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

Sandbay's Sand Dune System

Sandbay, Kewstoke, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

This sign, informing of possible disruption due to maintenance work scheduled to take place back at the end of 2020 till the start of 2021, is still in place as of the morning 21st August 2022? The information on the sign has not been updated nor removed from the sand dunes. One assumes the work was done and the dunes do seem to have increased slightly in terms of plant and wild life. Indeed this project is deserving of both recognition and support.

From the beach shore side we can see one of the main pedestrian access points.

An issue for the system is: many people just access the beach from wherever they happen to be along the coastal road. Whilst there is a concrete path behind the dunes and adjacent to the road – albeit raised above the road and the traffic by a metre or so – walkers oftentimes walk on the flat area at the back of the dunes.

In the background of the above photograph we can see something of what the dunes system is protecting – or at least is expected to protect.

Many years ago posts were driven into the sands and twisted-wire and stave fencing was installed to protect areas, giving the system a chance to recover and, notwithstanding, keep people and animals out.

This has worked well in stablising the dunes; encouraging growth and wildlife; despite the usual ignorance and abuse the fencing sometimes suffered.

Although the preservation and enhancement of the dunes is a never ending, upward and onward struggle this a great result.

The final photograph then shows the tide on its return to the shore. With an average rise and fall of some 8.0+ metres and with the 13th/14th August 2022 tides reaching 11.6 metres the dunes need all the help they can get!

https://i-davis.carrd.co https://snap.as/unaoculusaperta https://unaoculusaperta.weebly.com https://bleadonphotographicgroup.weebly.com/ian-davis-galleries.html

#Pentax #sanddunes #beach #Sandbay #WestonSuperMare #coastal #rawtherapee

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