This morning. Looking southwards from Higger Tor towards Carl Wark hill fort and The Longshaw Estate. You can see how windy it was up there by looking at the surface of the water in the grouse basin. HDR processing was activated to make this image.
Half an hour earlier I was doing something slightly crazier. It was partly inspired by a past remark from Tom Gowans, author of "Hippo on the Lawn".
By Ringinglow Road which climbs westwards out of Sheffield there are occasional wind-battered hawthorn bushes that in spite of everything have managed to secure footholds on the open moors. I climbed over the fence and headed to my chosen bush. There I took eight golden baubles from my rucksack and three strands of tinsel. The bush was quickly dressed but I was wishing I had brought more decorations.
I admit that it does look a bit sparse - like Ebenezer Scrooge's Christmas tree. Still, I am sure that some people will see my festive handiwork from the road over the moors and perhaps they will wonder, "Now what kind of person does something like that?" Hopefully there will be one or two smiles. A little Christmas magic...very little...
Half an hour earlier I was doing something slightly crazier. It was partly inspired by a past remark from Tom Gowans, author of "Hippo on the Lawn".
By Ringinglow Road which climbs westwards out of Sheffield there are occasional wind-battered hawthorn bushes that in spite of everything have managed to secure footholds on the open moors. I climbed over the fence and headed to my chosen bush. There I took eight golden baubles from my rucksack and three strands of tinsel. The bush was quickly dressed but I was wishing I had brought more decorations.
I admit that it does look a bit sparse - like Ebenezer Scrooge's Christmas tree. Still, I am sure that some people will see my festive handiwork from the road over the moors and perhaps they will wonder, "Now what kind of person does something like that?" Hopefully there will be one or two smiles. A little Christmas magic...very little...
A very dreary site - not a bright sight.
ReplyDeleteYour eyes are working well Lee!
DeleteYes, they are, Yorkie...doubly well...I can see double!
DeleteWhaddya mean "double"? Lay off the Jacob's Creek or get an appointment with your friendly neighbourhood opticians - Tamborine Mountain Optometrists.
DeleteTricky! Tricky! But I know! I can see you're up to your old tricks....both of them!!!!!
DeleteYou're starting a trend. somebody else will add to this forlorn little shrub.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought when I saw this, too :-)
DeleteRed. You could do this in Canada but keep an eye out for bears. They might not like it.
DeleteI like the pic of Carl Wark hill, although it gets a little messed us when opened in the viewer.
ReplyDeleteI also pointed out what you'd done to the Hawthorn Bush and she mumbled something about hanging my balls on a tree. Wasn;t that nice of her?
BTW you're comment timer is an hour out - I did the same thing when I didn't alter my blog settings when the clocks went back.
(a) What is "The Viewer"?
Delete(b) Do you have the same nickname as David Beckham?
(c) I am not boiling an egg so don't require a timer.
(d) I don't know how to adjust the timer.
(e) Nobody's perfect...even me!
Hmm. I'm picturing you in a bright green elf suit & pointy hat, twirling through the barren land...dancing..spinning & tossing tinsel garland onto scraggly bushes.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to take your medicine again, didn't you?
Maybe those new boots are still a bit tight?
I am going to have to stretch the new boots Hilly. I was wearing the old ones. I like your imaginings but sadly they are very different from reality!...My elf suit was bright pink!
DeleteWhat a fun idea, to leave a little sparkle out in the wild!
ReplyDeleteI hope Tom is alive and well. It's been a long, long time since anyone had heard from him.
I like the first photo a lot. It looks like a landscape on a planet far, far away.
It's Planet Derbyshire Jennifer - inhabited by space aliens like Adrian.
DeleteI like the first image but you will have to ask Santa for some proper HDR software.
ReplyDeleteAre you Santa Adrian? You've got the white beard... but maybe not the jovial disposition.
DeleteNo I am not. I can tell you that Photomatix is just the dog's whatsists. You can try it free for thirty days here.
DeleteHDR
Yes I am Santa has pointed you in the right direction.
This isn't a one click job and you may need a bit of a fast processor. My machine does it in real time give or take a milli second but I can recall the times years ago when I left it running whilst I had a pint or two.
PS, I would like to think you will retrieve your mess from the tree. Looks like windblown skip stuff.
DeleteDon't worry Son of Santa. I will be back there on the twelfth day of Xmas.
DeleteWhat a spectactular photo! The first one, I mean. I like the second one, too. Believe it or not, yesterday I was about to post a picture of a decorated tree we came across on one of our sunny walks the other day. Might do it now, before leaving for work.
ReplyDeleteMaybe next year you will do the same Meike - befriend a lonesome tree and decorate it. I bet it will look better than mine!
DeleteDid you blog about this tree once before and we mused about decorating it? Why does this idea sound familiar to me?
ReplyDeleteI am sure the second photo wasn't there when I first read this blog post this morning. It was just the HDR photo. Well done for decorating the Christmas tree. Let's see if Grumpy Gills will decorate one on his walk ...
DeleteYou have a good memory Carol. Thanks for reminding me of the other tree which is a few hundred metres from this one and further from the road.
DeleteHave you heard from hippo YP. ?
ReplyDeleteIve emailed him a few times recently and nothing.......im rather worried....the last time We wrote his leg was deteriorating
I have also e-mailed him John. In the past he would reply quickly but not this time.
DeleteGentlemen .. What about contacting his brother in Germany? I remember Helsie sent some seeds to him via Germany, so she may be able to help.
DeleteI will leave a message on Helen's blog.
DeleteWell you wouldn't be doing that in the Utter Hebrides. Your baubles would be off the tree and into the Minch in a trice.
ReplyDeleteThey are plastic coated baubles - not glass and I replaced the glittery indoor ties with strong garden wire. However, I bow to your superior knowledge about the Udder Hebrides. I guess that there even pigs might fly in a gale.
Delete