This week I bring you a really poor quality shot, but one for the record. n Saturday lunchtime we had a fox in the garden. This isn’t unheard of, even in daylight, but it isn’t something we see more than about once a year. But on this occasion Mr Reynard hung around for quite a while — maybe 15 minutes — sniffing around the garden and finding the odd tasty morsel which the starlings have missed. So I managed to get a few, not very good, photos. They’re poor partly because I was shooting through the study window, and the window is grimy hence the slight mistiness; but I knew if I opened the window this would be enough to scare the fox away.
Reynard the Fox Greenford; November 2015
As you can see, Reynard was in pretty good condition — as (s)he should be given the mildness of the weather. What was striking though is the paleness of the coat on the body and the conspicuous black ears and paws.
This week it’s time for more pussy porn, so here’s Tilly the Cat again. She hates my printers; they have to be watched ans supervised:
“I must watch this rotten printer. I don’t trust it. It makes funny noises. I’m worried it’s turning into a hoover!”
This week another photograph from the archives. And this is a very old one, dating as it does from April 2001 when the Anthony Powell Society held its first ever conference in the Farrar Theatre at Eton College. This piano was resting quietly in the theatre foyer.
Piano Eton College; April 2001
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This week’s photograph is one from our garden. This is a magnificent Acer growing in a large tub on our patio — it is doing so well it is over 6 feet and we think has rooted through the pot and through the paving of the patio! But it is absolutely gorgeous, especially at this time of year when it has this wonderful golden/red leaves. The stems are naturally red all year and in Spring contrast with the delightful fresh pale green of the new leaves. This shot was taken about a week ago and is a composite of two frames.
Today Dora, my mother, should be celebrating her 100th birthday. But sadly she died towards the end of May, thus missing out by just over four months. As a tribute, and as this week’s photographs, I thought we should have what are I think the first and last images I have of her.
As far as I know I don’t have any photos from Dora’s childhood (but I should scour the family albums again), so this first is of a self-portrait in oils she painted when she was about 21 (she couldn’t remember exactly when), could be the earliest I have.
The second is the last photo I took of her on her 99th birthday, a year ago. I have posted this before but make no apology for doing so again.
Anyone interested can find my address at Dora’s funeral, and a few of her pieces of artwork, here.
We shall, of course, be drinking a toast to Dora later on today.
I spotted this at the A21 road-widening scheme on the way back from Rye a few weeks ago and we were travelling so slowly that I was able to grab a photo (no I wasn’t driving). I couldn’t quite work out whether it was construction site pole vault of tossing the caber.
Pole Vault or Tossing the Caber? September 2015; A21 near Tonbridge
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This week another from our recent short break in Rye. On the way hope we detoured via Dungeness — such a wonderful expanse of shingle and environmentally hugely important. As might be expected there was a lot of sea kale growing; this is one particularly splendid example. But, yes, I’ve tinkered with the photo to make it even more dramatic!
Sea Kale at Dungeness Dungeness; September 2015
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This week’s photograph is one I took last week. We were in Rye for a few days and perusing the showroom of Rye Pottery. I looked in a large bowl and couldn’t help but see this enormous Tegenaria spider — probably Tegenaria parietina but there are several very similar species. The body was around 1.5 to 2cm long and the whole thing, as seen, about 10-12cm across.
Tegenaria parietina? Rye; September 2015
These spiders live in buildings — especially old buildings — and walls. Females can live for up to eight years, while males die shortly after mating. They are actually quite harmless to humans.
I know many people don’t like spiders, but how can you not be impressed by a stunning creature such as this.
