Category: life

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life natural world

Intermission 24c

Well summer is well and truly over.

Insects have been in short supply – I have even missed the wasps
I have seen the moon in interesting settings
Cloud formations invariably with sunsets have been numerous
Summer put in the odd showing-Flamborough head, Yorkshire
The sea washed chalk rock provides an excellent contrast for natures beach detritus
York races had a Japanese star
A palmatum newt – not as fancy as the great crested but common – the only downside is they eat frog spawn so you get one or the other in a pond – the answer of course is to have two ponds…..one for each!
Skipwith common near Selby is the last of open common land undrained left in northern England- it was once very common. The habitat was self managed by wandering flocks of wild cattle. Today they use cattle and sheep.
Some late summer or early autumn colour to finish up.
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life Scenery

Giro 2024 part 5 castles and a train

The pirate city shown in my last post also offered up a train – sponsoring the giro of course. They often carry the trophy in these trains and the train matches the riders usually on a coastal stretch for photo opportunities! Obviously don’t catch a train when the giro is near your route…..

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battle anniversaries life

It’s the 4th of July!

Oliver Cromwells plump. This week saw the 380th anniversary of the battle of Marston Moor. Oliver Cromwell delivered the tactical move that secured victory on the day for Parliament and the Covenanters. Ultimately the King was defeated.

Then it all went wrong as the parliamentarians fell out which led to the first and only British republic. Oliver Cromwell ruthlessly crushed opposition in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland to become a dictator- a role he saw as the only solution to the continuing chaos.

The glorious revolution followed his death and since then we have had both a monarchy and a parliament. It kind of works.

Today we can vote because many people down the years have fought, suffered and died to preserve that right for us.

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life Scenery

Giro Castles 2024 part 4

The question is what’s round the corner?
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life Scenery

Castles of the Giro 2024

Here are some more castles or rather famous palaces, Roman Pompei and yet more medieval bastions….Cassini and Naples today.

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life Scenery

Giro Castles 2024 Castello di Vicalvi

Here is one castle that fell under eye of the giro pro cycling helicopter. A classic hilltop location. It still has some nice details especially the main gateway area.

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life Scenery

Giro Castles 2024

Late Spring sees the first of three top pro cycling events – the Giro d’Italia which are helicopter televised from start to finish.

This means you get about 4000 km of Italian countryside.

And with Italy that means castles.

Fortified cities are also favourite visits on two wheels
This year saw a couple of stretches of the white gravel of Tuscany
Everyday the cyclists head out castle hunting!
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life natural world

Intermission 24b

At least there has been the odd cloudscape worth a look
A waning crescent moon – last phase of the old moon before a new one arrives. The sliver of light is always attractive
Attractive caterpillar but for my one box shrub it’s terminal as these guys strip and destroy the shrub. Your only fix is hand removal of every caterpillar you see. looks like something less vulnerable will be found instead.
Stripped in a week by cheeky caterpillars
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life natural world

Intermission 24a

Intermissions have been thin on the ground this year. Perversely the awful weather has meant more time indoors – war gaming.

But there have been some interesting sights all the same.

The clouds and sky remain a fascination for colours and shapes
Yorkshire playing fields – cricket might be a case of no pitch rather just rain stopping play
Moonlight has been ok
Plenty of dark brooding skies even during the day!
There have also been very bright days – the Roman multi angular walls of York stand proudly
Cinema top view in 2024 was Oppenheimer – but what’s on the wall? A commemorative plaque to this free French hero of WW2 York – P/O Yves Mahe – 82 years on.
The odd Sahara warm front plume has given its signature vibrant sunsets
The demise of GCN plus pro cycling app means it’s Eurosport on discovery complete with amazing editing that chops the last 200m of the race (you could not make it up). Still you get the castle pictures during boring mid race bits
Very moody castle at Sandal near Wakefield.
Sky colour – blue pink contrasts are always impressive
I always like these skies when there is some fiery yellow gold of the sun still in play
I think Tony Blair was in power last time I stepped inside the walls of the national railway museum. Still it is a fantastic visit
I think I was last here when England won the World Cup (only joking). It was quite a while ago and now it’s got a roof of sorts. I seem to remember a lot of complaints about the proposal although that was probably the visitor centre that has not appeared. Clifford’s tower in York is erroneously called a castle (of which it was only part). It is vastly improved by the protection and access works that have been done. The 17th century garrison destruction of the tower interior turned the walls red.
Last of a sunset and the inspiring colour gradations of almost black through dark blues to a washed out grey then tepid orange. the black outlines of trees and buildings are important to provide contrast to the orange while without the orange the colour range of blues would be the poorer
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life natural world

Get Lost and Discover!

April is the time of year I get out and about to see what creatives and artists in York have been up to. 100 odd sites across the city allow you to see what other people do in terms of painting, sculpting, ceramics, printing and generally craft work of some sort.

This venue showed the artists books of ideas, thoughts etc.

It is also possible to see the places where these works of art are created and chat with the artists themselves about their thinking and ideas.

They often show their methods, tools and also records.

As it happened we had an old guide book so the tour was a bit of a voyage of discovery- yet it meant we saw people and art we had not planned to. Some of it was not only a surprise but very enjoyable to discover. And as usual we got lost in the backstreets of York.

All in all it usually results in me feeling a bit expansive, what could I do in the way of arts and craft?

At least it was dry the day we took in the open studios and our route took us through the recently reopened Rowntree park – now the river Ouse has dropped its levels a bit!

At least it’s a cheering and pleasurable event in what is proving to be a fairly miserable Spring.