Paul O'Toole

A stark, bare landscape of flat ground, ploughed field and stream under a grey sky is enlivened by detailed studies in the foreground of the plants and flowers of February

“February. Another cold, dead month, or so it seems. The elms are bare against the sky, the plough-ground is naked and wet, and still as brown as the sodden leaves.
Yet the world is waking up”.

Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder (ShellGuide, 1955)

Yesterday's lenticular action for your delectation. If this kind of thing delights you...

A tall angular dark grey monolith dappled with white lichen next to a flowering blackthorn on one side and (I think) a dying ash on the other. There are yellow-green moss covered rocks in the foreground and a green field behind and then a sweeping backdrop to distant mountains under a white cloudy sky.

On St Bridget’s Day here is the Maes Coch stone standing over 3m high next to a flowering blackthorn up on the slopes of Cadair Idris on a grey day ten years ago for #StandingStoneSunday today

Carlos Alcaraz with dyed blond hair

Not unheard of

Reflections from the sky, fells and trees on the water.

Fluffy white clouds on a blue sky over Buttermere, Lake District.
#BlueSkyArtShow
#Clouds
#LakeDistrict
#Reflections
#Photography

Over the stream below the colours of the winter palette are topped with a hint of blue sky showing the clear day arriving through the mist.

The streams surrounding foliage hibernates as the morning mist rises with the Sun showing hints of blue sky. 📷🕊️ ….

Lesson 1: How to turn it off.

Stunning photo of a huge tree in winter, in a woodland . No leaves, stark against a winter sky. The mood is dramatic the tree is majestic with huge knarly roots covered in moss and lichen

Stunning tree for #thicktrunktuesday

#lovetrees
#nature
#photography

📸 credit: Derek Griffin

Horsepower! So if I hit 746W in a sprint, I can tell everyone I’m as strong as a horse. Excellent!

One of many highlights for our two @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social groups today - a beautiful Waxwing feeding on apples in a garden in Voe up in the north Mainland of Shetland. Thanks Julia!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

A Peak District #fingerpostfriday with a sneaky stile for the discerning hiker 📸🥾☺️

The Newport Arch - the remains of the north gateway to Roman Lincoln (Lindum Colonia). Built in around 200 AD, the arch is the only Roman gateway in the UK still used by traffic. 📸 My own. #RomanSiteSaturday #RomanBritain #Lincoln

Gut bacteria have a big impact on health, but didn't know they could produce enough alcohol to make you drunk 👇

A single tree grows on a trunk near the water in the wetlands. There is water all the way to the mountains in the background.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.”
― John Muir

Deep in the Forest.
#MushroomMonday

I’ve crossed Morocco off my list of winter sun holiday destinations.

Sunday 🚘

Just a standing stone from the summer, high up on the hills above Arthog, Wales

Screenshot of a search on DuckDuckGo for the most important question during the long dark winter: ‘How many days until Omloop het Nieuwsblad?’ The search assistant has responded with: ‘Sorry, no relevant information was found in our search’

Come on, DuckDuckGo, you’re better than that

Morning all!😀
Puttin’ on the stile.

"And we now have María on the line who would like to swap a Nobel Peace Prize for the presidency of Venezuela..."

Everything designed by Arne Jacobsen, right down to the chairs and table lamps in the dining hall

Photograph of a Fresh & Naked “Baby Leaves” salad pack with its contents spilling out. One of the leaves is huge.

Did you ever feel big and awkward and out of place?

Excellent! My ticket to visit some of the UCI ProSeries races in Northern Italy this year. (But, in truth, I will probably not visit Malta).

Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Strongest memory is seeing “The Battle of Britain” film at Kinema in the Woods, Woodhall Spa (in about 1970). Cinema opened in 1922 and still going, I believe. #childhoodcinema

Will be interested in your unbiased views about the recent events in Macclesfield.

Figure from Meng, X et al "Surface optimization governs the local design of physical networks" (2026) 649, 315-322. I've cropped it and flipped it left to right. It shows a lump-like human neuron with branching dendrites extending from it.

@cowtoolsdaily.bsky.social Saw this in the journal @nature.com today. Scientists from Boston have clearly made a bizarre attempt to grow prongler from lump with handle.
ARE THEY MAD!?

The Buddhist monks' Walk for Peace with Aloka, the Peace Dog
Day 76 (1/9/2026) Begins

They've started their walk from Leesville, SC, heading through Gilbert to Lexington. The journey continues from TX through SC, one step at a time.

Have a peaceful day!
May we be mindful in everything we do.🙏