Golden Days

Quite a sunny day today, except when I was getting ready to leave work and cycle home, when the heavens opened, and the rain came teeming down.

Fortunately it wasn't around for very long and so I could start my journey home. There was a small rainbow in the sky, but nothing really worth taking a photo of.

By the time I had reached Highfields, the grey clouds had disappeared and there was a great sunset to enjoy, as my photo of the lake and the university shows.

A Bird's Eye View

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in nearly a week. It's just that I have been busy editing a load of photos that I've taken recently for a couple of people, who asked me to do some photography for them.

But normal service is being resumed.

So today I took my daily commute through Highfields as usual, when I noticed a bird standing on a bench and looking out towards the lake.

Now there's an interesting shot I thought. So I got off my bike, and gently crept towards the seat, so not as to frighten the bird, which I think is a young Canada goose.

I took a few shots, as I thought he might fly away at any time. But no, he just stood there, watching the other birds on the lake. So I inched a bit closer, then a bit closer still, until I was crouched down at the side of the bench, and took a few more shots.

I had my Pentacom vintage lens on my Olympus camera, so some of them didn't come out too well, but I like this one, as you can see him studying the action on the lake.

And before anyone quizzes me, no the bird didn't have one leg. He was just doing a Long John Silver impression. He had raised his other leg. Maybe resting it.

Peek-a-Boo

It was a lovely sunny cycle ride home today. Spring has definitely arrived.

Being so warm that I stopped and had an ice cream, whilst I watched the joggers, rowers and more students doing selfies by the blossom.

I stopped off in various places along my route to take the odd photo. I crouched and watched this hunting along the bank for food. I followed it for a little while. It was slowly making it's way to a part that had been made into a sort of landing stage area. So I lowered my camera and shot this while he popped his head up, as if to say "Have you got any bread for me or not?".

Sadly I didn't, and so he flounced off in a bit of a huff, looking out for the next possible supplier of food.

Flash!

Some late afternoon sun reflected on the water of Highfields' lake.

A great afternoon to cycle though one of my favourite parks.

On Golden Pond

Well it's been lovely and sunny today. The sun even remained shining when I left work for home at 6pm, so I thought that I would cycle through Highfields in daylight, which I haven't done since last October.

The sun was just starting to set when I reached the park, and had cast a rather nice golden glow on the boating lake. This Canada goose thought so too, as it was just standing there admiring the scene. I thought so as well, as I took this shot.

Foggy Bottom

Here's another shot from yesterday's foggy cycle ride through Highfields.

Not a lot to say about this almost silhouette of a tree by the lake, other than it looks a bit mysterious and haunting.

Duckling And Diving

Nottingham woke up wrapped up in a deep blanket of fog this morning. So I made a small detour through Highfields, to see how the park looked in the mist.

Everywhere was shrouded in grey. Trees, the lake, the Lakeside Theatre.  I took lots of photos, but I was looking for something a little different.

Whilst I was taking some photos of the misty lake, one of the large birds started honking. Then I knew why. Looking down I saw a little chick running about. Obviously a protective parent looking after their baby.

Then the baby bird made their way through the railings and waddled towards me. Then they decided to stop and have a drink from a puddle near me. Just in the right spot for a photo. I then noticed that the chicks' other parent was watching their baby from the top of the railings. One proud parent looking out for the baby.

On Golden Pond

Despite the very black clouds this afternoon, there was still a golden sunset for us to enjoy.

Of course I just had to cycle through Highfields and see if I could find a different sunset photo, which I think I have with this one. The fading sun reflected in the water of the lake.

Golden Green

The sun setting over Highfields, I think makes for quite a nice restful scene, especially with the blue sky still poking through the trees.

I took this with my fisheye lens, so there is a slight curving to the trees, but nothing too drastic or surreal.

China In Our Hands

A couple of new statues have appeared in Highfields. Two Chinese guardian lions.

They have been a present from Ningbo in China, a city that the University of Nottingham has been involved with for the past ten years.

In fact parts of Ningbo's university is based on the Nottingham site, especially the Trent building, which you can see in the background.

Reflecting On The Week

Well it's Friday, and the end of the working week, and the beginning of a week's holiday for Gail & I.

We are not going away, instead we are staying at home and doing a bit of sorting out around the house. A spring clean in the autumn you might say. Plus I will be doing some gardening, but we might find some free time to go on a day trip somewhere.

On the way back home from work, I cycled through Highfields park, as I tend to do most evenings nowadays. Making the most of the light nights, before the clocks go back next month. I, like most people dread it when the dark nights start at around 4pm and carry on till March. I know it's all to do with the way the Earth rotates around the sun, but I wish it didn't happen and that we got the same amount of daylight everyday of the year. Say 7am to 7pm. So come the end of October it will be dark when I cycle home and the park will be be closed at dusk.

Sunk

Over the weekend I was reading about some people who had been boating on Highfields' lake and got stuck in the mud at one end of the lake.

Apparently they didn't see the warning sign that is close to where the mudbank starts. So I thought I would have a look at this sign and work out why the boaters didn't see it.

Here's the said sign, and it's not surprising the people got into trouble, as you can't even properly read what the sign says, let alone the small size of it. It doesn't even look like a proper sign, just maybe something that has been thrown in the water.

No doubt the council will now replace the sign with a new, bigger and easier to read one. But surely this is something that should have been done a long time ago.

Crowne Estate

Dusk setting of the Crown Plaza Hotel at the NEC in Birmingham.

One for the archive, as the cupboard is a bit bare at the moment.

I actually took it in March, when I went to the Photography Show. I was there that long, that I was one of the last people to leave the hall. Still it was with it to get this shot.

Spring Greens

 Some late afternoon sunshine making Highfields glow as I cycled home from work.

I passed various joggers, kids on bikes, students walking home from the university close by and a lady exercising her dog. Plus of course squirrels rung around and ducks sitting enjoying the warm weather.

Shining

A shot of Highfields basking in the spring sunshine.

Night Light

Well at long last the evenings are really drawing out now. It was even still light as I cycled home.

But the light began to fade by the time that I reached Highfields. But not too dark to stop me taking a photo or two of the University and lake without a tripod. Although I did rest my camera on a nearby litterbin bin.

Seat Of Learning

Here's a night time shot of the University's Trent Building, which I took tonight from Highfields Park.

Contemplation

A very simple shot from Highfields.

I bet the person sitting on the bench is enjoying the peace and quiet of the open green space.

Stillness

Have been stuck for an idea, and didm't come across anything during today, so cycling through Highfields, I decided to take another photo of the rowing boats on the lake. This time I used one of the art filters that my camera has and made the boats and trees look like toys.

Finished For The Day

A photographer friend of ours called Stewart put a photo on Facebook the other day that he had taken of a stormy coastal scene at Canvey Island. It included some upturned boats in the foreground and a lighthouse in the distance. And very nice it was too.

So here's my version of the scene. The rowing boats on Highfields Lake with one of the university's buildings peaking through the trees. Sadly not the seaside. But the next best thing.