Tag Archives: Nature

Christmas Stick Tree

Earlier this year I collected fallen branches from the woods so I could make a Christmas stick tree again.  My last effort was made from big branches and it was VERY heavy,  so this time I was more selective!  (Yes, I am that woman with leaves and twigs in her hair, seen dragging things back to the van!)  This year I was determined to be more successful!

Stick Tree

I was so lucky to find the little hearts and stars in a charity shop and they were perfect for the tree.  I also bought some new lights (such a great price, from B&Q).

Stick Tree and samba

Stick Tree6

It looks so pretty all lit up at night :) and I’m definitely going to keep this one for next year too.  It’s amazing what you can do with a pile of sticks!

Stick Tree bokeh

Sheer fluke that I took this bokeh image!

 

Skeleton leaves

My favourite place to walk our dog has to be the woods.  Walking under the canopy of leaves is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.   I could stroll for hours taking photographs of birds or picking up leaves.

On some of my walks I’ve found some beautiful skeleton leaves and have taken them home and pressed them in a big heavy book.  Recently I went through my collection and framed some of my favourites.

Triple setting

WBR setting 2

A1 setting 2

BR setting

 

WBL setting

The skeletons have been highlighted with a sprinkling of glitter and mounted onto acid-free card.   All available to buy in my newly opened Etsy shop :)

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/tattythings

 

Fantastic Mrs Fox

It’s not unusual for our dog to go running out to the garden, barking as she goes.  It’s also not unlike her to bark in the night when a cheeky fox gets into our garden. She likes everyone to know she’s not to be messed with.  But about ten days ago she ran outside barking, with her nose in the air and had a really good sniff at the back gate. So, of course, we had to investigate. Not only did we discover a beautiful vixen but five bouncy, healthy cubs.

We have been watching them grow ever since.  They come out of their den in the alleyway behind our house every night at dusk.  We originally put some food out for them but since contacting experts at ‘The Fox Project’ we found out that, unless they are in need of help, it’s best to leave them to fend for themselves because apparently they are lazy by nature and by feeding them it will shrink their territory and therefore make them have less opportunities to hunt when they need to.

So, we had to be content with just watching and as our attempts to creep out at dusk to look over our fence was alerting them to our presence, we took drastic action, as any sane people would!

 Eyeholes

So now we have a great view and I can even poke my camera lens through to take photographs without disturbing them.

The cubs are adorable and constantly playing roly-poly and practising their pouncing.

Cub crop

I snapped this photo of the mum looking up as a flock of parakeets flew by.

Mum watching parakeets

Always alert and on the lookout, she is such an attentive mum.

Mum Fox

This photo was taken when the light had completely gone so it’s a bit grainy and so far I haven’t managed to get a shot of all five cubs together.

3Cubs crop

They are growing so fast and probably won’t be playing outside our garden for much longer so I hope to get more photographs of the cubs before they are fully grown, meanwhile you know where to find me.