Went out to Epping Forest today, the northern bit, not the southern end I live next to. Journey got off to a good start. Driving towards the Redbridge Roundabout I noticed there was no massive tailback. The I saw the traffic lights weren't working. This is good news as since the lights were put there the tailbacks are permanent and the roundabout is very dangerous to drive on. Lights off, traffic flows and it's much safer as people use the correct lanes. Anyway, only four cars ahead of me, but the driver of the front one seemed to be waiting for a written invitation before pulling out. Eventually he spotted a gap large enough for the QEII and QMII to pull out and he went. After that no waiting, straight round to the M11.
As ever on a motorway I found myself having to go from the left hand-lane to the right to overtake some idiot poodling along the middle lane at 60. On to the country roads to experience another type of odd driving. I find myself sitting behind someone doing 30/40 on the 60mph roads. Get to a village with a 'Slow 30' sign and these people go scampering off. Get through the village, I start building up speed get to 50 and catch up with the same car now doing 30 having gone through the village at 50. Do these people think speed limit signs are inverted? Sometimes I have the pleasure of these people driving behind me. 60MPH road no-one behind me. I slow down for built up area (aren't I law abiding) and suddenly there's someone almost in my boot. Get through the town/village and accelerate. Car that was in my boot vanishes into the distance behind me as they slow down and I go faster.
Park in one of the forest car parks, thankful that I keep my wellies in the boot, and head off with camera round my neck. I like photographing trees. The shapes and pattern of the bark and roots or the forms made by the branches. I look for images that will work in black and white as well as colour, this time of year there's not exactly a lot of colour around. Great thing about wandering around forests is going to bits of it I've never seen before. I came across a small stream, complete with tiny waterfalls; probably helped by all the rain we've had.
Having wandered around for a while it crossed my mind that I've never seen a deer in Epping Forest. Five minutes in the New Forest and I saw three, twenty odd years of wandering around Epping and not one. Then, suddenly, I spotted a rabbit. Then another, then another. Rabbits running round all over the place. I was in bunny central. Didn't take any photos of them, not only were they very fast but I also had the 24-70 lens on. Didn't see the point of putting a 300 on as I wouldn't be able to catch a rabbit belting through the undergrowth.
I turned back towards the the car park and managed to find a boggy part of the forest. Mud up to my ankles.
Drove back home, lights still not working on the roundabout so no tailback again. Hope they're still off tomorrow. Run the photos through Lightshop, converted a few to BW.
I've been nipping in and out tonight checking for the lunar eclipse. Yes it is red.
Here's a couple of pics from Epping. Both fallen trees, I said I like the patterns.
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