iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot of the Mediterranean in slightly wild mode. Taken on the shores of a Greek island on a windy day.

The churning sea takes up the lower two thirds of the picture, with a rocky outcrop of brown stone protruding from the right about halfway up. In the distance, on the right, the edge of a town resides on a cliff and the mountains behind are shrouded in the darkness of rain clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; Hi. I'm finally back in the digital world and more or less caught up with the massive pile of stuff awaiting that return! I leave you tonight with a shot from the English Lake District. Derwent Water is a beautiful place!

The picture shows the mirror surface of the lake with the actual landscape of the shore and the mountains behind it occupying the top half. There is a herring-bone sky above, and the sunshine highlights the green of the trees and field they surround in the background.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Just to let you know I won't be around here for a couple of weeks. See you all on my return in mid-October.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you with a shot from the lovely Forest of Dean. This will be the last for a couple of weeks, while I take my annual break from the mad digital world in an attempt to retain some sanity! See you all on my return in mid October.

A double tracked path curves from centre bottom to the left where it vanishes into the greenery. Tree full of bright leaves line each side and a slope ahead runs up toward the right.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from the lovely Forest of Dean. The track curving to the right here leads along to a charming fishing pond where dragonflies perform their amazing airborne antics.

A tall, mature oak tree stands at the right hand side, surrounded by bracken already showing signs of decline. A small path curves from the bottom left and disappears behind the bracken. On the left side of the path tall conifers rise into the sunlight.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There is an ongoing, increasing argument about AI. As a Sci-Fi author with books on the subject, I felt a small post might be useful: stuartaken.net/2026/09/22/c...

Three book covers; Blood Red Dust, War Over Dust, and Return To Dust are placed side by side with a short textual piece beneath: Generation Mars: A trilogy of novels set on Mars and Earth in a near future. Will the Chosen overcome nihilistic fanatics, the greed of commercialism, and the ultimate threat of utter extinction to protect humanity for the future?

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from the Forest of Dean. This stand of beech trees often catches the afternoon and evening sun and the scattered dead leaves from the previous season make a warm contrast on the sloping earth.

Two large tree trunks frame the picture, left and right. Between them, the ground slopes up and is covered by more mature beech trees with scattered brown leaves from last autumn. The leaves on the trees are still green at this time however.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Are you 'committed'? Are they? Read this short piece on Medium at no cost with this link: medium.com/@stuartaken/...

A word cloud showing the relative importance of various words used in the post.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#Bookreview of the crime novel, The Dark Room. stuartaken.net/2026/09/21/t...

The cover of the novel, The Dark Room, by Minette Wlters. It is all in blue, but for the author's name in gold. The cover shows a long corridor with potentially multiple entries along its length. The silouhette of a walking woman is seen small toward the end of that tunnel.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken on a stroll around the Waterloo fishing pond in the Forest of Dean. Still water reflecting the trees almost like a mirror.

The flat surface of a dark pool forms the bottom of the picture, reflecting the greenery of the trees on the far shore of this fishing pond.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; this evening with a shot from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. This track serves a local quarry. But it also leads past and into the trees to take walkers around the beaver enclosure where the work of these little animals is very evident. A very pleasant walk.

A wide, roughly surfaced track leads from centre bottom curving to the right where it disappears into the trees, centre. Mature broadleaf trees line the track on both sides. And, in the gap, a sky of grey cloud lies.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I close tonight with a shot from today's walk in the Forest of Dean, Glocestershire, England. It's a way down to a path used only by a few locals, passing a place where wild boar sometimes wallow in mud at the bottom. We saw a lone muntjac deer along there yesterday.

A path curves down toward a restricting bar where it meets a small private road. Mature broadleaf trees line tha far side and the trunk of another tree frames the right hand side.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; finishing tonight with a shot from last year's visit to the Lake District. This was taken from the viewpoint above Derwent Water. I was taken by the patterns of the ripples.

The foreground shows a high shot from a viewpoint looking down at the fields on the edge of the lake. A row of mature broadleaf trees line the shore and beyond the rippling lake reflects the sky.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; sometimes, the natural world can create a sort of chaos. But even then, because it's natural, it somehow transcends that chaos to present us with a complex beauty.

Many slender trees rise toward the sun that illuminates their leaves and causes their trunks to become mere black sticks.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

And for those who love dogs. This lovely lady is the leader of the pack that includes a friend.

A black and white collie lies on the ground, blue eyes daring the photographer to lift the stick just visible at the bottom of the picture.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

For the #cat lovers. These three were socialising on one of the Greek islands, where they are cared for by a small group of people.

Three cats, a small ginger one looking down at the bottom of the group, a pale beige one sitting and looking to the right, at the right, and grey tabby looking forward from the left.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Another 5* review on Goodreads for 'Partings' book 2 of my 'A Seared Sky' adult epic fantasy trilogy: www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A new 5* review for my romantic thriller set in the heatwave of 1976. www.goodreads.com/book/show/89...

