I've not written anything in a while. I'm not thus feeling that fluent in my writing, presently. So here goes... I'll start with that I've been photographing lately; of which I have, also, neither been doing too fluently.

Regardless of the above and to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart's Charater – Rick Blaine – in the movie Casablanca [This] “don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world”.

There: having got that out of the way; back to the ancient Weston Wood.

Monochrome Photograph: An off cut of tree trunk with the words Weston Woods carved into the bark.

I'll begin with the walk I took 31st October 2022 and, well, did it pour down.

Colour Photograph: Looking out towards the access road in a deluge of rain, whilst sheltering under trees. Weston Wood, Worlebury, W-s-M, Somerset, UK.

I returned the following day. One of the things that strikes me about this historical woodland is the number of trees that have been, literally, uprooted and toppled onto the ground; sometimes even into the branches of adjacent trees!

Monochrome Photograph: A toppled tree complete with its wrenched out rock filled root-ball.

Note: that its longer main roots have been snapped off and are left in-situ.

The effected trees seem to have been wrenched from the floor; which consists of a thin layer of soil or leaf mulch covering bedrock. Indeed in amongst the root-ball of the fallen tree, one can see pieces of rock entwined in the network of roots. Roots don't so much penetrate down here as simply spread along the surface, kind of allowing the tree to balance.

Note: There just isn't enough substrate to allow a sufficient root-ball and main arteries to form that would support the trees in high winds and saturated, softened earth.

Monochrome Photograph: Of a tree that has been toppled and has fallen into adjacent trees and bushes thus toppling them also.

No wonder the resilience of the trees to gale force winds and destabilising rains isn't great. Yet the woodland has persisted for millennia. In all of this though the fallen trees can look strangely attractive in certain aspects or situations.

Monochrome Photograph: A fallen tree has been moved aside a woodland footpath and with a bench seat having been installed opposite, for ones restful contemplation.

Of course the trees do decompose over time, forming a [temporary] home for some woodland wildlife and providing slow release nutrients in to the habitat. Just as importantly – they in their turn keep adding depth to the floor covering!

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#Ricoh #WestonWood #Woodland #Trees #WestonSuperMare #coastal #rawtherapee #GIMP #Fomapan100Classic #IBelieveInFilm

You know that thing which, from time to time, happens – because your a 'photographer' and 'know' about cameras and stuff – when someone brings you camera gear that they've not used for about ten years. They've had it from new, maybe even used it for the first few years; say around 5000 clicks worth; though it's been 'stored' ever since!

They say something such as: 'I no longer need nor want this kit, as I've a [insert an Android or Apple model here] smart phone'! Adding: 'maybe you could clean and/or use or sell it'?

When this happens I say “hold up a moment” then take a photograph – in this case a black & white photograph of a lamp taken with a mint condition Pentax K-100D[6Mp] and Schneider Kreuznach Lens – to at least show them what their outfit is capable still of producing.

Few if any people have subsequently kept their outfit! I reckon if just one ever did, for me it would be worthwhile.

PhotoInfo:- Date: 14th August 2022 Camera: Pentax K-100D Lens: Schneider Kreuznach D-Xenon f4.0-5.6 50-200mm ED Post Process: GNU-Linux – Rawtherapee/GIMP

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#Pentax #SchneiderKreuznach #gimp #rawtherapee

Subsequent to a walk, during a covid-lockdown, around a small 19th century woodland, The Plantation and Bluebell Field, Woodland Trust, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK and having processed a roll of film I shot whilst there, I've created an album The Plantation and Bluebell Field in my 'Snap.as' unaoculusaperta gallery. [Only two photographs have been uploaded as I write this blog entry, though I hope to add a few more.] The Plantation has survived in this location now for some two hundred or so years. However, being Uphill the woodland's floor is more or less sand and dust and subject to the winds and weather of the southwest. The trees then (mostly Beech) rise up and fall, relatively frequently, thriving for a while then when their size becomes too much for the soil to support the wind takes them.

The juxtaposition, to those that remain upright, of the fallen tree, in the above photograph, gives us, in acute relief, this story in one stark image. The tree looks forlorn as it lies prone and fatally felled; having been torn out by the roots and is now slowly returning to the bed that gave it life; as it too gives shelter to yet other creatures of the wood. Simply part of Nature's cycle. Those that went before lay the ground for those that soon come after.

PhotoInfo:- Date: 24th March 2021 Camera: #NikonF4S Lens: Nikon (AF #Nikkor 35-80mm f4-5.6D) Film: #Fomapan 400 Action (rated at EI:320-ISO) Developer: #Kodak #HC110 (Dilution H, 12 Minutes at 20°C) ADC: #Nikon (ES-2/Nikkor AF 60mm Micro/D600) Post Process: GNU-Linux/#GIMP

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Full disclaimer: I have no affiliation with any of the companies or organisations mentioned or named in this article. I am, perhaps, or may have been a customer.