Boudoir

The pen of the pair of mute swans (Cygnus olor) which had its nest swept away in the flood - again.

Hard to walk past without taking a few snaps.

Small things

Nikon DS5000 + 50mm Nikkor AIS @f16 + 42mm extension tube. ISO200

Fleurs-de-Lis

A reminder of sun this summer.

Despite the French and heraldic name referring to lilies, these are irises. Of course.

A passage to Chatham

Morning Star - May 2012 - Images by Rob Bowker

TS Morning Star of Revelation is a concrete hulled 62ft gaff ketch. Saturday 0800 UTC 26.05.2012 to Sunday 1300 UTC 27.05.2012. Return leg of an abandoned cruise due to engine failure and following a newly fitted Perkins engine. From Wolphaartsdijk marina, Veerse Meer, Holland to Chatham, Kent

Morning Star website

TS Morning Star of Revelation

Panorama of TS Morning Star of Revelation - saloon supplied by Panoramic Earth

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be invited to form part of a volunteer crew to bring Morning Star back across the North Sea from Holland after an emergency engine refit. I was mocked as we waited for the minibus to take us to Dover for the ferry and the drive to the marina in Holland. A tripod? On a boat? Why?

For more information about The Morning Star Trust, visit their website.

Abingdon Spring Head

Abingdon Spring Head 2012-Div01 - Images by Rob Bowker

I just worked out (assuming I get my decimal points in the right place) that yesterday I spent 8 hours on the banks of the Thames to produce less than 3 seconds work. That's 1576 photos at roughly 1/500 second each. This got whittled down to 852 photos, so the fruits of my labour amount to under a couple of second's worth of action. Then there's the next 8 hours editing, uploading and marketing...

Just goes to show how your mind wanders between divisions. Mental maths doesn't keep you warm, but it takes your mind off the biting North wind.

Speaking of which, Divisions 2, 3 and 4 will be live online before noon today.

Results on Abingdon RC's website

PS: 10% of all profits from the sale of these images goes to Wallingford RC's Weights Shed Appeal.

Wheat field with path

Panorama of Wheat field, Newnham Farm supplied by Panoramic Earth

Footpath between Mongewell and Newnham Murren passing through wheat growing at Newnham Farm, Wallingford. The yellowing is die-back.