After yesterday blow out I'm firmly back on the saddle today, and what a beautiful day! Todays walk was from home up through the path in the middle of Maidenbower, over the motorway and then over into Worth Forest all the way up to Worth Abbey, then back across the forest over the Balcomb Road and back into Tilgate forest and then back home. A total of 9 km almost exactly. We did want to go over to the small lake in the grounds of Worth Abbey but that path was closed due to, and I quote "firearms in use" . . . ????? Oh well, better luck next time I suppose. If there is a theme to todays...

I have to admit that today is a little bit of a cop out . . . only in as much that I am walking and it will be a fairly long one, approx 8.5km BUT, not until this evening when it will be dark. I will be taking my camera with me but opportunities may well be very light on the ground . . . . So, in the spirit of something being posted every day I thought I'd get my macro lens out in the garden and see what there is to shoot out there. Then . . . yes, more excuses, it started raining!!! I know, I hear you all say poor Stephen . . . maybe not! Obviously the rose wasn't in the garden, it was in a buch...

Today's was just a short walk out from my studio, around Tilgate Lake and back. Almost exactly 5k. Not much different stuff happening today but there is always lots of birdlife on the lake with the swans taking central stage as usual with those pesky seagulls trying to muscle in on the act. Also a couple of beautiful dogs out for walks, even some joggers out to try to get fit. Hopefully tomorrows will be a little bit more interesting, let's see what the weather holds in store for us! That's about it for today. I'll...

For todays walk we decided to go a little further afield and managed to get some tickets for one of our favourite gardens, Sheffield Park, right at the end of the Bluebell Line. Absolutely stunning at any time of year but during autumn it's in a class of its own due to the number of maples it has surrounding the lakes. We were probably a couple of weeks to late for them to be at their best but I think you will agree absolutely stunning and well worth the drive out! No words or captions for this one, just enjoy the pictures . . . That's...

Todays walk was a rather misty damp affair! We started off just outside Standen House, then across towards Weir Wood Reservoir and over to Stone Hill Rocks then we crossed the Bluebell line and had a lovely coffee and snack at Kingscote Vinyards finally continuing over towards Saint Hill Manor, the home of L Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology and back to the car park at Standen . . . about 8.5km in all. Standen House and Gardens, always worth a visit, especially if you haven't already been Some very weird spiders webs all over some piles of hay . . . . anyone know what kind of spiders...

As you can see, it was another fabulous sunny day in the forest but rather than focus mainly on the flora today (although there is of course some) I thought I'd look out more for the fauna . . . oh, and sooooo many people today, but being a Saturday, I guess it was predictable . . . This way please . . . Cycling through the mud . . . I just liked the tangle of branches . . . Yes I know, it'a a little out of focus but he was tearing along, luck I got anything at all . . . Just WHY? Was it left there as an artistic statement or just too heavy to take home . . . Just so beautiful...

Over the next Month I intend to create a series of Blog posts cataloguing my daily walks during the 2nd National Lockdown. They will comprise almost entirely of images (because that's what I do) to create a visual log of the walks. I hope you enjoy them . . . this one in the day BEFORE lockdown, hence Walk No 0 . . . GREENThis is the 1st of a series of 4 images just showing the variation of colour on the forest floor BROWNThis is the 2nd of a series of 4 images just showing the variation of colour on the forest floor YELLOWThis is the 3rd of a series of 4 images just showing the variation...

So now we are onto the 2nd day of the 2nd National lockdown and another walk, this time over towards Worth Abbey and back through Worth Forest. A stunning morning and a great day for toadstools and fungus . . . Just a pretty bush with the sunlight shining through it . . . Many fir trees lose their needles, but first they turn a beautiful golden colour . . . Stunning example of moss covering a tree . . . Mmmmmm . . . chestnuts for the stuffing . . . . sooo many to be had! No idea what kind of fungus this is, but interesting nevertheless . . . Rhododendrons flowering in November!!!!...

A beautiful misty morning This is the 2nd in my series of "Lockdown Walks" and was on a stunning but VERY muddy walk through Tilgate Forest. There won't be many words, other than captions to the images as it is designed to be a visual blog of the 2nd national lockdown so I hope you enjoy the content and will maybe pass it on to friends . . . . see you on the other side! Tree in the mist on the golf course . . . A stunning reflection in a small pond Seagulls taking at rest by the lake at the back of the nature centre . . . Dew in a spiders web . . . The sun just peeking...