The cover of the novel. It shows the legs of a photographic model superimposed on a landscape of the Yorkshire Dales, the place where the story is set.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot from a walk through the Forest of Dean. This time of the year, after our early rain and our lengthy drought, the bracken is starting to die back, and some of the trees are just beginning to shed a few leaves.

Tall trees are well spaced on a slight rise with bracken, already turning brown, in the spaces between the trunks. Sunlight highlights the gaps between the trees and brightens the leaves on their branches.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; after a day of variable weather, I thought I'd finish today with a shot of our latest walk. This is a morning shot from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. It's a route we use frequently to reach some forest bathing.

A wide, flat, track runs from bottom right up to centre right. Tall trees of different species line both sides and there is a hill to the left. The sun, partly obscured by cloud, brightens the branches of the trees directly above the path.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot taken from a walk along the banks of the River Wye in the Forest of Dean. It's a pleasant route with scenes of open countryside on one side and the river flowing on the other.

A green field of grass forms the base of the picture. Four small trees are spaced along the fence at its upper boundary. Beyond those, the hills rise, covered with forest, toward a pale blue sky devoid of cloud.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The descent from Cat Bells in the English Lake District. You can read the whole post and view the scenic shots, no cost, using this link: medium.com/@stuartaken/...

A rough path descends a sloping fell, eroded and worn. In the background, the edge of a lake intrudes, surrounded by mature trees Beyond, the distant fells rise majestically under the clouded blue sky.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot from the edge of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. This was taken from a viewpoint overlooking a small village. There are some lovely walks in this area.

The foreground is a grassy field bordered by bracken. A small clump of young trees rises at the left. The steeple of a church can be seen rising in the right centre. And the rural landscape beyond rises up slow hils toward a sky of grey clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of tall beech trees growing in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. We often walk these woods and, just occasionally, catch sight of some of the various deer that roam free here.

Tall beech trees populate a plantation. The ground between their smooth trunks is coated with fallen leaves from last year, and their branches are full of green leaves at this time of the year.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from Mallards Pike in the Forest of Dean. It's a popular place, as there's a good car park and a small cafe and shop. But we just enjoy the walk around the lake, which is an easy, undemanding and relaxing saunter.

The gently rippled surface of the lake, reflecting the trees on the bank, forms the base of the picture. The far bank, carrying mature broadleaf trees and a small wooden bridge makes the upper half.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish early tonight (got a meeting to attend) with a shot from a walk in the Forest of Dean. The tunnel at the end is always intriguing.

A level, partly surfaced track leads from the centre bottom of the picture, with trees growing on either side. At the end of the path there appears to be a tunnel. But is it real or simply an effect of the distant trees?

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The 6th post from a visit to the spectacular English Lake District. The link will take you to Medium, where you can view the whole piece free of charge. Enjoy! medium.com/@stuartaken/...

Mature broadleaf trees form the foreground, shot from above. Part of Derwent Water forms the centre portion, with the hills behind it. All under a blue sky bearing fluffy white clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of a track through the Forest of Dean. This is part of a walk we've enjoyed a few times and will definitely return to in future. We have seen deer when walking here.

A rough path leads from left bottom of the image towards the centre, where it disappears into the trees in the distance. Mature, lush, broadleaf trees line both sides of the path.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from our trip to the Lake District last September. This is Derwent Water, shot from Castlehead Viewpoint. The dark clouds are deceptive, as it was an unusually dry day in the area.

The tops of mature broadleaf trees form the foreground, with the camera point down on them. Beyond, a green field spreads until it reaches a stand of mature broadleaves. After that, the water of Derwent Water appears and then the far bank rising into the hills beyond.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; Tonight, I finish with a photo from a walk through part of the Forest of Dean. This track is part of a route we use quite frequently. There are climbs and level parts and much of the walk is through trees. I've always liked those tall, ancient trees that frame this picture.

The trunks of two tall trees frame the picture at the sides. The track begins at the bottom of the picture and disappears as it descends beyond the two rocks placed across it. The trees are in full leaf.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight with a shot from the fishing ponds at Waterloo in the Forest of Dean. The water lilies have been cleared since this shot was taken, making the pond surface more accessible for the anglers.

The surface of the pond fills the foreground, raindrops spotting the surface. Many water lily pads cover much of the pond. In the background the surrounding trees look out from the banks.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with as shot taken from a visit to the Lake District. This is the top of a park in Keswick, under a September sun. The shadows attracted me.

A gently rising hill of green ends in a row of large broadleaved trees. The sun behind them casts their shadows along the ground from a sky of blue with wispy white clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

A Stay In The Lake District #5, Friar’s Crag & Strandshag Bay. If you belong to Medium, use this link: medium.com/@stuartaken/... If you're not a Medium member, you can use this link to read the post free: medium.com/@stuartaken/...

