It's That Scary Night Again

These were made using the Mac app 'Hallows Eve' which I managed to acquire during the only 24 hrs it has ever been a free download. This app can use almost any of your own photos as a background and provides a good selection of 'artifacts' which can be added, scaled, rotated and layered to make the final picture. There is also a version for iOS.



To end with ... seen locally:

Miniature Orchid

In flower at the moment:

Arion ater

I keep one of the rubble buckets I use when collecting garden plant cuttings upside down to stop it filling with rain water which madam likes to drink. Yesterday when I moved it I spied the fattest slug I have ever seen. Particularly noticeable was the bright orange fringe to its foot.





These can reach a length of 140mm (5.5 inches) This one was hunched up and apparently sleeping so measured about 75mm (3 inches). Possibly a juvenile by its pale colouring. It may be a young Arion ater Rufus.

Is There a Connection?

I had never heard of such a thing as a Geocache Hunt until I read about it here on Careering Through Nature. It seemed more than a coincidence when I spotted a couple of items in the village.

This one today:
 

Just a nicely decorated stone wedged in the fork of a tree. Yesterday though I spotted another. This time a larger flat stone again decorated. It was partly hidden in long grass not far from that tree.  I'm annoyed with myself for not photographing it. Maybe there is a local version of a Geocache Hunt going on in the village or possibly some youngsters are having their own version of a local treasure hunt. Either way it looks to be a grand way to get people out in the fresh air and exploring their neighbourhood.

Tuesday Teaser

Last week's teaser picture was:


which was an Any Deepstyle version of:


Correctly identified as a hedgehog by Wilma, The Weaver of Grass, Simon Douglas Thompson, Ragged Robin and Adrian. My thanks to all for having a go.

Sorry folks but nothing new this week or next.
Believe it or not next week's Tuesday post is already written to suit the date.
That will also give me time to find some more suitable pictures to mangle. Only a small proportion of those I experiment with come out as something I consider useful as Teasers.

It Was Almost a Shame ....

.... to cut the grass this morning:



Such a perfectly formed little growth but I had just replaced the blade on the mower and the weather was being kind.

It's a Weary Life .....

.... being a pampered pooch:

Sun and Rain

A couple from the stormy day which was not much more than a normal blustery Autumn day here. Apart, that is, from it being so dark for much of the time with just an occasional glimpse of the Sun through the high Saharan dust:





In the close shot the Sun looks a bit lop sided as the camera couldn't find any clear edges to focus on.

This morning it was a case of looking where I was treading when we went for our early walk. The ground was wet from an earlier shower and it was almost impossible to spot any frogs in the gloom. This one got out of the way just in time and thoughtfully waited for me to take a flash photo:

Tuesday Teaser

Last week's teaser picture was:


an Any Deepstyle version of:


Adrian got part way there recognising the fringe but it was part of a lampshade not a posh tablecloth.
Thanks as always to all those who had a go.

This week's teaser is probably a lot easier:


If you would like to have a guess as to what it is please leave it in the comments.
They will be revealed, along with the original photo, next Tuesday

Spot the Spider

If it hadn't moved I would never have noticed it.
Typical Harvestman, tiny body and enormous legs:



This one was most uncooperative. It would not stay still so I could get some decent photos to stack.

I Have Often Wondered ....

.... what the view of the world is like from horse back:



I hired a large van when I was moving house and really appreciated the better road view from a higher driving position. It's was only then I realised how restricted the view ahead is from a car.

Many years ago I thought about having riding lessons but bottled out.
Now I just think - it's a long way to fall and I don't bounce as well as I used to.

Sunrise

More unusual this morning as the colourful part of the Sunrise only showed through a small section of the sky where there was a break in the thicker, low cloud cover.

Sunrise over the village school field:


It almost looked like the eruption of some distant volcano.

Worth Getting Up For

On our early morning walk to the village crossroads we were greeted by a beautiful Sunrise:

I Spy With My Little Eye

Can you spy what I spied here?



As many will know, not a subject I particularly like to get near:



But fascination got the better of me:



What was most interesting to me was the pale marking on each wing. In the photos it tends to look yellow but actually seemed to glitter like gold leaf. In spite of the gold colour this appears to me to be a Silver Y (Autographa gamma) moth. With a wing span of 30 - 45mm I definitely do not want to see any of these indoors.

Tuesday Teaser

Last week's teaser picture:


was an 'Any Deepstyle' manipulated version of:


which was correctly identified as a butterfly by Adrian, Ragged Robin and Wilma
and as a Red Admiral by Adrian and Wilma.
Congratulations to all and thanks for having a go.

Something different to work out this week:
 

If you think you can work out what this photo started out as please leave a guess in the comments.
They, and the original photo, will be revealed next Tuesday.

Catching Up

Nice to see a Song Thrush visiting the garden this morning:

 

In fact, not just one but two together.
I don't think I have ever seen two together before now. Hopefully a breeding pair.

Thanks to Adrian of Adrian's Images for the suggestion that the field with two apparent crops has brassicas along side Ley Grass to reduce leatherjacket damage. Sounds reasonable to me. A closer view:



Now what can Penny have possibly found to be of such interest?


Oh, just a dead one of these:

The End of the Lane

On our walkabouts down our lane this is where we have to stop:



Years ago there was a path straight ahead going past the tree in the distance.
There was an attempt to have it recognised as a right of way but as you can see that failed.
I don't blame the farmer as that strip of land means more money crops and some antisocial dog walkers would let their dogs loose to rampage through the crops.

Looking at the field I showed being ploughed a while ago I am trying to see what has been planted. At the moment it looks like two crops in one field alternately spaced in strips. One pale yellow. The other green with very different leaf shapes:



I must remember to take some closer shots.

Just before reaching the end of the lane there is a a gap in the hedge allowing good views for cloud watching. This is three auto-stitched photos:

Tuesday Teaser

Last week's teaser photo:


which was an 'Any Deepstyle' manipulation of a close view of Iris seeds:


I think this week's Deepstyled teaser should be somewhat easier to identify:


Thanks to those who had a go last week.
If you want to have a guess at what this week's teaser is please leave your guess in the comments. They, along with the original photo, will be revealed next Tuesday.