4th December from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth
A bitter, knife sharp wind from the North and East. The gulls look distinctly uncomfortable sitting on the grass. They are not feeding but sitting together in a crowd. They clearly know something of the coming weather out to sea. The green grey waves curl onto the shore. I think they know something too. Don’t you? The green is busy, though, with all varieties of walkers, from serious hikers in anoraks and gaiters carrying heavy rucksacks, to the dog walkers out for as brief as time as they can. And the sunday morning horizon gazers. Where the grassy areas have been left unmown there is a cornucopia of seed heads of teasels, wild carrots, docks not to mention the thick piles of holm oak acorns and sweet chestnuts. The birds and small animals will not be feeling hungry yet. And in the bare patches there are masses of worm casts, ideal hunting for blackbirds and gulls should they need to.
From 4th December 2021
The light goes out of the afternoon. Just a brillian sky to the West framed by the black silhouettes of the pines and decorated with purple flat top storm clouds. The sea has spurred itself into action and crisp waves are crunching on the beach. The wind is raw and bitter. In the gloom, the man who feeds the Crows and talks to them of many things is surrounded by a ghostly halo of gulls circling mournfully. The brilliance of Jupiter lights the sky to the South West. #Bournemouth #WestCliff #december #winter
From 4th December 2020
A pin sharp dawn. To the South East a slash of pale blue sky is set with the brilliant solitaire of Venus as she climbs up towards the rolling black and purple banks of clouds. Tiny lights of fishing boats prickle the steel grey waters of the bay. Further out the silhouettes of our four estranged cruise liners decked with their rows of lights look somehow magnificent and pathetic at once. Edwardian Dowagers surveying a world, all previous certainties crushed. The black whale backs of the hills of Purbeck glide to the South West. Unconcerned Blackbirds hop and peck on the path ahead.
