A Sunday Stroll

A couple of weeks ago,

 a walk through the woods,

a cold bleak Sunday,

but relished in being able to enjoy a stroll.

A mixture of sights,

Catkin, Ivy, Fungi....

Swell Woods, Somerset,

 may not be a long walk,

 but it was such an easy location to find,

Looks like this feather agreed,

 which was latched tight to a branch.

Early, but not alone.....

With the return of work last week,

 after the Christmas & New Year break,

the reality of the early starts in the mornings,

 started to set in,

eventhough the weekend break!

The chance of a later sleep in but no!

Needless to say,

awake exceptionaly early!

So early,

enough time to see the early moring sun!

Firstly,

the cleaning of the car, heck,  it's Sunday!

then proceeding to the local town's park.

Although the odd person walking through,

some with their Sunday newspapers,

in the background,

the ringing of nearby church bells,

the walk,

 a tranquil haven,

 with the sun rising for the coming day.

The majority of the time,

 I was left to soak in the

 quietness of my surroundings.

But,

 the activities of a squirrel,

 made me realise I wasn't the only one,

to enjoy this tranquility.

This was also confirmed by  the activity on the stream,

 running at the side of the park,

a hive of activity with various species of duck & swan.

A quiet moment to the start of the day,

but definitely not alone....!!!

Resting. . . . .

While in Dartmouth last Wednesday,

 I couldn't resist taking this photo,

 of a slumped bike & upturned boat,

 attached to an old fashioned lamp post.

 ~   ~   ~   ~

With a late night,

 seeing the New Year in with neighbours & friends,

all I wanted to do,

particularly in the afternoon on New Year's Day,

was to be slouched on a comfy sofa.

Resting!

While relaxing,

I reviewed  my final photos,

 taken on New Year's Eve of 2011!

The photos,

above & below, 

were taken from Burrow Mump,

Somerset Levels,

 just as the sun was lowering. 

Although Burrow Mump monument

stood on the top of the hill in solitude,

the fields below were flooded from recent weather

As the sun finally settles on New Year's Eve,

there's not only thought of a new day to arrive, but also a new year!

~   ~   ~   ~

Really look forward to photographying aspects

of the various seasons once again.

Venturing Out

With a kind invitation & a visit from my cousin,

we ventured to the South Devon coastline,

heading for Dartmouth.

Wonderful to just take the time

 to gaze at the boat activity,

from vehicle ferries to  small vessels,

 although  much quieter

 compared to the summer months.

With a walk out of the main town,

 we headed towards the entrance

 of the River Dart,

 emerging into the wide open

expanse of sea

The entrance was also the location

for the Dartmouth Castle,

not over big,

but closed due to the seasonal holidays.

~  ~  ~  ~

As we stumbled along the coastal path,

 we passed Castle Cove,

 easily accessible by steps.

A wonderful sound,

 to hear the lapping motion of the waves,

 relatively calm  & relaxing.

Although the weather

was not that bright during our drive to the coast

& through one stage of our walk,

the weather later improved. 

 The temperature may have dropped a few degrees,

 but we felt lucky with the blueness of the skies!

Truly lovely to get the chance of some bracing freshair,

an enjoyable walk after

 some excessive eating due to the festive season!

Imposing

Although I may have featured Dunster Castle before,

I still go back to visit,

to photograph & discover

much more

Visted during the Halloween weekend,

to find actvites ongoing,

 organised for children

With Dunster Castle,

 being built on a hill,

 high above the village,

it certainly does aim to be

 very domineering & imposing

 against it's surrounding landscape!

Autumn Walking

Autumn walking,

offering some wonderful locations,

with such a beautiful mix of colour....

Such an enjoyable way

 to appreciate the season

Buckingham Palace

Before heading back to Somerset,

 after a long weekend visit to family,

we had a walkabout around part of London,

which included a visit to Buckingham Palace!

With a Royal Wedding this year,

 it did seem appropriate.

Although no changing of the guard on this particular day,

there was a group of military on horseback,

 being escorted by police passing the Palace.

Definitely a truly magnificant building!

We all managed to get

 our photos to help

remember this day!