Taking a rest

This last week has been a bit different with not being here for a few days so in a  way it feels rather like I'm playing catch up right now like with dealing with unopened mail and the like apart from getting the washing done.

One great thing about where I live is even in more built up centre there are undeveloped patches of land that are a haven for wildlife which may be things like birds and small mammals but as here actually you can get to see horses grazing  where the fields are let to individuals although this very field was the one in 2005 where one horse decided to steal my camera bag using his teeth that had my then Minolta camera with lenses and run off with them.

I had to get the owner to go in there and retrieve it all covered in horse spit and clean it!
I have  been walking both when I was away and also here where it's gotten a bit cooler from the start of last week but I think we'll be back to t shirts and shorts with fairly soon as while very hot weather isn't my thing, being able to drop off the layers and taking in some sun as well as fresh air is something I do really like.
The cherry blossoms and blue bells are still out here.

The blossoms are out!

Spring has finally sprung here at  with what Tammy's might be a warm mini season this weekend which will be welcomed  after last weekends damp squid so the layers can come off and the gingham dresses go on.

This entry is very much hot of the press as I went out this morning first thing with an idea in mind for this blog entry, put my shoes on and took a few pictures. One I liked was that of our cherry blossoms as I just love the shade of pink they have being a highlight of year when they emerge.

I'm fortunate this part of the North-west Midlands has lovely countryside even woods in walking distance I can just visit and just spent time just watching nature at its own more less hectic timescale.

Meadowlands

It's a bit late but in sometimes take longer than they really should and this was one of them.

One thing I like about my camera is I can easily control how much either side of the what I make my main subject is in sharp focus and here is a good example of what people call differential focusing.

I like the local Meadowland areas heaps, finding it a great place to relax and find 'inner space' which can help when you're needing to switch off a bit from the stresses and strains and I took this a few days before the Picnic.

I used my 135mm fixed length lens as I find it really separates out the subject at a wide aperture on the camera using Fuji's Superior 200 colour print film which was then scanned from the negatives to digital.

Wild flowers have always intrigued me so this cluster just caught my eye, taking full advantage of the close focusing properties of this lens to fill the frame

 I thought this corner to corner picture of wild meadowland came out rather well, bring out the peacefulness as insects go about their business.

Taken using Tamron 28-70 close focusing zoom  and again on Fuji Superia 200 film

To me, as much as we talk about the active, doing things, like the places we travel to, the things we undertake there are times when you need something that's more reflective, enabling you to think through the stock of experiences you'd had.

They may not be just those of the last few days or weeks even but from way back in time because those past events have helped shape us and do influence to a point how we see both ourselves and the things that are currently happening in our lives.

So time spent away from the immediate hear and now, albeit online activity or face to face in favour of time in a secluded pleasant place well away where we are able to let our mental guard down and just think at length free from interruptions is beneficial.

Standing, watching local meadowland is one thing I find that helps and it sums it up in that at first glance it doesn't look that busy but when you really get to focus in, you see a lot of small connected things happening.

I think learning to discern things, identifying patterns is very desirable in itself.
*Photo by me.