Same Walk, Different Pics
Posted: October 26, 2018 Filed under: History, Landscape, Nature, photography, Uncategorized | Tags: History, leaves, nature, photography, sunshine, trees Leave a commentThis is the first lady angler that I’ve seen at the lake! Fortunately she very kindly said she didn’t mind me taking her photo. The sun was streaming across the lake behind her – back-lighting and high-lighting herself and the trees either side of her. Perfect!
This single leaf also posed perfectly for me ….
It was a really dazzling sun-shiney day with lots of high- lighty bits of nature to see … this could be titled a patchwork or an abstract I thought.
There is this huge Weeping Willow tree along the path leading to the lake and it looked magnificent on this bright, sunny day ….although the figure and dogs are the focal point of the pic.
I did some searching on line yesterday to see what I could find out about the Ifield Mill Pond and Bewbush Water Gardens and boy – what an interesting history – much too much to tell here … so, just briefly :
A park was recorded here as early as 1295. The manor of Bewbush seems to have passed down, linked with St Leonards Forest by inheritance to various Earls and Dukes, etc over the centuries, becoming known as the manor of Holmbush/ the Holmbush Estate from 1787 and being sold on to ‘humbler’ folk titled ‘Lord of Bewbush’ and eventually MPs and the like.
Lots of improvements had been done by a Thomas Broadwood after 1824 and he planted and landscaped much of the estate. Whether it was him or later owners who planted my Bald Cypresses there I don’t know, but maybe there’s a way of finding out? My source [A History of the County of Sussex] says he created a large Lake and several smaller ones – so I guess that must be more or less where we can walk now, since Crawley Borough Council bought the whole area , now known as the neighbourhood of Bewbush, in order to expand the housing requirements for all us ordinary folk. And grateful I am too!!
More of the Same, but Different
Posted: October 25, 2018 Filed under: Nature, photography, Trees | Tags: bald cypress, colourful, cones, foliage, images, nature, photography, seeds, trees Leave a commentI don’t think I’ve ever come across such an interesting tree before!
As it appears to be native to swampy areas of N.America, I wonder how it came to be here in Sussex at the Ifield Mill Pond and Bewbush Water Gardens? I wonder if, like the Tilgate Lake and Park, the place was originally part of a private estate? That would account for the trees being introduced here as a specimen no doubt…. I will have to do a spot of historical research I think. It’s brilliant that I can look stuff up on the internet!!
I took pics of other things that caught my eye at the Pond too so I will make that my follow on post. au revoir, Eileen
Bald Cypress [Taxodium distichum]
Posted: October 20, 2018 Filed under: Nature, photography, Trees, Uncategorized | Tags: autumn, colourful, nature, photography, photos, trees 5 CommentsI’ve often wondered about this tree that I’ve passed every time I’ve walked around the local lake. I obviously haven’t caught it at its most spectacular up until now! When I got back home I took the time to search on line for its name but of course, it wasn’t showing up in any British tree lists, so I widened my search and it turned out to be a conifer.
What threw me was that I didn’t class it as a conifer because I’d mistakenly thought all conifers were evergreen and this tree clearly wasn’t. Anyway – the clue was in my pics because I saw what sort of looked like clusters of tiny cones and then some larger spherical green ones hidden among the bright colourful foliage that I hadn’t noticed when I was taking the pics.
It’s a very large tree and I wonder how old it is …. maybe I will see if anyone knows on my local FB group.
Oops – maybe next time I’ll take a pic of the complete tree!!
bye for now, Eileen
Catching Up(again)
Posted: October 12, 2018 Filed under: digital, Fine Art, Flowers, macro, Nature, photography, Uncategorized | Tags: creativity, Flowers, garden, macro, photography, photos 10 CommentsYet again I find myself having to catch up with my postings here as I’ve been somewhat distracted with other things. Fortunately [for me, not necessarily you] I haven’t neglected my photography because that is the thing that keeps me happy and sane , together with the good Lord’s gracious care of me….
So, this will be a miscellany of images – hope it doesn’t all seem too disjointed!
It was only after I peered at this flower through my macro lens that I saw this tiny caterpillar popping his head in and out! The flower is a small Jacob’s Ladder.
I enjoy photographing flowers more and more these days and often wish i could get to grips with using ‘Textures’ to enhance the backgrounds. Meanwhile I’m using the usual depth of field of my lenses to achieve, or try to, a softer background and sometimes the much sought after ‘Bokeh’. I haven’t a mathematical brain and age has brought with it less stamina and patience to make the required effort to achieve what I really want – but, c’est la vie ! It was much simpler when I used to paint – no tech involved!
This was shot against the light from the window in my living room – it’s south-facing and can get extremely bright. I like the bright dazzle of a high key picture though.
Another sparkly ….
I loved the soft yellow of this Chrysanthemum ….
Take care everyone, see you soon, Eileen