Saturday 28 March 2020

Strange days

Only a week ago it was reasonable to drive to a nearby country lane, park up and go for a walk. Now it could to lead to a £30 fine.


The idea was to explore some footpaths I haven't ventured along to see what there might be. On the Friday I found some signs to add to my collection of 'keep out' images and another overgrown pond.



On Sunday I ventured a little further to the finney where I've rarely seen anyone walking. I'd consulted my OS map and took a different route to my usual one to seek out some ponds. On my way I spied a field of sheep. There was plenty of baler twine in evidence so I took a few shots to add to that collection of mine.


Nearing the packet of sheep nibbling at a mineral block close to the path they saw me and turned tail.


 I hung around and waited. The mineral block soon proved more tempting than I was threatening!


Leaving the sheep behind I was in uncharted territory and on unexpected Tarmac. Another 'keep out' opportunity.


It was here that I started to notice that there were more people around. Everyone kept their distance, as advised, but it was obvious that a bit of springtime sun and warmth after a miserably wet winter is hard to resist.


There were overgrown ponds along this track. So overgrown they were difficult to photograph. I suppose that's part of the thinking behind this sort-of-project though.


At the first opportunity I turned off the Tarmac and headed back to the car along more deserted tracks. It's an open and strange landscape. Far from photogenic in the usual landscape sense. It's also out of bounds for the foreseeable future given the coronavirus situation.


Being restricted to walking from home it's back to photographing familiar sights. Although there is still change taking place as ploughing and planting has commenced since the land began to dry. Leaves and lambs are appearing. Then there's the addition of disinfectant to the roadside egg sale, and many notices in shop windows and other places relating to closures..



The skies are free of contrails, the background hum of traffic is barely audible, the streets and lanes are almost empty. It must have been like this before the second world war when horse power had four legs and a mane.

As the natural world is warming up and coming to life to fill me with hope and expectation there's a heightened sense of my own mortality as soon as I think about the preparations for emergency mortuaries being laid. Strange days, indeed.

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