Stuart Aken's Blog, page 36
April 25, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 25/Apr/22
These ancient scowles have been trod by Iron Age settlers, Romans and their slaves, film and TV actors, and people like you and me. Puzzlewood, an unusual geological space in the Forest of Dean, has a long and somewhat mysterious history. Formed when cave systems were exposed at the Earth’s surface and subsequently collapsed, it’s …
April 24, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 24/Apr/22
For how many million yearshas the headland facedunquiet seasfor how many more will itstand unchanged indifferentto humanity’s brief span? +++++++++++++++++ Much of humanity lives among natural wonders, though many millions are also forced to dwell in ugly, overcrowded, unsanitary slum cities, of course. Some people ignore and others actively dislike natural beauty, even working to …
April 23, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 23/Apr/22
Years, nay decades, nay centuries have breathed life into these ancient giants. They stand, one beneath the cliff of a quarry long neglected, the other above an abyss that’s the space left by an even more ancient quarry. Their location is known and enjoyed only by the adventurous few who travel boar trails, weave through …
April 22, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 22/Apr/22
It is possible for humanity live in the landscape without ruining it with high-rise buildings, ugly warehouses, and industrial monstrosities. But, of course, that would require us to stop breeding like rabbits, reduce our overburdening numbers, and live with nature instead of trying to either overrule or actively destroy it.This shot is of the charming …
April 21, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 21/Apr/22
Calm windless days gift natural pools of water a mirror surface to reflect the beauty surround them. Here, a larch has tumbled but remains held by roots still lodged in the ground to prevent it falling into the pond. It’s an interesting feature of the photographic image that a reflection off water invariably produces a …
April 20, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 20/Apr/22
A different view today. I used to live in East Yorkshire, a county that’s mostly fairly flat and very arable. Wide skies and fertile fields are the most common features here. This was taken on one our favourite walks from our previous home, in early April. To me it’s an essentially English landscape. What do …
April 19, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 19/Apr/22
A rainy day in the forest. This puddle is a more or less permanent feature in this spot. So much so that local amphibians (we think either toads or newts) have taken to laying their spawn there. We often used to walk past and watch the tadpoles wriggling. But, recently, there’s been work carried out …
April 18, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 18/Apr/22
This spot is a favourite of my lovely wife, Valerie, whose birthday is today. Don’t worry, this post was scheduled so I could spend the whole day with her and treat her.The place depicted is called ‘Janet’s Foss’, and nestles in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, not far from Malham. It’s a popular spot that …
April 17, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 17/Apr/22
Guardians of the gravel, but how will they fare when sea levels rise? +++++++++++++++++ We live among natural wonders. Some people ignore and others actively dislike such beauty, even working to destroy the only world we can inhabit.These daily posts are to encourage joy in nature, respect for the natural world, in hope of inspiring …
April 16, 2022
#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 16/Apr/22
Spring brings colour and life to the forest as the trees don their bright new leaves to flutter and grow in the increasing sunlight. Once skylit paths now lie beneath the shade of foliage, dappled here and there by openings above. The air is milder. Birds chirrup and sing their mating calls as they collect …
