Winter is a time of wonderful light. It spreads in long rays across the land or creates deep and vibrant sunsets over the lake. I usually choose a word to guide me through the forthcoming year. I have had fun with this process over the years including words like, threshold, inkling, expand, pilgrimage. Some of my . . .
The welcoming light of Stockholm
It was stormy and grey on the streets of Stockholm where I was visiting family last week, so for a change I was photographing the glow of a Scandinavian Christmas, but indoors. Tastefully designed, as you would expect, Christmas here knocks the stuffing out of the predictable old tat that it often brings out . . .
There are reasons
It’s been a while, but there are reasons. Right now it’s summer and in this house, we are both double vaccinated. This has allowed us to experience a reunion or two of the whole family at once and to feel a lot more confident of seeing an end to the pandemic and it’s impact. The hedgerows and ditches are . . .
10 years of blogging
So it's ten years since I posted my very first blog. Over the years the writing part has increased but the photography has always been the starting point. Each blog, and there have been hundreds, began with a walk or maybe a trip somewhere, and the images from my camera for that day. In those days, shortly after the . . .
A watery uncertain place
It's a watery uncertain place, this unfathomable universe. No need to plan or have too many expectations. Time instead to observe and go with the flow. At the close of 2020 there was a moon. It's not that I was following, but everywhere I turned, she was there. Even in the early morning as this moon set . . .
Winter creeps in
Only two weeks more of this, our second lockdown. First time around, Spring was in the air and there was some novelty to it. This time, winter creeps in and with Christmas on the horizon it's hard to even imagine how we will celebrate. The exciting news about vaccines this week has given us all a lift. I . . .
October
“To know fully even one field or one land is a lifetime’s experience.” Patrick Kavanagh Today we began our second lockdown. It will be another challenge especially as the light fades into winter time. But we are well and the weather is kind. Most of all we are lucky to have space and to be warm . . .
The lake
The lake is a permanent feature of life here. It has a unique ecosystem but it's not a popular place unless the sun shines. To us it has a special charm all of its own. I don't remember swimming in it at all until my two nephews, who live in Sweden, came for a visit. In Swedish culture, lake swimming is the order of the day. At that . . .
Coming out of lockdown
I’m trying to unfurl from lockdown. It seems to be a slow process. Like how coming out of hibernation might be for a chubby lazy bear. One of my childhood pets was a tortoise. I think they were popular in those days. It was supposed to go to sleep for the winter. But as there was no internet, we knew very . . .
A sketchbook from the Covid 19 lockdown.
I'm suffering from a kind of lockdown brain fog. I think it's curable, but I'm not altogether sure. One of the bright spots of my pandemic days has been making these watercolour sketches that I have been doodling away on through out the last few weeks. They are mostly very small, very abstract and some people say they look like graphic . . .
