Amelia's photos

Today's Sunday Challenge: How Are You Coping With The Lock Down/Stay At Home Order. We live in a village, and every day since the lockdown we have managed to go out for walks in the countryside. The beauty of nature has, as always, been my salvation, and I have made a collection of photos under the album title 'Walking with nature'. I have also kept sane doing gardening and reading. The garden was supposed to open under the National garden Scheme, but that won't happen this year now. WALKING WITH NATURE

We had been to this area the day before, and found lots of wild orchids, but the light was harsh, so I returned mainly to take more photos of orchids, and found this as a bonus for the Saturday Self Challenge.

HFF to you all.

Flitting around our garden pond along with blue damselflies.

Even with two hearing aids in I find it difficult to hear birdsong unless the surrounding area is totally silent, and even if I do hear it, I cannot determine the direction from whence it comes. Step in Adrian. Yesterday at the beginning of our canal walk he pointed out this little brown bird (an unidentified LBB) singing his heart out n the opposite side of the canal. I took several photos of it, and one of them worked quite well. When we returned to the same place two hours later he was still there and still making heavenly music. It wasn't until I downloaded the photo that I could identify the songster. A Willow Warbler Calling

Johann Sebastian Bach - Sheep May Safely Graze

Yellow-rattle is an annual that thrives in grasslands, living a semi-parasitic life by feeding off the nutrients in the roots of nearby grasses. For this reason, it was once seen as an indicator of poor grassland by farmers, but is now often used to turn improved grassland back to meadow - by feeding off the vigorous grasses, it eventually allows more delicate, traditional species to push their way through.

Today's challenge is: Serenity . Green is a very restful colour. This view is within easy walking distance from our home. The small building nestling in the trees is the former Ruyton-of-the-XI-Towns Independent [then United Reformed Church] Chapel. It was erected in 1832-3 by local builder Nathanael Edwards of Ruyton on a site bought for £5, and cost £500 to build. The chapel opened on Good Friday 5th April 1833. www.users.waitrose.com/~coxfamily/ruytnind.htm

Today's Sunday Challenge: Use a mirror, any way you like. This is an afterthought, taken very quickly yesterday. I thought I had my preferred photo ready, but I read the rule and it clearly stated 'Use a mirror' and not 'use mirrors'.

This week's Saturday Challenge is: An album cover. The Carpenters - Top Of The World - 1973