“St Peters Church, Ashboking Road, Henley, Suffolk UK” Photograph © chriswoodartist.com 2013
Another year another post ! It’s been a while since I last bared my soul & a lot of water has flowed under a large number of bridges. Says he, speaking both metaphorically and literally. I seem to have been living in the fast lane and this year it has rained and rained ! On the south coast we have escaped the awful floods that have struck most of the UK but even here, the alotments are paddling pools and many of the sporting events have been cancelled due to flooded pitches. Whilst we haven’t had a really cold spell yet as I sit and write this I am feeling the cold and beginning to wonder about my circulation (like you do) sadly the circulation of water in our central heating is static due to me being a miser and thinking about the amount it costs to heat a large Victorian house with high ceilings. I’m at the top of the house and can report that heat doesn’t seem to rise in Hampshire ! The long range forecast for the UK says that its going to get colder – so our heating might well find itself being jolted into action despite the cost ! Providing the ice and snow stays in the north I’ll remain happy – although it would provide me with a photo opportunity.
Now that I’ve finished my residency at Portsmouth Grammar School and my teaching stint at the University, I have a little more time on my hands, hence this rambling post. I have a number of projects that I’m working on and artists block is something I’ve never experienced – I’m not sure whether that’s good or bad but there always seems to be 101 things to explore and life is way to short to be wasted !
One of my many projects is studying and making prints & drawings of crows, rooks and ravens (hence my pinboard on Pinterest). I went up to Suffolk over the weekend and took a number of photographs of a local church which is surrounded with tall trees and nesting crows, all of which were very vocal and in fine fettle ! 
“St Peters Crows” Photograph © chriswoodartist.com 2013
As I approached the church there was a huge flock of crows circling around but sadly by the time I parked the car and got out, most of my feathered friends had settled in the trees. They were obviously settling in for the night, having gorged themselves in the neighbouring fields. They made quite a spectacle of themeselves !
“St Peters, bathed in winter sun” Photograph © chriswoodartist.com 2013
Watch this space for further creative responses to the land that time forgot. . . .
chriswoodartist 
Birds of Pray?
Groan ! : ) }