If I didn't know better I would have thought I was tuned into an Archers ambient backing track.

It is hard to believe that we are only just at the end of February as the last few days have averaged a temperature of about 16 degrees C and the sunshine and blue skies have been a real treat. We are, of course, heading for another drought and the hose bans will soon be announced for sure. This is a shame as I have just treated myself to a new hose and I would love to be able to christen it at least once before the hose ban. In truth I had to buy a new one as I did that damn stupid thing of not putting the hose away for the winter, something that I have successfully achieved with this particular hose for well over a decade. Alas this years mistake meant that the thing split right through in at least 3 places and the remaining hose spurted out water in fine lines much like the little Brussels statue and fountain Manneken Pis. In short the hose was useless and it had to go. With temperatures dropping as low as -13 degrees only a few weeks ago it seems all the more bizarre that we are in positively balmy weather now.

So Alison and I were out in the garden and started on the new 'Cottage garden' on the outside wall of our garden (as mentioned in the last blog). I have to say it was really pleasant planting up the garden in the warm sunshine whilst the birds were singing all around and the sheep were bleating. If I didn't know better I would have thought I was tuned into an Archers ambient backing track. My last village in Sussex had its moments of bliss like this with the addition of a romantically placed steam train whistle from the Bluebell railway as a punctuation mark to the whole scene. However the Boeing 747 heading for Gatwick quickly and inevitably brought the 21st Century crashing back into our lives smashing the image of rural life to pieces. Life in Norfolk is so very much slower, sedate and relaxed. It is true that we get the odd Jet fighter play high above our heads and sometimes I think they are using our chimneys as a slalom course but this is not constant and when it does happen I'm out there loving it.

These beautifully clear skies have given us some fantastic sunsets recently, several of which I have photographed and put at the end of my last few blogs. I tend to look out for good possible sunset positions and since last year I have been waiting for the sun to drop in a very specific spot at Cley. I did not know when it would happen only that it WOULD happen because I saw the sun was north of the spot in the summer and way south of the spot in the depth of winter. Therefore, I concluded, there would be a time when, just like the 3 bears, it would be just right! I wanted to catch the sun setting just behind Cley Windmill in a position that would allow me to capture it with the tower of Blakeney Church right behind it. The only problem is that this is England and the chances of the cloud being conducive to supplying a sunset in the midst of winter for the couple of days that the sun would be in the correct position were low indeed.

A few days back I felt it in my bones that the day was right, the time had come but the day was slightly too clear of cloud and this would provide nothing worth photographing. However I set off to Cley (about 10 miles north) on the chance that it might be the right day for that 'shot' and I was rewarded with an excellent sunset that ticked all the boxes. It lasted for nearly an hour through it's different phases, and at times the colours were intense especially with the telephoto lens just capturing the heart of the sunset. The fire red sky behind the church was stunning and I admit to taking over 300 photos in that short hour! There was only one other person there and he made the mistake of giving up when the sun dropped out of view. You see many people don't realise that this is often when the sunset develops into the best show of all as the sun is now low enough to illuminate the lower clouds at an angle meaning that the sunlight is struggling through the Earth's atmosphere acting as a giant filter. It was at this point that the intensity became full on and the sky behind the church looked as though it was on fire. The next day also looked promising and so I took Alison with me and once again we were treated to a stunning show of colours with the light behind the church this time being a rich Golden colour, turning to sepia then red then pink then purple as it faded into night. Every tree, every branch, every twig and every bird in the sky was emphasized by this rich incandescent backdrop of gold. All the time in the marshes all around the Curlews and Pheasants and Moorhens called and croaked and the sky opposite the sunset was soaked with a cool gentle subtle tincture of pink, as the blushing naked night revealed herself.......

I am not, in general, a spiritual man but I once again felt at one with the universe in the same way that I do when looking up at a particularly heavy Milkyway view of our Galaxy. The soul is eased a little.

Well now my friends you have to see a few chosen photos from the 'collection' and I fully expect some Ooo's and Ahhhhh's and perhaps some doubtful "He's photo-shopped that!". Which, for the record, I haven't. I have made these smaller for the blog because most of the originals are the size of a poster and would take too long to down load. Click on the pictures to enlarge, Enjoy...

AND FINALLY................


I suffered a birthday yesterday and my daughter, Claire, kindly made me my favourite cake (a date cake). Now Claire doesn't just bake, no she BAKES and we are regularly treated to delights from her sessions in the kitchen. This year she has challenged herself to make a different bake every week of the year which she is recording on her Blog "Pasture times".
Noting my recent penchant for sunset photos Claire honoured me by replicating a photo I took by painting it in food colouring on to a disc of icing on top of my birthday cake. She thinks she is no good at painting, well I beg to differ....

Thanks Claire xx

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