March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Movement” — The Caped Crusader joins the challenge. Our current weather forecast predicts snow. The dark banks of clouds have that worrying tinge of blue that means an umbrella won’t be enough. However, yesterday brought a welcome burst of sunshine. It wasn’t warm, but it was bright and had the Caped Crusader acting half her age. Although usually…

March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Movement” — After exercising, don’t forget to stretch. Stretching has all manner of benefits both physical and mental. It can increase flexibility and reduce stress. The time to stretch is after exercise, not before. Guidance has changed on this as we’ve learned more about the body. The advice these days is not to stretch before exercise. It used…

Here’s the question that springs to my mind in relation to this — does the person who tempted me into this challenge deserve thanks or curses? This wasn’t on my schedule for today, I have swerved away from other tasks to write this. I’ve recently resisted any number of writing…

Remembering Sunny Days: “December Freestyle” — No more sun for the dinos. The photo was taken earlier in the year before the entire flock received a custodial sentence. Initially, they were required to be “housed” because avian flu was raging across the country. They were essentially in open prison which kept them out of contact with gulls who seem to be the…

A Fancy Phenomenon: “December Freestyle” — Fancy pigeons gossip on the rooftop. A neighbour keeps fancy pigeons. We chance on them all around the area, bathing in rain puddles, blocking the road as they take advantage of a grain spillage, or swooping overhead before returning to their loft to settle for the night. …

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — Horse’s head? What do you think? Walks at this time of year are a game of How-Wet-Can-We-Get, with whole minutes sometimes standing under makeshift cover while a storm blows over. A benefit to being out in the thick of it is seeing these rain puddle reflection images form. When a sudden downpour catches me, I run…

November Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Collecting Smiles” — Would she really eat this toadstool? Would she? I admit it looks tempting and fresh, but it’s probably deadly poison — I have no idea. I’m not a mushroom/toadstool gatherer these days. But she’s a Labrador and it certainly looks tempting. In all our adventures over the years, the Caped Crusader and I have encountered many…

October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Collections” — Bedraggled collection queues for boiled rice. The weather has been dismal — wet and windy — but a dino collection can be relied upon the gather at the sight of a treats bowl no matter what forces nature brings to bear. They can be warm and dry if they want. They have an indoors with comfortable…

October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Collections” — Egg doubled-wrapped in a crinkly bag. We don’t get many eggs like this, perhaps one every couple of months. It’s not in a crinkly bag, of course, it’s in a robust crinkly shell, and it’s a whopper. There are many reasons for misshapen eggs. It can happen with immature hens, but we don’t have that problem…

September Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Comfort” — Still clear water with only birdsong. Water has many faces — turbulent, noisy, dangerous (a crashing waterfall, a storm at sea); quiet, peaceful, and comforting (a still lake, a warm bath). The photo shows an unexpected sanctuary tucked away down an unassuming track. There's a sign, but it’s small and doesn’t invite scrutiny — and it…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — Ha ha. Just our little joke. This is the Caped Crusader. She’s posing by the sign to make herself look tough. In reality, she’s the least aggressive dog I’ve ever known. Most non-aggressive dogs of my acquaintance will have their moments — defending their owners against attack, or their food bowls against intruders. Not so, the…

They’re not the only ones with sharp teeth — The Wages of Dying by Meghan Purvis is a vampire book, but I didn’t know that when I started it. Not that there weren’t some massive signposts from page 1 onward, but I was wrapped up enough in the story and the lives of the characters that I missed them…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — How many puffins make a trail? We unexpectedly met a puffin while wandering along a local town's seafront. It wasn’t labeled, so we weren’t sure why it was there. Investigations revealed it to be part of the Puffins Galore project. And the answer to how many make a trail is 42, which sounds Douglas Adams-ish. …

Summer Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shine!” — “No chance. Your ally’s on holiday.” The Caped Crusader loves raw eggs and is always on hand to clean up accidental spillages. I have been glad of her services over the years. Our egg store is in an awkward corner. If I slip when reaching in, any eggs that escape my grasp fall into an all-but-inaccessible…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — One — where there should be dozens. In previous years, this bush has been alive with bees, sometimes showing more bee than flower head. It’s early, and things should improve, but we’ve noticed a loss of bees year on year. Studies have shown that the effect of diminishing bee populations on crop production is worse than anticipated…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — A bird almost took my hat. Just sitting in the sun — part shade really — having a coffee, thinking about nothing at all and soaking up the summer, when a small bird arrowed past me so close I felt the breeze of its flight and thought a gust of wind was taking my hat. Sparrow…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — A brief rainstorm paints a picture. Warm sun and a blue sky are designed to make us lower our guard and forget that it’s spring and not summer yet. We’re not out of the season for sudden sharp downpours. It’s part of what makes the countryside so green at this time of year. The Caped Crusader…

The Caped Crusader was on hand to help when we moved the dinos to their renovated summer quarters. Back in the winter, when the weather did this …

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — Fancy new signs at dog height. Today on our journey around the neighbourhood, we found some new signs — each containing a 6-word story: “Please clean up after your dog”. …

Despite a cold snap that brought snow showers, the Caped Crusader has been full of the joys of Spring. In the above shot, she was facing me as I took the picture and managed a lightning 180 just for the fun of it. I got her front view a few…