Rattled

 I sometimes struggle to get motivated to spend time sorting through the photos that I take, perhaps because I have so many, maybe its because I seem to have too little time that its just not a priority. Sometimes though, I will spend a long time sifting through a file, editing some images and then deciding that I don't actually want to share them or do anything more with them. But I have so many beautiful images that I want to share too so I need to sort my head out a little bit.

Recently I have been bothered about the messed up world we live in, particularly as I am busy with grandparenting and I wonder what a mess we are leaving for the future generations to sort out. Close to home I see conflict in the community about the "loss" of a beach as nature is allowed to fight back after years of raking and pesticide use. I have seen  protests against refugees when people should be protesting at the conflicts that cause so many people to flee their homelands and we should be more welcoming. Nationally and internationally I see policies being promoted that are divisive and leaders who feed the chaos with lies and misinformation. Famines created by conflict, more children murdered in mass shootings and when anyone says "enough, this has to stop" those who could do something about it look the other way. 

Honestly it is so depressing. I really didn't intend to go down this route when I started this post so I am sorry for the depressing tone but something does need to change. I have said it before we cant do much but we need to do the little things that can make our world a better place, for ourselves and for the future generations, if we don't set a better example how can we expect those who follow us to do any better. 

Maybe that is why I have chosen the pictures above, the title for this post is Rattled and I was referencing the grasses seed heads which look like tiny rattles, but there is an added meaning because I feel pretty rattled by all the things I have seen and referred to above. 

But these grasses are beautiful. I can recall seeing them on a hot and sunny day out with my family in a forest in California, with all the giant trees around me I took time to notice something so little and seemingly insignificant. But how beautiful it is and even something so small plays a part in the wider ecosystem. So, as I say I had no idea where this post would take me but I guess the point I have arrived at is that we, like these grasses may seem/feel insignificant but we have a place and a role to play, we may only be able to do little things but we should do the little things that make things better and more beautiful and not contribute to the mess.

The Grass Is Greener

So you can see the theme of today's selection is dewdrops on grass. 

In the first image which is a cropped image from the original you can see the veins in the blade of grass magnified by the large drop of water.

And as with yesterdays pictures you can, if you look closely, see the fine "hairs" which give the water droplets purchase on what otherwise appears to be a smooth surface.

The third image is the colour version of the shot I shared yesterday in Black & White because I know that some people prefer to see grass "au naturelle".

Whats the Buzz

There is so much that I love about summer and I really feel for anybody who suffers with hay fever because there is so much they can miss out on. Last weekend my daughter and I went walking in the Peak District (pictures to follow soon) and she really struggled with streaming eyes and runny nose for much of the time. Luckily I don't usually suffer like that but yesterday I did and I felt rough. I cheered myself up by listening to the song The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count 

But there is a safe and sneeze free way to enjoy a little bit of the outdoors and summer colour and that is to look at my blog...

Grass pollen is a killer for some people but the first picture is pollen free, guaranteed.

I love the colours of the next three pictures and the humble bumble bee is making the most of the abundance of pollen so you don't have to.

Rocky Smile

I've called today's post Rocky Smile because of the first picture which is of the face of Malham Cove.  If its a rock face then it can have a smile and that is what I have tried to show in that photo.

The second picture is of the steps leading from the cove to the limestone terrace above.  It is part of the Pennine Way long distance path.  I had walked this path once before, in December 2012, when there was snow and ice on the ground making the path and the limestone at the top quite treacherous.

The next two images are landscape views, the first from the top of the cove and the second back down at the riverside.  My favourite image is the final one, I like the little grassy mounds in the foreground and the distant barn framed by the trees in the centre.  I also like the sky which was starting to brighten up after a storm had been threatening to develop but fortunately didn't materialise.