Sungkyunkwan Univeristy Logo on the Earth

Alaköl Audani bearing a very close resemblance to the Sungkyunkwan University Logo
I was browsing the Earth as you do (or at least as I do) following this tweet from Tim Peake on board the ISS:

Tims tweet
While trying to locate those mountains I zoomed in on a rather intriguing formation which looked like a bit of human engineering - it was indeed a river delta which has been massively utilised for farming right in the far reaches of the east of Kazakhstan near the border with China. I then realised that the formation looked quite like a ginkgo leaf which is the logo for my Father-in-law's university in South Korea - Sungkyunkwan (also the oldest). Sadly when I checked the logo online I realised that the land formation is instead the mirror reflection of the logo. Here they are side by side. For your interest the geographic coordinates are: 46.040012N, 81.036736E near the town of Alaköl Audani

Alaköl Audani bearing a very close resemblance to the Sungkyunkwan University Logo

Brimstone Moth

Using this rather nice simple website I was able to identify a moth I photographed 11 years ago as being a Brimstone. Go and check it out at animalphotos.me.

brimstone moth in 2005

2016-03-09

@NationalTrust Wimpole Hall Estate in Autumn

With autumn upon us and unseasonably warm weather since getting back from Korea we headed out to Wimpole Hall (National Trust) to have a weekend walk around the estate with a friend of ours. I was in a t-shirt walking around, utterly splendid despite being Halloween (surprisingly similar to last year in fact). What's more there was an actual hill to climb which afforded an actual view. A view. In Cambridgeshire. What joy!

wimpole tree stitch

wimpole pond

branches stitch

light through the trees

autumnal leaves

yellow and orange

wimpole at sunset

last light through the trees

In the garden recently - a blooming lovely combination of flowers and weeds

It has been a striking early spring in the garden and quite a surprise. Just before April the garden was only green with the odd daffodil and hyacinth but not much else. Then suddenly the forget-me-nots exploded into life simultaneously with the tulips and wall flowers. It was utterly tremendous and a wonderful welcome for Mr Sir's arrival. I was able to enjoy the garden with Nana on two separate occasions which was extra lovely. It's just about beginning to go over now, though the clematis is in full glory and the rowan tree is throwing out a lovely scent in the evenings (at least I think it's the rowan: I can't find anything else at ground level which is scented presently.)

the pink clematis offset with blue forget-me-nots

the drape of clematis on the fence

this is my favourite wallflower this year, a deep wine purple

the clematis is climbing the rowan

two brassicas, one for flower on for leaf

our patio area with chimenea

full on clematis magic
2015-05-09

Tall grasses on an otherwise not tall landscape

Just a photo from our walk at the weekend taking advantage of the sunny weather. It's flat round here. Really flat. I'll try not to moan too much and just leave you with this picture of some tall grasses that were glowing in the low sunshine reminding me of the 'Tall Grass Mountain' in South Korea

tall grasses in the sun
2015-02-10

Sleepy cat

This weekend we have a cat on loan while the owner is away for a few days. It is Dr K's first cat experience and so far has mostly been a positive one. It helps that this little chap is pretty darn friendly and other than being occasionally bitey is content to curl up and fall asleep under a leg or arm.

sleepy cat
2015-01-31

Building snow clouds overhead in #Histon, #Cambridgeshire

The radio is abuzz with reports of snow in the North. I checked the radar and apparently there was rain everywhere, but I looked outside and could optimistically describe the ground a mildly damp at best. But looking up I spotted this rather lovely cloud underbelly like globules of Malachite. A few flakes of snow were drifting down but not enough to worry about here in the flat lands.

snow cloud overhead in Histon
2015-01-29

Two photos from Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire [@AngleseyAbbeyNT]

Here are just two photos I came across on my photographic ramble recently. Both taken in the National Trust garden at Anglesey Abbey on the outskirts of Cambridge in the village of Lode. Well worth a visit if you're passing though. This dogwood looked resplendent in the glorious winter garden. Visit between Dec and Feb to catch its peak, while at other times of the year the wonder is surprisingly dull (not in a bad way, just comparatively).

bright yellow dogwood at Anglesey Abbey

ladybird on an Autumnal ramble
2014-11-22

Well hello Mr or Mrs Frog or Toad

This little chap was lurking on top of last years leaf mould.

Stag Beetle

I came across this set of photos I'd taken of a stag beetle years ago (over nine in fact!). They are still quite pleasing and a nice change from flies.

Female stag beetle (I think)

clutching a blade of grass I'd given it (this image has deliberate motion blur)

close up of its leg
2014-09-18

Looking Fabulous

a fabulous japanese anemone
2014-08-20

Igloo

Awesome.