The day started with a quick wander round the car boot sale, where £1.50 bought me these goodies. I find it hard to resist embroidery floss and the magazines have some great ideas.
After lunch my eldest daughter and I had a stroll up the valley.
The first catkins have been put out on branches now, though of course it is a couple of months before they will be flowering properly, but it cheers me up to think that the very first signs of spring can't be SO far away!
The larches on the hillside are still holding on to a few peach-coloured needles.
Looking across the fields towards Llanfynydd.
My neighbour was taking advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon to fell a dangerously-leaning tree.
The low light levels meant that most of the photographs looked pretty washed-out, but I quite like the muted almost sepia tones of this photo.
Me carrying back a branch of holly (with a few berries) which had been ripped off by a passing vehicle. We've put it in the barn and plan to use the berried bits for decorations in a few weeks' time. I am also hoping to make a hedgerow basket using some of the longer springy stems . . .
In the valley bottom, these big willows are still hanging on to their leaves. It is a good bit more sheltered down there.
A general view up the valley across land now left for wildlife.
Recent gales have stripped many trees of their leaves and for a few months we can admire their winter silhouettes.
The day started with a quick wander round the car boot sale, where £1.50 bought me these goodies. I find it hard to resist embroidery floss and the magazines have some great ideas.
After lunch my eldest daughter and I had a stroll up the valley.
The first catkins have been put out on branches now, though of course it is a couple of months before they will be flowering properly, but it cheers me up to think that the very first signs of spring can't be SO far away!
The larches on the hillside are still holding on to a few peach-coloured needles.
Looking across the fields towards Llanfynydd.
My neighbour was taking advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon to fell a dangerously-leaning tree.
The low light levels meant that most of the photographs looked pretty washed-out, but I quite like the muted almost sepia tones of this photo.
Me carrying back a branch of holly (with a few berries) which had been ripped off by a passing vehicle. We've put it in the barn and plan to use the berried bits for decorations in a few weeks' time. I am also hoping to make a hedgerow basket using some of the longer springy stems . . .
In the valley bottom, these big willows are still hanging on to their leaves. It is a good bit more sheltered down there.
A general view up the valley across land now left for wildlife.
Recent gales have stripped many trees of their leaves and for a few months we can admire their winter silhouettes.
I like these misty photos--the look of November is almost the same sort of coloring in the northern hemisphere, I think.
ReplyDeleteWith no real "walks" here I've been outside in a mild windy moring simply collecting kindling from the hedgerow--savoring the time before its cold enough to huddle indoors.
I love these photos, the light at this time of year seems to add a glow to things. I noticed hazel catkins the other day too and many trees already have next years leaf buds visible. Lucky you to get the berried holly, the berries seem to be very good on the holly bushes this year, the trick is to get there before everyone else....
ReplyDeleteLovely atmospheric photos.
ReplyDeleteOur holly hedge was covered in scarlet berries until the east wind blew in flocks of thrushes and redwings. Now there are fewer berries, but hopefully some fit and fat birds! I must cut a few branches for Christmas before the berries completely disappear.
Beautiful photos; the lanes seem so quiet as compared to here. How good to see thrushes and redwings, even i they do consume the berries. A sparrow=hawk took our last pair of garden thrushes in the spring and we haven't seen one since.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love those threads !!
ReplyDeleteI think it's this time of year when you start to be thankful for the smallest mercies that nature offers.
ReplyDeleteDW - glad the birds had a good feed on your berries. I bet they have been feasting at Jude's too as she has a big yew tree by the house.
Rowan - berries not so good in these parts, partly because of the long dry spring I think - hardly any rain for the first 6 months of the year.
MM - we are due SNOW next week apparently! I had better stock the larder even more . . .
WSC - you snuck in under the radar! The lanes are VERY quiet around here. When we had the horses, most drivers would slow down and some stop and switch their engines off. Then there are the white van drivers . . . We are fortunate with our wild birds - I counted something like 76 Wrens going to bed in the space above our window aperture each night last winter . . . amazing.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty and atmospheric photos showing this time of year perfectly.
ReplyDeleteWell doen on finding those embroidery threads - they can be so expensive in shops.