Cheerful

I wasn't even slightly cheerful when I woke up this morning in the throes of a rheumatoid flare. What with the state of my hands, and the fact that the weather has turned stormy again, I knew that I was unlikely to be going out with the camera, so I thought the best thing would be to get some flowers and take an easy photo indoors. Luckily, R is always happy to interrupt Saturday chores for a small road trip and some coffee, so off we went to Stratford.

On our way home, another driver on the road that runs down from the Roman Road to the village flashed a warning at us, and a few yards further on we found our way blocked by a large heap of fallen willow - it looked as though about half a tree had been blown down. R, and some other drivers who arrived at the blockage very shortly after us, set to work to break off enough branches to clear a single car width of road, while I sat in state in our car, looking like someone who wasn't prepared to get her hands dirty. It was a salutary reminder of the damage a summer storm can wreak.

I'd planned to download some software that produces watercolour effects, and to make a creative image of the sunflowers, but the afternoon ran away with me and in the end I had to shoot them "straight". Maybe if I have more time over the next couple of days - which are also forecast to be at best changeable - I may revisit the idea.