It’s been hammering down here for most of the day so we’ve been doing our homework on another part of the grand plan. It’s been exhilarating and depressing all at once because we’ve realised we have got something quite good relative to our competitors and depressing because there seems to be a large ‘vested interest’ in keeping out outsiders. Ah well, I suppose we’ll just have to find a way around all the politics and stuff sooner or later. We knew it wouldn’t be easy.

When we got home, I’d bought some knuckle-bones for our dogs because their teeth need cleaning and the gnawing on the bones does the job really nicely. Archie carted his off outside and I went out to try to rescue it for a number of reasons:

1. It will become even more repulsive than it is already when soggy.
2. The hens will probably get a feast off it and poor old Arch will be left with the remnants.
3. We’ve got a big problem with rats here and I don’t want anything else lying around that will exacerbate the problem.

While I was hunting for the bone, which, incidentally I never found, I spotted rain droplets on the Cottinus Coggygria (one of the purple ones, though I don’t know which) and decided they looked so fab I’d try for a shot of them for my photo today.

BUT the light was poor, it was raining and I couldn’t get a decent shot so for the second time in a short period, I took some indoors to the studio to photograph. That gave me the opportunity to experiment in ways that I rarely do.

This is lit from underneath with a modelling light (no flash) to get the veining. I must say, I had a lot of difficulty deciding on a shot because I liked so many of today’s efforts. This is, indeed, a rare event in my life and a rare treat to be so spoiled for choice.

You can see some of the other shots from the session in 'catch a falling star' and in 'a few little drops of rain'.

Urgh - boats!