Time to lower the overall image quality, and just add a couple of images from a local fun event... drumroll... the Annual Kenilworth Duck Race!...
Forgive me if I'm wrong, Chris, but I think, like mine, your photography may be more concerned with producing images to record personal events which then might be used to recall the emotion of the occasion; if a good photo/s emerges, so much the better. The duck race is a good example. There are so many brilliant shots on this thread both from occasional contributors and the usual suspects, that I've stopped posting my astonishment and admiration. Actually, I'm happy to crawl under Duncan's "raised bar" - challenges always frighten me! However, the portability of the X10 has given me the freedom to capture those unusual little episodes that occur in one's personal life, however photographically unpromising.
With the mediocrity of the following snaps now explained, I should say that one was meant to be posted before the festive season, but didn't want to spoil anyone's Christmas spirit with a depressing image.
On yet another dismal December day, I was driving along the lonely road that Duncan might recognise as the one connecting the "Huntsman's Lodge" with the run down off the Mendips to Wells:
untitled-2-5 by
wylyeangler, on Flickr
From the middle of the road, I disturbed a crow knocking 'seven bells' out of the 'carrion' that gives the bird its name. However, as I passed by this 'road kill', I noticed that it was standing up on two legs! I braked, and a glance in the rear view mirror confirmed the 'thing' making off for the sanctuary of the nearside grass verge, clearly dragging a wing. I reversed and got this shot of the poor creature from the passenger window. My only reason for parking on the white line is that this was clearly a case of life and death, and hope this excuse will be upheld when my case comes up as a result of this posting!
untitled-1-9 by
wylyeangler, on Flickr
I've occasionally disturbed snipe on my walks over Mendip, and suspect this one had been hit by a car; the crow obviously showed no interest in waiting for it to become carrion! I left it where it was on the basis that it just might recover, but at the time didn't notice that there was blood about - I think I can just see a stab wound in the head.
On relating this to my fishing friend, Steve - starring elsewhere on this thread - after initial sadness, his eyes lit up as I knew they would, when he enquired, "Well, how dead was it?"
You see, he has a taxidermist friend who has beautifully set up quite a few birds Steve has found as road kill, including an owl, a jay (pretty things), and a water rail among others scattered around his house with the apparent
approval of his wife! (Incidentally, I wonder if any of the anglers amongst us have actually seen a water rail in the wild - I haven't in a lifetime's fishing. Apparently they are quite common, easily heard, but very seldom seen).
Snipe are common too, and when disturbed fly away in an erratic zig-zag making them difficult to shoot. Steve, a shooting man in his youth, tells me that is where the term 'sniper' comes from.
On a more banal but less depressing note, on Friday I went for a walk around our country lanes, only to discover this bullock on the road near the village. How he got out of his field I couldn't see, but wish someone else had had an X10 with 'em to record my ridiculous efforts to induce him back! How I thought I was going to both manipulate the gate and 'steer' (get it? - haha) him in, I dunno!
untitled-3-2 by
wylyeangler, on Flickr
Farther round the 'course', I came upon this solitary primrose on the wayside, covered in road dirt, but, I hope, portending an early spring and wonderful summer. Before this, the 4th January, I had not seen a wild primrose until the middle of January and even that, very unusual.
untitled-2-2 by
wylyeangler, on Flickr
I hope it is not too late to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Pete
