Sean Duffy

After much thought, I've decided that I will no longer be able to do a photo a day due to time constraints. I know this is a disappointment to some of you, and I apologise for that. I will however, continue to post photographs of  my local area from time to time.  I started this challenge as a way to force myself to be more creative and to document my life in a more meaningful way. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about myself and about photography. But as the days went on, it became increasingly difficult to find the time to take photos every day. I have a full-time job, and am still dealing with the aftermath of my parents passing. As you can imagine, it's been tough juggling everything. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've decided that it's time to make a change. I'm going to take a break from the photo a day challenge for a while. I don't know when I'll start it back up again, but I hope to do so later this year. I want to than

A photo a day. The heavens opened. I was travelling along a local road when the rain intensified. I pulled over to a safe place to grab this pic. Sadly, you can't make out the rain in the photo - but I think you will get the idea. Torrential is an understatement. 

A photo a day.  Rivers are swelling once more.  We seem to be having April showers in the wrong month ;) Here are some interesting facts about rain: The average raindrop takes about 2 minutes to fall from the clouds to the ground. The tallest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela, which has a height of 979 meters. The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram in India, which receives an average of 11,871 millimeters of rain per year. The driest place on Earth is Atacama Desert in Chile, which receives an average of 1 millimeter of rain per year. Rain is made up of water droplets that are so small that they can float in the air.

A photo a day.  Also known as Pussy Willow.  A close up shot of Goat Willow seed pods. Early in spring, male flowers appear on branches – the soft, silky, silver hairy buds give rise to the alternate name of Pussy Willow. These turn into fluffy balls of pollen. Female flowers, on separate trees, are long green catkins that erupt into white fluff surrounding the seed in May or June. Goat willow is a small willow tree or shrub that is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. It is one of the earliest trees to flower in the spring, and its fluffy catkins are often used in decorations. Goat willow is a valuable tree for wildlife, and its bark and leaves have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Goat willow is a deciduous tree or shrub that typically grows 6-15 meters tall. It has a rounded crown and smooth, gray bark. The leaves are oval-shaped and have serrated edges. They are green on the top and hairy on the bottom. Goat willow produces male and female catkins. The male cat

A photo a day.  Eating for two.  These ladies appeared quite eager to devour the treat left out for them. The red marking on their back indicates that they could be eating for two. 

A photo a day.  Bird bailiffs.  I totally understand the need for tree management, but does it need to be done in Spring, when birds are beginning to pair up and build their nests? The photo below is from one small stretch of a local bridleway.  Hundreds of branches have been trimmed from local trees, effectively evicting any birds that are beginning the nesting process. Why not cut-back in Autumn?  In a week, or so, the bird-bailiffs will return, to place the trimmed branches into a chipper. I'm annoyed. 

A photo a day.  Joy follows.  A walk with the ubiquitous Poppy. Buddha : We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them. 

A photo a day.  Wath Bridge. Heavy rain over the past few days has swollen the local rivers. This is a shot at the double arched Wath Bridge, which was built in 1816 to replace the earlier Dent bridge. The fast flowing River Ehen is fed from Ennerdale Lake, with the River Keekle adding to its volume at Cleator. It flows through Egremont and then out to sea near Seascale.  The River Ehen is a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The river is home to a variety of wildlife, including salmon, trout, freshwater pearl mussels, and kingfishers. The River Ehen is a beautiful and important river. It is a popular spot for recreation and a vital part of the local ecosystem.

A photo a day.  Balance.  Carl Jung: "Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."

A photo a day.  Car proud.  This is an early morning shot of my sons Audi A5, with beads of water sat upon the bonnet. It's probably the only car on the street that is constantly waxed and polished.

A photo a day.  Foggy. It's been a foggy day today, and another visit for me to the West Cumberland Hospital to see a family member who was admitted a few weeks ago with a bilateral ankle break. I seem to have been backwards and forwards to the WCH for near on six months now. I really hate being there, but needs must. Hospital is a miserable place at the best of times, and more so it seems, with pea soup for the weather.

A photo a day.  Joyful sorrow.  Here's hoping that all you mothers out there have a great day. I lost my dear Mam in August last year, and while today is difficult, it's also a day of celebration for me. It is one, where I can be thankful for spending 54 years under her wing, and of knowing that she is still looking over me in times of joy and sorrow. Thank you Mam. X. 

A photo a day.  Great bark, but no bite.  At a guess, this tree is of the Willow variety. But, as far as my arborist skills go, it could also be a rose bush.  Q. What type of tree fits in your hand? 

A photo a day.  Clothes shopping. Like most men, I hate this pastime with a passion. Forwards. Backwards. Round in a circle. Back to the starting point. Arghh!

2000 AD  The greatest comic?  Comics across the globe have a huge following. 2000 A.D. Is up there as one of the greatest of all time, and is most noted for its Judge Dredd stories.  I recently sold 2000 A.D. Programme 1 (Issue 1) on eBay, from February 1977, and am now offering up for sale a special collection of Number 1 issues, as a bundle. It is sure to spark the interest of collectors out there. Some of these are as new.  As well as the special bundle of Number 1 issues, I'm also going to offer for sale the very special, 2000 A.D. Issue 2 (programme 2) - this issue is where Judge Dredd was introduced to the world.  The auction will go live on Saturday 18th February. Give me a follow . I don't ship globally. This is a UK only sale.

