Monday 29 July 2013

Cabbage White



When I hike the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in sunny weather I am frequently accompanied by two of these butterflies, circling around each other and me in a joyful dance.  Sometimes I think I must exude pheromones attractive to them and wonder if they will discover their mistake before the end of their brief lives.

Thursday 25 July 2013

The Joys of Hiking


I love hiking - or at least in good weather I believe I do. Yet all too often I struggle along, wet outside from the rain and damp inside from condensation with that inevitable blister developing within the first half hour.


Tuesday 23 July 2013

The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path


The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path dips and rises for approximately 200 miles through fascinating scenery, dropping down to coves and lifting to amazing viewpoints.  Little buses take you, your baggage and your well-behaved dog down to the beach all summer long. Nearly at one end is Tenby with its busy harbour and ancient town walls.

Saturday 20 July 2013

The centipede's dilemma

 
 

 
Cyril Centipede wonders if the monocycle is, after all, the mode of commuting best suited to his personal needs.
 

Thursday 18 July 2013

The snake in the garden


The image of the serpent in the Garden of Eden is a strong evocation of nastiness lurking in paradise. I have wondered what kind of reptile it might be and decided it would be flamboyant yet urbane, like this leopard snake.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

POPPY








The poppy is marvellous to look at but has also become profoundly symbolic. Who can forget the final episode of Blackadder where this flower added such poignancy to a comedy series?

Friday 12 July 2013

Chameleon

 
Do they really turn bright red if they sit on something crimson? Perhaps it is just a gentle blush.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Black Point lighthouse, Anglesey

 
A lighthouse looks unnecessary on a summer's day which is when we normally see it as tourists. Yet the rocks underneath suggest the dangers to seamen and ships in winter if gales howl and the mountainous waves lash.

Sunday 7 July 2013

European Goldfinch

 
The Latin name for this beautiful bird is Carduelis carduelis. He was a real challenge to my new miniature brushes - sable of course!

Thursday 4 July 2013

Mousy misunderstanding


 
The Linnaean term for the common house mouse is Mus musculus, the second word meaning merely (and redundantly) "little mouse". Yet mice are not renowned Latin scholars and this family has mistranslated the phrase, determined to keep up their reputation for muscularity.