VIEW FROM NUTHILL

This clump of firs reminded me of Stone Pines, the type you see around the warmer areas of the continent - but it being a chilly December day in the Cotswolds when I took the picture, I suspect they are more likely to be something like Scots Pines.
The view is from Nuthill, looking over towards Coopers Hill woods in the misty background.

DISAPPEARING TRACKS

These muddy tracks had obviously been gouged out before the frosty weather had arrived but as you can see by the icy puddle, the chilly conditions afterwards then preserved them.
The location was a hillside around the Portway area.

DISAPPEARING ROAD

This remnant of road on the outskirts of Gloucester had almost totally disappeared in amongst the wild growth.
There was nothing at either side of the road, this was all there was in an area of dense wilderness, so I've no idea what place it was connected with.

DISAPPEARING HEDGE

This autumnal hedge suddenly disappeared not too far from where I took the picture.
You can tell that it runs alongside a hill with a very steep dip and so it reminded me of the infamous cheese-rolling spot, Cooper Hill.
This one wasn't too far from Coopers Hill, it being located somewhere nearer the Upton Hill area.

AUTUMN MARSH

It's not only trees that change colour in Autumn, some grasses too go through the same process.
This area in Sud Meadow displayed tufts of grass that had changed colour in Autumn.
Although it was flooded when I took the picture, the area throughout the rest of the year always remains marshy even when there are no floods. You've got to tread carefully around this part of Sud Meadow as your feet sink way under!

AUTUMN TRACK

These trees couldn't have been here very long judging by how young they looked, but they still managed to display a nice splash of colour in Autumn.
The picture was taken on a country track around the Port Ham area in the late 90's, so if the trees are still there now, they will probably be twice the size they are in this shot.

AUTUMN BRONZE

Earlier in Spring this year I put up a photo of this very tree displaying its white cherry blossom.
So a few months later, here it is again but in its Autumn foliage.
Both images were taken in the 90's and the location was a park in Gloucester.

ORDERLY TREE

I can remember that I took this picture on the outskirts of Gloucester in the mid 90's but I can't recall if it was in spring or autumn so I'm not sure if the upright growths on the tree branches are leaf buds or seed pods, but I thought it was quite unusual to see them all lined up in such an orderly manner looking like soldiers on parade!

TWIN TRUNKS

A couple of examples of twin trunk trees I've spotted on my jaunts.
The top one was in Highnam and the one under it was in Port Ham.

AMBER AMBLE

Both of these shots were taken in the 90's in Gloucester - the top one showing a bush that had turned yellow, highlighted even more so because of the blue backdrop.
The second one was me underneath a weeping birch canopy with its autumnal colours lit up by the morning sunshine.

FIRE AND FEATHERS

To say this tree in its autumn foliage stood out from its surroundings, is a bit of an understatement - it reminded me of a ball of fire, as if a comet had just landed!
This garden area with the feathery pampas grass was located in Stoke Orchard.

AUTUMN LAMP

I thought this street lamp had been left on during the day as I passed it, then I realised it was the way the sunlight was hitting it that created the illusion of the glow.
This autumnal scene was caught in Gloucester, late 90's.

DYING TREE NEAR HARESFIELD

This tree in a field near Haresfield church had nearly reached the end of its life. It only had a tiny amount of growth on a lower branch and that was it, while all the other trees in the background still had their full summer foliage.

AUTUMN IN HIGHNAM

The autumn weather made the tree in the foreground stand out and the dramatic cloudy sky made the church spire in the background stand out.
And I was standing out in those lousy conditions in Highnam!

OLD STONES

This is an even older wall than the one in yesterdays post!
It's one of the ancient ruins in Gloucester - with the cathedral popping up in the background.

BRIMPSFIELD COTTAGE

This dinky little cottage had a rather nice old stone wall around its garden area, quite typical for that neck of the woods in fact.
The scene was captured in Brimpsfield, with the village church visible in the background.

FRAMPTON COURTYARD

Here's a very nice Cotswolds scene - it's the courtyard area of a Tudor manor in Frampton On Severn.

FRANCE IN GLOUCESTER

This house looks as if it had been photographed somewhere in rural France - but I took the picture in the late 90's in the centre of Gloucester!

BLAKENEY BUILDING

I thought this building had a rather eccentric touch to it. Well it made me stop to take a snap of it anyway.
It almost looks as if it had once been part of a large mansion, but all that remains now is this gable end.
The location of it was somewhere around the Blakeney area.

GROWING IN THE GARDEN

This has got to be the biggest mushroom I've ever seen!
Apperley was the location of this garden growth.

STUMP AND TOADSTOOLS

Couldn't help spot this batch of toadstools at the base of a stump as I was wandering around Highnam Arboretum.
I was tempted to use the stump as a seat and use the toadstools as a footrest...but it was a bit on the damp side!

SMOTHERED STUMP

Don't know how long this old stump had been lying here undisturbed in Highnam Woods, but it was covered in dozens of these strange small white rimmed plate fungi.
Saucer fungi??!!

POPPY LINE

This field somewhere around Sandhurst was completely free of poppies apart from this long line of them running along the side of the hedge.

POPPY CLUSTER

This cluster of poppies were located behind a building next to a park in Gloucester.
Not sure if it was supposed to be a wild garden or if they had just taken over a spare bit of ground.

POPPY CLUMP

I'd often see entire fields covered in poppies and think nothing of it, but then a small clump such as this one near Cobberley would catch my eye in the passing and I'd get off my bike and take a snap!

THE OTHER MAYFLOWER

This boat on the canal near Slimbridge, was called Mayflower - but you wouldn't be able to squeeze many pilgrims on board this one!

SWANS DOWN BELOW

I was on a bridge near Gloucester and saw a pair of swans coming towards me, so I went across to the other side to take a photo of them when they appeared from under the bridge, thinking that a birds-eye view would make a more interesting shot. Just as I went to take the snap, the second swan spotted me and twisted its neck around as it looked up, so that kind of ruined the shot a bit, but I was still quite pleased with how it turned out, especially with the long shadows adding a nice visual touch.

SEVERN FLOOD GAUGE

This is the sophisticated equipment used when measuring the height of flood water on the Severn - big rulers!
The photo was taken around the Sud Meadow area.

SUNNY CORNER

I liked the contrast of the white railings on one side of the drain pipe and its dark shadow on the other side, with the sunflower in the middle adding a touch of colour.
The picture was taken in Gloucester in the mid 90's.

DOORWAY SHADOW

The shadows cast on the white wall caught my eye as I was passing this doorway in Gloucester.
It brought attention to all the fancy wrought iron work.