Ok so I pinched it from Lewis Carrol, who just happens to have been born and lived up the road from here in Daresbury, Cheshire and there are times when I do think I live in a 'Wonderland' but not of the kind Alice found herself in.

For me the landscape that we love so much here in the UK is my equivalent and I know as I write this its not a great analogy comparing the muse that Carrol wrote with my own idyll of Wonderland. After all, its 150 years since that book was written and still there are arguments as to what it all meant.

So in simplistic terms, I mean that the land I regularly have the privilege to walk upon and photograph is my wonderland.

That landscape has been dramatically affected by the drought and I don't want to be called a killjoy but a good couple of downpours will help.

Only a couple though....

A blog or two back, I mentioned I was 'cast' in a new programme by FUJIFILM and I can now reveal that I had been given the fabulous XF 8-16mm 2.8 lens for testing. Subsequently we shot the film on a beautiful day around Eskdale, Hard Knott and Wast Water.

A pleasure to have been involved in and you can now see the results here

Extremely proud to have been asked, the lens became a part of my kit. It offers a very different field of view from my normal XF10-24 and it is a worthwhile addition to the kit bag.

I will post some images from it soon but this is my set up taken on the iPhone as I waited for a non existent sunset at Ravenglass and a Lightroom Screenshot of one of my images.

The 'SKIN SO SOFT' took care of the Midges too. Result!

My 'normal' day to day work continues and continuing my links with Trail magazine is a pleasure. If you haven't entered their MOUNTAIN PHOTO COMP as yet there is plenty of time and I wish you good luck with your photography for that.

It was good to be able to diversify and write about a beautiful new hotel that has opened in Wasdale. You can read all about 'WASDALE 1692' in this months Lancashire Life and Lake District Life magazines.

The wonderful 1692 and the family that have built it.

I regularly mention the wonderful people I meet on my workshops and this past month has just added to a few more new friends to add to the list.

Just a couple of weeks back I met Amy or 'Arry' as she is called by her friends and what an inspiration she is.

I will not go into her physical situation but I wont moan about my own issues again.

In order to move around she had a special wheelchair that was provided by TERRAIN HOPPER and not once did she ever moan or give the impression that she was struggling. On top of that she produced some fantastic photographs.

A true inspiration!

This week I am off to Snowdonia one of my other playgrounds and one I am really looking forward to going back to.

A couple more days 'through the looking glass'....