Sunday 29 December 2013

SOMETHING DIFFERENT


Whilst out and about in the countryside I sometimes stumble across something that catches my eye for being out of place or just different. Or it could be something that just appeals to my (strange?) sense of humour and I can’t resist taking a snap (or two!).

Here’s a selection of images taken, from just these sorts of occasions, during the last year.


EOY 1
Sometimes I just didn’t know which way to go.

EOY 2
There’s always someone watching your every move!

EOY 3
Big cats roaming free in Bedfordshire?

EOY 4
A lost friend.

EOY 5
‘Squares’   From when my ‘arty’ mood takes control!

EOY 6
The Nightingale.  My type of pub…a nice relaxing pint and a ‘tick’ for the year list on the way out!!

EOY 7
If you go down into the woods today…..and you thought it was just a fairytale?

EOY 8
Not a place for grave robbers and ghouls then?

EOY 9
Remind you of anyone?

EOY 10
Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men…and don’t forget Little Weeeeed.  (I’m showing my age now!)

EOY 11
Triangles…another ‘arty’ one.

EOY 12
You’ve got to wear the right gear especially if you want to blend in in the car park!

EOY 13
If you’re this good of an artist why do you have to paint on an underpass wall?…..cheap canvas, I guess?

EOY 14
I like signs that get straight to the point!

I hope you enjoyed this ‘different’ set of images….see you next year!






Tuesday 3 December 2013

AN *EPIC STORY FROM….



…..THE MOTH TRAP

There was once a lowly moth trap and upon peering inside this mysterious story started to unfold!


There were two young ladies one named ELDER PEARL (because she was the oldest!)
MS1
and the other called DOT MOTH.
MS2
One day they decided to go for a walk with their two dogs, a GREY PUG
MS3
called LITTLE GREY
MS4
and a BRINDLED PUG
MS5
who went by the name of SNOUT… “because it’s got a cute nose”.
MS6
Standing in the doorway watching them leave was an OLD LADY,
MS7
the MOTHER OF PEARL.
MS8
She saw them off by waving long pieces of material, an old custom known as the RIBAND WAVE.
MS9

After walking for some time they eventually came upon a garden. On entering, through a set of BEAUTIFUL ARCHES
MS10
which were made entirely from BARRED MARBLE…
MS11
…they were a thing of MARBLED BEAUTY,
MS12
they noticed that the garden was covered in a type of matting…a GARDEN CARPET!
MS13
part of which sported a DOUBLE SQUARE SPOT design
MS14
with the rest being of the more COMMON MARBLED CARPET
MS14a
pattern.

After walking on for a short while they arrived at, what appeared to be, an outdoor pub called the SILVER Y.
MS15
It had a SHADED BROAD BAR
MS16
courtesy of some trees, which included a SCALLOPED OAK,
MS17
a BEADED CHESTNUT
MS18
and a WILLOW BEAUTY.
MS19

Propping up one end of the bar was an UNCERTAIN
MS20
looking CHINESE CHARACTER
MS21
who had a DUSKY SALLOW
MS22
type complexion. After a short while he was joined by a much younger lad who was adorned with a long flowing cape with FLAME SHOULDER
MS23
stripes. On the the back in large letters were the words LACKY
MS24
the CLOAKED MINOR
MS25
After striking up a conversation with Dot and Pearl Lacky and his friend suggested that it would be a good idea if they were to accompany the two girls on the rest of their journey and, not quite sure of where they were, the girls reluctantly agreed.
So off they set, all four together.  After what seemed like an age of walking, all the time being assured by the ‘boys’ that they were on the right path, they came to a large edifice fronted by a grand entrance made up of an imposing set of DARK ARCHES
MS26
and hanging precariously, on a thin rope, above the centre of the only open arch was a large DARK DAGGER.
MS27
Would they chance that the dagger was secure enough for them to walk under and safely go through the arch or………………To be continued.




Maybe!


*Well…….I said at the top it was an epic, so well done if you stuck with it and I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fun?
The idea for this post came to me while I was sorting through some of the photos of the moths that were caught in the moth trap I bought earlier in the year. Although starting late in the season I’ve had 77 different species of moth in the trap so far (most of which I had no idea even existed..and as they are mostly nocturnal would  probably have never seen!) and it’s been a very interesting experience IDing and photographing them all. I can’t explain the anticipation and excitement that builds when, first thing in the morning, it’s time to open the trap and see what’s been caught overnight.
Buying the moth trap has definitely been my best purchase of this year and I can’t wait for next year’s ‘mothing season’ (and some warmer weather) to come around!