Sunday 25.01.2015

There can be fewer more uplifting experiences than an hours walk in the woods on a January morning that nevertheless whispers the possibility of Spring round the corner, returning to good strong coffee and an almond croissant.


True, the milder air is but a blip as we`re promised more Baltic temperatures by the end of the week but for now the hues were brown and green,

with plenty of those winter sculptures around.

And the croissant was good but it has to be said not quite up to the sublime ones available at Shambala: the name of the bakery eludes me for now and I will concede that eating it in the wee small hours with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, sitting in the warmth and comfort of The Lost Picture Show * did enhance the experience. :)

* http://www.shambalafestival.org/act/the-lost-picture-show/

Wednesday 21.01.2015

Impossible to exaggerate the sparkly-ness of today. Not a breath of wind, white and crunchy underfoot,

more winter sculptures

pale light filtering through the trees

and diamonds everywhere.

I think it was C.S. Lewis who said that once you`ve read about enchanted woods all woods are a little enchanted. As we walked on the frosty ground up a be-jewelled avenue of trees straight towards the sun it would haven`t surprised me a bit to see a Faun appear.

( Photograph: Pauline Baynes / CS Lewis PTE Ltd)



Might have startled the dogs a bit I suppose.

Sunday 18.01.2015

So there goes January and so far been pretty standard: gales, sleet, rain, bright alternating with dull but the days on a stealthy mission to extend themselves.

Lots of walking hither and thither including around our own back field: on a cold clear afternoon two days ago, the sheep trailing after us in the hopes of another feed,

light and shade,

winter geometry

and arguing over who gets to carry the firewood down.

Yesterday, same hill, ever optimistic sheep,flurries of snow, bright yellow gorse offsetting the grey -

in short wonderfully wintry.

As were the icy pavements of Glasgow last night as we walked gingerly to the Old Fruitmarket for some splendid stuff by Vent du Nord at Celtic Connections.*

4 hours down, 5 hours there and 4 hours back up the road: sometimes you just have to do it even if it does mean you`re too cream-crackered to do much the next day. :)


*http://www.celticconnections.com/events/Pages/event.aspx?ev=ea2ec715-4c7a-44aa-94d4-a3c300fc5873

Sunday 04.01.2015

Last 24 hours have been quite stunning weather-wise: last night a full moon in a clear sky, quite still with only the owl calls breaking the silence, today sunny and fresh - the kind of day that makes you reluctant to come in. As we walked up the hill mid-morning a remarkably soft southerly breeze sprang up - would douce be the way to describe it? Geese overhead, birdsong in the woods and enough frost and snow to make a satisfying crunch underfoot.

Still plenty green for sheep safely grazing though...and our geese seemed pretty happy as well.



It was just that sort of day.
Oh - and Happy New Year!