Reflection Through The Seasons

THE FIRST WISPER OF SPRING....

Last Thursday, was one of those rare days you get at this time of year, crystal clear blue skies, warm sunshine and the gentlest of breeze, a perfect day to be out walking. I took along my camera, for I wanted to check out a certain little grassy bank.... I was not disappointed, even though just one solitary flower had managed to make it so far, it was just breaking bud. This little clump of daffodils is always the first to hail springtime. In milder winters I have seen it in bloom as early as the end of November......

......then, walking a little further down the lane

I was surprised to see a few lambs in a field. I lingered whilst attempting to get them in a group, but they skipped and jumped, that frisky way that lambs do at this time of year, you could feel their joy at being able to stretch their little limbs so, on this glorious day. In the end I settled for a picture of this little chap, as he stood still for a moment under the a line of washing the farmer's wife had put out in the field next to their farm.

If you care to enlarge, simply click on the pictures.

MORNING, NOON & NIGHT.....

I took the following pictures on another walk a couple of weeks ago. I was out with Kenzo before 8 am. There had been a heavy frost during the night and the countryside was frozen hard.... the grass felt crisp and brittle underfoot. The sun had just begun to glint its rays on the distant hills as it made its way up from behind the mountains.

Kenzo takes an interest in the field of sheep whilst I've secured him to the gate post to take a few pictures.

I like to walk this little lane, the hedges are high and on winter days offer great protection from the easterly winds as they whip through the valley. There is hardly any traffic, as only one cottage lies at its end.

The clumps of grass are frozen hard... the landscape is a silvery grey.

What lies behind this gate has a tale to tell.....

Burial space around our ancient village church was getting limited and so this plot of land was consecrated as a future cemetery. One man only was buried here. The following winter after this man had been buried here, the flooding was particularly bad in the valley and the waters came higher than in living memory, covering that poor mans grave. Of course it was very distressing for his family and so it was decided to exhume his body and re-bury him elsewhere. To prevent further distress in the event of extensive flooding in the future the ground was de-consecrated and now it is a field where children play.... but this gate is always a sinister reminder of what happened here.

The grasses are frozen like waves of the sea.

The sun is climbing higher.....

......but it will be an hour or so before the frost goes off the fields.

I turn to walk back home.

At noon the same day, I've met up with a group of friends. We meet for lunch once a month and this was our venue. Lovely hotel overlooking the sand dunes and out to the sparkling blue sea.

You can always rely on good food here. This day I had medallions of venison.... delicious!

We chat as we return to the car park.... The gardens look beautiful in the sunshine, hard to believe it was January.

Its night time now, a glorious full moon begins to rise in the eastern sky.

The end to a perfect day!

Blessings

Marion

I intended to include this picture in a previous post but forgot, so I'll do it now. It was taken just before Christmas when we were suffering with blasts from the arctic. I think it is so pretty how little icicles have formed on this bush.