New Year!

Wishing everyone a Very Happy New Year!

Aiming High!

Finally, getting out for a seasonal walk!

I wasn't to be disappointed either.

Travelled to the north coast of Somerset,

not particularly a long drive.

Due the recent snow,

I knew of a safe place to park,

 with easy access to the local Quantock Hills.

This was a location I have often visited in the past,

but how the landscape changes,

 with the added addition of the white stuff, snow!

A steep trek through woodland brings you out into the open,

and what a view, stunningly breathtaking.

An excellent walk worthy to do before

we invite the New Year in!

Snowy Weather

Woke up on Saturday to a thick blanket of snow!

This was quite a significant amount for us,

 as the area is situated in a valley,

where mainly the surrounding hills capture the worse of any snowfall.

 

All images viewed around the garden.

I was also relieved it was the weekend,

meaning no work to go to!

A Winter's Tale, Part 1

This past weekend took me to a favourite local place,

Hestercombe Gardens.

An anual membership was enabling me to

enjoy taking photos from each changing season,

& today was no exception.

Although reminders of the Autumn,

with cold weather & the occasional snow shower,

both seasons seem to mingle together!

For the South West of England,

this cold weather with the hint of snow was certainly early.

But, other parts of the UK is suffering,

 even more significantly with the snow!

The gardens is situated on the edge of the Quantock Hills,

& because the main town is in a valley,

the small amount of snowfall we had,

still lingered here,

 but it's bitterly cold,

with no signs of improvement at the moment.

But, with the elements of the weather,

the gardens certainly take on a new demension.

A complete contrast to the previous seasons,

nevertheless,

the scenes were still stunning.

The cold weather was leaving everything literally frozen,

even many of the plants had lost there vitality.

Such as this fern above....

And yet, the waterfuall was a surprise.

The noise it produced,

 left no one in any doubt this was in full flow.

Only in recent previous weeks,

before the rain had set in,

this had been just a trickle.

Now, everyone was walking briskly,

 & wrapped up warmly. . . .

Part of the lake was slightly frozen, but with the sun now lower,

caused a beautiful landscape before meeting up with the formal garden.

A Slight Thaw!?!

With the snow follows a slow thaw from the trees. . . .

The water droplets suddenly casscade to the ground. . . .

Something so small, & yet so beautiful after a closer inspection.

Although still much snow & ice on the ground,

 the majority of  branches are now nearly bare once again,

some snow remains & hangs on  into every crevice. . . .

Finallly Snow

Last night, it started to Snow.

My neighbours returned from Switzland last night,

& they say it started the minute they entered their door.

I think the weather followed them. . . .

Although  it was photogenic, it mean't I wasn't going to work.

May have passed my driving test many years ago, but only drove for first time in snow last winter,

but this has instinctivitly put me off driving in such conditions.

This may have been forcasted, but it still seems to take you by surprise.

Just not use to living with the snow,

 as our last big  significant downfall was so many years ago.

It snowed during the night & into the morning, then restarting late morning.

 As they say, beauty can be seen in every season.

Very much a true meaning in every sense of the wording.

Tomorrow,

could be worse due to the ice,

& eventually,

even a threat of more snow on the way. . . .

 ~   ~   ~

But, tomorrow,

 I will at least attempt to walk to work,

eventhough it's quite a long walk. . . .