It’s come to that point when my camera is absolutely stuffed with photographs and I need to delete some. But before I dump them all into the recycle bin, I wanted to share a few of the choice and thus far undocumented moments of recent weeks in Spring, for prosperity, for inspiraton, for fun, and because I deeply need a break from writing my self-evaluation teaching assignment in a windlowless room in my University. I am too weighed down with laptop, textbooks, photocopied sheets, notebooks etc. to joyously trip off outside and into the sunshine and so I must bring it indoors!

First up, I believe these are collared doves, living in the tree behind my bedsit. I have yet to blog about the splendid array of birds and their songs that surround the neglected little patch of land where we all park our cars, but I am constantly amazed by how many birds there are and these two beauties just stunned me the other day when I was out there attempting to photograph my knitwear for this post.

For anyone who was wondering what has happened to all my WW counting and budgeting, these things are continuing and this week I discovered to my joy that I had lost 3lbs! I am feeling super tiny and really enjoying not having 3 arses when I need to run up the stairs to fetch something and I celebrated the news of this happy, lighter situation with a slap-up-breakfast of scotch pancakes, tinned prunes, layered fromage frais and fresh plums.

I particularly enjoy the juxtaposition of these healthful items with the rather less healthy English Fry and attendant sound effects detailed on the Sonic Breakfast Plate. I also indulged myself with some menu-planning stationery; you all know how much I love the stationery.

Joey, at a particularly confused moment. I think what made me take this photograph was the way he was staring so intently at the wall, plus it was a rare opportunity to capture the endearing, boss-eyed quality that his face takes on at certain times.

The A4074 project continues apace; the footpaths appear especially enticing from my car, since the oilseed rape has burst into flower, flushing the hills all around a lavish shade of process yellow. I know from experience that this thrill will be short lived so am hoping to get out there again this weekend. Here is Mark, stopping for a water break somewhere near Itchen. I think he looks particularly dashing here, with his rakish hair being backdropped, Heathcliff-style, by the brooding skies and rolling hills of, ahem Oxfordshire. We must go to more wild and untamed landscapes for the full Wuthering Heights effect, but this is still quite good in the meantime.

Our I SPY/I HEAR Woodstock @ 900 special a couple of weeks ago on The Hub contained many joyous I SPY moments, but I especially like the stocks, and this photo of the book illustration beside the real thing.

I also liked this fearsome bear, in the back of The Bear Hotel. I took this for Mark, in celebration of his ursine inclinations and general ferocity/dashingness. (See above.)

It is a good job that I have shrunk, as my Hourglass Sweater did not fare well in a recent trip to the launderette. I have discovered that a cold wash works wonders over there with my handknits; however the delicates wash clearly involves some kind of felting process (hot followed by cold perhaps? A little bit too much sloshing around in the machine?) Anyway, no matter. The hourglass sweater and the headigan are now smaller than they were by about a third, but the headigan had become baggy from being worn so often and I am approximately two thirds of my original size, so everything fits just great! Now I just wish I could felt all my pants and jeans by approximately one third of their current size…

Here is a top I spotted in the window of a shop in Wales. It is a thing of beauty and I wish to recreate it. I feel confident that my modest sewing skills will allow me to assemble some sort of version of this, but I took the photograph to remind myself of the little details that make this so nice… pleats, thin fabric, pretty colours, that edging…

Finally, here is a photo from Bill Fontana’s amazing installation at Somerset House, which I went to visit last week. It is an excellent piece of work that deserves its own post but for now I shall just give you this tantalising glimpse!

And now I am done with the random flotsam of my camera and must return to the tedium of assignment writing! What random photos do YOU have on your camera?