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Showing posts with the label autumn

California 30th October, autumn colour on the way to Bodie

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After breakfast we set out for Bodie, a deserted mining town to the north east of Lee Vining. It is managed by the National Park Service and has been kept in a state of 'arrested decay'. Everyone I knew who has visited this part of the world said that we must visit Bodie and I wondered why, as it sounded a little bit of a Disney experience. Rest assured it is not and I would love to go back there. The road to Bodie is north on the 395 and then you turn off east for 10 miles the last 3 of which are just a dirt track and make for an interesting trip. Going up the 395 we noticed a lovely group of aspen trees still in their autumn colour, great for us as most of the trees had lost their leaves by now. They were on the other side of the road but we (rather dangerously as we were nearly mown down by a lorry on the return) crossed over to a lay-by. Then as a bonus on the dirt road we saw some more trees and a golden eagle overhead. I only had my 24-70mm lens on so the eagle picture...

Paxton Pits - some plants

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Things not being so great insect wise at Paxton Pits I decided to turn my attention to the plants. We were in a meadow looking for the elusive wasp spider which we had been told had taken up residency there, but was hiding from us. As it was September the grasses were looking autumnal and everything was going to seed. I start with an overview of the meadow and then come the plants, finishing with a picture of one of the ponds I took on the way out, attracted by its vibrance. The macro pictures have been taken using a shallow depth of field to get that lovely creamy look.

Dorset weekend - Sunday morning

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We could only spend 2 nights in our lovely snug rented cottage as we all had work on Monday. I had booked Sunday lunch at the local pub, but we would need a walk before we tucked into our lamb. The kids and I had gone on a short walk after breakfast, around the church and a smallholding, but we needed more than that. I had noticed a signpost to 'Lambert's Castle' on the way into Hawkchurch. This proved a good place for a walk and the site of an ancient hill fort. On our way we played 'disc golf', a game using frisbees of different weights for clubs and objects like 'a tree' for holes. We also met a lady walking wolves (no pictures I am afraid), alsatians crossed with timber wolves, who apparently could make a meal of a small dog. Luckily Hettie is not small and the wolves were on leads. They were elegant animals and had the lope of a wolf. I used the D800e for these pictures as I was getting withdrawal symptoms.

Dorset weekend - afternoon in Lyme Regis

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Here are a few snaps of our afternoon in Lyme after the crab lunch. We wandered up and down the prom and then walked over to the headland on the west of the town. The light was beginning to fade as we returned and driving through Axemouth we were treated to a full on sunset.