Edinburgh Trip

I wonder what you'd expect from someone who took a trip to Edinburgh - arguably one of Europe's most attractive cities? Pictures of churches, castles and craggy parks? Drunks, junkie prostitutes and beggars? (Ah, dear old Scotland, the self-harming emo-nation of Europe!). Well forget it.

In the park.

Nice old sundial, spoiled by the stupid tv cable draped across it - I could have shopped it out, but I prefer to see 'real' pictures.













Autumn leaves on a cobble star.






















Mysterious green doors. Probably the door on the left was a stable and above it was the feed store. I imagine they would have had a hoist to take grain and hay up there at one time. It is part of a very old building originally built around 1650, but I think this part of the building is much later, a Georgian addition.

Not more nasturtiums!

Yes, more nasturtiums. On a marble slab. Sunlit, no flash.

Red Admiral

Quite possibly not the best ever photographs of a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) - but not too bad, I hope. He came visiting the red hot poker flowers this morning, as you can see, a pleasantly warm and sunny morning. Very common in europe, the americas and asia. Handsome devil, not worried by me sticking a camera up close to him either.

Nasturtium studies

If you can tell me what the raindrop has 'captured' in the top photograph, I'll send you a prize. I know what it is!









The second study is a close look at the growing tip of the plant, again, with rain drops in the helix. The hairs on the leaves seem to disappear as the plant grows.

Glacial

Light and cloud reflected in a piece of raw glass.

Wild berries

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) berries on a cold, windy day.

Where ever you see them, Hawthorn hedges have probably been there for hundreds of years - long before the town built up around them.

International timepiece.

Now here's something I bet you don't see everyday! Shows times (pretty approximate I would guess) at various places round the world. Amazing. Made in 1841. Anyone know where Fort Nelson is (or was)?

Something in the woodpile...

Funny place to find a toad, at the top of a log pile. Not very sensible at all, seeing it'll need to hibernate soon - also I'm planning to saw up the logs ready for burning. I'll have to relocate him to somewhere safe in the garden.

Cloudy day

Cloudy day view of Pendle Hill. The hill - not quite a mountain - dominates the area, even causing a rainy micro climate to the towns in the valley below. Interestingly, or not - depends on your viewpoint - naming of Pendle Hill is unusual in that it apparently says the same thing in three different languages. In the thirteenth century it was mentioned as Pennul or Penhul, apparently from Cymbric pen and Old English hyll, both meaning "hill"; the meaning having become opaque, the modern english word Hill was again appended. Mind you, it might be a reference to King Penda of Mercia - Penda's Hill. King Penda died in 655 BCE, not many records or maps from then so just a guess! More recently, George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement took a walk up there in 1652. Fox felt that God led him to go there. He had a vision of thousands of souls coming to Christ. "As we travelled, we came near a very great hill, called Pendle Hill, and I was moved of the Lord to go up to the top of it; which I did with difficulty, it was so very steep and high. When I was come to the top, I saw the sea bordering upon Lancashire. From the top of this hill the Lord let me see in what places he had a great people to be gathered."
The area is notorious for the despicable events that lead to the 'Pendle Witch Trials' earlier in the 1600's. Interesting read about it here: The Wonderous Discoverie Of Witches in the Covntie Of Lancaster Bit of a struggle though as the English is very archaic!