Stuart Aken
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stuartaken.bsky.social
Stuart Aken
@stuartaken.bsky.social
11K followers 14K following 4K posts
UK writer (12 books published). Photographer. Environment, science, humanist, walker, ancient, happily married. Find me here: https://stuartaken.net/ I DO NOT follow DMs, porn, selfie promos & users w/o profiles or posts.
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stuartaken.bsky.social
A picture of a vivid sunset with orange sky and a reflection of that sun on the sea. At the bottom of the picture is a harbour and then the dark part of the island on which the photo was taken. The words 'Inspiration fires you up' and 'Motivation keeps you burning' are printed in yellow across the landscape.
February 11, 2026 at 4:55 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
The UK Houses of Parliament form a hazy background to the words - Any leader who breaks the law with impunity must expect followers to do the same and let them be treated with equal impunity by the courts.
February 11, 2026 at 4:51 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from today's walk. We were fortunate to catch one of the brief sunny spells as we returned, and that sunshine brightened this scene enough to persuade me to capture it.
A tall tree leans over the track from the right. Other trees line the same track on the left. All are bare of leaves, though some ivy clings to a few. A patch of blue relieves the grey sky.
February 11, 2026 at 4:46 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a landscape taken from the edge of the Forest of Dean taken in February last year. There are some lovely rural scenes in this area.
A wide landscape shot from a raised position, with fields of green in the foreground and hedgerows, pockets of trees, and a single white house almost central. Above a blue sky is patched with light cloud.
February 10, 2026 at 4:56 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; Sunshine has been rare this February so far, and today was no exception, so I leave you tonight with a shot from this month last year. A lovely walk in the Forest of Dean. Enjoy!
Tall, mature trees line the right hand side of the path running in a slight curve to the left. Ferns and ground vegetation lend the ground character, and sunlight casts shadows across the path as it shines through the trees.
February 9, 2026 at 4:57 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken way back in Feb 2021 when this scene presented itself as we climbed a steep path that clung to the steep side of valley. The trees above cast the shadows, and the valley below held a lively stream that had carved it over the centuries.
Sun rays cast a spectacular view of the trees through which they shine, where the mist creates a mysterious fan effect.
February 8, 2026 at 6:02 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
Wine Dark Sea, a short story for your entertainment. 5 minute read on Medium, here: medium.com/@stuartaken/...
Enjoy!
A photo of the sea. Just small waves with what might be moonlight shining on some. Otherwise dark.
February 8, 2026 at 4:24 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you with two pics tonight. The flooded river is from today's walk because the Forest of Dean is currently not safe after all the rain. The one with swans is from Feb 2023 at Cannop Ponds and I include it to show we need rain and that the sun does shine here in winter!
February 7, 2026 at 5:45 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening, after a day of constant rain here in the Forest of Dean, with a photo taken on this day in 2023 at Mallard's Pike Lake. It was frosty but sunny on that occasion.
A mature hardwood tree stretches across frozen ground in the foreground, with some sunlight highlighting the small patch of grass. Beyond, the quiet surface of a lake reflects the winter sky and a small patch of reeds glows under the sun.
February 6, 2026 at 5:21 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
The text relates to atheist philosophy, explaining the prayer is not th reason things you wish for actually happen and pointing out simple facts like it rains whether or not you pray for it to do so.
February 6, 2026 at 3:20 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; closing tonight with a shot from an earlier February, since today has been non-stop rain here! This is a part of the Forest of Dean that carries a slightly magical feel, a plantation of evergreens where only moss grows between the trunks but echoes of Middle Earth seem to live.
Tall larches grow on a gentle slope with only moss disturbing the earth among the trunks. The sunlight sends rays of light through a fine mist.
February 5, 2026 at 5:11 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
February 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
February 5, 2026 at 10:07 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
A picture of a seascape bearing the words, Be kind to yourself: you never know, it might rub off onto others.
February 4, 2026 at 5:25 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; closing tonight with a shot of tall trees on a hill with an almost Mediterranean blue February sky behind. Lovely to see some sun in the Forest of Dean today. Enjoy!
