Mouldering in the Spruce Woods

A rather precarious chimney stack from a long abandoned cottage deep in the timber plantations of Glendaruel.

Rusty Gatepost

Fencepost of the Week #77

This is a charming gate-post from the Kilpatrick Hills just outside of Glasgow. However, it is not really doing its job anymore...

The Ruins

The Ruins, oils on board.

Public Footpath

Fancepost of the Week #68

Gunpowder Mill

Some photos of the Millhouse gunpowder factory - it operated from 1839 to 1921. The factory site had been planted up with trees to baffle the effects of accidental explosions, and it is now a beautiful, mossy woodland.

Contoured Rust-scape

Fencepost of the Week #65

Not sure I've covered any metal fenceposts before - they don't generally have much growing on them, but the corrosion itself can bring forth beautiful forms.

Anyway, these are from an old metal gate on Long Road Track in the Waitakere Ranges.

Millhouse Post Office

Here are a couple of photos of Millhouse Post Office.

One from about 1980 maybe? (I'm afraid it has no date on it)

And a second one from 2014:

You can see the results of combining the two here: Post Office

Fallen Tree Lingers

I'd just like to show you a couple of photos I took of an alder tree that fell across a river near here. The first pic was taken just after it fell - May 2003:

The second was taken in February 2014:

 I am amazed that a tree could hold on in a fast flowing burn like this for such a long time. Some of the beggest differences in the images are due more to the time of year, rather than the decade that separates the them. Hopefully I'll remember to revisit in May and get a clearer comparison...

Sunset on FPOTW

Fencepost of the Week #47

I'm running low on fencepost pictures.

Looking back, what originally attracted me to fenceposts was the bonzai, garden-like quality expressed by a well rotted post with mosses, lichens and other organisms calling it home. But recently my Sussex posts have been rather bare, desert-like places - still beautiful in their dereliction, but not quite the same.

 Hopefully I can get up to Argyll soon and restock my photolibrary with mossy, green goodness. Until then, here's sunset on one more dry, old, weatherbeaten post:

Clearance

Scenic Sundays #31

One of the many crofting townships that did not sourvive the highland clearances. This one is a little south of Dervaig on the the Isle of Mull. You can click on the image to get a slightly bigger version...