It’s been a while since I posted something buggy, so here’s a little leaf hopper hanging out on a blade of grass. I liked the way the background has the same two colours as the grass blade only the other way up.
Leaf hopper
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Tag Archives: photography
Celebrating Autumn
St. Aubin, Jersey
But then fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September. It stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.
― Stephen King, Salem’s Lot
Windsor, England
Clandon, Surrey
Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.
I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.
But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.
― Robert Frost
Windsor Great Park
Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn–that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness–that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.
― Jane Austen, Persuasion
That lighthouse again
At the risk of boring everyone, I thought I’d post some more pictures of La Corbiere, Jersey’s iconic lighthouse. Reached by a causeway at low tide (a claxon sounds to warn visitors foolish enough to ignore a rising tide), the lighthouse is attractively perched atop a granite outcrop, high above the Southwestern tip of Jersey’s coast.
It’s an attractive spot for watching sunset but, even if the sun does not put in an appearance, the view is stunning and the rocky foreshore provides plenty of nooks and crannies as foreground interest for the intrepid photographer.
One day I hope to be there in a storm to catch waves crashing over the lighthouse. In the meantime, however, here are some more shots taken at this lovely, windswept place.
La Rocco
Last post I showed some of the World War 2 fortifications on Jersey. Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, sits close to the French Coast but has for centuries been loyal to the English crown. It is not surprising then that the coast has plenty of other, older defences.
The North coast is craggy and rugged but the bays of the South, East and West coasts were very accessible to invaders. During the Napoleonic wars, a series of towers was built around the island.
General Conway, Governor of the Island, planned for thirty towers to protect the coast from the threat of French invasions. La Rocco on St. Ouen’s Beach was the twenty third to be built, in 1795-6.
It makes an attractive landmark, standing sentinel over the five miles of sand that make St. Ouen’s Bay.
What a wonderful setting for a spot of sunset kite surfing!
But you have to admit that as a silhouette it looks a little like a submarine.
More from Jersey next post.
Jersey’s Occupation Relics
Jersey’s history is written across the island, from a Neolithic passage grave (of which, more another day) to magnificent Medieval and Tudor castles. A more recent episode in Jersey’s history is also etched on the landscape; during World War 2, the Channel Islands were occupied by the German army.
This one’s now a holiday rental
The islands were occupied on 1st July 1940 and were liberated more than five years later, on 9th July 1945. During the occupation, extensive defences were built all over Jersey, even on top of the Tudor Elizabeth Castle.
An incongruous site
Numerous pillboxes, batteries and other defences were constructed, using slave labour from the defeated peoples of Europe. At La Hougue Bie, a moving display tells their story. The defences included three enormous observation towers.
Does this remind you of the cylons in original Battlestar Galactica, or is that just me?
Although, in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, the impulse of the islanders was to bury the signs of occupation, more recently this part of the island’s history is being explored and preserved. Some sites are open, manned by volunteers, on certain days and the Jersey War Tunnels museum is always open and offers an informative, moving yet balanced account of the war years.
Remains of WW2 beach defences
Most of the pillboxes and batteries remain derelict, however, stark reminders of this difficult and tragic time.
Creepily atmospheric in fog
Needless to say, they also provide an opportunity to try some moody, grainy photography, with the assistance of willing teenage son in black hoody.
Someone has been decorating
Some of the derelict structures have been used, although all signs of habitation seemed pretty old.
What does this mean?
Moodiness comes with the territory
More about Jersey tomorrow.
Serenity and space
If you have read my blog during the last few weeks, you will already know that I have fallen in love with Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. One of the things I enjoy most there is the feeling of space and the peacefulness that brings after the rush and bustle of crowded Surrey. That is what I wanted to convey in this shot.
I realise that of late this blog has tended towards the image-a-day style, which is not what I originally intended. I am going to try to get back to including longer, themed posts now that the nights are drawing in. Tomorrow, I will write more about my new favourite island.
Alone
“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”
-Mother Theresa
La Corbière, October
We’re back from another trip to Jersey. Here’s La Corbière in rather different conditions from my August sunset shots. I dragged my poor family down to the lighthouse every evening this week and the sky remained doggedly grey until yesterday when we were supposed to be going to the airport for our flight home. A small detour was begged and granted. I only had ten minutes, but made the most of them.
Tiny spiders on Autumn leaves
Autumn is spider time. The monster house spiders invade our homes and scare us arachnophobes silly. But in the garden, their smaller and far less intimidating brethren hang out on and even in Autumn leaves. The green orb spider didn’t stay long enough for me to get its legs in focus, but I like the shot anyway, for the colour.
This next one, sitting in a hole in a cherry leaf, is probably the smallest spider I have ever photographed.
The last shot is an old one but it fitted the post, so I thought I could get away with repeating it.
We are away on holiday at present so I am not doing a very good job of keeping in touch with everyone’s blogs. I will catch up on our return.
Little nymphs
Is this not a cute little thing? This is a psocid nymph, pottering about on a dogwood leaf. These are so small you hardly notice them, unless you spend a ridiculously long time staring at leaves, risking ridicule or at least benign amusement from your family.
This little nymph has a parasite in its belly, which I understand is very common for these little critters. But if you ignore the parasite, it tones quite prettily with its colourful Autumn environment. Perhaps that’s just me…
Focused Moments 
