Having lived in this corner of Perthshire for a good number of years, I thought I knew my local area pretty well. So well, in fact, that I probably took it for granted.
The past eleven months and twenty-nine days (but who’s counting?!) since we began producing the “Friend” from our various kitchen and dining-room tables have changed all that.
Thankfully, even the strictest lockdown regulations have always permitted at least some daily outside exercise.
I wondered if I’d get bored walking close to home every day. Some days I did. But most days, there’s always been something new to see and appreciate.
My phone doesn’t have a great camera, but even so I like snap the things that catch my eye.
It might be the weather, the height of the river in drought or in spate, the plants and wildlife that appear in different seasons. Some walks take ages, because there’s so much detail to take in!
Last week’s snow made everywhere look like a Christmas card, so I was snapping all around me.
Photograph by Marion McGivern.
It was fun to look at the pictures side-by-side with others taken from more or less the same spot, at different times of year.
Nature always gives us something to enjoy – whatever the weather.
On the bridge (April 2020 vs February 2021)
Photographs by Marion McGivern.
The path through the trees (May 2020 vs February 2021)
Photographs by Marion McGivern.
Out of its depth
Photographs by Marion McGivern.
Weeks of dry weather left the fish in trouble in May 2020 (left). But you can have too much of a good thing! On the right is how it looked after the rains in August 2020.
Photograph by Marion McGivern.
And here the river is calm in February’s snow this year!
Why not share your “four seasons” photos with us, too? Share on Facebook, Twitter, or email them to us at betweenfriends@dctmedia.co.uk. We’d love to see them!
For more from the “Friend” Features Ed blog, click here.
Marion McGivern As editor of the cookery, money, pets and eco pages, Marion covers a wide range of regular Features content. Along with the rest of the Team, she enjoys finding interesting features for both the weekly and Special issues that readers will love. Having so much variety every day means that over ten years with the “Friend” has just flown by!