A photo a day.  Wet. Wet. Wet.  It's a wet day. I'm not sure I can add anything else. Well, apart from yuk!

A photo a day.  View from Cleator.  There was a hard frost overnight, which was a particular nuisance for me, having to de-ice my car after a 12 hour night shift. Another weather warning has been issued for snow and ice. Its getting tedious now. I want warmth. 

A photo a day.  Short-lived snow.  Earlier today, we had a light covering of snow. Now, it's mostly gone. You can just about make out snow on the felltops, through the trees at Sneckyeat, near Whitehaven.  Sneck is a northern word for latch. Yeat is derived from geat (old English), meaning gate. 

A photo a day.  Wet. Windy. Nasty.  It's a wholly unpleasant day today, with wind and rain. The temperature is set to plummet later in the evening, so there is also a potential of heavy snow overnight. Egremont is an ancient town, with a market charter being granted in 1266. Just off the main street, there is a ruinous castle which was built around 1120. The town hall, with clock tower, was built in 1890.

A photo a day.  Tin roofed sheds.  This is a zoomed shot, across the allotments at Cleator Moor. It has a look of a South African shanty town, with tin roofs on the sheds. 

A photo a day.  4am Selfie.  A quick walk with Poppy; an early morning selfie, and then off to work for the day. I don't normally do self portraits, so this is a little teaser for those wondering what I look like ;) According to the Urban Dictionary, mounting a camera on a wild goat and having it take photos while it charges at you is not a selfie. Who knew? Lol.

A photo a day.  We have snow. But not for long.  It snowed overnight. It was quite heavy too. But this morning, I suspect that there will be a lot of disappointed children as a thaw is underway. Is this winters last blast? I hope so. 

A photo a day.  No snow here. Yet.  While much of the country has woken up to snow this morning, here in West Cumbria the sky is overcast and the ground is free of the white stuff. Will we see snow later? It's certainly cold enough.  Todays photo is of a kissing gate, which leads onto the local cycle path. 

A photo a day.  Blue and fluffy.  It's a lovely morning today, with fluffy clouds across a blue sky. The temperature is hovering around 1°C. Just perfect. The calm before the storm? 

A photo a day.  Yellow peril?  Daffodils are sprouting in gardens, parks, and on verges right now, just as a yellow weather warning is forecast to bring heavy snow for the county. Hopefully the weather isn't as bad, as is being suggested. I have vivid memories of newborn lambs being dug from deep snowdrifts during the month of March, in the 1970's and would hate to see that happen again.  The darker central trumpet of this flower, which hasn't fully unfurled, shows us that it is a wild variety.  Did you know? The Daffodil is also known as the Lent Lily. 

A photo a day.  Spiralling beauty.  The top of a fence post. Cracked, and spiralling. Nature is lovely; up close, or at a distance. 

A photo a day.  Danger of death.  There's a beauty in the design of electricity pylons, and yet when stretched across the land, they're hideous monstrosities at the same time.

A photo a day. Bulb change.  Why do car manufacturers make changing a headlight bulb difficult, with the stupid location of certain components within the engine bay? I don't have the hands of a five-year-old, so the front end must come off to change a £7 bulb on my little runabout Corsa. A garage would charge around £80 for the privilege of illumination. I'm annoyed.

A photo a day.  I'm not parked in a field.  On first look, it appears that a cow is peering through my car window. But, if you take look in the mirror, you'll see that I'm parked alongside an advertisement at a local supermarket. And yes, the parking spaces are a tight squeeze. 

A photo a day. The first.  This Primrose grows wild on a local bridleway. It's one of my favourite little flowers. It's a great indicator that spring is almost here.  The name of the flower is derived from prima, meaning first. 

I love to embrace technology. And, as such will soon begin to use artificial intelligence to create some of the textual content on this blog. For transparency, when you see the tag, AI , you will know that the content (whole, or partly) has been created by a virtual being. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously. AI research has been highly successful in developing effective techniques for solving a wide range of problems, from game playing to medical diagnosis. In recent years, AI has become increasingly important in the field of blogging. AI-powered tools can be used to automate many of the tasks involved in blogging, such as writing blog posts, finding images, and scheduling posts. This can free up bloggers to focus on other aspects of their business, such as creating high-quality content and engaging with their audience. AI can also be used to impr

A photo a day. Sleeping beauty.  An early (3am) morning photo from me today as I return to work following a period away from the daily grind. I'm not too sure how the photos will work from this point forward as I work 12 hour shifts, and cameras are not allowed at my job. But, I'll try my best to fulfil the daily challenge.  Poppy greeted me in her usual manner this morning, as I descended the stairs from my slumber. She grabbed one of her teddies, with tail wagging vigorously. Morning cuddles ensued. A quick cup of tea for me, and Poppy made herself comfortable beside me. I'll be heading out for a short walk with her soon, but will let her sleep for another 15 minutes or so.  She will be 13 this coming June, which makes Poppy around 75 in human terms. She's still sprightly for her age. But, has noticeably slowed down over the last 6 months. Hopefully there is still another few year left in the old lass.  When I first met Poppy, I vowed to give her a full life. I think