After the snowmen have all melted there’s still a few pockets of ice hidden away. I came across a patch of ice running alongside a fence in part of a field system, it seemed unremarkable at first but upon closer inspection it was possible to see all the reeds and grasses trapped beneath its quite un-smooth surface, the texture of which I rather like.

Aided by it’s remoteness Ardnamurchan remains relatively unspoiled, a haven for wildlife and relatively unspoiled woodlands that line the road as it winds along Loch Sunart. Delving into the woods gives a glimpse of what life was possibly like before any people ever came by, old twisting oaks overgrown with lichen and moss shadowed over dense bushes of heather and bracken. A strong wind and occasional rain caused the trees and heather to sway as I ventured along the paths. Peering down soft green slopes the light barely touched the ground, just an eery green glow all round. Trying to find a composition that summed up the age and wild nature of this part of the world required a little careful ‘off-roading’ to achieve a satisfying result.

 

Last weekend I was invited to attend the wedding of Viktoria and Joel at the River Cottage, of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall organic/green/sustainable cookery fame. It wasn’t my ‘gig so to speak but I took the camera along and took the odd shot during my socializing. The hosts at the River Cottage were absolutely brilliant and allowed us to wander quite freely around the vegetable gardens. I didn’t want too miss out on the opportunity and was amazed by the array of wonderful sounding plants I found growing in the quite orderly beds, from herbs through to fruit it was all there, even some pears and raspberries…

Aside from the fun of discovering all the cultivated soon-to-be-cooked-and-eaten plants, there were also a few games about the place, one of which being a coconut shy…and guess who knocked one of first go. Please leave ideas for what to use a coconut for in the comments with this post!

The food itself, well, I can hardly begin. Amazing! This should sum it up nicely:

And here everything:

 

Although this summer has failed to brighten up on many levels I was still surprised by what I found in the woods today. The persistent rain over the past few weeks has, it’s true dampened my spirits slightly. So I resolved to face it head-on and went for a walk during a monumental downpour to some local woods. This served two purposes; firstly get the hell out of the house and secondly to satisfy my curiosity to really see what changes come when it’s absolutely chucking it down. I’m not talking about ‘lots of water from the sky’ type changes, nor the resulting puddles of it collecting on the ground as I walk. No, I’m talking about the change in atmosphere around me and how could I possibly capture that on camera?!

During the summer months woodlands are pleasantly mild, shaded places full of buzzing insects busily going about their tasks, flitting between the dappled pools of light from flower to flower. More often than not, any breeze is reduced to a whisper on the woodland floor and may only be noticeable from the swaying canopies as it brushes by above. How different it had become from the usual warm environment I had become accustomed to on previous visits. It was not cold, although we have had considerable amounts of rain this ‘summer’ temperatures have been gradually creeping upwards during the day, no it was warm and dark. Very, very dark. The thick canopies above all but blocked the light leaving very little remaining to hit the sodden floor beneath. I found there exists a strange middle-ground between floor and canopy where very little exists, save the tree trunks stretching upwards to support the world above. It all reminded me of something that could be found in an Anime film. I took a few shots as I explored the darkness, heavy rain pounding its way though to the ground and literally blocking further viewing through the woods. During a break in the deluge a mist gradually rose all around me, the trees and ferns steaming as the moisture returned from whence it came, no doubt building for the next shower! I shall return again on a rainy day and make a better go of things… Who said we have to stay indoors when it rains?!

And here’s some more:

 

Actually they seem to be coming out a bit late this year compared to the last couple of years, maybe that’s to do with being in a different location? Either way here’s a small selection, there will no doubt be more to come soon as they really take off, these are only partially flowered crops…