seem a little strange to you? I spent the best part of Saturday afternoon in the garden, supposedly pulling out the last of the Summer bedding plants and planting some miniature Narcissus, but the bedding is still flowering just as well as it was a couple of months ago so I decided it can stay a little longer. The bulbs still needed to be planted though, so it was case of putting them in anywhere there was a gap where they aren't likely to be disturbed by future planting.

I even found time to wash and polished the car... now climate change is inevitable, lol.

Finally an update! For several weeks now I've been determined to sit down and write something but every time I get on the computer I seem to end doing something completely different to what what I intended doing and then not having the time to do this, oh well!
So the new camera... well I'm pretty darned impressed so far. Last week we had some pretty nice sunrises... lots of mist and lovely glowing skies, but I've been on my way to work at the best time to get some shots so it had to wait until Saturday. On my way to work I cross a bridge which offers a fantastic view of the Sun rising over the river so I thought, 'right, that's where I'm going at the weekend!' Luckily the weather was perfect - clear skies and a gently rolling mist over the fields. The temperature was a bit on the frosty side, something I appreciated while standing around for 20 minutes while waiting for the Sun to clear the horizon! Next time I'm going to remember my gloves, lol. Photography is usually a fairly relaxing hobby but over a period of about half an hour the light was changing very fast and I was shooting about all over the place to make the most of it. I haven't had chance to process all the images yet but so far they are looking good!

A new toy

I'm just over half way through a two week break from work and I've done absolutely nothing apart from mow the lawn, and spend some money. Yep, I've been and got a new camera. I am now the proud (and very much broke!!) owner of a new Nikon D40. I only got the thing yesterday so I haven't really done much with it yet, still figuring out what all the buttons do, but the few shots I have taken look very impressive compared the compact I have been using upto now. If I can get through the long list of jobs my wife has left me to do in the next couple of days then I'm planning a couple of 'expeditions', to the dales and also maybe to the coast, to really see what it can do.

What I could really do with is a few lovely misty mornings. When the rising sun shines through the mist, spilling a rich golden light across the fields, I reckon my little corner of England is as beautiful as anywhere in the British Isles. The only problem at this time of the year is forcing myself out of bed early enough to appreciate it!

A welcome visitor

Compared to the rest of the week I've had a pretty easy day today. I manged to grab my camera and had a quick walk around the walled garden. In the walled garden we have a bed dedicated to several different types of Buddleia, at this time of year they are normally awash with butterflies and bees but today there was just a couple of Commas. I was about to head back when I caught a glimpse of something bright out of the corner of my eye. It was one of my favourite butterflies; the lovely sulphur-yellow Brimstone.

Although it is not especially unusual to see these in late August they are a much more common sight in early spring. They are one of the first butterflies to emerge from hibernation and can if the weather is mild enough can even be spotted as early as February. The males are often confused with the Large White as they are much paler and don't have the rich colouring of the females, being a more of creamy colour. They lay their eggs in spring, and are very choosy, only using a couple of species of Buckthorn. During the autumn the new adults will seek a place to hibernate, usually choosing nothing more protective than an evergreen shrub or tree. It is probably the hardiest, and certainly of the longest lived, of the butterflies indigenous to the UK, and can live for over a year.

What a week I've had so far, I don't seem to have had five minutes to myself, especially today. I did have a pleasant hour down by the lake yesterday though. I was pruning some low branches on the big Willows that grow along one bank, so that I don't have to duck so many times when I'm on the tractor cutting the grass, lol. We a have a small woodland area close by and taking a stroll through there, the air was simply buzzing with Dragonflies of all sizes and colours. In fact I don't recall ever seeing so many. If I can force myself out of bed I intend going into work a bit earlier than normal tomorrow, see if I can get a few photos. There have been some fantastic shots on Renderosity photography section just lately.

Yay, it's the weekend...

It's the weekend at last, lol. I was planning on getting some jobs done around the house and then disappearing off somewhere with the camera, but the weather forecast isn't too good. Looks like I may end up in the garden. It's starting to look a bit overgrown, there's lots of deadheading to do and the back hedge needs cutting. You'd think as a professional gardener I'd have the smartest garden around but after spending all week in the gardens at work I'm rarely in the mood to start again on a weekend. I could do to spend some time on the computer too, my 'work in progress' folder is bursting at the seams with photos that are waiting to be edited and I'd like to post a few here and on my other website. I just don't know where all the time goes, I recently gave up playing a MMORPG ('Eve') I was hooked on because I thought I would have more time for other stuff, but nope, I seem to have less time than ever. Maybe it's something to do with getting older?

My excuse for not doing the garden is usually '...but I don't want to disturb the wildlife...', although a lot of it seems to have taken up residence in the garage. I know we have mice in there and last year we had a Robin nest in there. This year a Wren has taken over the old Robins nest and the young'uns have just fledged. I've also spotted a pair of Stoats running in and out through the gap at the bottom of the door where the wood is a bit rotten. I don't want to disturb those, if they are living in there and weren't just hunting. They are so much fun to watch as they chase each other around the garden.

And I need to chase into the kitchen, my better half will be home any minute and I still haven't thought of anything to cook for dinner...

Starting the ball rolling...

Well, I've finally got around to writing a blog. Over the coming days and months I hope to keep whoever takes the time to stop by, informed about the activities of the wildflife in the garden and the surrounding countryside, my attempts at photography (see my website for more on this) and my adventures rambling the hills and vales of my beloved Yorkshire.

Actually now I come to think of it, I don't have a great deal to write about at the moment, lol. I'm busy at work, and my wife has me doing jobs around the house on a weekend so my spare time is at an all time low. But there is only just over a week to go before I get a whole two weeks off work and, hopefully, I'll have got all my jobs done, I won't get any unexpected bills so I can finally get the new camera I've been after for what seems like ages now, and the weather will be kind so I can head off into the hills for a few days walking... More likely it'll rain non-stop, the car will break down and my wife will want the living room decorating... Still I can but dream, lol.