The Canal at Stainforth

I do find reflections in water endlessly fascinating. This is never going to be a shower but I think it is interesting. I have flipped it so that the reflection is at the top of the image.

Croatia

1987, I was cycling in Croatia in Yugoslavia, visiting people I had met on the Walk three years previous. On a beautiful still morning I came to what I thought was going to be a bridge over the river, to fund it was this singular cable ferry. A great way to start the day.

Colliery

We have just finished watching Mrs America, a 9 part drama about feminism in America in the 70s. It was brilliant, fantastic writing and acting, and much better than it sounds like it might be.

I visited the site of Hatfield Colliery north of Doncaster. It was one of the last deep pits to shut, and is on its way to being obliterated altogether. It was not uplifting. But I did manage to get a shot that captured the sordid post-industrial decline that we seem to take for granted.

Peat

Got another walk in on Thorne Moor this week. A lovely warm sunny day. 3 hour walk, saw no one else. This is one of the tracks across the Moor which used to have a light railway line on it for the peat extraction trains to take the peat back to the processing works. You can still see one of the wooden sleepers in this shot. The whole area has been recolonised by nature since the extraction was stopped.

Spuds

The Desiree potato crop is in. Really prolific, and not too many manky ones. This is a small portion of the crop. 

DGFs

Pretty sure these are a pair of Dark Green Fritillary butterflies. I was shown them by an expert in Bishop Wood.

Timber

Went a walk with Danielle in Bishop Wood last week. They have been felling trees for the last month or so, leaving stacks of larch and pine around the forest. 

Soup

 Dealing with the courgette glut is always a challenge. This year I followed a soup recipe (a major departure for me) which included cheese. It was delicious. A keeper.

Berries

I planted some fruit bushes a few years ago. Some have not survived, one in particular is doing really well. Unfortunately I cannot remember what type it is - not a raspberry, but similar. Tasty too.

Harvest

The tomato crop is coming in from the greenhouse, pretty good for me. Should keep us busy for a few weeks yet.

Food

 Some neighbours are starting up a vegan burger van business. They offered free tastings to all in the street. We had a great time, and the food was really tasty. Not the best time to start such a business but we wish them well.

More Forest

I don't think this shot works as well as the one I posted yesterday. If I exhibited both then it would soon become clear from comments people made which one struck a chord. So until then all opinions welcome.

 

Fog!

I took the train to Yarm and rode back via the North York Moors. The weather started off with a foggy drizzle, then a drizzly fog, then cloudy sun. The track went through Cod Beck Forest where I came across these pines. Fair took my breath away.

 

Hot Dog

Considering she was conceived in the Egyptian desert by Egyptian street dogs, Layla has a surprising dislike of the hot weather. Luckily she is smart enough to avoid the sun (not a given with dogs, or people come to that). She has found a nice spot here where she can also guard the front door.

Post Bike

 I went a short ride on my ex-postman's bike in the heat at the weekend. Had a drink in the shade. All pretty bucolic.

Tandem

We got the tandem out for a ride yesterday. Good to be on it again. Unfortunately I had packed the wrong valve size inner tube. So when the inevitable flat occurred we were in trouble. God had deposited us by a  petrol station and a Premier Inn. The latter had some gaffer tape that I was able to wrap around the inner tube to give us enough air to make it home. All good in the end.

Heat Wave

It has been a hot few days. I was on the roof watering the cougettes and squash plants, down below Danielle and Rowan had lunch, Layla chose the shade.

Four ways to wear a mask

 Taken at Kings X this week. From the right we have 

1 Mask covering face correctly

2 Mask covering beard

3 Mask covering mouth

4 Insert your own description

London

 I went down to London to deliver a photo and catch up with friends Victor (at Exmouth Market) and Mark (at Granary Place). Great to see people in relative normality.

BIY

To keep all the cables for the TV, cable etc etc tidy I have used copper piping. As there is already copper panels in the lounge it has worked pretty well. 

Sign of the Times

I was riding on this bridleway just outside Retford last week. I have never seen that road-sign before - no four wheel carriages?

Montenegro

Photo of the Week 14 - Forestry Workers Montenegro.
Taken in 1984 on The Walk from Greece to Spain. I had left Pec in Kosovo and headed into the mountains that form the border with Montenegro. As this was all still Yugoslavia at the time there was no border. But if felt different. The first people I met in Montenegro were these forestry workers up in the mountains for a month in a hut; one of the workers was a woman which was unusual. They were very welcoming, shared food with us and were happy to be photographed. I had a tiny Olympus camera - no flash - so used available light which fell beautifully on the woman's face. After lunch one of them walked down the mountain to show me the path leading to the village far far below.
Find out more at https://palmourphotographics.blogspot.com/p/photo-of-week.html

Reeds

Taken on Thorne Moors last week. Sun, reeds and solitude.