A little garden treasure

I've taken life slowly today, just pottering about, with a brief visit to town followed by time in the garden. I even managed to be ready in the cabin when the woodpecker arrived at the bird feeder, which is only a few yards away. But even inside the cabin, the slightest movement of my camera disturbed it and it flew away. But not for long, and I persevered. The next time I managed a few shots but the deep shade it chose to perch in on the trunk of rhus tree made it difficult. As I write at 8pm I have just heard the chatter of the woodpecker down below my study. But I am not rising to the bait. Yet another day must come.

I started to cut the grass in the back garden about an hour ago. I lifted up various plant pots to allow access to the grass, and then lifted a tarpaulin, which is covering some soil I need to move. I saw a sudden movement and this tiny frog, only about two inches long, leaped from some nearby long grass to shelter near this overhanging plastic. I went back to the cabin to get my camera and luckily the frog remained still. I managed a few shots, but again it was very shaded. But I'm always delighted that there are any frogs at all and this is the first one I've seen this year.

I was really pleased when I opened today's Stroud Life, one of our two weekly newspapers. They are running a Photography Competition and I had entered pictures in each of the five categories. Each week for five weeks they are devoting two pages to exhibit the judges short list of ten pictures, in each of the categories. Readers are asked to vote by text message, and the top five of each category will be be shown in an exhibition in July before the Judge's choose the best picture.

One of my 'Urban' category pictures was printed today, so I am very pleased. I doubt I will make the finals, but as there were 2000 entries, I am delighted to get this far.