This evening finds me much afflicted with the melancholy vapours, so I'll endeavour to cheer everyone up by sharing some pictures that I took over the last couple of weeks.

The local ponies have been joined in their duties grazing the valley by highland cows.

A bumblebee around foxgloves in the woods. You would think with all the foxgloves around here, our local fox wouldn't need to come into the porch and steal human gloves...

Elderflowers, from which a cordial that tastes like summer can be made.

Zorro rampaging down the hill upon noticing that I'm moving the fence to give a bit more grazing at the bottom of the field.
Last Sunday I went out to the top of the highest west-facing hill in the area to get some sunset pictures.

Scots pines in silhoette.

Bracken against the sun.

Of course, a high heathland hilltop leaves very little in the way of useful foreground. I thought perhaps a noble portrait of yours truly in silhoette would work, but I didn't have my tripod with me, couldn't work out where the camera was pointing and ended up just taking a noble portrait of my left knee in silhoette.

The last of the light.
The walk home through the valley in twighlight was enjoyable, except for the really steep, dark climb through an eerie, pathless forest of dense holly.

The local ponies have been joined in their duties grazing the valley by highland cows.

A bumblebee around foxgloves in the woods. You would think with all the foxgloves around here, our local fox wouldn't need to come into the porch and steal human gloves...

Elderflowers, from which a cordial that tastes like summer can be made.

Zorro rampaging down the hill upon noticing that I'm moving the fence to give a bit more grazing at the bottom of the field.
Last Sunday I went out to the top of the highest west-facing hill in the area to get some sunset pictures.

Scots pines in silhoette.

Bracken against the sun.

Of course, a high heathland hilltop leaves very little in the way of useful foreground. I thought perhaps a noble portrait of yours truly in silhoette would work, but I didn't have my tripod with me, couldn't work out where the camera was pointing and ended up just taking a noble portrait of my left knee in silhoette.

The last of the light.
The walk home through the valley in twighlight was enjoyable, except for the really steep, dark climb through an eerie, pathless forest of dense holly.