Wind Damage

It is not just my bike rides that are made less wonderful by the wind!

Yesterday as I walked through Bushy Park, I came across these camellias that had blown off the trees. They were just lying there in the grass along the path. (I have already been accused of staging this, but it really is just as I found it!)

In the pub last night I was chatting with one of the locals who owns a house on the park and he said that, though they are lovely, the park is not really suited to the camellias. The soil is not really right so the plants are stressed anyway, and then all the wind they get just blows the blossoms right off the plants.

A little further into the park there is a lovely little stream that runs from a lake off to a culvert that feeds the lower part of the woodland gardens stream. As I was passing, I noticed the reflections that the daffodils were throwing off the stream so I put together my tripod to catch this image.

I am happy with it, but this and the one I tried taking of the ducks (see the complete pictures of yesterday's trip at the link above) makes me realize how quickly one becomes jaded to one's equipment. My 300mm lens is no longer the kicking focal length I once thought it was. I cannot get so extremely close to the wildlife. I guess for Christmas I will be buying myself a longer lens.



On my way out of the woodland gardens, I noticed the interplay of the clouds with the lacy branches of the trees. I like cloudscapes.

All-in-all, it was a lovely day to visit the woodland gardens. But owning to the rains earlier in the day, I have come to appreciate the reason why it seems gum boots are a required fashion accessory here.

What caked mud didn't just fall off on my ride back to Thames Ditton, I had to knock and scrape off into the flower box in the front of the villa.

I hope that wherever you are you have a lovely day today! (And that you didn't fall for too many April Fools' Pranks Yesterday!)

Don Bergquist - 02-April-2006 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, United Kingdom