Doug Shepherd's photos with the keyword: Collage

Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as insects (e.g. water striders) to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged. At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion).

There is a spider in there somewhere

Wykeham Forest

The Fly agaric mushroom on the left has already been visited by some unknown creature(s) of the forest floor, it must have tasted good! The one on the right (shown in the background of 1st picture) is still in the process of breaking through the carpet of larch needles, leaves and twigs; and has yet to be ttied. Mythology and symbolism Fly agaric has a long history of use in religious ceremonies, particularly in Asia. For over 4,000 years it was the ingredient in a sacred and hallucinogenic ritual drink called 'soma' in India and Iran; while the Siberian shamans would give it out as a gift in late December. This toadstool has turned up in many fairy tale stories and features in the story of Alice in Wonderland when she is given some fly agaric to eat. Uses of Fly agaric Fly agaric is poisonous and infamous for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties; but, reports of human deaths are extremely rare. It was traditionally used as an insecticide. The cap was broken up and sprinkled into saucers of milk. It's known to contain ibotenic acid, which both attracts and kills flies – which gave it its name.

Hawthorn berrry - left Food Uses Traditionally hawthorn berries are used to make jellies, wines and ketchup. Honeybees foraging on hawthorn blossoms bring a harvest of dark amber and nutty hawthorn honey. The young leaves and shoots of common hawthorn are edible and were once known as “bread and cheese”. Nutritional value Hawthorn contains flavonoids with heart-friendly antioxidant activity, as well as tannins, essential oils, fruit acids and sugars. The plant also contains vitamins B and C. Herbal Medicine Uses Hawthorn berries are often called “the heart herb” for its various cardio-protective abilities. Prized for its ability to uplift and strengthen the heart both emotionally and physically, the hawthorn berry has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all kinds of serious heart concerns. These include angina, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irregular heart beat and even congestive heart failure. Dog Rose rosehip - right Food Uses The edible fruit – rosehips – are the most commonly used part of the plant in food. These orange-red berries have been used to make jams, jellies, pies, stews, tea and wine. The petals and leaves of dog rose can also been brewed for tea. The flowers make a delicious syrup, and can be eaten in salads or candied or preserved in vinegar, honey and brandy. Nutritional value Rosehips are high in vitamin C with reportedly twenty times more vitamin C than oranges. Herbal Medicine Uses As a medicinal herb today, the rosehips of dog rose are indicated for a wide range of conditions from headaches, sore throats, infections, sciatica, gout, rheumatism, stress and nervousness.

Left - Perorate St. Johns-wort* Centre - Nipplewort Right - Birds Foot Trefoil Perhaps of interest: *Wort is a derivation of the word “wyrt,” an old English word meaning plant, root, or herb. The suffix wort was given to plants which were long considered beneficial. The opposite of a wort was a weed, such as ragweed, knotweed, or milkweed. Just like today, “weeds” referred to undesirable types of plants (though this isn’t always the case). Source www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-does-wort-mean.htm

Sawdon Dale is a small, quite deep, steeply sided dale approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) in length. The dale follows the course of Sawdon Beck (small stream), south from high ground to the north of Sawdon village, to join Rushton Beck at the village of Rushton in the Vale of Pickering.

Top left - Buttercup Top right - Yellow rattle Bottom left Forget-me-not Bottom right - Purple clover

Wykeham Forest

Taken on a bright sunny day which created some interesting shadows within the wood.

The track ascends 117 mtrs from Troutsdale through the trees on the escarpment to the higher ground of the Tabular Hills*, and Wykeham Forest. The middle shot from the track shows a glimpse of farm buildings in Troutsdale. Only in winter is this view easily visible. *The Tabular Hills mark the southern boundary of the North York Moors National Park. Their name comes from their distinctive table top shape, they rise up gently from the south and end abruptly in a series of steep north facing headlands.

Taken at the edge of the field behind my house. The sunflower is a late bloomer, only appearing in the last few days,