Chris Jefferies

Frosty cobweb

Never give up! According to the story, Robert the Bruce learned that lesson by watching a spider at work. So should we.

Image 113 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Cobwebs are so-called because ‘cob’ is an old English word for ‘spider’. As you will know, they are usually very hard to see, but moisture or frost renders them clearly visible when weather conditions are right. This example on the wooden fence at the end of our garden is typical.

It’s astonishing that a spider can spin a web like this working almost entirely on instinctive responses to the support structures available. They begin by attaching a thread to any object that may be available. Once they have three or four points of contact set up, they lay out the radial silk threads, and these are purely structural and are all free of the adhesive that traps insect prey. Finally they lay out the spiral with sticky threads. And then they lie in wait until something shakes the web and then dart out to capture a meal if one has arrived.

There is hard work and investment in building the web, and there are good days when food arrives in plenty, and other days when frost makes the hidden net visible and nothing is caught, days when the wind ruins the old web and a new one must be created.

Never give up! According to the story, Robert the Bruce learned that lesson by watching a spider at work. None of us should give up in times of failure.

Christmas has gone and the New Year is almost upon us, so I’ll wish all of you, my readers, the very best of everything for 2025. Grace and peace to you in Jesus’ name. No doubt it will, like all previous years, be full of unexpected surprises, some good, others challenging. There will be things to smile and laugh about, and difficulties to overcome. But by this time next year I hope that most of us will be able to remember the best things without dwelling too much on the problems. However you look at it, life is full, and 2025 is nearly here.

Themed image collections

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Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Low cloud at Christmas

The Christmas lights had been switched on at the beginning of December and then we had low cloud.

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Image 112 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

This was a magical moment that just asked to be captured. The Christmas lights had been switched on at the beginning of December and then we had low cloud. The top of the church tower was partly obscured, but other buildings in the town were not tall enough to be affected.

I took several shots, and this one seemed the best of them. So here it is for all to see. Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year of grace and peace as we head into 2025.

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Forward look – Ukraine – 3

You’ll find this Times Radio interview with Philip Ingram most interesting.

DECember 2024(2)

< Dec 2024 | Index | Jan 2025 >

This is an interim addition to the series on Ukraine. If you are interested in what lies ahead for Ukraine and the disgraceful Russian invasion that is still underway there, you’ll find this Times Radio interview with Philip Ingram most interesting.

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Seventeen Haiku on Covid

Covid in our land – Let’s be very close friends in – self isolation

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Image 111 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

A Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines; the first provides a topic as a phrase (five syllables), then the second (seven syllables) and third (five syllables) form a sentence about the topic. Five, seven, and five is the basic structure of Haiku.

Back in the difficult early months of COVID-19 I began writing some Haiku about the outbreak, social distancing, the way community develops despite difficulties, and hope for the future. At the time I didn’t publish this poetry, but now I think I’d like to – so here they are.

Writing 17 of these little verses (5+7+5) makes a sort of Haiku of Haiku. Read them all if you like, but if you grow tired, skip to The whole story where something magical happens!

Five Haiku

Covid in our land
Let’s be very close friends in
self isolation

Social distancing
Two metres apart is safe
though hearts beat closer

Needing a helper
We’ll support one another
neighbour to neighbour

Encouragment comes
Find something to make us smile
sunbeam in a storm

Compose a poem
So write your best Haiku now
to lift people up

Seven more

Self isolation
A hug is far, far better
but really unsafe

Thinking of others
Ask everyone around you
can I pray for you?

The King of Heaven –
Jesus says to give others
more than they expect

Things my neighbour lacks
If I have an abundance
it’s on offer now

Anxiety gone
No fears brother or sister
what is mine is yours

Loving Tinglesfield
All the people living here
are filling my heart

More strength in numbers
Togetherness is good and
community wins

Final five

Hope among friends
This trouble will not last so
be patient and trust

Patience and waiting
Work for the day when it ends
and have fun later

An end to struggle
The virus is defeated
and it’s street party time

Time of rejoicing
Be loudly thankful and shout
but think of lost friends

Street community
You stood strong as a mountain
now laugh like a brook

The whole story

Now drop the first line of each verse (the ‘topic lines’) and collect up the rest, add a little spacing and punctuation to make prose. This is what you get:

Let’s be close friends in self isolation; two metres apart is safe, though hearts beat closer. We’ll support one another neighbour to neighbour, find something to make us smile – sunbeam in a storm! So write your best Haiku now to lift people up.

