Inevitable eclipses, encaged arachnids and even-paced snails! A few personal highlights from August 2026, captured in tiny wee snapshots.
This is my latest monthly selection of snapshots of things that caught my eye over these past few weeks, comprising the month of August 2026 (but starting with an image from the closing days of July, captured after my previous monthly pictorial round-up).
Friday 31 July 2026: Hints
The omni-heatwave having already gone on so long by this point, the vague hints of dark and potentially rainy cloud in the dawn of the final day of July gave me hope that we might be about to get some longed-for rain. It was not to be.
Wednesday 5 August 2026: The promise of rain
Early morning heavy cloud enshrouding the sunrise. The cloud delivered just a few tiny drops of the longed-for rain amidst the ongoing run of heatwaves.
But then, a wee bit later, the skies finally delivered the first actual, proper rain (admittedly still on the very light side) to fall on this part of the world since the start of June. This picture depicts my back-garden decking gratefully enjoying the faint pitter-patter of rain.
On an afternoon dog walk in the local park, my spirits were buoyed up by seeing a stone bearing the words “You are loved” left on a bench to spread a tiny taste of positivity to whomsoever ambled past. Seeing this example of painted stone messaging put me in mind of the vogue for such things in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saturday 8 August 2026: What’s the story, arboreal glory?
All vapour trails lead to… well, somewhere, I suppose.
An Ashdown Forest tree managing to look rather resplendent amidst and despite the drought conditions rendering the nearby grass and flora parched and brown.
Wednesday 12 August 2026: Inevitably eclipsed
The inevitable and perhaps even obligatory eclipse-related picture, captured here via the medium of a collander held by my father-in-law, while Meg wisely keeps her eyes averted from the potentially damaging glare.
Saturday 15 August 2026: Watercolour skies
The perfect path through life is impossible to define. How you choose from the paths ahead of you is everything. These are some words from my post No Perfect Path?.
And, from a wee bit earlier that day, a beautifully moody watercolour pre-dawn sky.
Saturday 22 August 2026: Nutmeg at rest and play
Not sure how Meg considers this a comfortable neck position in which to sleep, but she somehow does.
Refreshed from her Saturday afternoon snooze, Meg attempts to a somewhat ambitious stick-carrying operation for one of her petite size.
Monday 17 August 2026: Arachnoid yogi
A quite sizeable spider which gave me a fright when it walked across my yoga mat while I was a yoga-ing. I was subsequently able to ensnare it and transport it safely to the back of my garden, where I hope it wanders free.
Thursday 20 August 2026: A warning to heed
Red sky at morning – very much, in this particular case, a shepherd’s warning. The skies opened in a manner not seen in a long, long time on this day, delivering a highly welcome downpour, one much more in keeping with what is usual for an English summer.
Monday 24 August 2026: Ashdown heather
Just a lovely view across the Ashdown Forest, with heather providing a beautiful accent colour in the foreground.
Thursday 27 August 2026: The even-paced way
Mother Nature was by now delivering in spades on the hints of rain from four weeks previously. I was awoken in the wee small hours of this Thursday morning by a calamitous-sounding thunderstorm. A wee bit later, once the sun had risen, it was a delight to see this snail making its even-paced way across the outside of my patio door, seemingly enjoying the rain just as much as I was.
Now: whatever might September 2026 have in store?
Your snapshots
What about you, gentle reader? What has made or is making your month memorable? I would love to know! Post a comment below, or @ me on the social medium of your choice: BlueSky, Mastodon, Threads or Instagram.
May you be nothing but kind today, to others and to yourself.
May today be nothing but kind to you and yours.
IMAGES
- All photography by MJCarty (except for the blog post thumbnail images, which are from Wikimedia Commons, and are fully credited on the relevant parent posts).
MJCarty 