It was a cold and frosty Boxing Day.....

Just got back from Christmas at my Mum's - I took my (very basic) digital camera but didn't think about a spare memory card so.....

The journey down was fine - cold - but the trains were on time - but still very snowy.....
  
 This is the vineyard at Dorking at the foot of Boxhill - come autumn they will be bursting with grapes again...

 Boxing Day - heavy frost in Mum's garden.... and this was 10.30.... it stayed all day.

The deserted beach (Pagham) - more or less had it to myself - even the beach was frosty (see pics on "stampingbyh"

The frost doesn't really show up, but the wood here (it's the launchway for the yachts at Pagham yacht club) was very frosty - and so were the pebbles!!  I can't ever remember seeing frost on the beach here before....  I am sure it has been, just I haven't been there....

 Pagham Pram Race - an annual Boxing Day pub crawl round Pagham..... never had a camera with me before...

 Sadly the memory card was full by now, missed the best "pram" too - a stage coach with cowboys and indians.....

Finally - a Saturday at Kew, not the optician's!

After what seems like ages, and is in fact about 6 weeks, yesterday I finally got to go to Kew again - for once I didn't have to go to the optician/hospital or was stuck inside from the snow with a cold!

There was half a film still in the camera from the end of October with some gorgeous trees in full colour - so am putting some of them up here, but by yesterday, all the leaves had gone and there were lots of bare trees - beautiful shapes, some of the branches make - and the light wasn't good (although that may be because I forgot my glasses and couldn't see properly!!!)  anyhow, here they are:

I think this has to be one of my favourites for ages! Love the twisted trunks!

 And my favourite fountain, under the beautiful colours of this tree - I am quite pleased with this one too!

There was still some colour yesterday!

 And part of the lake is still frozen. Still got some good reflections, despite the gloomy sky!

 Don't you love the shapes of the branches against the cloudy sky?

I think this tree was labelled "spreading plane" and apparently it's one of the oldest at Kew from the 1740's (or so)

Christmas comes to Kew. No, I didn't have a go!!

Probably won't get back again now until the new year, sadly!

Kew again - Autumn spectacular 30.10.10

Hi, all.

Yesterday I took what may be the last opportunity to go to Kew to get the best of the autumn colour - and BOY was it worth it.  I had wanted to go last weekend, but they forecast rain (that didn't appear, at least at the time I'd have been there!) when I think probably it may have been better - this week, lots of the leaves have now fallen.  However, despite the best efforts of British Rail I got there just after 9.30 opening time and WAS I rewarded. So, sit back, it may be hard to decide which of the 74 or so shots I took, to leave out.....

The sky wasn't quite as grey looking as it's come out in the photos, but the colours still show up well!

As you can see, it was a lovely bright morning (mostly) which helps with the light coming through the trees.

 it was still early enough for the ground to be a touch frosty/dew covered. (my feet got wet!)

 Just love how this tree trunk twists round.

You can really appreciate the view from the walkway now the leaves are falling - love this shot with the dappled shade on thiese trees.

Could have done with the sun coming back out for this shot, I knew I should have waited around longer!

Anyhow, hope you enjoyed these (check back to the last visit 3 weeks ago for the difference - and the funghi had all gone!)

Sunny Autumn Saturday at Kew

Last Saturday I went to Kew for the first time in a month. It was a crisp but bright autumn morning, just how I like them! 

I had a film in the camera left from September and the first few pics are from then - the waterlilies from the Waterlily House were spectacular then, but finished by this weekend.

Taken hand held on the macro setting with my zoom extended to 300mm (quite tricky to hold it steady!) across to the middle of the pond! (I don't carry my tripod with me on the train!)

Love the pattern of the growth between the lily pads!








On to Saturday.

I love the use of this metal that was allowed to rust in the use of the tower for the Treetop Walkway! I still wish they could fix the lift up though!!

I confess I did have to stage this shot - the conker was lying on a patch of bare earth just out of the sun - till I gently nudged it with my toe!!

Still slightly misty, dew on the grass but the light was quite bright.
View through the trees to the Temperate House.

I always thought these were Autumn Crocus - but this time I read the sign, they are actually Giant Meadow Saffron! They were glorious in the sun - but a bit flattened from the previous day's heavy rain - but this is taken from right above, with the macro setting again.

There was so much fungi around - I have never seen it at Kew (probably just a timing thing) - but it had obviously flourished in the previous many wet days!! And so many different kinds.

This was weird growing round the root of the tree.

Oh, look - twins! how sweet.

This one nearly spread in a big ring - a fairy ring?? Never seen one before!

Think this is my favourite - it was close to the edge of a path so I knelt right down to take it as close to ground level as I could (I did think about lying down....)

The trees are just beginning to turn - I think the rain after some warm days helps! (Who needs Tim's cruise to Boston, eh!) 

Love the shadows of the treees right across the grass, towards the Palm House (back) 

How blue does the sky look! It wasn't this blue really, it's just I was taking towards the sun right up into the sky - this is the top of the entrance to theTemperate House

Close up of the bark of a palm trunk in the Temperate House. Loved the pattern in the sunshine.

Love the reds and purples here, this was outside the side entrance of the Waterlily House.

(sorry about the "blogger gaps" between the photos - they don't show up till the post goes live....they look perfectly spaced as I type.... good old blogger)