Misty Morning Hop

25th Feb10, Christon Bank, 8am

Misty morning in amongst the trees. It's been a pleasure to record photographs of these same trees under so many different conditions through this winter.

25th Feb10, Dunstanburgh Castle, 3pm

The mists have risen but it feels like they're still just above us ready to drop down again as the evening comes on. These are the "canonball boulders" that lie just N of the castle. Sepia tones seem to suit a flat light day like today.

Pink Balloons

23rd Feb10, Christon Bank, 8am

I have never had so many walks in the snow. Trooper never tires of it which is just as well as another storm sits above the horizon coming our way...

23rd Feb10, Low Newton Pool, 4pm

Nice and sheltered in the bird hide for us but only a few ducks of various types were braving the small areas of thawed, open water.

24th Feb10, Embleton Bay, 3pm

Helium balloons are a nice idea but they can be fatal to sealife. At least these two had blown ashore uneaten so I popped them and binned them.

I spotted this object from a distance and thought it was a walker on the beach. Even the cleanest beach is a dumping ground; a place where the sea can unburden itself of unwanted cargo. perhaps a local crab fisherman will come and claim it back.

frozen trees

20thFeb10, Christon Bank, 8am

The winter conditions bring another fall of snow which lies on branch and field. Spring is springing under the snow but the big trees are showing no sign of the season's new growth. They stand patiently bearing their burden and biding their time. Trees are good at that.

22nd Feb10, Christon Bank, 8am

A similar shot to this one appeared a while ago on a day of different weather conditions.

staying safe

19th Feb10, Craster and Howick Coast, 2pm

A snowy day inland which was thawing by the time we ventured out. The walk was very slippy with snow in Craster, mud on the paths and slimy rocks by the sea. The light was lovely though so we kept going a-slippin' and a-slidin' on our way. Shortly after the 2nd picture the wind turned cold all of a sudden and caused me to look round to see a big snowstorm blotting out the view N (our way home). Turn up the collar, pull down the hat and walk - nothing else for it and it is after all only a bit of snow.

Time to head back...

tourism & exploitation

Tourism has started early this year. I can't remember so many people being here at the February mid-term break. Perhaps it will be a busy summer. To compensate for my loss of solitude I have a couple of new business ventures to make full advantage of the visitors.

17th Feb10, Embleton Bay, 8am

A lone jogger but actually one of 3 joggers I saw this morning. I can totally see the attraction of running along the beach. Slow enough to enjoy the scenery but fast enough to cover more ground than we do. I can only imagine that if you live in a city, the pleasure of jogging here when on holiday is beyond measure.

This is cliche corner. Dunstanburgh Castle is well photographed from many places but from this end of the bay is the classic view with a bit of foreground for interest and a bonny, big sky.

man, woman, dog, horse

16th Feb10, Low Newton, 8am

Nice to be back. It being a school holiday there were a few folk on the beach over the weekend I gather. One family had created a fine sand mermaid but there was no sign this morning. Just a man, a woman, a dog and a horse.

They said I'd find a mermaid if I went down to the beach
But those damned elusive mermaids like to stay just out of reach
A flick of her tail at high tide, never more to walk the land
Not bad for a mythical creature made entirely of sand.

ever changing skies

The last walk on my beaches before heading inland for a (romantic) weekend.

12th Feb10, Embleton Bay, 7:30 am

An early start meant that I caught the sunrise, possibly for the last time until October as the dawn breaks ever earlier until in June it's at some silly time in the middle of the night (if that's not an anachronism).

It was dull at the point of sunrise. Thick clouds from last night's rain still on the horizon. Soon the sun reached a point where it suddenly beamed through a gap in the clouds and went on to rise above all opposition and into the blue sky. Turning for home meant that we faced a different picture altogether with a significant shower passing close enough to give a magnificent rainbow against an inky sky above Embleton golf course. The rainbow was a double in places; the 2nd arc dimmer and with the colours reversed (not in the photo). Despite being a scientist in a past life and understanding the physics of this optical phenomenon, I do like to just stand and enjoy one of nature's most beautiful spectacles.

