Something a little bit different today , no walk on the wildside, no woodland wandering , riverside rambling or tale from The Trailway . Today’s offering comes from no further afield than the conservatory table. Part of a potential series illustrating ‘ games ‘ the humble dominoes were today’s subjects , tipped out of their box, scattered across a tin tray, placed and posed to within an inch of their lives ( metaphorically speaking ).

I enjoy a spot of still life occasionally , it matches my pace of life, the subjects never play up, complain or misbehave and photographing the mundane often provides a great challenge . Producing a worthwhile and satisfying image, often from items that are less than exciting or exotic, is definitely a rewarding experience . Sometimes it works , sometimes it doesn’t and still life doesn’t always float everybody’s boat. Photography, like any form of art is often entirely subjective . There are images that are extremely evocative and others that can leave you cold, we’re all individuals and as such have unique likes and dislikes , what appeals to one may not appeal to another and vice versa, that said it’s entirely possible to appreciate an image simply for what it is without forming any attachment to it.

Walking the woods in the warm sunshine this afternoon was a real pleasure . We’re blessed here with a mixed wood, both deciduous trees and tall, upright pines grace Piddles Wood, stretching skywards from the woodland floor. Today the wood was warm and welcoming , fairly dry underfoot after all the rains we’ve had, though , in places, on the lower edge of the wood there were several areas where the waters had collected along the well worn tracks which required some judicious and nimble footwork in order to remain dry. Drifts of woodland flowers graced the banks in places, primrose , bulbous buttercups and other unknown species colouring the leaf litter. The bluebells still not quite ready, but showing signs of budding shortly, will carpet the floor and their fragrance will fill the air in the woodland coppice and sun dappled glades along the way. Save for just a handful of dog walkers and associated pooches the woods were empty today, no foresters, no sounds of machinery, just the myriad sounds of birdsong, the sounds of a woodpecker drumming its staccato beat against a trunk somewhere in the distance and a pheasant calling in the distance. Occasional fleeting glimpses of thrush, blackbird and robin crossing the track ahead were the only signs of company in the deeper parts of the wood as I made my way along the well worn tracks alongside Angers Lane and back to Broad Oak where I rejoined the little lane back towards Sturminster and home, still bathed in glorious , warm sunshine.

…..and uncompromising. Whilst this afternoon sunshine is a beautiful, early Spring bonus it also presents problems attempting to capture the wonderful scenery available to us.

Earlier this morning, in the cool, calm of the after dawn I visited the lakes, drinking in the deep blue skies, the warm yellows of the reeds, the emerald colours of the deep, still waters. The frost, warmed by the early morning sunrise, was rapidly receding, leaving a heavy dew on the ground, this afternoon was a very different beast altogether .

While the location was as enticing as ever, the hot afternoon sun and the warm breeze blowing across the lake very welcome , the bright , harsh sunlight made conditions challenging to say the least. It didn’t seem to bother the anglers, it certainly seemed to be no problem to the ducks, geese and swans swimming the waters contentedly but to this somewhat frustrated photographer the abundance of bright sunlight did little to contribute to the artistic process.

I guess the moral here is that you can’t have everything, or perhaps, you can have too much of a good thing. Whatever, if there’s a plus side to the situation it’s that I must get back to the water when the light’s mor in my favour.

You either love it or loathe it, embrace it or struggle with it, I definitely fall into the latter category . For me it’s a necessary evil, fascinating and frustrating in equal measure. I’m lost without it, from keeping up with the news, views and other social media to downloading and editing my photographs, everything involves technology. Utilising it to it’s fullest potential is a challenge of herculean proportions to this fully paid up member of the Luddites. Of late , well, over the last few days, my aging but extremely reliable android tablet has taken to playing up, refusing to load all or certain applications , switching itself off, refusing to co-operate in a timely or efficient manner no matter what or how I try. I have cajoled, coerced, ranted, raved, all to little or no avail. Currently I’m typing this and saying a prayer, hoping desperately that I make it to the end, never have the words ‘ save’ and ‘ publish’ ever carried so much gravitas. If I make it to the end I shall feel that a minor miracle has been achieved. Today’s issues have been such that I’ve not ventured forth and so today’s image is one from earlier this last week , tomorrow who knows what this technological plaything may deign or not deign to do but fingers crossed ‘ I’ll be back’ as someone once said!

The art of talking yourself out of doing something….namely getting one’s self out of bed to capture the early, and best, light of the day.Should I, shouldn’t I, will I, won’t I, round and round in my head this morning and in the end I didn’t. I didn’t get up and make the most of the early morning light but still couldn’t leave it alone, I settled for a mid morning stroll, stroll being the operative, partly because I couldn’t make my mind up where I wanted to go and partly because it would have been churlish to waste such a glorious morning doing precious little else.

In the end I gravitated to the mill and the millpond before retracing Friday afternoon’s steps into Stalbridge lane and The Halter Path, though in fairness, and to to tell the truth, I didn’t get as far as The Halter Path as I’d left it late and lunchtime beckoned invitingly. The mid morning breeze was a tad chilly in parts but, out of the breeze, the early season sun was a delight, great for my stroll, less attractive for any potential photography. The light was harsh, the contrasts dark and the colours saturated, hardly conducive to any seriously enticing shots but being out and about was a pleasure nonetheless.

