#SilentSunday

#JoinIn

Walking up to the refuges under Toubkal, in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco. Always *always* better in winter.

#MountainMonday

#Mountains

#Morocco

Warning, mentions of war and casualties

On our way to Passchendaele - not because we're enamoured of war (although my wife used to teach about it), but because in these deeply stupid, sabre-rattling times, it's vitally important not to forget.

The photo below is of our last trip, when we stopped at Ablain-St-Nazaire, a little further south. This is the memorial, a huge circle of upright plaques on which are inscribed the names of over half a million people (almost all men) who died because some inbred idiots in power wouldn't back down.

If, like me, you're a British bloke, the names of all your friends will be represented here (adjusting for the lack of diversity in the early 20th century). All of them, some multiple times.

It was a very clear, sunny day in January when we were there, looking across the plains at the rich farmland and smart villages. What fresh Hells are we currently constructing?

Sorry to disturb your cornflakes.

Cape gooseberry.

This one, or direct self-seeded descendants, has been going for the last 15-20 years and has thrived on complete inattention - it may be the world's most indestructible plant.

Have had fruit off it pretty much every day for the last six months, and it's prepping for another flush.

Last autumn, we went off in the van for a bit and as it was in a pot, expected it to be long gone by the time we came home - but we returned to find it twice the size, having broken through the base and into the soil. About to repeat the trip, and I'd bet the house it'll be there to greet us when we get back.

A brilliant plant, excellent fruit, no gardening skills required.

#Garden

#Gardening

#JoinIn

Hoping that the next year (and beyond) finds you as comfortable in both your own skin and your surroundings as was this absolute Titan.

(LilyBok, the house-dwelling, van-travelling, cat-tormenting, escape artist of the poultry world. We miss her every day.)

#Chickens #Pets #NYE #NewYearsEve #JoinIn

Boxing Day tradition in this household: Cold War Steve's annual offering. 1000 pieces of festive joy.

#SilentSunday #Butterfly #Gardening #JoinIn

(S)hit and Run.

#Gardening
#JoinIn

When we first announced to the family that we were moving to Cornwall, many years ago, my late father in law retorted, "Why do you want to move there? It's a shithole!"

Well, quite.

Of course, it was partly his desire to keep us closer to home (we'd moved back briefly for family reasons which had resolved themselves). But he genuinely couldn't see why we wouldn't want to live in a post-industrial town in the north.

And we, wanting *this* (if you zoom in bottom left, that's spouse and dog swimming in the sea, in March) couldn't understand why he'd want to stay in a place which put the grim into 'It's grim up north'.

Our kids, of course, are wanting to fly the nest (whilst still being happy to live here in the holidays and life transitions) and look at the places we escaped from.

My main point is this: ooh, look at the lovely photo as a distraction from the world; but also, your perfectly logical reasoning and impeccable lifestyle are not somebody else's dream. They make choices which are different and do you know what? They're ok with them. My father in law was much happier with his golf club and local boozer than he ever would have been living over a hundred miles from the nearest IKEA, and our kids want to be where something is happening, all the time. And they're horrified that we're seriously planning to move to the Outer Hebrides.

Like, "Why do you want to move there? It's a shithole!" horrified (even if not in those exact words). Genes will out.

Anyway, photo for general ambience and a reminder that the imbeciles won't be around for ever.

#Beach #Landscape #Sea #Cornwall #JoinIn

More distractions from world events.

Scrambling the north-north-east ridge of Sgurr Ghiubhsachain (even harder to say than to spell) in the Scottish highlands.

For JK Rowling fans, the sea is under the cloud inversion for you to get back into (and also there's the Glenfinnan viaduct, with the train and the flying car and all the wonder before it got destroyed forever).

We'd spent the previous night camping lower on the ridge, and had to woken to this glorious inversion just below the tents. Cracking couple of days.

#Mountains #Climbing #Scrambling #Scotland #JoinIn #Landscape

#FensterFreitag

#FootpathFriday
#DogsOfMastodon
#Sunrise
#JoinIn

Those of a sensitive nature, scroll on. Optimists may be rewarded for persevering.

Red, star of such posts as 'Would You Like To Talk To Me About Dinosaurs' and 'Chicken SWAT Team Available For Hire' - not to mention Tormentor Of The Cat - was attacked by a fox earlier this evening, in the back garden and in broad daylight.

If it hadn't been for Lily's yelling - a skill honed after every sodding time she's laid an egg, like it was a miracle of nature* - I wouldn't have gone running out to find the fox pinning Red to the ground, amongst a mountain of feathers. I assumed she was a goner, but ran back inside with her, to where the other chickens had fled and were tucking into some chicken-flavoured dog food, to find her still breathing.

Anyway, she's eaten her own bodyweight in sweetcorn, is about to get a bunch of useful drugs and they've all taken up residence in the kitchen. Apart from a bald arse she's essentially bloody but unbowed.

Whether the fox survived the ordeal is anybody's guess. Thoughts and prayers.

(*: It kind of is)

Red is on my left knee in the picture, but you knew that already.

#chickens #gardening #NotAllHeroesWearCapes
#JoinIn

Usual daily dog walk by the sea, transformed by the unaccustomed sunshine. Blooming is happening, and the blackthorn and gorse flowers are being boosted by colour at ground level.

I'm fortunate in that I have huge confidence in naming plants - which is how I know that this specimen is called Pointdexterus Nerdii, or Common Lesser Mother's Shame. But I'm open to differing opinions, if you have any suggestions?

#BloomScrolling
#Gardening
#Nature

A somewhat unusual view of Benidorm, Costa Blanca, taken from the forat (cave tunnel) under the Bernia ridge. We were bivying there ready for an early start on the ridge the next day, and even in late March, the heat of the day was lingering and really amplifying the scents of the spring flowers and rosemary (and the small ruminants which often overnight here as well...). This was a contrast to the previous time we'd been here one February, when the temperature was -5C and we were shivering in down sleeping bags.

Benidorm is the coastal strip running horizontally. On a night like this, even the high rise ghetto full of British drunks (we're extremely sorry for sending them over) looks quite lovely.

#climbing #camping #WildCamping #photography #landscape #SomeRiskInvolved

#MountainMonday

The magnificent Bernia Ridge, Costa Blanca, Spain.

#FootpathFriday

Happy First Hump Day of the year! Two days till the weekend.

(This, I found at the beach. No idea who made it, but I like that they did; slightly less so that they threw it in the sea afterwards. It lives in my house now.)

#beach #JoinIn #beachcombing #making #HumpDay #Wednesday

Windy but dry, you say? I'll get the axe.

A joy to be out today, although I'm running out of places to stack firewood. One of the perks of being a landscape gardener.

We shall not freeze.

#gardening #firewood #chickens