A hug is far, far better but really unsafe. Ask everyone around you, ‘Can I pray for you?’ Jesus says to give others more than they expect; if I have an abundance it’s on offer now, no fears brother or sister – what is mine is yours. All the people living here are filling my heart; togetherness is good and community wins.

This trouble will not last so be patient and trust, work for the day when it ends and have fun later. The virus is defeated and it’s street party time, be loudly thankful and shout – but think of lost friends. You stood strong as a mountain, now laugh like a brook!

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Mixed mushrooms

Cook them with a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

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Image 110 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Mushrooms are such a useful cooking ingredient, they add a lot of savoury flavour to any dish. Cook them with a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and a little olive oil (or butter if you prefer) and tip them onto hot toast – mmm… Try this search for mushroom recipe ideas.

When: December 2023
Where: At home, Cirencester

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Fog…

If you can see further than a kilometre it’s mist, less than a kilometre and it’s fog .

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Image 109 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Here’s a foggy day about a year ago, captured by my camera. When warm, moist air mixes with cold air – this is the result. Some of the moisture condenses into tiny droplets, distant objects are obscured, and closer object lose much of their contrast and colour. Everything looks washed out and grey.

Everything is still (even a light breeze will sweep away any hint of fog). The world seems mysterious because so much is hidden from view. Do you know the difference between fog and mist? it’s all about what is hidden from view; if you can see further than a kilometre it’s mist, less than a kilometre and it’s fog (technically). But in everyday life it’s normal for the cut-off to be much closer, around 180 metres.

Time for a Haiku, perhaps?

Winter fog and mist
Hidden heavy blanketing
Cold and damp and grey

When: 6th December 2023
Where: Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire

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Forward look – Ukraine – 2

Ukraine continues to devise and manufacture novel equipment including drones that can avoid jamming over the final part of their trajectory by tracking the target and striking it without manual control.

A destroyed Russian column in Bucha (Wikimedia)

DECember 2024

< Nov 2024 | Index | Dec 2024(2) >

There are many sources of news, interviews, and comment covering events in Russia and Ukraine. There’s a list of some of these at the end of the article. The history of events so far is also well covered. But here I want to consider the future. What might happen next?

Russian advances on the front line

Russia is still making small gains in the east, but at huge cost in men and materiel. But Ukraine has sometimes been able to make small advances too, and I think there’s a slow trend detectable here. The to and fro actions continue to be small scale, and although the bulk of the movement is still in favour of Russia, my feeling is that it’s getting harder for them and perhaps easier for savvy, well-led and well-equipped Ukrainian forces.

One reason for this, I think, is that Ukrainian drone and missile attacks inside both the occupied territories and into Russia itself, have focused heavily on military targets. Russian ammunition dumps, airfields, critical road and rail links, arms factories, oil refining and storage and so on are seriously disrupting supplies to the Russian army. Also, Ukraine continues to devise and manufacture novel equipment including drones that can avoid jamming over the final part of their trajectory by tracking the target and striking it without manual control; mine laying robots that can destroy Russian tanks in places thought to be mine-free; and the relatively new Peklo long range jet-powered missile-drone (just three examples).

Russian air-power is floundering, Ukraine has forced Russia to move its aircraft further from the conflict zone, reducing their ability to drop glide bombs or support ground operations.

Presence of Korean forces

The Koreans still appear to be fairly ineffective. Perhaps due to a combination of language difficulties, poor training, and unsatisfactory leadership.

Donald Trump as US President Elect

Several things suggest Trump may be less helpful to Russia than we may have expected. Putin might have miscalculated by publishing nude images of Melania on Russian state TV. It’s becoming more likely that Putin will, in the end, lose the war and, indeed, power; and Donald Trump is unlikely to want to be associated with any kind of loser. If Ukraine comes out on top, Trump might like to be seen to have helped . I think this is something to watch closely going forward.

Technology

I mentioned this above. Russian industry is struggling to produce sufficient war materiel, but Ukraine has been ramping up, domestically producing ever larger quantities of shells, drones, missiles and so forth. Some of her European allies have been doing the same (Poland and the Baltic States in particular).

