Flight of the Stumble Bee
As aerodynamic as a brick being steered by gossamer wings, this Bumble Bee is attempting to gain access to a Russian Comfrey’s flower that has an entrance considerably smaller than its body. Now, all the Bee needs to do is hover in a stationary position whilst trying to squeeze itself between the flower’s pursed petals, all the time avoiding a slippage that would send it spiralling upwards at speed towards the plant’s nasty-looking spikes…
Piethorne reservoir panorama
A Piethorne reservoir panoramic view, taken from high on a hill overlooking the rear of Piethorne Valley. In the foreground is the Bluebell Wood nature reserve, running one full side of Piethorne reservoir; the dam wall road can be seen running vertically to the left, heading towards the old landfill quarry that is now reclaimed by Nature; in the centre of the picture and raised just above is the much smaller Hanging Lees reservoir and high above that, illuminated on the horizon, is The Rams Head public house on Ripponden road, Denshaw.
In need of a little light…
A fern creeps out from between a gap in a dry-stone wall, unfurling towards the Sun’s rays and casting its segmented shadow onto the surrounding rocks.
Northern Sunset strip
A Sunset shot taken from hills near Ogden reservoir: Rochdale and its surrounding areas are off to the right side of the picture and Milnrow is to the centre-left, which includes the blurred, snaking lights of the M62 on the far-left disappearing off in the distance towards Royton.
My little (cold) Pony
A small black Pony that looked pretty damn cold as I walked past its corral last Winter!
Enter at one’s own risk
Spotted this rather horrific-looking update to the top-of-the-wall protection whilst out walking the other day. Consisting of a line of rotating metal spikes, with each independently-rotating section containing three sharp prongs arranged in a triangle, the security idea is simplicity itself: if you are stupid enough to tackle climbing this wall and attempt to gain entry, then this post-modern torture device will twist and turn under your weight and eviscerate your tender flesh for being so idiotic…
And where did I spot this “Spanish Inquisition confessor” you may ask? Was it a shop’s backyard in a dodgy part of town or perhaps a garage lock-up down a dark alley? Nope, it was running around the top of a small graveyard next to an quaint old stone Church, miles away from any inner-city cretinism!
Bending under the strain
The stalk of a dew-spattered Great Willowherb appears to bend under the weight of the water droplets resting upon its flower’s purple petals: a miniature plant-catapult, all coiled and ready to spring back at any moment..
Black and white surprise
A juvenile Magpie looking curious and surprised at the fool with a camera (me) hanging out of his window taking pictures in its general direction!
Christmas subway art
Way back in December 2009, I spotted this quite brilliant freshly-painted graffiti in a subway in Chadderton, Oldham which runs beneath the A627 and splits Burnley Lane into two. Within a couple of days, the Council had been down and painted over the glorious urban mural with industrial-strength magnolia, obliterating any memory of its genius, so I present this picture here in honour of the artist in question, whomever they be…
Equine Kilroy was here!
This curious Horse seems to be impersonating the once-well-known American popular culture icon ‘Kilroy’ from around the time of the early 1940s and through the second World War: the original graffito shows a bald man with just a wisp of hair peering over a wall, with his fingers and large nose the only other body parts on show and beneath the picture is always the same wording – “Kilroy was here“!
Stretch the Horizon 