Sunset

Colourful Sunset to start February.



Liked the way it was reflected on a window next door.

Outdoor Weather

Quite a decent day yesterday, for the time of year. The lawn dried out sufficiently for me to give it a first trim of the year before the grass got too long. Spring bulbs are showing and my favourite are some double flowered miniature daffodils I planted last Autumn.



To end the day a colourful Sunset:



Next I will have to think about trimming back some Ivy along the side of the garden.

The End of the Road

On our after tea walk we went right to the end of the lane. A couple of shots looking in an easterly direction towards the coast. More clouds to bring another batch of snow showers. They arrive about an hour later





and a view looking back towards the setting Sun.



This time I used the vivid HDR setting on the Canon G5X. Daytime temperatures are struggling to pass 2C and don't look as though they will improve much before Sunday. Looking at my solar radiation monitor recording at least we are having our strongest Sunlight so far this year though it soon goes down when the dark clouds pass over.

Single Photo v 3 Shot HDR

As the setting Sun was about to disappear behind a roof top yesterday I could clearly see the Sun without being dazzled. At first I used the Canon G5X normal CR3 single shot of the scene: (processed to jpg in Affinity Photo without any adjustments)



The shape of the Sun can just be seen but the strong Sunlight closed down the lens aperture leaving most of the scene dark and dull. Next I switched to the HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting where three pictures are taken in rapid succession and parts of each are used to make a composite photo. One photo is exposed as the above one. Another is slightly over exposed to bring out the darker areas. The final one being slightly under exposed to reduce the glare from the brightest sections of the scene. All this is done in the camera taking about five seconds. The final result being: (exactly as produced by the camera)



A much more realistic lighting effect. Normally I wouldn't point a camera at the Sun without a solar filter but this time the light from it was much weaker as it was low in the sky and shining through thin cloud.

Sunset

Another lovely, though very short lived, Sunset this evening:

Of Incontinence and a Sunset

Can't remember whether I mentioned this before now. Last February (how time flies) I took Penny to the vets as she was becoming incontinent. A urine sample showed she had no infection and the vet said it was a common problem with bitches as they age. Recently she has been getting worse. I have had to change and wash her bedding every morning and evening. Also her skin has been getting very sensitive, ticklish, itchy. On Thursday I phoned the vets and was lucky to get an appointment for Friday (yesterday) as they are reserved for urgent cases. We drove over in the afternoon. Owners are not allowed inside the surgery these days so I had to phone to let them know we were there and wait for a vet to come out and collect her. She had  a blood test - waiting for the results which are due by Monday.. Penny had the honour of being the first animal to have her blood tested by a spanking new machine they have installed. She also has some tablets to stop the itching. Even the first one had a miraculous effect and Penny got her first really restful night for some time. Apart from that Penny has a healthy appetite and is enjoying her walks as always.

On the weather front we had heavy rain twice yesterday. When? While I drove there and again on the way back.Not that it wasn't raining the rest of the day, just not as heavy. Great swathes of water on the roads and lots streaming off the adjacent fields. Today has been dry, so far, with some Sunshine. I just caught a glimpse of the Sunset a short while ago.



I noticed some ice had formed in the water pools on the old pond waterfall. Sign of things to come?

Another Sunset

Yesterday we went out early enough in the evening to catch the Sunset over the fields. As usual I took lots of photos. These are about the best of the bunch. I tried a few different setting on the Canon G5X. First a normal single shot:



I didn't realise I had chosen the HDR setting for the next one so it was surprisingly good considering the camera was hand held while it took the three shots which are mixed to make the final HDR photo.



Both photos are cropped to remove some of the less interesting foreground.

Turneresque Sunset

J. M. W. Turner is one of my favourite painters. He recorded many magnificient Sunsets in the 1800s. When we went walkabout yesterday evening the bold reds and oranges of the Sunset brought Turner's works to mind. Looking back to the West as we set off:



About half way down the lane I looked back again:



I was annoyed as I had forgotten to take a camera with me so I had to use the iPhone 6S and the Camera+2 app. Photos are cropped slightly to reduce the amount of dark foreground and the overhead telephone cables were 'inpainted' out using Affinity Photo.

Autumn

A great time for some beautiful Sunsets:



and a time for misty mornings:
Just about able to make out my new wooden planters in the front garden:


The Sun trying to dispel the mist:



and with the temperature rapidly dropping to 1.4C giving an expected frost:

Sunset

With the clocks changing last Sunday we were just in time to catch a short lived Sunset on the way back from our after tea walk.

Garden Dragon

As we went out for our morning walk a dragonfly landed nearby.
I only had one chance to take a photo as it soon flew away.



Pretty sure it is a Common Darter.

Last night was the first time there was a decent Sunset for ages.



Too good to miss.

Sunset

After a lovely meal based around British lamb rump steaks there was a terrific Sunset to finish off the remaining daylight.









Camera set to Sunrise / Sunset setting otherwise all as taken with no tinkering.

Sunset

Sunset

First decent colourful Sunset I've seen for ages.

Sunbeams and Sunset

Sunbeams across the sky while the Sun is hidden by dark clouds



Short lived colourful Sunset to end the day

Seeing Red ....

.... with a bit of orange thrown in.

Starting the day


Whilst planting some Ice Cream Tulip bulbs
a 7 spot ladybird


In the garden

Chinese Lantern plant


Weeping Cotoneaster


Out and about

Berberis


Acer


Sweet William


Remembrance


Objects


To end the day

A Colourful Day

It started when I noticed a few of my Dwarf Iris plants:



For our mid morning walk-about we cut trough the back of the churchyard.
As expected the Snowdrops were out under the trees:



and around the tombstones:



The main crop of Winter Aconite was putting on a good show:





The day ended with a glorious Sunset:

Sunset

This evening was one of those rarer occasions when there was very little cloud in the West while the Sun was setting so all the gorgeous colour was on the cloud formations towards the East:



As for the dire warning of snow for us yesterday. It was almost a case of what snow, here anyway. Some very fine snow with an hour of the fluffy stuff which started to settle and then vanished. Mainly sleet and rain.

Sunset with Moon

Shine On Harvest Moon
The Ink Spots
Written by Jack Norworth and Nora Bayes

Shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June, or July
Snow time ain't no time to sit outdoors and spoon
Shine on, shine on harvest moon for me 'n' my gal

Day Ending

Seems ages since we last had a decent Sunset: