Forget the absence of focus and enjoy the simple beauty of these snowberries.

This is a tea light holder in heavy glass, made in the 1980s by Glasdesign Georgshütte, Boffzen (Germany). Sadly, the firm closed in 1989, after 117 years of business.

I had one of these back in the 1980s - finding an example again was like reclaiming the icon of my old chill zone when I lived in Germany. Another happy time.

glas-in-boffzen.com/glaswanderweg/die-georgshuette/the-ge...

📷 Google Pixel 8 Pro - Main Sensor (50MP) - Throwback December 2024 - Lyth Hill, Shropshire

"The biggest problems occur at the interface," I was once told. I wonder how the new buildings will interface with the old ones still standing.

It's raining and cold. So stay home and make jam. This is what 800g of apples gave me.

Use on toast or bake in a strudel or similar. Should keep unopened for 3 months.

Every now and again this feeling comes. It will pass, as all things pass.

A few sprays of the fine mist in the air settle with delightful coolness on any exposed skin. No power needed 👍

The flag of the Duchy of Lancaster flying over the castle.

From green through cream, then pink, and now this. The season draws to its inexorable end.

Not everyone wants to live in an old house, with small windows and thick walls to keep some heat in. This modern dwelling uses glass and insulation to take best advantage of the light. A steel frame and breeze block lurks under the dressed stone exterior.

More play with shooting images in raw, and editing (over-editing!). I like the effects on the pylons on the Millennium Bridge, and realize I should have extended this to the rest of the picture.

youtu.be/IBgU0tiLy2s?is=5Gh5s_KEU2K3rxSU

Cow parsley on the towpath.

Facing stones and rubble from the recent collapse.

Seen at the entrance to the local organic grocery, this electric delivery bike must surely be the way forward.

So keenly awaited; so quickly gone.

Walking home, a light breeze;

A pink snow-storm.

Bitter-sweet.

A sudden prifusion of fruitflies threatened the cleanliness of my kitchen. Basil doesn't repel them, nor incense. But a jam jar with a bit of cider vinegar makes an efficient trap. Some wrapfast over the top, with a few holes, and 'job done'.

Campanula. Sometimes called bell flowers or hare bells.

The stones are quarried, shaped, and lain on compacted sand. The joints are sealed with hot pitch to reduce ingress of water which could weaken the sandy base.

The stones are called setts and confusingly the road is called a cobbled road. Cobbles are the natural rounded stones you might see elsewhere.

While steep, this road still gives good traction, even when wet.

What can be simpler or more comforting than dipping toast 'soldiers' into a soft-boiled egg?

Today is the spring solstice in the northern hemisphere, marking the first day of spring. Happy Ostara to all my pagan friends. 🌱

My Pixel switches on a ' nightsight ' setting when the ambient light drops. This is the same view as the previous picture but choosing the nightsight setting.

If the phone is on a mount, it will also provide a night sky setting. nice for fireworks, star gazing and satellite counting.

Another example of a kissing gate, except this one has been decommissioned, after the fence had been moved to make way for the footpath.

from my back garden

Melody by Kellock Brown.

An easy and flexible stew that can be served on rice, or blitzed to make a nice sauce for pasta.

Onion

Garlic

Courgette

Borlotti beans (can)

Plum tomatoes (can)

Mushrooms

Veggie stock

Tomato puree

Herb mix

Salt and pepper

Vary ingredients with whatever you have in store!

20 minutes in microwave pressure cooker

Rest 5 minutes and serve

Wearing the same sort of thing every day makes mornings easier. It doesn't imply that I do the same thing everyday; today I'm being a musician.

Class this morning was fun.

Beautiful Sunrise Morning In The UK Shot On Pixel 6 Pro (Telephoto Lens)

Wrought iron gates. Delicate and not really characteristic of the area. I wonder who commissioned them, long ago.

The power company was encouraging its customers to power down for an hour last night to help 'balance the grid'.

Turns out they had to buy electricity at a hugely inflated price because Brits were using their fans and aircon more than expected.

I don't know anyone with aircon other than the local supermarket. And my fan uses 30W an hour - a trivial rate of consumption. Could it be the data centres that need extra cooling? My weather app updated yesterday with a 'complete AI experience ' that I neither asked for nor needed.

In other news, the mix of ratatouille, tuna and red onions chilled during the day. I served over 2 sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Some flat leaf parsley completed the salad.

There's a recent trend to break the windows on this building. I thought I'd take a picture of this pretty window while it lasts.

All too soon the daffodils will fade and be gone. So treasure each moment now.

I bought some loose tea. carefully weighed and packed in a reusable bag.

Today was the turn of Russian Caravan tea, which is a long time fave.

I wish this was sharper, but I thought it was interesting anyway.