Peonies

Commercial peony cultivation is a thing locally. I mean, really locally. Every year I wander out and take lots of photos of peonies in all their glory and every year I tell myself that I have more than enough photos of peonies and really don't need to take any more. But every year I wander out and take lots of photos of peonies in all their blowsy glory.

Here are some of this year's peonies.

 

Red Kite Mating Flight

At least, I assume it was a courtship ritual. It looked like it. They were a long way away and up, but here are three photos that captured some of the detail.

Respectable Jay

I've been trying to get a reasonably respectable photo of a Jay for a considerable period of time...

Spring Shots

Nothing especially profound or meaningful, or even photographically that excellent. Just some photos taken in the last month that remind me Spring is here.

Some photos did, however, involve damage to the photographer (make a note: kneeling on baby nettles in leggings is a bad idea...)

                  

Mostly Robins

 

Half a dozen pictures, mostly of robins, taken on an early February walk

New Year's Thoughts 2023

So, yes, it’s that time of year again. The time that every year, since I started this blog way back in 2014, I’ve written a post to herald in the New Year whilst reflecting on the old. Next year, if I make it, it will have to be a big post because this blog will have been going for ten years, a whole decade, yikes! This year, however, it’s just been nine years, so I’m not going to make a big song and dance out of it.

 

To be honest, I’m not really sure what wise words to say about 2022 and I’m even less certain what to say about 2023. I don’t even have a plan for this blog. 

 

Do I do another photo-diary type year, upload themed posts, link things more closely to my writing and books, ask for prompts via this blog and Facebook? I’ve no idea. If you have any thoughts about what you might like to see on this blog in 2023, do leave me a comment below. 

 

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few photos from 2022 that I don’t think I’ve posted previously. They are mostly autumnal, but I'm feeling in an autumnal state of mind, and yes, I do realise it's January - that's the point of this post - but one's moods don't always match the seasons even if, in 2022, my photos did.