… noticing signs of spring on the dog walk
Although we have had lots of snow flurry’s and it is still bitingly cold we have had some gloriously sunny days here. There are signs of spring everywhere.
Thanks to Helena for this weekly meme
A simple and beautiful thing for a cold snowy Monday here in my corner of the world.
On a dreary cold morning at the farm shop I noticed the new buds on the young beech trees. How beautiful that the leaves stay until the new buds are open. No one knows why this happens, perhaps to protect the new buds from browsing deer, maybe to provide some frost protection to the new buds. Botanists call this retention of dead plant matter marcescence.
Whatever the reason I am glad that they do so that I can see it and share it with you.
Stay warm, Or cool, which ever will make you happiest.
February and January because I forgot to post it!
I have two pictures for this exercise this month. They are linked, both taken on the same day.
The landscape was taken in the morning at 11:20.
The morning started so dull with a very heavy mist. We were on Salisbury Plain, which is very beautiful when not shrouded in grey.
I decided to take a few landscape pictures with a kind of hopeful attitude, not being able to see much at all apart from a few dark shapes in the distance.
I used a texture on the sky to give it a bit of life.
The birds were taken in the afternoon, 16:00.
As we drove over to Longleat the mist began to lift and by the time we arrived we were looking at blue skies! I forgot about my hopeful pictures in an instant.
I was overjoyed, taking pictures of very photogenic and obliging giraffes; so close you could touch them.
Then I looked up and saw starlings swirling in the blue sky. I have always wanted to see the clouds of these birds IRL, you know the ones that you see in photographic magazines? I know this isn’t quite a cloud but the sight of them lifted my heart.
The landscape reminds me to stay optimistic and the birds remind me why.
From a murky misty morning to a beautiful blue, bird filled sky, all in one day. And it was my birthday.
My photo – heart connection for January is from the farm on a day the sheep were lambing.
My son was there with his girlfriend. He rang me and asked me to join them. “…and don’t forget your camera” he was calling…
I choose this, of a sheep and her lamb, just 30 minutes old when I made the picture.
Yes it is so very cute but when I saw the picture on my screen I also saw her looking at her lamb, ever watchful like every new mother.
The picture tells me it’s a new life, but it speaks to me of a new start, change and hope for the future as is happening in my life right now.
This picture speaks right to my heart, of hope and love and joy that he called me to share his morning.
Bonnie’s challenge this week was to Create a piece of abstract art using only pdpa textures.
I couldn’t wait to have a go at this. I spent a happy morning layering some textures that I particulaly like waiting to see something I liked the look of…and here it is.
Something new for me, I hope you like it.
If you fancy a wander around a digital art gallery this weekend, have a look at this one.
…in an arboretum.
There was much looking up and down on this fabulous day out, well I suppose looking at huge trees would necessitate that wouldn’t it?
Thank you Helena for this great project.
This is a Weston Red Cedar
And this is the base of a beautifully layed hedge
