![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1HfOZt447CFQe4_2LWsbUDkHfKu6RrSAvGKBifhMF2Q1iBxt14RD7Odvk8V3K5PobOreIK8AOMmka8U0w_BsCdOErIy3lSHKlGCxQiV7EzjhLLXIkrBvYs87ySek2gloZaTO/s400/Elephant-Hawk-Moth-caterpil.jpg)
I take hundreds of photos a year. Literally hundreds. I know I'm not alone in this; my digital camera has turned into the most efficient sketch book of all. I carry one of those around too, but for instant recording, my camera is my third eye. Quite often I intend to blog something or just post a photo to Flickr, and more often than not I don't, as there is no time. So with some difficulty, I've trawled this year's archives for just seven favourites, starting at the top with a huge Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar - about 3 inches long and a bit cross at being caught by one of the cats. (Also comes in pink and green)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkAW7K-mVwmXGrjaaXveVFM-KPDyXA-0yPaNngFmWWLunShGRuNUCKOGIfLH6aA1x8cmwXh2X2TIr588Dyp-GlbqQeh7yGPP1Fq2bdKAqe5zD6CguPtjkJqE8FicDvS23lF7t/s400/Andy-at-the-Boot.jpg)
Andy at a very isolated but lovely pub in Shropshire, the Bottle and Glass pub complete with friendly collie dog, real fire, excellent beer and local sausages on the menu.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nhbCHHhyphenhyphenbT98bNXwJSY5-GY5r6HzGoJCzDCIpNfTZgmOFUbW_CzsmWySobzGAQ4kUbICAvH7WuFWSCUFYNXHXPyrLga8d_B9Y09tGADgBwfbvrBHcyUgx29393pXg4QVn-fH/s400/Rupert-Eynsham-Morris.jpg)
Musician from Eynsham Morris, playing at one of our last cricket matches and beer festivals a few weeks ago.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQfnh_bbpbzPEi4FWcMskhqTj56QEbRSAUG7NFZ1Ct7myInnHXw7fJ0wEGCgnDick2FPStaFTTTg5GkevdiJyK7p8SCaCqg0ZoZuYCnEdgitqms0pr6omEqSr28oxII0dizqI/s400/Ludlow-stained-glass.jpg)
Divine fragments of Medieval stained glass in St Laurence's Church, Ludlow. Do click on this for a larger look, they are rare and exquisite; can you find the owl head?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKo3s8mQQWKsDZy7E3TZyPdxP8hAnzefrn5RvwEbubuCgH4BFf578ve8nTCVymNHd8su2pqjtSTgv0rfcxLO9MsvbfK9yj56uT2fU8ZYZtq8VVZEQC9IHhlBUR8Kx2Oe_2OV3/s400/Clee-Hill-gold-ball.jpg)
One of the 'golf balls' (actually a radar dome) at Clee Hill, Shropshire - they look so lonely and alien, and when the wind whistles through the wires, it is as if they are singing to each other.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMxMHDXCG1gLj_rEJFyQQ1FxDvxZoTKk36ffb8nIZpVSy4nSHHeyoMZzSco-PQ_roLX5aIfUCIv-GQfXP6Z-rfIvSxBphMy93J5ua6JH-NN8OrhcqpUWh_8jmwixRheuyTnXf/s400/topiary-Painswick.jpg)
Some of the wonderful topiary at the churchyard of St Mary's church Painswick; the entire grounds are crammed with these shaped yew trees, some made into covering for the paths, others just standing alone or in pairs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBNg3gaFG1FkloVfFX7gMYV4Mk1mODysegSnOlU-Cvv9O5IOM4-31ErX2XuvviEWhLcfg5l2DTVw8yjShwBKqamcGuE2O1x2KDgKzqN2U7R0j0-Vz6eUDdkDZW0D6o0uRwpOS/s400/robins-egg.jpg)
Less ostentatious but possibly my favourite snippet of these seven; a newly shed robin's egg found on a walk in mid-summer when the earth was dry and cracked.