A Happy New Year!

A mixture of blue skies & clouds,

but as the winter's day sun starts to disappear,

 the results are worth seeing.
These photos were taken on Xmas Sunday at Shapwick again,

but being the last day of December 2009,

 these images seem appropriate as the daylight is gently

drifting away. . . .

Even the moon makes an appearance,

So may I wish everyone, in particular,

 to all those that have taken the time to take an interest in my blogs.

Other blog sites have been a total inspiration,

 & I thoroughly enjoy following them, although,

unfortunately not always the time to comment,

often this is with regret.

~ ~ ~

Take care everyone,

 I hope you have a joyful & peaceful start to the Year,

2 0 1 0

Xmas Sunday Afternoon

Christmas Sunday, & time for a lovely walk around part of Shapwick Health, near Glastonbury,

A chill, but with the right clothing a  lovely walk enjoying the surroundings

Eventhough a thaw had begun,

 a large amount of ice was still lingering around,

even on the vast lake that emerged after walking several pathways,

The sightings of the Swans added to the wintery scenes. . . .

A nesting box stands high in readiness for an Owl

 at the waters edge. . . .

A maze of  footpaths kept us walking & walking,

 due to the sun going down quickly in the afternoon,

 concerns emerged about wandering in the dark if we didn't keep going.

Along the footpaths,

 the watery wayside  shared its delights,

 with wooded areas covered in a layer of lush moss

A great way to spend the afternoon. . . . .

A thoroughly enjoyable walk. . . .

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

May I Wish You All a Very Joyous & Happy Christmas.

~ May it be a Peaceful Christmas Season ~

Naturally Growing

The traditional Christmas tree growing in the woodland. . . .

 Berries on the Hawthorn. . . .

The evergreen Holly. . . .

Also laden with the bright red berries. . . .

Shorter Days. . . .

Nearly the winter solsitice, the shortest day for daylight.

The sun starts to go down very early in the afternoon,

but soon, day by day, the days of daylight will gradually become longer,

 a turning point in the nature calendar.

All photos were taken at the end of

 our trek around the Quantocks Hills.

 

On Walkabout.

With our lengthy walk on the Quantocks last week,

 we walked from woodland into wide open spaces,

then diverting slightly down a country road leading us

 in between a walkway through the very tall pine trees.

The temperature & dampness here was much more noticeable . . . .

The discovery of many species of fungi was quite extensive. . . .

All of our finds were of varying sizes,

one so big taking us both  by surprise.

In the woodland, someone had been busy making a den.

Very impressive. . . .

Through the pines though, further activity was going on.

The rough road was extremely muddy & churned up.

Then we discovered why, the sound of a heavy transporter lorry passed us by.

Further on we found them loading up the lorries with lumbered pine wood.

We had missed a sign on route, as we weren't mean't to come this way,

as the forestry comission are thinning the trees. Work that is continuing for a few months,

 but the smell of freshly cut wood was very pleasant.

Something else that was noticeable,

was the abundance of lichen growing on many varities of trees.

On this day's walk, there was much to enjoy & remember.

Looking forward to going again . . . . .lets hope its soon.

Quantock Hills, Somerset.

Even from the onset of the walk, the scenery is stunning.
The weather was dry for a change with blue skies.

With the leaves all gone, the silhouettes of the trees come in all shapes & sizes.

They look blackened against the sky as it's background.

But with the damp & shady areas in the woodland, many trees are covered in a blanket of lush green moss proceeding up the bark of many trees.

And, suddenly the openness of the Quantocks present themselves,
 with stunning views across parts of Somerset,
 mingled with Autumn colours
even sightings of the sea . .  .

 

We were literally walking for hours on the Quantocks this beautiful sunny day.

Such a difference after all the rian.

We were very fortunate.

~ ~ ~ More to follow ~ ~ ~

Links of interest to the Quantocks
http://www.quantockonline.co.uk/