The mystery of the woods

11th Feb10, Newton Links, 8am

Another fine morning for a walk along the deserted beach. Just ocassionally I get the urge to meet someone for a chat. I did yesterday and very pleasant it was too, but today the chap who rides out with his horses every morning bade me a good morning and that was it. He would be an interesting fellow to talk to but circumstances don't allow small talk, just a greeting yelled over the breeze and across the safe distance we keep between horse and dog. I think we agreed that it was a fine day.

11th Feb10, Christon Bank, 3pm

Once again around the woods and once again I snapped these impressionistic images of the trees. I haven't divulged the secret of the technique in as many words but suffice to say it's all natural with very little photoshop.

Woah, Dog!

10th Feb10, Football Hole, 2pm

Gorgeous sunny day but freezing NE wind. I am obsessed with driftwood at the moment as Su is using it for knitting projects. This bit was too big to carry home but was statuesque enough to merit a few moments of standing; proudly dominating the beach.

I though it would be cool to capture Trooper as he leapt up the sandy banks of the wee river. He thought it would be cool to jump right on top of me. Well, it was his blind side and it's only sand.

A fine vista over Low Newton haven with good ol' Dunstanburgh Castle making an almost inevitable appearance in the sunlit distance.

showers passing by

9th Feb10, Newton Links, 8am

Shame I used my good line about "veils of precipitation" yesterday...

9th Feb10, Low Newton, 4pm

This is such a lovely vista over Embleton Bay. I've photographed it before and will do so again.

right time, right place

8th Feb10, Embleton Bay, 8am

Big Showers were moving slowly across the horizon each with a veil of precipitation suspended below and I thought there might be some nice light in the offing. After a day of short walks yesterday, Trooper was keen to run and wasn't going to let inclement weather get in his way. So he ran and I snapped a few pictures of the sea and the clouds and we wandered along the beach and up into the dunes as is our preference. Thinking Trooper hadn't been on the blog for a while I took a couple of him in the grass and then I noticed he was bathed in sunlight.

The golden light that swept the bay like a photographer's dream lasted all of 30 seconds and was gone. Enough time to take a couple of snaps but also time to just stand and look and breathe in the scene. These moments of 'right time, right place' are rare enough that they're worth savouring without a camera in front of my face.

A very English sunset

6th Feb10, nr Longframlington, 4pm

This is a very green part of the world but for miles and miles there is no access to the countryside bar a few desperately muddy footpaths that lead from a roadside with nowhere to park to the middle of a herd of cows. We ended up walking along a quiet road where we had to put up with only one car going past. It went past very fast and noisily though as it was a TVR being driven (aren't they all) by someone with a mid-life crisis. Being a TVR (a handmade British sportscar with a reputation for good looks and unreliability) it promptly broke down 200 yards up the road. Only after much cajoling of the starter motor did it reluctantly burst into uproar once again and it lurched off, carrying Mr Toad away on his life's journey and leaving us to the peace and beauty of the setting sun.

gloom and murk

So dull all day it didn't really get light.

5th Feb10, Christon Bank, 4pm

After getting very wet on the beach this morning, poor old Trooper got no more than a short trudge through the dripping woodland.

thin sand

3rd Feb10, Football Hole, 8am

The top layer of sand was frozen and the sea has washed away the sand from below it leaving a thin sand crust, the like of which I've never seen.

a long walk on The Long Walk

2nd Feb10, Howick coast, 2pm

We didn't get much of a walk this morning so we set off for a longer and earlier trip this afternoon. Out by the beach and back via The Long Walk at Howick on account of the beach was disappearing fast under the spring tide. The sun was high enough in the sky to give a warmth which was nice to feel although the air stayed below 2C all the way round. In addition to the warmth, the sun was generous with warm light which was creating beautiful scenes around every bend.

This young beech tree is holding on to its autumn colours as long as it can before the new buds push the old leaves off in the spring.

no golf today

1st Feb10, Low Newton, 8am

The snow has now frozen into ice so it will be with us for a while. It was clear overnight leaving a blue-sky morning with an orange dawn preceding.

A fellow photographer was making the most of the scene but I find such equpiment to be restricting and I prefer to snap and move on. I have no patience to sit and watch, I prefer to walk and watch. The sun was nice over the sea but a half a mile further on and it was over the castle.

The golf course is frozen solid and I can't imagine it will be much used until the thaw.