Sunday the 2nd of March 2025, Perfection perhaps? The views of Greasley Church with elements of Spring.

The season of Spring is one of the two seasons that I have always loved, the other season of course is Autumn and why do I love both Spring and Autumn? Well they are seasons in which things seem that little bit more beautiful, after the Winter a theatrical show is put on by nature and that theatrical show of course is Spring, which brings with it a lot of much needed colour. Autumn again is another theatrical show before nature goes to sleep, but it is a unique way of displaying beauty, for both Spring and Autumn are "seasons of great arts and beauty." And it was on Sunday the 2nd of March 2025 that a visit to Greasley Church was on the cards, yes a part of me wanted to show someone the incredibly opulent carpet of Purple crocuses that flank the churchyard and that I managed to do, but hold on, what is that? A glorious blue sky and a slight element of warmth, well that made for some perfect conditions in which to capture this glorious church from a unique angle and perspective. But there is just a certain something about Greasley Church that I seem to just really like, perhaps it is the location and you could be forgiven for thinking that the nearest suburbia is, happens to be miles away - but that of course is wrong as Greasley Church is located between the towns of Kimberley in Nottinghamshire and Eastwood which are just a short distance away, yet here there is something serene and beautiful, you do not have to be religious at all to appreciate the architecture of glorious historical churches like Greasley Church, and no matter what season it is, Greasley Church always looks beautiful, but on Sunday the 2nd of March 2025, what I encountered was perhaps perfection, for everything seemed to be coming alive and the elements of Spring were making that even more spectacular, for gone is the Winter and instead a gradual transformation of life returning after a Winter sleep, well that could also be seen and that was nothing short of magical. 

"Spring Time and Serenity."

"Afternoon light, the Spring Greasley Glow."

"The green of Spring, for life returns to Greasley Below."

"Greasley Fields, and Blue."

"The beauty of the Greasley Spring, the landscape a glow."

"The atmosphere, the Serene." - (Black and White.)

"Greasley, the vistas and a spring view." - (Colour.)

"Greasley, the vistas and a spring view." - (Black and White.)

Saturday the 1st of March 2025, For I had moments to spare in which to capture the artwork of nature. A truly glorious painted sky.

Sometimes you observe something and just wonder what it would look like from a slightly higher perspective, and that is exactly what happened this evening on Saturday the 1st of March 2025. From ground level I could see that there was something magical happening in the sky, the blue of the sky seemed pastel like and well pink pastel looking clouds could also be seen, yes I just knew that I had to send the drone up, and from above, what I came across was a complete work of art that nature was creating, a truly glorious painted sky, and the last time that I had seen a sky as beautiful as this was on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December 2024, yet I think that perhaps this sunset and the sky, the arts in the sky this time around were even more spectacular. Yet it just goes to show that we should all take time to slow down and observe the beauty that a sunset can provide for us, and yes the best works of art are usually free, and they are created by nature - and this is probably proof of that. 

"In time, moments they glow."

"The orange and red, the painting of art, nature creates."

"Like a Cyberpunk glow, the Sky of a Sci Fi Dream."

"Above the rooftops, the art in the sky, a bliss and beautiful light."

"An artful Panorama Glow." - (Panorama.)

"Painted elements of Delight, a sky, a painting that comes alive."

"The beauty of the light, a magical painting over suburbia." - (Panorama.)

Friday the 28th of February 2025, A cat, a Fiddle and a Windmill. The quirks of and unusual parts of Derbyshire that you probably did not know existed.

Derbyshire is one of those counties of "many various contrasts." For it is a county that is famed for having the famous landscapes of the Derbyshire Dales and White Peak with its limestone geology that has shaped the landscape, to the more dramatic Dark Peak and the moorlands that can be found, yet when you step away from the more touristy hotspots and trails that Derbyshire is known for, you can come across some pretty interesting and unique places, and it was just yesterday on the 28th of February 2025, that a visit to the aptly named "The Windmill Farm" was on the cards, yes it might have been the last day of February 2025, the last day of Winter or at least metrological Winter - and yet somehow it was more akin to Spring, the light was just perfect and the landscape with its vistas and views extending from Derbyshire towards Nottinghamshire was just something else to behold, and whilst The Windmill Farm is located between West Hallam and Kirk Hallam/Ilkeston, a part of Derbyshire that is perhaps that little bit more, 

"Underexplored and off the beaten track."

What I came across yesterday was a landscape of beauty, a landscape in which suburbia gives way to gentle rolling Derbyshire hills, and the borderlands of Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire in the distance, the town of Ilkeston on the horizon and Ilkeston itself is a town that upon first appearances might seem a little bit forgotten and yet it is also a town that has a curious and interesting history that is waiting to be discovered, yet a short distance away from Ilkeston is a landscape that is ignored by many that seems somehow that little bit more beautiful with its interesting landscape and hidden vistas and vies that are just waiting to be discovered. (If you want to find out more information about The Cat and Fiddle Windmill then you can do here: http://www.mapperleyhistory.com/Villages/Dale%20Abbey/Dale-Abbey-1.html)

"As far as the eyes can see, a Panorama of Beauty, Derbyshire to Nottinghamshire in the distance" - (Panorama)

"Rolling and gentle Derbyshire Landscapes, off the Beaten Track."

