Well ... today this creaky little body didn't feel like surfacing early even though those damn yacketty jackdaws were telling me "It's a sunny day, you lazy old bones!" It took extra long this morning for the WD40 to oil the joints, which makes me sound more like a rusty tractor. I joke, a few mugs of good hot Yorkshire tea to get the painkillers circulating in the system and as the impatient mutt kept looking at me quizzically I stirred the stumps and decided, no need for wellies today and we set off in the car to an area of forest that is easy walking. It really was such joy to be out in amongst the mix of fir and deciduous trees with blue skies above ... picturesque prozac without needing that brand of tablet!!
I actually didn't walk very far, there was so much to engage the eye today and I took well over 100 photographs, experimenting with different viewpoints and the 3d facility that I am really enjoying using for depth of field when focusing on small objects. Ffin was happy exploring and aggravating the many squirrels who just hurled insults down from on high. Not only the squirrels chattered about our presence, the "kiew-kiew" from a buzzard that was using the thermals above the forest had alerted the creaking crows and jittery jays to join in the late morning chorus. All the many small tits were chit-chittering as they darted through the now more open canopy of the forest. Even up by the ruins of the old farm barn, we were being ruminantly observed as we made our slow, but steady progress.
To my right, I was surprised to see a huge field, green with a late crop of winter feed, on looking closer, the warm deep colours of the beet just glowed in the November sunshine.
As we carried on I heard the trilling of a favourite songbird and thanks to the zoom facility of the Lumix lens was able to catch this chap, practising posing for next months event ... dare I even mention Christmas yet?
Yes folks it's not that far away, just over five weeks to go and no doubt we will be seeing this red-breasted icon in various forms all over the place. Though I doubt perched on barbed wire! So I was patient, all he needs now is snow on the bracken and the post top.
But let's not think ahead to December and just enjoy the gifts of the present days and this next one of six fallen larch cones, on a mossy tree stump still attached to their twig.
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& the five still alive >>>
Next, off the beaten old track through the woods, in shadows and bright spotlights this sight
Finally it was time to get back to the car, tired, sore but having had sun smiley therapy!
Just one more photograph "The road home" as my camera battery had done enough too.
<<<& the five still alive >>>
Next, off the beaten old track through the woods, in shadows and bright spotlights this sight
What a wonderful stump with it's sheltering young fern, verdant moss and rusty needles?
Then just before I rejoined the old track, I saw an old dilapidated stone wall, but with a deep tree shadow across it. So I sat, patiently waited for the sun to move and ... wow...
the green waterfall effect was just such a pleasant surprise as it lit up before my eyes.
But there were yet more surprises in store as we ambled, slowly and gently homeward bound.
I've mentioned this before, the number of species flowering late is amazing. A lone harebell, colts-foot, clover ... but just two to almost end with, yarrow and gorse.
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