Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Good morning all, hope you are having a great weekend.

Yes, we really did have snow here in the UK, and yesterday DH, DD and I went on a lovely afternoon walk to make the most of it.  Yes, our noses were chilling, and the lanes were indeed glistening...please be prepared for a very photo-heavy post coming up, cuppa and a biscuit may be needed ;)

Just two minutes from home the camera was already busy capturing these beautiful birch trees...

The horses were wrapped up warm in their winter coats and nibbling on treats given by caring owners...

Amazing winter wonderland...

The grand old house looking stately in winter...

I thought this tree trunk looked like a fox...

The rooftop of the grand old house looked magical, I love how the whiteness of the snow really showed up the redness of the brick...

Another birch looking astonishing in it's white bark...

We walked through a lovely old village with many cottages and a quaint little church...

More winter fields and sky...

The sun was setting so it was time to head back home...

Past old the old gravestones.. these put me in mind of the scene in Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come points Ebeneezer Scrooge towards his own epitaph...

The moon was rising...

More snow clouds rolling in...

And mist started to form, eerie in it's strange formations...

Eventually we were back at the birch trees we had spotted as we left home...

Such a wonderful walk, we enjoyed every moment of it (especially the short stop for coffee half way around the circuit!).  The scenes I managed to photograph seemed to me to be, and I hope you will excuse the pun, frozen in time - many of the scenes would have been so familiar to our ancestors 150 years ago. 

Helenxx

Bluebell Woods - and a new challenge...

Hi everyone, hope you have had a good week.  It has been nice to have a week off work, even though we have had a very heavy revision schedule here - GCSEs and final year of A levels.  But there have been interludes of fun things, like our road trip to Derbyshire and tea at our dear friends home.

Last Monday DH was also on holiday and we just felt like a walk - nothing too much, just a gentle stroll.  As we were preparing for something more challenging the day after... So we jumped in the car and drove up to our local Outwoods.  At this time of year it is bluebell season, and my goodness what a beautiful sight to behold!  So please, settle down, grab a cuppa and enjoy some bluebell loveliness....

Such amazing colour...

The perfume of these little flowers was heavenly....

Of course, as always, there was plenty of other things to see, I loved how the sunlight cast shadows on these ancient volcanic rocks:

Vibrant green moss on this piece of wood caught my eye, love the colour combinations and the textures, quite similar to some of the colours in my crochet challenge blanket...

And of course, how could I just pass by these lovely examples of birch bark and fungi...

As I mentioned in my last post, I just love silver birch trees, I went to our local garden centre yesterday to scope them out for a future gardening project, but they didn't have any in stock :(

I would love to buy some of this lovely fabric from Marimekko, but  I would feel terribly nervous sewing with it as it is so, so beautiful....

image courtesy of Google

...although I guess it would look great as a panel for a wall hanging...now there's a thought...and a legit reason for going to Helsinki to buy some, well saving on postage don't you know....;)

Well, time to stop daydreaming for now, as I am tutoring my daughter through her Art and Textile sketchbook compilation - have to give a shout out to my bestest friend Sue here, who has also been offering loads of support and supplies (we owe you BIG time dear friend!!)

We are going back up to the Outwoods later on, but this time there won't be any time or chance to snap photos as DH and I have both decided that we need to improve our fitness and so, spurred on by our sons, we have embarked this week upon the Couch25K programme - no laughing please!!  We did our first session this week, oh my goodness, it was very, very tough!!!  But actually felt loads better afterwards.  So it is session two today - lets see how we get on!!!  It was either this or the gym (which I hate with a vengeance, I find it totally boring) so we have chosen a route in the Outwoods, which is lovely - and I am sure it is even more beneficial as we get the fresh air as well!  Luckily we didn't see anyone we know as we were shattered by the end!

Have a lovely Saturday, Helenxx