Russian economy

Sanctions continue to throttle Russia’s economy. Manpower shortages, the fall in the Ruble’s value, inflation and high interest rates are seeing accelerating changes. Russian economists cannot fix these issues, and the country is attempting to reduce rampant inflation while increasing the money supply. How far off is disastrous economic collapse?

Unhappy and rebellious populace

It’s quite clear that the Russian people are becoming very unhappy, particularly with the coldest part of the winter coming soon. By contrast, in Ukraine people are weary but morale and determination remain high. I mentioned this in November too, but what I didn’t mention then is the restlessness and churn amongst the wealthy business owners, politicians, and the top people in the military. We saw with Prigozhin how frustration and dissatisfaction can lead to revolt. Challenges like this will surely happen again. They will not always fail.

The assassination in Moscow

The remotely controlled explosion in Moscow that killed a Russian general and a member of his staff will have caused some anxiety among Russian leaders, both military and political. And it’s yet another blow to Putin’s prestige following the loss of control in Syria. It also makes it clear that Ukraine will not tolerate war crimes committed against their forces and are capable of acting in the very heart of Russia.

< Nov 2024 | Index | Dec 2024(2) >

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Chastleton window

The panes of old glass are held in place with lead, reinforced by a horizontal iron bar for additional strength and rigidity.

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Image 108 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

I wonder what past events might have been witnessed by this lovely, old window at Chastleton House in Oxfordshire? Windows are not made like this any longer, the window frame is stone-built as part of the structure of the house. The panes of old glass are held in place with lead, reinforced by a horizontal iron bar for additional strength and rigidity.

Chastleton is on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, between Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton. It’s famous for its amazing plaster ceilings but it would still be an architectural gem without those. It’s managed by the National Trust these days.

The house was built in the Jacobean period between 1607 and 1612; it was owned by the same family for almost 400 years until the National Trust took over in 1991.

When: 15th December 2023
Where: Chastleton House, Oxfordshire

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Fallen tree

Some things are important…we should do the things that matter most right away…we should not fritter away our time…life really is precious.

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Image 107 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

Winter storms occasionally bring down mature trees, even if they are healthy. That happened on the road between Stratton and Cirencester on 21st December 2023. The picture shows the clearing up afterwards. The car driver had a very frightening experience and a lucky escape; the tree trunk crushed the right hand side of the bonnet and I imagine the car was a write-off. Amazingly the windscreen was undamaged and the driver presumably shaken but unhurt.

The road was completely blocked by the trunk and branches of this large, mature lime tree, but the team worked quickly and it was clear again later the same day.

Life is full of unexpected events, most of them entirely harmless, some of them inconvenient, and occasionally something that shakes us up and makes us think about life in a different way, at least for a time. It’s probably good for us to face these think-about-life-differently events once in a while. It helps us to realise that some things are important, that we should do the things that matter most right away, that we should not fritter away our time, that life really is precious, and that we should be sympathetic to those who have suffered unexpectedly in life.

I suppose in the end the important thing is to love others regardless of whether they are close family, complete strangers, or somewhere in between. Everybody matters!

When: 21st December 2023
Where: Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Churn flood plain

You can see the Churn’s flood plain very clearly in this image. The treeline on the horizon marks the border of Cirencester Park and is on much higher ground.

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Image 106 – What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image every day or so.

This is a view of the River Churn overflowing into fields, the village in the background is Stratton, where Donna and I live. As you can see, Stratton is on higher ground and is not at risk of flooding, though some parts of nearby Cirencester are at risk during the winter.

You can see the Churn’s flood plain very clearly in this image. The treeline on the horizon marks the border of Cirencester Park and is on much higher ground, and beyond those trees the beech woodland is criss-crossed with rides at different angles, very different from farmland and home to roe deer and many kinds of wild woodland plants and animals.

When: 23rd December 2023
Where: North of Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

< Previous | Index | Next >

See also:

Themed image collections

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Cirencester

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DECember 2024(2)

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Five Haiku

Seven more

Final five

The whole story

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Time for a Haiku, perhaps?

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DECember 2024

Russian advances on the front line

Presence of Korean forces

Donald Trump as US President Elect

Technology

Russian economy

Unhappy and rebellious populace

The assassination in Moscow

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See also:

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Cirencester

Themed image collections

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See also:

Cirencester

Themed image collections

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