In The Pink

To see other Sky Watch Friday shots from around the globe click HERE .

I usually only post one Sky Watch Friday image but am posting two this week. The first I love despite the burn from the sun in the image as it reminds me of that fabulous view and how long I sat there staring at it last weekend, and it is unedited. The second one is slightly edited but I love it just the same as it appears to me that the parachutist is descending over the ocean and I really like the effect. Sky watching and how we interpret what we see is so personal; maybe we only see what we want to see, and I always want to see the ocean, combine it with a beautiful sky and thats pretty much my favourite view. To see other Sky Watch Friday images from around the globe click HERE.

Last weekend was our local balloon festival and we decided to climb up to Dinas Bran Castle to get the best views of the event. It was not quite what I expected but was a great afternoon and evening with a few additional surprises. We had a clear view of the balloons as they were inflated and began their ascent from the venue below. Most of these shots were taken with my telephoto lens but without the aid of my tripod and image quality has suffered somewhat as a result. We were then able to watch them pass over the town and up the vale. Most of the balloons appeared to be solo manned. As the balloons ascended they all headed south towards the Ceiriog Valley. Suddenly to the west we spotted these two balloons ascending simultaneously and away from the main event. Once they reached a certain height we were surprised to watch two nutters jump out of them and begin their hair-raising descent to the event field below. The evening culminat...

I have been getting a classical music play list together this week and to that end decided to expand on my collection by raiding the CD's at our local library. I have always liked Wagner but been quite ignorant of his work. I am of course aware of The Ring Cycle but knew little about the actual story, until today! I was pleasantly pleased to learn that it is steeped in Norse Mythology which is a subject I have a particular interest in.  I managed to get parts 3 and 4, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, from the library and read the synopsis while listening to them but then I also found this little gem. Serious fans please don't take offence, it is a 3 minute animation with narration that tries to explain the whole story and I include it here as an educational tool only so anyone who like me had no idea what the tetralogy was about can get a grasp of it before possibly finding out more.  There are numerous versions available on DVD whic...

I have always liked that saying, and it is relevant to me at the moment as I find myself ready for autumn, a sure sign that we have had a good and long summer. I now find myself craving wilder weather, rainy days and cooler air (and as such better sleeping!). Spring and Autumn have long been my favourite seasons, although I treasure all four and their contrasting conditions, however as an arborist and amateur photographer Autumn has the added interest of being the best time for spotting fungi and autumnal foliage. I am not entirely sure what to expect from either aspects of the season at this point, its been a while since we had such a dry summer. Wet summers usually produce better fruiting seasons for plants, trees and fungi and I have no idea what impact it will have on autumnal foliage, however I am excited to find out.

After a glorious dog walk this sky welcomed us home the other night, the most unusual colour. It never ceases to amaze me how unique each sunset and sunrise is. To see other Sky Watch Friday shots from around the globe click HERE .

It feels very autumnal these last few days, the shadows are a little longer, the skies have changed, I feel like I should be on holiday (this is when we usually go away) and I have the lights on still this morning as the house is so dark. No complaints though, it has been a beautiful summer, and there is always the other cheery news that the only show of this kind we watch and enjoy each year is about to start. Saturday 3rd September, BBC1, 6.50pm we will be there! The Event The Judges The Hosts

The sky was amazing last night and I couldn't take enough shots before the sunset; how quickly it goes. To see other shots from around the globe click HERE.

It's a cool, late summers days here today and I have just enjoyed another village walk. I have done this one once before with Mr Dancin. Today I did it in reverse so as to ensure I exited the woods at the right place at the midpoint of the walk. Once inside from the direction we walked it originally it is a bit of a maze of paths and the last time we walked it was in winter so no leaves on the trees.  This first picture is taken about a third of the way around the walk which starts off in the village but I didn't want to photograph the urban aspect. The trees on the right hand side are predominantly Sycamore coppice regenerative growth however the woodland boasts a wide variety of broadleaves. It is suffering from lapsed management and fly tipping in areas from residential areas on its periphery but is still a lovely environment. A stream runs along the left hand side of the path, affronted by a retaining wall with houses on the other side. The last time ...