Beautiful Things

An autumnal day with the trees in their burnt colours and the mist rising loosely over the fields, making the landscape look like a Chinese painting.

The night of a full moon, an occasional cloud veiling its light.

Cold moonlight shining on slate roofs.

The bright flash of a fox’s tail as it slinks out of sight. 

The song of a blackbird. This is especially beautiful if heard early in the morning when there is little other noise to interrupt its clear, trilling sound.

Frogs. Though many people find frogs quite ugly, there is something beautiful about their slick, rubbery skin and the way they hold themselves immobile. A frog jumping is a very amusing sight.

A spider's web beaded by dew or frost.

The bare fields, stripped of wheat. 

Wildflower meadows busy with many-coloured flowers, themselves heavy with bees and other insects.

The Peacock butterfly. I love to find them basking on the side of my house, or the ripe flowers of a buddleia. Their soft, brightly coloured wings and larger than average size are quite impressive.

Libraries. Not only are many library buildings quite beautiful pieces of architecture, what they represent is perhaps more beautiful.

Manchester central library

English wildflowers

Wood Anemone, Traveller's Joy,
Cowslip, Primrose, Lady's Smock.

Hogweed, Bogbean, Eyebright, Ling,
Skullcap, Bugle, White Dead-Nettle.

Sheep's-bit, Goosegrass, Field mouse-ear,
Hound's-tongue,  Hogweed, Ragged robin,

Gypsywort, Fairy flax,
Jack-by-the-hedge

Feverfew, Ragwort, Daisy.

The pleasure of watching birds

Whether one lives in the countryside or in the city, there are always wild birds to be found. It takes only patience and a certain stillness and soon enough a bird or a flock of birds will come into view. Watching birds can bring considerable pleasure.

From my window I have a good view of the garden, and I am fortunate to live in a place in which there is an abundance of wild birds. I love to identify the different species of bird that arrive in my garden. There are the flocks of starlings that arrive en masse, a great speckled blackness pecking in the grass or weaving a dance in the sky. Goldfinches are another bird that appear in packs, little fluttering flashes of gold and red that settle on the roofs of the houses or amongst the branches of trees. House sparrows, though dowdy of feather, remain interesting to watch on account of their constant movement, their squabbles and their comparative boldness. Blackbirds often appear solo; with their bright orange beaks and musical whistle they are a pleasant presence in the garden, though when a cat appears their warning cry carries quite a distance and can grate on the nerves. Tits, of any variety, are always a flashy presence with their vivid colouring and acrobatic capability they are the true showman of the suburban garden. The robin is a heartening presence in winter or summer. Crows are always an interesting visitor; there is something in the eyes of a crow that speak intelligence, and their glossy feathers and vicious beak create an impressive vision.

Even within the apparent desert of cities, birds may often be found. The pigeon, though considered a pest, is still quite beautiful. With their soft grey feathers, interspersed with light pinks and lavender, a glitter of teal, and their curiously clockwork-like movements, their variety and boldness they are a most under-appreciated presence in our cities. Their deformed feet and the way in which people disperse them so offhandedly, is a source of much dismay. It is easy to forget that pigeons thrive in such numbers because of human wastefulness and lack of care for the environment. Similarly in seaside resorts, gulls are a familiar but unwelcome presence yet they are quite graceful and appealing in flight.

It is exciting to hear the hoot of the owl at night. 

Clouds

There are clouds that blanket the sky like a shroud, flat featureless swaths of grey.

There are clouds like great snow encrusted mountains resting on the horizon some distance away.

The cumulonimbus cloud as it descends is quite dramatic, darkening the air with electric shadows.

The clouds I like the best are cirrus, wisps of translucence like the gentle stroke of an artist's brush. It is astonishing to think that so many miles up, it is raining.

I enjoy the sky in the evening. Skies preceding turbulent weather when many cloud types - cirrus, altocumulus, altostratus - compete to catch the vibrant colours cast by the receding sun.

Flat-bottomed cumulus on a sunny day remind me of days out at carnival or an amusement park. They way they form in neat, patient rows is quite charming.