The bottom two thirds of the picture shows the quiet surface of the lake reflecting the summer sky with clouds. On the horizon, the land emerges, showing the hills and the trees on the distant shore.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; First day of September, and therefore meteorological autumn here in the UK. It's been more like summer. though. I leave you with a shot of a local beauty spot, Mallard's Pike in the Forest of Dean

The still surface of the lake fills the foreground, with the green mature trees reflecting in its calm. A pale blue sky overlooks the scene, with pale grey clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I finish with a shot from yesterday's walk in the Forest of Dean. I love it when the sun shines through the trees, it gives the scene so much light and brilliance.

The foreground shows a small rise covered in bracken and other greenery. Beyond, to the left, a larger hill rises, topped by slender larch trees. To the right, younger, smaller broadleaves stand with sunlight highlighting their leaves.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; After a morning of almost constant rain, late this afternoon we were able to walk in the Forest of Dean. This is a shot of a spot we often pass. Today, the sun behind the trees and the wispy clouds made this shot a must for me.

Bracken crowds the lower half as it drops over a small cliff. Behind it the hill rises to a ridge supporting a stand of tall, slender larch trees. The sun shines through those trees at upper right and the whole is overlooked by a blue sky bearing wispy white clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; this evening, I leave you with a shot from a sunny walk in the Forest of Dean. Today, we've had more much-needed rain and the plants are absorbing the essential moisture, regaining strength and shaking off the dust of dryness

A shaded path runs between mature trees toward a patch of bright sunlight where a footbridge takes it over a small road (unseen). The bright sun is seen shining through the leaves toward the top of the picture.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot from this morning's walk, which we finished moments before the skies opened again following an overnight thunder storm. Much needed rain was definitely welcome, however.

Tall larch trees grow on a hill with sun-scorched bracken yellowing around their trunks. The sky is grey and featureless between the trees.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight, on another humid, sunny day with no rain so far, with a photo from the beautiful Forest of Dean. The barely visible track is a route we take on those days when our legs are working well, as it's pretty steep. Worth every moment of the effort, though.

The picture shows a steep hillside, rising from the bottom left to the mid right. The forest of slender mature trees climbs this slope and a barely visible track runs past the tree in the foreground to the left. Sunlight brightens the branches, ground and foliage.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken on a walk by the River Wye as it passes through the Forest of Dean. This is from a while ago, before the recent heatwave turned the grass brown!

A green field forms the base of the picture. At the far edge, green mature trees stand densely packing the boundary. And behind and above them, a hill full of trees rises toward a sky of blue with grey loud.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Just because...so many of you love cats. This little stray was on a Greek island, where locals keep an eye on them.

A small, black cat stares up at the camera, slight distrust in its eyes. It's a feral cat on a Greek island.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I leave you with a shot from our 5 mile walk in the Forest of Dean today. This is a trail leading down from Serridge and I've always loved the trees along that particular stretch. The sunshine definitely added to our enjoyment.

A roughly tarmacadamed narrow lane leads downhill between tall beech trees. There is a slope up to the left and another down to the right as the forest road descends to the unseen valley below. Bright sunlight highlights the contrast in the trees.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken on the far side of the River Wye, on the route that leads to Goodrich Castle from the Forest of Dean.

A large, single tree stands on the curve of a track that begins at bottom centre and disappears into the far greenery of the middle. A blue sky with white clouds overlooks the whole scene.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

AI might change us all as humans, but into what? An answer lies in this novella. Get it from your usual supplier through this link: getbook.at/Methuselah

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

My First Book Fair: read the whole account of an author's first attendance at a book fair here: medium.com/@stuartaken/...

Picture shows the author behind a table with books spread about in small piles, bookmarks, and a board carrying promotional information.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight with a shot from one of our favourite walking routes in the Forest of Dean. Last night we had the first rain, only a short shower, for weeks. More due, but the ground is still like concrete.

A narrow path leads from the bottom left and disappears into the lush vegetation running toward a hill covered in mature trees. Some slender trees stand at the right hand side of the path. And sunshine brightens the whole scene.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

A Stay In The Lake District #3 Day 2 pm: Castlehead Viewpoint Read the post free on Medium: medium.com/@stuartaken/...

The photo shows the landscape from a highpoint. In the foreground, the tops of mature trees dominate. Beyond them are green fields with hedgerows. And beyond them lies the lake with its small islands and the far bank rising in hills toward a sky of blue dominated by grey clouds.

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Stuart Aken @stuartaken.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Could AI change us as humans? Perhaps an answer lies in this novella, which you can get from your usual supplier with this link: getbook.at/Methuselah

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