My eldest daughter and I had a lovely walk today. It was very mild, and has stayed dry - if grey - all day. We felt we needed to walk off some of the Christmas Excess! Anyway, we cheated a bit and got my husband to drop us off about half a mile from home (thus neatly avoiding the steepest and most tiring hill) and walked for about 2 1/2 miles at a fairly leisurely pace - especially up the inclines!
The grey skies meant that the light was poor for photography, but as it turned out, it wasn't really the views which tempted us, but things far closer to us, as we found summer flowers still blooming, and now spring flowers are coming to join them! We found Primroses in full bloom, and the bud of one of the little wild Daffodils. I'm sure in Cornwall, which is warmer, they have been out a while, but it's a first for us to notice them so early here.
A neighbour's Muscovy geese - and the fruit from old apple trees which have been forgotten, now that you can buy cooking apples in supermarkets . . .
The first buds on the little wild Daffodils.
One of the donkeys on our walk.
A view across the fields towards Carmarthen.
Walking into the view . . . looking out across the damp Towy Valley.
How the Primrose blooms lifted my spirits - they made me feel that even in the depths of winter, spring cannot be too far away. These have been in bloom several days so would have been out for Christmas Day!
Red Campion still blooming from the summer.
A wild strawberry makes an early start to the season. We found another plant half a mile on which had a green fruit too!
Meadowsweet still putting out flowers, having been in bloom since the summer.
When the gorse is out of bloom, then kissin's out o' fashion! You're OK in these parts, apparently!
One of our neighbouring farms, Allt-y-ferin, showing that this site has been inhabited for thousands of years as that is a Norman motte and bailey castle - or rather, where one once stood), and that itself is on the site of a prehistoric Promentary Fort during the Iron Age.
We have had a lot of rain recently. This little stream pouring down from a field met up with all its family and friends in recent heavy rain, with the result that our lane has been much damaged and will need to be repaired where the tarmac has been ripped up.
We were glad to get home to the warmth of the kitchen.
Thanks for the morning walk, it's raining here and we'll wait till it clears off before we go out. Really liked the picture of the farm with the motte and bailey.
ReplyDeleteWhat stunning, beautiful country that you gently walk through. I wish I had stunning scenery to walk through.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week.
That was a lovely walk. Incredible to find Red Campion and Meadowsweet in flower alongside primroses.
ReplyDeleteWe have just been for a brisk hour`s walk through one of the Forest inclosures and back across the heath. Good to get moving again! It was so dull and grey that I didn`t take my camera today.
Thanks everyone.
ReplyDeleteDenim & Mac n' Janet - you would all love it. It's so peaceful round here - crime is virtually unheard of, and the community spirit very strong. And as for the views . . . we try not to take them for granted.
DW - you have been here so can vouch for the natural beauty. I couldn't believe how much was still flowering from last year - I found plenty of new growth on the Cow Parsley too, plus one plant which had set seed!
Lovely walk. I found brambles in bloom yesterday. I bet they don't turn into berries. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely walk and how wonderful to find primroses in flower. I have snowdrops in my garden already and I saw the new leaves of wood sorrel coming through on my walk this morning. Your kitchen looks a really cosy place to come back to.
ReplyDeleteYour photos always make me feel I've been along for the walk. Your winter is even warmer and greener than ours in south/western Kentucky. Daffs here are known as March lilies--I found the first ones last year on a really chilly morning.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to come into your kitchen and stroke the wood of that old table. Lovely!