Retracing my steps allowed me an opportunity for a different perspective, several things I didn’t see or disregarded on Friday afternoon came to light despite treading old ground, Things like the coppiced hazels arching over the lane this morning, already offering some shade to the sun dappled floor where the bluebells are shooting profusely, and where I found my first of the season in bloom this morning. Things like the stile which I’d seen and disregarded but on further reflection, and in different light, offered another viewpoint and another image. Nothing ventured, nothing gained don’t they say, despite the late start there were sights to be seen and shots to be had, if not in the best of light.

And, no, it’s not a reference to my mental state, contrary to common belief ( and, should you start a sentence with ‘and’?), it’s more a comment about the ups and downs of rural roads and how they are so often punctuated by bends, which is odd given that the Romans gave us roads, and they were notorious for building them in straight lines. I do wonder sometimes at the twists, turns and contortions of our rural road system. Having said that I also wonder at what I might find around the next bend, what marvelous vista might I come across, what wondrous view across the valley or the woodland? It seems that we’re particularly lucky in this little corner of the county, we have more than our fair share of these wonderful little gems to amble down, at the moment they’re looking bare and barren as the hedgerows wait for a little more warmth before bursting into leaf, exploding into a riot of colour not seen since…well…last year at least. The signs are already there, early showings of cow parsley, white and red dead nettles budding and flowering, bright yellow bulbous buttercups and the ubiquitous dandelions, not to mention banks of primroses brightening the way. Soon the wild garlic will grace the shady dells and coppices vying for space with the vivid and delicate bluebells, both gracing the air with very different fragrances but both memorable in their profusion. Spring is well and truly ready and waiting to greet us.

…..and down the lane, via the bridge and across a rather muddy field on this very mild afternoon. On a previous occasion I’d watched a heron and swans as I crossed the Stour via Colber Bridge, a rather grand foot crossing erected in 1841 and still providing easy passage for pedestrians today, but nothing to view today other than the slow, sluggish river making it’s way towards the mill. The odd pigeon and several rooks crossed the fields, a pheasant called , unseen, from somewhere yonder and a bright, red breasted robin bobbed in and out of the hedge as I wandered Stalbridge Lane back to Newton, nothing more exotic or unusual , no rabbits, no fox, no deer. All quiet in the countryside this afternoon.

Another busy day today, off again to collect the scooter , a tootle about to blow the cobwebs away and then a spot of painting post lunch meant that today’s wandering was a rather rushed affair. That said , it wasn’t an unproductive affair, a wander along the riverbank seldom is, so, today’s less about the words and more about the pictures.

Now that I’ve got your attention, piqued your interest as such, today has been all about vice and vices, how boring to have only one!

The day started just shy of the crack of dawn, the prospect of an early morning jaunt on the scooter beckoned, a service and M.O.T. in Yeovil meant I was up and away with the lark to avoid the rush hour traffic. I’ve been a fan of two wheeled transport from an early age and, as yet, I’ve never got bored with it. Any ride out is always a good ride out, the entertainment value never diminishes, no mean vice by any means and added to by a visit to Southwest Scooters in order to peruse their Lambretta and Vespa models made a great start to the day. The only downside in this is that in having to travel to ‘ town’ in order to get the scooter duly sorted means it becomes a two day job, ride into town, leave the machine and then come home on the bus and tomorrow go back on the bus and ride the scooter home….more vice!

Idleness is another vice I have a strong leaning towards as well, having spent all morning enjoying vice number one I’ve spent all afternoon indulging in vice number two, well, what else is retirement for other than to indulge oneself . I say I’ve done nothing but that’s not entirely true, I’ve actually managed to stir myself and , following a very short walk, indulged myself in yet a third vice, one that I’m not alone in, coffee ( and cake) . Coffee first came to notice in the 15th century, recorded in Yemen, and came into the English language via the Dutch traders in the 1500’s and I’m perfectly happy to acknowledge it as a particularly delightful indulgence, especially when closely allied to cake, how civilised. Who said vices were a bad thing?

Thank heaven’s for a dry day, well, almost dry, it would’ve been a miracle had we not had a little bit of the awful damp stuff. It duly drizzled, ironic that, on a day when the head of The Environment Agency issued the dire warning that our ‘ water security’ may be threatened to such an extent that all that we take for granted in our watery world may be seriously compromised within the next 25 years. Unimaginable that we should ever find ourselves in such a position, I can almost feel the wave of incredulity washing down from the Lake District as we speak and hear the gasps of horror from the manufacturers of wellingtons, pak-a-mac’s and umbrellas as they see their dividends disappearing down the proverbial plughole. That said, once again it highlights how fragile society is, how dependent we are on our natural world and yet still profligate in our wastefulness. I often despair of my fellow man, woman and Non-Binary, included and mentioned in the interests of equality, diversity and inclusivity.

On a similarly ‘ wet’ theme today’s little jaunt has taken me , once again, to the lakes at Todber, firstly this morning and then again a return journey mid-afternoon, both trips undertaken in the dry, albeit under threatening skies. A journey taken to facilitate someone’s love of the sport of fishing. Now, let me hasten to add that I’m not a lover of the sport but I can appreciate it’s calming influence and there have been times as a youth when I have been coaxed or coerced to the riverbank at the behest of my father or in the company of uncles and cousins. Let me also add that it’s always been against my better judgement, the lure of pitting my wits against a fish in his watery element holds as much appeal as trying to herd cats or plait fog, however, each to their own, me, I guess I’m more of an instant gratification guy.

I do have to say though, the lakes at Todber under magnificent, serene Dorset skies do hold an appeal, I do find it hard not to try to capture the essence of the serenity on film, well, the current digital equivalent anyway. There is something about the muted colours, the mirror like stillness of the water, the immensity of the sky and the softness of the landscape that holds an irresistible appeal.