Strutting and tooting...

Yes, there is A LOT of strutting and tooting going on in my little town. Very often in the high street or in people's front gardens, but mostly in the gardens surrounding Corsham Court. When we strolled through its lush, crisp green world last weekend, I saw at least twenty peacocks strutting their stuff (and they really do strut) and tooting at the top of their feathery lungs (and toot they do - vividly, frequently and noisily).

The light that day was very flat and yours truly also learnt one thing about her new polarising filter...

Unless you want screamingly loud and sharp colours in your photos, it is not a good idea to use it on a gloomy day, as is obvious in these obscenely, over-the-top colourful shots...

The garden, however, is lovely, and not as "park-y" as one might expect a park-type-garden to be. Yes, it does boast some immaculate lawns, straight gravel paths and picture perfect pond features, but also lots of secret little passage ways in amongst the trees, stone walls with tall iron gates that scream "come and explore me, I might just lead you into a fairy tale", and some areas of raw, natural beauty.

And wherever you look, some of nature's most magnificent feathery masterpieces show off their majestic mantels. Sorry to any Avatar fans out there, but this is the type of blue hunk that gets my heart beating...