What an astonishing process has brought this image to your screen. Just think of the steps involved. From ivy to carved stone to an electronic array in my camera to the internet to your screen. Here it is in a little more detail:
Ivy carved in stone
The ivy grew from an ivy seed at a time and place long lost in the past.
Sunlight illuminated the ivy and some of the reflected rays entered the eyes of a stone carver, living in a different age than ours.
The patterns of light in the mason's eyes allowed the neurons in his brain to interpret and comprehend the delicate shapes of the ivy stems, leaves and fruit.
The mason's brain coordinated the movements of his hands holding chisel and mallet as he worked.
A representation of the ivy was unmasked in the block of stone by the skillful mason.
Sunlight illuminated the carved stone and some of the reflected rays entered the lens of my camera.
The colours and intensities were recorded as patterns of data in a memory card.
The patterns were stored again in the memory in my laptop.
These same patterns were transmitted across the internet to you.
The patterns of light were reconstructed on your screen.
Some of the reconstructed light entered your eyes.
The patterns of light in your eyes allowed the neurons in your brain to interpret and comprehend the delicate shapes of the ivy stems, leaves and fruit.
If this is not miracle layered upon miracle - then what is it?
Chris Hadfield has a better view from his window than most of us. He has been living and working on the International Space Station and has been active with a camera in his spare time. This recent example is typically stunning. Enjoy!
Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut, soon to end his command of the International Space Station (ISS).
During his tour of duty he's been an active photographer, taking and publishing dozens of stunning images of the Earth.
Here is a recent image showing city lights in the south-eastern part of the USA with the Moon rising above a small slice of blue sky on the horizon.
Chris has a good eye for composition and every picture he publishes has been excellent and breath-taking. He's been publishing these images from the ISS using his Twitter account. Isn't it amazing how 'normal' life in orbit has become?
Another favourite activity for Chris has been making videos demonstrating the effects of weightlessness in response to requests from people back on Earth.
Questions:
If orbital flight was cheap, would you enjoy a holiday in space?
If you could take just one photo on your space holiday, what would it be?
An icy pond in the Riverside Park - Photo taken 22nd January 2013 We've had some quite cold weather recently in St Neots, with several light falls of snow. But now the temperature has risen and heavy rain last night washed the last of the snow away.
The photo shows things as they were just four days ago, but now there's squelchy mud everywhere. The first snowdrops are in flower and are early signs that spring will soon be on its way.
Greetings to all my readers. This is a time to remember warm sunshine and abundant greenery, to enjoy the glitter of frost and the crunchy feel of frozen grass, and look forward to the return of flowers and warm weather. The King is here in all of it.
For years I've struggled with the Christmas season. Like all the traditional 'Christian' festivals there are many pagan elements involved and I'm not happy to be associated with those.
On the other hand I don't want to be a big disappointment to my wife, friends, daughters, or grandchildren. I have no wish to spoil anyone's fun.
In the end I've developed a workable compromise. I don't initiate any of the things that trouble me, but if other people want to do them I try to be gracious and not stand in the way or make a fuss. Between these two extremes is a place that is sometimes difficult, where I must choose between helping with something I'm uncomfortable with or not helping and risking disappointing people. Even here, I can often find an alternative, something to do that will help without directly involving me in the thing I'm uncomfortable about.
Greetings - But Christmas cards remain a difficulty. This year I'm going to send out greetings electronically wherever possible and this blog post is one means of doing that. I'll be working out how much money I save by not buying and posting cards, and will give it to a charity instead.
So what kind of greetings should I send you? Not Christmas greetings, for sure! Winter greetings, then. How about this slideshow of frosty scenes? They were all taken in St Neots where I live. (If you don't see the slideshow below you can view it as a gallery instead - then click the 'Slideshow' button at upper right).
You might also like to listen to 'Winter' from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. Along with the photos and the music, please accept a winter greeting from me at a time of year when (unless you live in the southern hemisphere) the days are short and often cold and the nights are long and even colder. Summer is far behind us, yet it also beckons from the year ahead, warmth, long days, flowers and vivid green leaves turning the countryside into a garden fit for a king.
Emmanuel - Fit, actually, for the King. Everything is so beautiful. That's because it contains the essence of the King himself. Creation contains the stamp of authenticity, the mark of its maker. Just look at the beauty of a frozen landscape, could anything be more beautiful? Could it? Well, maybe. Yet all things are beautiful and glorious with the beauty and glory of the King of kings.
He is here, in this season, in every season.
May he also rest in your heart in love. May you know him and receive him just as he knows and receives you. He is the beginning, the centre, and the end. He is all you need.
Questions:
What do you most like about the season of winter?
Have you ever wondered why fog freezes mostly on the edges and ends of leaves?
Flooding in the city of York - Photo taken 27th September 2012 Here we see serious flooding in the city of York. I was there visiting family, thankfully few homes were flooded and most of the city centre escaped apart from some car parks built on the flood plain.
The River Ouse reached its second highest level ever recorded following two days of constant rain. The flood waters are now receding and a clean-up operation is underway (midday 28th September).
A trip on the river - Photo taken 4th August 2012 The Embankment in Bedford takes in part of the River Great Ouse from the bridge at the town centre. There are great views of the town and the park. This family was enjoying the fine weather by hiring a boat and rowing up and down.
I was there with some friends on a photowalk. Great fun and very interesting. You can see some of the other photos I took in my Photowalk album.
What does this image say to you? There are no wrong answers. (Add a comment).
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Pink flowered wild blackberry - Photo taken 13th July 2012 Plants vary considerably within a species. Seedlings are all slightly different from one another and this wild, hedgerow blackberry near my home is no exception. Its flowers are easily the most deeply coloured I've seen. The normal colour is from white to a very pale pink.
What does this image say to you? There are no wrong answers. Add a comment.
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Collared dove chicks in the nest - Photo taken 8th April 2012 These young collared doves have been amusing us for a week or so. The parents built a nest in a jasmine plant just under the eaves of our house and we've watched as the chicks have grown. Now they look much like the adults and will leave the nest very soon.
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Snowdrops in the rain at Moggerhanger - Photo taken 20th February 2011
Moggerhanger Park has a fine collection of naturalised snowdrops in its areas of woodland. Last year I was able to capture a photo of these beautiful flowers liberally coated with raindrops.
The beech tree in our neighbour's garden - Photo taken 10th February 2012
This beech tree grows next door but the branches cross high over our fence. With a fresh snow fall yesterday and a beautiful blue sky, what a glorious sight it is! If you enlarge it you can make out some of last year's beechmast husks still clinging on.
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The River Great Ouse - Photo taken 18th September 2011
Here is the river in peaceful mood, just a ten minute walk from our house. Donna and I were looking for a geocache at the time but failed to find it. I did, however, pull out some more of the invading Himalayan Balsam growing nearby.
The river footpath is a favourite of mine at any time of the year, but it was stunning just at this time with hardly a ripple on the water.
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A cruise ship docked at the small Cornish town of Fowey (pronounced 'Foye') on a misty day. The ship looms mysteriously and the land beyond is almost invisible. Ocean Countess is operated by a British company, CMV.
It was not a cold day but devoid of sunshine, and the trees were collecting the tiny droplets of mist and dripping as they moved in the light breeze.
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