Mottisfont Abbey, a Very Rainy Day. . . .

                                 

During Jubilee week, I travelled to Mottisfont Abbey, 

near Romsey.

Rain may not have prevailed when we left,

but on arrival,

the rain streamed down, & down, & down. . . . .

until we left this National Trust property.

The constant rain did not deter me from taking photos,

but the majority of the day,

these photos were taken from underneath my umbrella.

Finally,

before leaving, when the rain began to ease,

a break in the courtyard area,

were a display of jubilee bunting was on display,

 made  by local school children

This last photo really depicted the character of the day,

a large flower designed umbrella,

 amongst the real fresh ones on display.

Re-visit with surprises

For many months, 

I have not visited Greylake Nature Reserve

 on the Somerset Levels.

And much to my surprise, with my latest recent visit,

I discovered that the Reserve 

has been made more accessible for people,

 with a new walk further around the reed beds.

I visited on a very windy but sunny day.

The views from the Reserve

 presented beautiful views 

of a Somerset landscape.

With recent downpours, 

an excess of water still existed.

The extra walk way

 thoroughly enhanced 

my trek around the Reserve, 

I will certainly enjoy my next visit, 

hopefully soon. . . .

A Rarity

Before the sun finally set,

 on a bitterly cold day,

it was lovely to see the snowdrops

growing proudly in clumps

Due to rather mild weather,

 until the recent cold spell,

 the sight of daffodils

 was another inspiring sight to see

Unfortunately,

being able to get out for a walk these days,

 seem to be coming bit of  a rarity,

My Mother, aged 88,

 has been diagnosed with Dementia,

 and although I have 4 brothers,

I have become her registered carer.

With still trying to maintain my day job,

 there really isn't an awful lot of spare time left.

Also, during the last few weeks,

she has been admitted twice

into hospital with Angina attacks.

Due to my commitment and care

towards my Mother,

I am finding

 I have rather less time

 to keep myself informed

of blogging friends updates,

 apologises for this.

I will post when I can.

Regards to you all!

A Colder Climate....

Our winter,

 in the South West region of the UK,

 has been exceptionally mild,

until the  chill started to set

 in during the latter part of last week.

Saturday,

we certainly woke up to a 'white' looking start.

No, not snow,

but a very icy frost.....

out came the woollies, hats, scraves & gloves.

The coldness of the weather,

not only a shock to the system for us humans,

but a shock to the plant life aswell.

Definitley a time to wrap up warm

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!

All the Signs

With Autumn leaves progressively fall,

especially with increasingly,

 colder weather creeping in,

signs of the winter in evidence with

 many plants remaining  with masses of berries.

~   ~   ~   ~

Thoughts,

 certainly starting to give way,

 to preparations for

the Christmas season.

At Last

At long last,

I had the chance to get out for a more longer walk.

I managed to get to Shapwick Heath,

located close to  Street & Glastonbury.

Instantly, the weather produced showers,

which seem to appear from nowhere.

But, it was still enjoyable,

 & I was still able to appreciate

some peaceful & tranquil surroundings

Signs of the Autumu season were much in evidence,

from fungi, acorns, to the changing colour of the bracken.

Even so, insect activity was still rife.

Butterflies were still fluttering around,

& I even stumbled on a small toad in the undergrowth.

Eventually,

  later in the afternnon,

any glimmer of blue sky

suddenly turned very dark & grey!

There was definitely no escape from the gathering rain.

It was certainly a brisk return to the car.

Seeing Double

Taken at Hestercombe Gardens during August,

this is part of the more informal walking area,

 a much larger expanse of countryside walking,

 when compared to the formal gardens.

Just love the reflections that are captured on the water.

A sunny afternoon,

the sunlight producing these wonderful images