"Just gently floating near the Mill."

Thursday the 27th of February 2025, Where Suburbia meets Water World. The beauty and magic of Beeston Rylands and Beeston Marina.

Situated just a short distance away from Nottingham and its city centre is a Suburb called Beeston, upon appearances it might seem "quite simply like any other suburban area of Nottingham." And yet when you delve closer you come across a suburb built upon the industries of yesteryear, and of course textiles with clues such as old silk mills that have now been converted into accommodation, yet Beeston is also a popular suburb due to its close proximity to The University of Nottingham, with many students who call Beeston home. Yet Beeston is also close by to The River Trent, and a short five minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Beeston, you end up at Beeston Rylands - here of course things feel different, clues that Suburbia meeting the waters edge can be seen, and it was on Thursday the 27th of February 2025, that I had visited Beeston Rylands, and of course Beeston Marina, a community that exists with the influences of The River Trent and The Beeston Canal and provides an interesting landscape, for this is truly,

"Where Suburbia meets Water World."

And me, well after a delightful lunch at The Boathouse Café, at Beeston Marina, I had to send the drone up and capture the unique landscape down below - and yet under a delightful and beautiful spring sky, it was strange to think that this serene part of Beeston and this suburban area of Nottingham, is only a short distance away from the city centre of Nottingham, and yet somehow it seems a world away.

"The Trent, The Canal, a Unique Water World."

"The beauty of The Weir"

"Suburbia, The Canal, The quirky and interesting landscape of The Rylands."

"Boats and Buildings, life at the edge of the water."

"Where Suburbs and Water they meet" - (Panorama)

Monday the 24th of February 2025, A welcome return to Blue Skies and a sense and feeling of Spring within the air.

Oh really February 2025, you really have been meh! Grey as well, but as the month has progressed you have managed to present some surprises, and as the end of February has come around - the grey Winter weather seems to have metaphorically broken and has given way to some beautiful almost Spring like skies, and on Monday the 24th of February 2025, what did I just have to do, but to capture the late afternoon skies, a lovely shade of blue and of course the views of the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire borderlands of Suburbia stretching down to The Erewash Valley in the distance, for it was magical to see and yes despite only capturing the following three photos, 

"Encroaching elements of Spring could be felt in the air."

"The opulent light, a glorious sky."

"Over Suburbia, to The Erewash Valley, a Gentle Winter Light, a feeling like Spring is on the way."

"The magic of a late February light."

Sunday the 23rd of February 2025, Taking a look at the vistas and views of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire according to Grok?

Ugh! What a dire month February has been, for it has been largely dull, grey and bland - then again seasonally it is still Winter and that kind of weather is to be expected, but February has also been a month in which I have not really had the chance to fly the drone, the last time I had managed to capture anything was on Tuesday the 4th of February when I had moments to spare in which to capture a sunset, since then of course the weather for any kind of drone photography has been well not exactly on my side, yes the grey weather might have slightly broke this past week, but even still it is not that ideal for capturing any scenes with the drone, but today I had a slight thought and that was the following, 

"For do I need to actually use the drone in order to capture some photographs? Well strictly speaking no I do not, instead I need to just simply try a slightly unusual method and that of course is with something called AI."

And with that, well I decided to enter some simple commands, written lines into an AI service called Grok, yes it might be AI, but below are just some of the images that Grok managed to create of The Nottinghamshire countryside and Nottingham City, when taken from the perspective of a Drone. 

"Hidden are the gems of the Nottinghamshire Villages."

"Besides the Trent, A Gentle Nottingham Glow."

"The glow of Sunrise over Nottingham, AI Glow."

"Visions and vistas of The Gentle beauty of The Trent."

"Rolling are the hills of the Nottinghamshire Heathlands perhaps."

"The simple rolling beauty of a Nottinghamshire vista."

Tuesday the 4th of February 2025, Sometimes you just have to capture something with moments to spare.

"And in a split second I noticed something, the light was doing something truly magical and magnificent and me I had moments to spare, literally moments to spare and with that I just had to capture the last moments of a glorious Sunset."

The month of February has arrived and with that a noticeable change is happening, for a start in the afternoon/evening there is a little bit more daylight and with that, yes Winter is still to some degree, lingering and clinging on, but a transition is also happening and that is Winter slowly beginning to give way to what can only be described as "elements of the encroaching season of Spring." But it was on Tuesday the 4th of February that I noticed the sky was doing something truly spectacular, a glorious sunset was beginning to take place, and me well I just had to send the drone up to capture the last moments of this glorious sunset with literally only moments to spare, and sure enough I did, but here is the result, it might only be one photo but within photography some of the best photographs are captured with only moments to spare. 

"The Urban Fire Sky Glow."