Bridge over the river Oich

Bridge over the river Oich that flows through the Great Glen in the Scottish highlands. Taken at dusk.

Gold Hill

With crooked houses and a cobblestone street, Gold Hill is probably one of the most quintessential streets in England. Its position on a steep hillside on the edge of the town evokes a forgotten England, which probably never existed, of early morning mists and thatched roofs; a time when everything was perfect and we had time to know one another. The stuff of dreams... The street was made famous in England by the (now) much more famous Ridley Scott, who directed a timeless TV ad for Hovis Bread, featuring a young boy pushing his bicycle up the steep hill to deliver loaves to his customers. I couldn't resist photographing it.

Monument Valley

Early morning in Monument Valley. What a beautiful and dramatic place.

Saint Thomas Becket Church

Saint Thomas Becket Church, Salisbury, England. Salisbury Cathedral is the most famous landmark in the town of Salisbury in the south of England. But not far from the Cathedral is the church of Saint Thomas Becket. The Cathedral gets almost all the tourist traffic while the little church of Saint Thomas Becket remains quietly in the background with relatively few visitors. This is such a shame as the church is beautiful! But then again, it's wonderful to be able to enjoy the tranquility of the place without hordes of tourists tramping past. Thomas Becket Church started life around 1220 as a place of worship for the stone masons, and their families, who were busy building the nearby Salisbury Cathedral. Saint Thomas Becket was rebuilt into a more permanent structure in the mid 1450's and the local affection for the little church was such that the townspeople paid for it themselves. The family crests and emblems of those townspeople are still in the church to this day.

White Mill Bridge

White Mill Bridge. My favorite bridge, built in 1175 and still in use today. This beautiful stone bridge spans the River Stour in the county of Dorset, southern England, and is probably the oldest bridge in existence to span this crystal chalk stream river. For its age it’s a big bridge, more than 200 feet long but only 12 feet wide. Modern cars can cross the bridge but in single file. The horse traffic of the past would have had no such barriers. Each of the pointed breakwaters between the arches has a safe space for pedestrians to stand to avoid being trampled by the passing horses. The same applies now for passing cars. The bridge is made from red sandstone, with alternating white sandstone highlighting the arches. It never fails to amaze me how the ancient architects of the past took such pride and care in their constructions. This is an utterly beautiful bridge.

Lindisfarne Castle Dining Room

The holy Island of Lindisfarne, just off the coast of the far north east of England, can only be reached along a causeway that is infamous for sweeping cars away with the advancing tide. The island has an ancient history stretching back to the dawn of Christianity in the British Isles. But the Island also has a long history of warfare. Positioned close to the Scottish border, it has been the scene of countless battles and invasions, not just by the English and Scots, but also from Viking raids. In the 16th century King Henry VIII ordered the island to be fortified against possible invasion by the Scots, and the Castle at Lindisfarne was the center of those fortifications. Sadly, the reformation ordered by King Henry VIII destroyed the monastery on the island, first by using the former monks’ home as a naval store, and later through plunder of the stone used for its construction. But time passes and the surviving Castle became a private home, being purchased by the publishing magnate Edward Hudson in 1901. Since 1944 the castle has been in the hands of the British National Trust and is usually open for tourist visits daily. The image here was taken in the Castle dining room, laid out just as it was used in the early 1900’s.

Lindisfarne Castle Drawing Room

The holy Island of Lindisfarne, just off the coast of the far north east of England, can only be reached along a causeway that is infamous for sweeping cars away with the advancing tide. The island has an ancient history stretching back to the dawn of Christianity in the British Isles. But the Island also has a long history of warfare. Positioned close to the Scottish border, it has been the scene of countless battles and invasions, not just by the English and Scots, but also from Viking raids. In the 16th century King Henry VIII ordered the island to be fortified against possible invasion by the Scots, and the Castle at Lindisfarne was the center of those fortifications. Sadly, the reformation ordered by King Henry VIII destroyed the monastery on the island, first by using the former monks’ home as a naval store, and later through plunder of the stone used for its construction. But time passes and the surviving Castle became a private home, being purchased by the publishing magnate Edward Hudson in 1901. Since 1944 the castle has been in the hands of the British National Trust and is usually open for tourist visits daily. The image here is the twin of the image of the Dining room, with a similar “Hobbit” style roof! The room is laid out just as it was used in the early 1900’s.

Beautiful Sally

Thiis is a portrait of the beautiful orangutan, Sally, at Columbus Zoo, Ohio. Very sadly, Sally died of complications following a bout of pneumonia in the spring of 2016. She was 34 years old which is a ripe old age for an orangutan. Sally was the sweetest creature and she will be very sadly missed by all.

Little Miami Scenic River, Ohio

Spring is just around the corner. A misty morning on the Little Miami Scenic River at the Narrows Reserve, close to Beavercreek in Ohio.