Tall, slender, pines and a couple of deciduous hardwoods stand on the crest of a small hill with a beautiful blue sky behind dotted with puffy white clouds.
February 4, 2026 at 5:22 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; This evening, I leave you with a pleasant walk in the Forest of Dean. Sun shining through the trees under a February sky.
A rough track leads upwards with a fence on the right and an overgrown wall on the left. Many years ago, this was a track that led to the railway station, now demolished along with the line it served. The sun is shining through the branches of the tall trees on the right of the picture.
February 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
You either watch it, or you don't. Whatever, here's a review of a book written by the presenters of Pointless. It's amusing, interesting, and even informative: stuartaken.net/2026/02/03/t...
The cover of the book, written by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman from the TV show, Pointless.
February 3, 2026 at 11:09 AM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a sunny shot of a local walk in the Forest of Dean, which has been rather dull of late. It's still a great place to walk, but the photo opportunities diminish when it's dull.
Bright sunlight illuminates the distant reaches of this photo, with the foreground under the shade of the tall trees lining the path.
February 2, 2026 at 5:53 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of the River Wye from February a couple of years ago. Today, the river is raging brown torrent, but I thought I'd give you something a little calmer and brighter to end the day.
Tall, bare, mature trees stand on the opposite bank of the clam river, reflected in the still surface with the blue sky above them. The green hill rising behind them is bright with February sunshine.
February 1, 2026 at 5:24 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
A short story for you. It's just possible it may encourage you to shed a tear: medium.com/@stuartaken/...
Picture of an old man wearing a hat and glasses. It's just an illustration to help readers to find the story it accompanies.
February 1, 2026 at 4:57 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; closing a little early tonight with this shot of mist in the Forest of Dean with the January sun shining through the branches of a storm damaged tree. Will February bring a little less rain and a little more sunshine? Let's hope so, eh?
A broken tree crosses with a small, leaning trunk of another, and a larger tree trunk stands solid at the right of the picture. The smaller trunks and branches are enveloped in mist illuminated by shafts of sunlight.
January 31, 2026 at 4:45 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; closing tonight with a shot from the Forest of Dean taken earlier this month. We've been spared the drenching of storm Chandra, but been under the associated cloud today. Sunshine usually allows a brighter picture than cloud!
The tall straight trunks of mature trees grow on a slope descending toward the unseen valley bottom. Sunlight highlights the remaining greenery and splashes a band of brightness across the ground as the sun almost hides behind the central tree.
January 30, 2026 at 5:52 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I leave you with 2 pics. One from yesterday morning as we walked through the Forest of Dean. Two dog walkers stopped to chat at the end of the tunnel through the trees. The other is a seasonal shot of hazel catkins, the coming harvest for the squirrels in autumn!
A narrow mud path moves through small trees, the morning sun casting shadows along the ground. A natural tunnel is formed by the trees overhanging along both sides of the path and, where that opening lies, two men stand chatting as their dogs roam. A group of three hazel catkins, golden and full of pollen, hang from a small twig, bright against the darker brown of the winter vegetation behind them.
January 29, 2026 at 5:06 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight with a shot from this morning's walk in the Forest of Dean. This little pond near a footbridge was much altered after work was done to widen the track for contractor's vehicles. It's finally settling back into an attractive and natural feature.
A small pond sits at the base of the picture, with a narrow stream flowing down over rocks. To the left, a stony track curves around a raised bank bearing trees. To the right another track crosses over a fenced bridge leading up to a curving track that rises into the nearby hills.
January 28, 2026 at 5:16 PM
stuartaken.bsky.social
#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from January last year of a frosty scene on the banks of the lake at Mallards Pike in the Forest of Dean, a great place for pleasant walk.
Two mature tress, one behind the other, stand central to the photo. The ground around them bears orange-tinted remnants of autumnal vegetation. A smaller tree, to the right, carries frosting on its fine branches. Beyond, the lake lies reflecting the winter sunshine.
January 27, 2026 at 5:08 PM