Collander Eclipse Astronomy

 With eclipse glasses going for about a grand on the black market, I was never going to be able to get hold of a pair, so it soon became apparent I would have to try and see this partial solar eclipse by other means. 

Being far too dyspraxic to construct something like a pinhole projector, I went with the most low tech option of all - the humble kitchen collander and a piece of paper. 

Off I went to my chosen venue - the parched brown grass of the slope by the castle. I thought it would be kind of fun to project the sun onto the castle walls with my revolutionary optical device. 

This I did, creating little crescent suns on the brick wall at the base of the castle, and showing a couple of passing people - there was a little crowd of folk there, most of whom  were trying to ruin their eyesight by using sunglasses, or looking through their fingers. 

No wonder a lot of people reported by underwhelmed by the experience. And to be fair, I get it. Although we did get quite a pretty light for a few minutes, 10% of the sun is still a heck of a lot of light, and you need full totality to have a truly magical experience. 

But as a collective piece of citizen science, it was still fun! 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 14.08.26 

Winter Skies

 I've seen some incredible sunrises this week, the vaults painted stunning reds and oranges but of course I've been riding to work at the time so I wasn't able to get any photographs. 

However I did manage to get some sunset photos of golden skies, as I seem to spam my Instagram with every winter. I nip outside during the golden hour as the seagulls fly to their roosts in raggedy echelons overhead, and the campus kestrel gives up its struggle against Arwen or Barra, and perches atop a lamp-post. 

I'm writing this on a Saturday. Recently Saturdays have become my do nothing days, days where I don't have to exercise and can eat treats like Port Salou cheese. 

It's worked out well really, because the last three Saturdays have had terrible weather!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.12.21

Powering Through with a Pictorial

 Hello

I managed to get out three times  over the weekend, and feel all the better for it although my Christmas sized stomach disagrees with me somewhat in this regard. 

These are such awful times, I'm glad to be able to spend time outside, albeit alone as I have spent the last ten months. I wear a snoody neck tube type thing I pull up over my face whenever I pass anyone on the path; I try and give myself ten feet of space between myself and anyone else when out and about, and alone in my office I try and avoid the other few thousand employees as much as I can by not leaving it.

I hope you are all staying as safe as you can! Enjoy these pictures of emergence, of subtle colour rather than harsh saturation, and of ice in the river reflecting the sun in a hopeless struggle to avoid destruction.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 12.01.20

The Last Walk of 2020

 You are having a post about my walk yesterday, as I got too caught up in NYE stuff to write it on time, and today I've done not a sausage other than lol about on the sofa.

I've not been to the cricket club in a while, and found that once again it has mutated into a golf course since the season ended. As I half expected to find it underwater again however, this was a relief. The grass underneath my feet was delightfully crispy and crunchy due to the frost, and eerie mist gathered at one end of the ground, rising off the drainage ditch. 

The river is part frozen, and the swans were finding it hard to make much headway. More aconite is in flower. Sp pretty, so evanescent.

So that is that wretched year over; I honestly doubt the first few months of 2021 will be much better.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.01.21

Photos from a Two Hour Walk

 I've been off the exercise bike for a couple of days, as I seem to have done a mischief to my right achilles, but yesterday I was still able to get in a two hour walk.

It wasn't supposed to be, I had just wanted to take my sore ankle to the park for a couple of tea then go shopping. But as the Ibuprofen kicked in, I felt able enough to turn right before the supermarket, and head to the cemetery and the two lakes to take photos in another golden sunset. 

The squirrels are busy; the cemetery and the church grounds are always the best place to see them so I'm guessing they must be religious little mammals. That and all the trees and the goodies they provide. 

It had been raining, but as I walked along the path, the sun broke through as it began to begin its evening kiss of the horizon, and light everything up in gold beneath the grey clouds. 

Plenty of other folk were out walking, enjoying the views. Again, the illusion of normality. 

There was even a rainbow.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.12.20

Right where I was Expecting them

 A longer walk today, out round the two lakes, and I'm happy to report that after the fallow autumn months, new life is returning to the leaf covered ground.

Walking through the cemetery as sunset approached, I thought I'd have a cheeky little look for an early snowdrop, the ground being so full of emerging shoots in the past couple of weeks. And lo and behold, right where they were last year, and out on about the same date, a couple of dinky little snowdrops were in bloom.

New flowers are back, and slowly but surely, fresh colour will return to this blog!

On the water, I kept my eye out for goosander, to see if their early arrival last year would be repeated this year, and sure enough they were, a handsome drake with his duck mate. No others yet, but I'm sure more will arrive; I think we had 12 at one point last winter. 

Lots of geese were on the water, but I couldn't spot the pinkie, or indeed the glorious mandarin drake. 

It's been a very cold day, and I'm anticipating a freezing ride to work in the morning. But the colours this evening have been beautiful; I'll take that.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.12.20

Deeper into Sunset

 I thought I would try and take some photographs a little deeper into sunset, to try and get some of the deeper colours rather than the retina blasting golds produced by the sun before it sets.

I try and escape the office when I can at sunset for 5 minutes to try and get fresh air and escape any other people who might be around. I was ok when I first returned to work in July, when infection rates here were low and we went 84 days without a single covid death. However, as well all know it is a very different ball game and I'm at work at a time that is very similar to the April peak and being around anyone for more than 5 minutes is stressful. 

I so disagree with the lifting of restrictions for Christmas; as if the virus is going to have a holiday too. I'm quite prepared to do Christmas alone if it is the safest thing to do, as we wait for vaccinations to begin. It's only a day in the calendar after all. I believe we can and should wait for better times. 

At least I wouldn't overeat everything in the house.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 26.11.20

The Golden World

 I've had a run in my new running shoes and leggings tonight, but there was nothing to see.

Not like when I went for a walk late this afternoon, as the sun set and turned the world firey gold and the river to reflective lava. 

I was listening to IPL cricket on the radio, to avoid the toxifying news. This was absolutely the right thing to do.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.11.20

Low Sun Glows

 I've not had a massively exciting weekend, with just some gentle walks and runs, and my bicycle having its chain shortened by my stepfather, who has done a bloody good job as usual. 

Today, we narrowly avoided being shunted into Tier 3 restrictions, unlike a large chunk of Nottingham and its suburbs where student outbreaks have now spread into the general population, causing much resentment by the locals against students who apart from a few idiots have found themselves hated for no reason because of University mismanagement. 

I remember the hatred against students when I was one, and it hasn't gone away. 

Today, I bring you pictures of the sunset I walked through after I collected my bike. There was some lovely light around the castle, gold and purple reflections in the river as I looked down from a lofty vantage point in the Castle gardens as the pigeons circled overhead. 

I've been pottering about in the garden tonight; every so often a bird of some sort flies over head, lit of a ghostly pale yellow in the streetlights. I always wonder what they are. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 26.10.20