Discovering...

With this time of year, the thought of seeing anything with colour,

feels like it's none exsistent, but certainly not the case,

as I discovered on recent walks.

~   ~   ~

 A visit to Dunster, Somerset,

I took a walk around the walked garden.

Amazed to see the delicate pink blossom! 

Although,

 it has definitely suffered,

 with the recent wet & cold weather,

 tinged brown! 

  Another colour,

 yellow was also a feature,

 at local Hestercombe Gardens,

 particularly with the

'Christmas  Box' shrub above.

The brightness of the flowers above,

 was also a surprise to discover at this time of year.

Nestled & sheltered by stone walls leading to steps,

the discovery of these beautiful minature Iris's

was a complete surprise.

Definitely amazing to see!

In crevices of the stone walls at Hestercombe,

new plant life was emerging & thriving.

~   ~   ~

Although still in the midst of winter,

these sightings were such a comfort,

 with the thoughts of a new season to come.

Feathered Friends

With a couple of walks at nearby Hestercombe Gardens,

I encountered the resident Swan.

So beautiful & graceful on the water,

but I'm aware that they can have an agressive nature.

As I walked alongside the lake,

the swan followed aswell,

finally emerging from the water in hot pursuit of me!

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm sure the Swan must be fed by the staff.

Most probably thought I had more food!

As my pace quickened,

 the Swan returned to the lake.

With the walk on Friday,

as I walked around,

a Robin would reappear at intervals.

On one of these occasions,

the Robin dared to get closer & closer,

a perfect opportunity

 to take photos of a favourite bird

 I love to see.

Can honestly say I never felt alone on either of these walks.

Colour for a Rainy Grey Day!

Saved these images for a rainy day,

 when definitely need to see some colour to brighten up the day.

Today, & the past week has been no exception. 

 Downpours of rain only offering grey dull days!

~ ~ ~ ~

Whilst on travels to The Netherlands in the Autumn,

 exploring Amsterdam,

 we visited the Flowermarket.

A street, crammed with market stalls,

 selling a huge variety of garden bulbs,

 seeds, pot plants, fresh cut flowers,

& items for the tourist,

 anything from fridge magnets,

 to the blue & white china associated with Holland.

Cabbage flowers,

 a selection with

 either white or purple centres. . . .

Masses of Sunflowers. . . .

I've  never seen so many cacti in flower. . .

Bunches & bunches of roses. . . .

Not forgetting the Dutch Tulips!

Monday 3rd January 2011

Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve,

a walk where you can wander in the open,

 or loose yourself around one of the walkways,

 maybe on your way to one of the bird hides,

 passing wooded areas,

waterways lost in reeds & rushes,

even meeting up with a huge lake.

Love to see the trees strewn with a mass of glossy green ivy,

either wrapping & clinging itself onto a tree trunk,

or dangling & swaying in mid air from a great height.

But I'm not the only one out on this day,

occasionally, bumping into another walker,

 wrapped up warm from the elements of the weather.

Much of the water,

 meandering through the tree lined walkways,

 is laden with the fall of leaves from the Autumn,

 together with a layer of slushy ice,

 due to the recent coldspell,

 with a succession of  bitterly cold days.

And today,

 offering the occasional wintery shower of sleet or snow.

Bundles of Bull Rushes add to the plants surrounding the lake

A couple of swans adorn the icy lake.

The variety of trees,

 offer  changes in the landscape

Some reminders offering other colour,

 to help with these dull wintery days,

is the rich bronze brown of dead leaves,

 still clinging to some of the branches,

 or caught in branch crevices,

 or even fallen to the ground.

A last walk before returning to the routine of work!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Christmas holiday sure went quick!

In a Flap

Unfortunately,

I had to wait until today for the first walk of the New Year!

I aimed towards the Somerset Levels, stopping briefly at Burrow Mump.

I was not disappointed to see the swan above, which was certainly exercising it's wings,

& what a wing span!

It was quite a dull damp day with the weather,

with the Levels in flood, attracting much bird life.

With the mood of the weather,

 just thought it was appropriate ,

to transform some of these images into black & white.