A Fresh Country Smell

On our way down a lane yesterday we had to make way while some farm machinery passed us. A tractor pulling a tanker full of farmyard slurry. This was heading to the field next to the lane. Fortunately the driver started this run well across the field as it is not the best farming activity to get caught up in with a cross wind:





Apparently, in spite of the goodness knows how many gallons of slurry it contained, there was only enough for one run across the field and we once again had to make way for it to pass us.



The first time we couldn't tell what it contained but we definitely got a good whiff of its contents the second time. What my mother used to call a fresh country smell. At least it is making good use of a waste product to fertilise the field ready for the next crop.

Summer Seems to Have Arrived at Last

On the whole temperatures have been very decent so far this month with at least one forecast saying the hot spell should last all month. That is not to say every day is glorious. Over the weekend it was hot but here yesterday thick cloud obscured the Sun until about 6 p.m. so the temperature took a dive, only just reaching 16C



Looks as though things are recovering today.

At the start of this hot spell there were some lovely cloud formations over the Lincolnshire Wolds as can be seen in these two panoramas each made with two stitched photos:





While were walking down that lane a helicopter came overhead much lower than they usually do over a built up area. It was the first time, after many attempts over the months, that I managed to get the Nikon to focus on something in the sky. I don't find it easy to use the LCD screen to frame things looking upwards - give me a traditional viewfinder any time.



It then moved on to fly low along the edge of the old airfiled before moving on across open countryside:



I wondered what it was looking for and on reading the local rag all was made clear. The company responsible for overhead power lines was conducting a survey to check on their condition. As many cross fields that is the quickest way to cover the many thousands of miles of power lines in the county. That was one mystery solved.

Macro on Monday - Guess What

I did wonder whether anyone would manage to work out last weeks' puzzle photo. As it happens three managed OK. Congratulations and a virtual gold star to Adrian, Frank and ImaBurdie for working out it was part of a hammock - my dream hammock.








On to yet another way I have found to make life difficult for you to work out what I have photographed. This time I found a simple free program (Photoscramble) which makes sliding puzzles from any photo. This is a screen clip of one such scrambled photo.

Guess What:




















Clue: Waiting for all the flutters to visit.

Answers in the comments will be revealed along with the answer next Monday.

No prizes - just for fun.

First Dragon of the Season

While walking down the lane yesterday I finally got to see the first dragonfly of the season, a Common Hawker which did at least land a couple of times. The first time Penny managed to scare it away but on the second I managed a few shots though lighting conditions didn't help in showing the wing structure.



I am always fascinated by the geometrical regularity and beauty of natures' structures as on this Bull Thistle found at the edge of the cricket field.



Minnie the Minx Windmill is based on the Beano comic character though to be true she should have red and not yellow on her jumper.



I can't work out whether she is commercially made or home made but given a bit of breeze she does work hard and while she's doing that she can't get up to any mischief.

Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.

Friday at the Flicks - A Couple of Twirly Things

And now, as they say, for something completely different.

There really has been a dearth of butterflies hereabouts this year. Even with the recent spell of good weather I have seen a total of four in as many days. The only one I managed to video was this solar powered one in the local churchyard:




Some years ago a friend gave me a Minnie the Minx Windmill in case I should find a use for it as a garden ornament. Well, I finally plucked it from the Round Tuit pile and here it is in all its glory:



Reminds me of one of those pointless prison punishments favoured at one time to keep prisoners occupied.

Village Sign - RAF Manby

About a quarter of a mile from me is the corner of what used to be RAF Manby. The airfield was built in the 1930s and was the first airfield in Lincolnshire to have paved runways. Lincolnshire became know as Bomber County as there were so many airfields constructed and used during WWII. The county being next to the North Sea and having plenty of flat agricultural land it was the ideal location to station many bomber squadrons. As far as I can tell there were over 40 airfields in the county.

RAF Manby was somewhat different as, amongst other things, it housed the Air Armament School for training Armament Officers, Air Gunners and Air Bombers. Later it housed the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School.

The airfield continued to be used for many years after the war but by the time I moved here in the early 1970s only the local RAF housing and the Sergeants' Mess were still in use though they were soon sold off. I miss the Sergeants' Mess - good company, cheap ale and two excellent billiard tables. Staff, though living in the officers and married quarters here, worked on the Lightning squadron based at RAF Binbrook.

Where there were bunkers there are now small housing estates. Many of the old buildings were taken over by small business enterprises. East Lindsey District Council established their headquarters in one of the old RAF buildings. The air field was partly returned to agricultural use.

Some years ago, to remember the existence of RAF Manby, a village sign was made to stand at the crossroads:

Unfortunately this was vandalised and one of the wings was broken off but after many months of work a magnificent new painted replacement was erected recently:

As the sky was so grey yesterday when I took this photo I made my first attempt at adding a different sky in Photoshop Elements.

My information was gleaned from Bomber County Aviation Resource where a full history can be found.

Macro on Monday - Guess What

Results for last week's What's Wrong?. Congratulations and virtual gold stars to Keith, Jan, TexWisGirl and ImaBurdie for spotting that the lopsided spider had a leg missing.



 


Maybe harder this week will be this photo of a small part of an object I  re-erected yesterday now some decent weather has finally arrived:

Guess What:


Clue: dreaming in the breeze.

Answers in the comments will be revealed along with the answer next Monday.

No prizes - just for fun.