Early frosty mists

Another early rise this morning meant I saw the light dawning. The frost was covering the ground and any flat surfaces and the sun's rays were rising behind the hills in the east. Before I went to make our tea I poked my head out of the upstairs window which overlooks the garden and the valleys behind.

I like the mists that settle and seem to flow down the bottom of the Golden Valley, but by this time the sun was beginning to warm them and the frosty fields opposite to us below the hamlets of Butterow, Bownham and Rodborough Common. A little later a goods train ran down the valley towards Stroud and the sun was reflected off the individual wagons, reminding me of the long trains as the Iraq war began when this railway line became a route for all the tanks and other vehicles of war. Overhead we also had all the big American bombers flying out of Fairford with their cruise missiles under their wings. Thankfully that is all over, but if I can remember it, I wonder how the people of Iraq are feeling when they have their memories evoked.

I had quite a lot of trouble with the camera and the auto-focus, which I thought might be due to the low battery level and the cold. In the end I managed this view but would have preferred a sharper image. I've been using my 35mm lens for some time now, so maybe I should try another to see if that improves things.

The day has turned out beautifully with lots of sun and still air under the high pressure system that looks likely to to be with us for a few days. I'm having a bit of a spring clean so the weather is perfect for running in and out of doors with stuff to take to the tip in the car.