What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

The words of WH Davies ring true still and this Blog is all about stopping to stand and stare. We live in a crazy world of rush and noise where silence is hard to find and seldom sought. Most people seem to fear silence and seek to fill every moment with noise. This is a place to watch and reflect.

It does seem odd to be starting a journal at the end of May, but that is where we are now. So a brief look at the early part of the year may put things in context.

January was cold. So cold that we had record temperatures of -12 in the garden. Snow lingered long and we were visited by numerous redwings and fieldfares from Scandinavia. Then the cold gave way to heat and during April and May hardly a drop of rain fell. Garden and wild flowers have reacted well with incredible displays. A record breaking hot summer is forecast.

In an attempt to slow down, I have not used my car for months. I walk, cycle and take the train instead and feel so much better for it. I cycled all the way to Braintree along the Flitch Way - a disused railway track. Then I cycled along the towpath of the Stort and Lea to Cheshunt. Soon, I shall finish that journey by taking the train to Cheshunt and then cycling on to Limehouse where the Lea flows into the Thames.

Train journeys can be exciting, adventurous and relaxing. Sometimes I go just for the ride and had a grand day in Bury St Edmunds after travelling along a delightful single track. A much longer journey was to Teeside to see my son, James. With changes at Cambridge, Peterborough and Darlington, I saw so much of the countryside and all for £25 by booking ahead. I intend to log future trips here.

Much of my time is spent on wildlife photography and my photos can be seen on Flickr. I do not intend to post many here. Instead, I shall use this blog to talk about my paintings and drawings. Having read books by Richard Bell, I have been tempted to take up pen and ink work. So one of my first pictures appears at the top of this page.