contrasts

I suppose it is a feature of autumn that when it's sunny, the light is better than any other time of year but when it's not it's not.

19th October09, Beadnell shore, 8am

19th October09, Low Newton, 4pm

Emblestone. At low tide a rocky headland, at high, spring tide like this, no more than a tiny island is visible.

pushing the limits

I set myself a rule that only walks within sight of the sea would be included on the blog - well rules are meant to be ignored!

17th October09, Coquetdale and Harbottle, 4pm

A fine walk on a gorgeous, autumn afternoon.

Harbottle Lake

Autumn is the season for fruiting fungus...

...and lovely light

This poem won a prize a few years ago and is engraved on this stone near Harbottle Castle (of which little remains). Ironically it was none of the things mentioned that caused the castle to be so ruinous, it was the locals "quarrying" the stones from the castle to build their village houses!

18th Oct09, High Newton, 7am

A beautiful morning and a lovely dawn.

18th October09, High Newton, 5pm

The day's promise became cloaked in grey.

Behold! the blue

Nice to see blue skies back after several days of increasing murkiness.

16th Oct09, Howick coast, 8am

16th Oct09, Low Newton, 3pm

This is an unusual scene as the bay at Low Newton is sheltered to all but a North Easterly wind. No tranquil lagoon today.

The high tide and rough seas have forced these gulls to seek a bit of peace and quiet and Embleton Pool.

Embleton Bay in all its glory - one of the finest places on Earth.

too wet to fly

15th Oct09, High Newton, 8am

A misty morning on the beach with a soft drizzle. Everything was covered in raindrops.

The water drops magnify the structure of this gull's downy feather.

Dull?

Back from a week away (see elsewhere for details).

13th Oct 09, Low Newton, 4pm

A bit dull at first, flat grey skies, the sea couldn't be bothered - tappy lappy on the shore. Not much of a welcome home.

Strange, small towers constructed by a visitor and modified by the wind.

Low Newton Pool, a Moorhen doddles about. Just out of picture a brown bird with a red beak and grey head meandered past. This was a water rail - a notoriously secretive bird rarely seen out of cover. Suddenly a much more interesting day!

...and then round the corner the trees were all covered with a golden vine. Now, I used to work in a brewery so I know hops when I see them but you don't see them in the wild very often. The cones were past their best but crushing them still released the most gorgeous aroma. I wonder if The Ship Inn's brewer knows these are here, 200 yards from his brewery...

weather with a message

2nd Oct09, High Newton, 8am

A dull old day but there's always something beautiful and something will come by if you wait long enough.

2nd Oct09, Hepburm Woods, 6pm

I have never gazed down on the Cheviot foothills without them being bathed in some sort of ethereal light. The Westering sun is often filtered dramatically through the clouds sitting on top of The Cheviot.

3rd Oct09, Low Newton, 7am

Lying listening to the wind outside and the weather forecast in my ear it didn't sound like much of a day. But Lo! A fine day while the beach waited for the forecast rain.

The wind whipped up the sand but Trooper didn't mind as he stretched his legs over the beach.

An off-shore wind makes for an eerily calm sea given that I could scarce stand up at the time!

Some ferns have turned to autumn hues and were getting a good battering in the gale.

The message of the rainbow was not the biblical "no more rain" - quite the reverse in fact

I'm off to warmer climes for a week - see you when I'm back!

Autumn drama

It's my favourite season and it's coming on us fast.

1st Oct09, Howick, 8am

1st Oct09, Football Hole 5pm

Huge waves and a high tide to bring them right up close makes for high drama on the beach.