Hardwood

Wood store.  Nikon D7000

23rd December 2014

Our friends in France have wood burning stoves, and therefore they have a rather splendid stack of wood to fuel them for the winter.

I have taken some 4x5 images of the stack, but it may be some time before I get to develop them......

Over a barrel

Wine barrels.  Nikon D7000

22nd December 2014

We headed out on a visit around a vineyard today.   As I do not drink, I was the driver, however the establishment had a 'smell quiz' instead which I could partake in.

The range of smells were rather interesting and included bad as well as good wine smells.

The smell of 'burned toast' however lingered for quite some time afterwards.

Sun and Dark Horses

Solargraph from June 21st to December 21st

21st December 2014

I took the photographic paper out of the pinhole camera outside our bedroom last night; it looks like the last 6 months have not been too bad for the sun after all.

There are some decent tracks across the sky and not too many blank periods like in previous images.

We also headed out to France today for the Christmas holidays.   The white horse at the Eurotunnel entrance is not looking so white these days; it is in desperate need of a clean.

not-so-white horse.  Canon S120

Winter Stores

Squirrel gathering apples.  Nikon D7000

20th December 2014

I caught sight of this squirrel in the garden today; it was gathering apples and running away with them along the fence.

It may be better off gathering nuts from the Hazel tree as the apple needs a much bigger hole to bury it in.

Captain Beaky

Jackdaw after nuts.  Canon S120

19th December 2014

The Jackdaw on the bird table was not having the best of luck at retrieving nuts from the feeder today.   Its beak is a little on the large side to go through the mesh.

The nuts may think they are safe; but the starlings will be around soon and they have much narrower beaks.

Past their prime

Dead Flowers.  Canon S120

18th December 2014

The flowers on the orchid in the bathroom last for months when they come out; but they also last for quite some time when they are dead too.

These ones had died and wrapped themselves around one of the glass ornaments to provide some continued colour.

Mud hounds

Dogs in the mud.  Canon S120

17th December 2014

The rain over the last few days has meant the style at the bottom of the field is a touch damp.

The dogs did not mind too much however, especially Muppet the mud hound.