Staying at home, walking on local footpaths and bridleways, enjoying quietude.

Staying at home, walking on local footpaths and bridleways, enjoying quietude.

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White pillows

White pillows

Float into hollows, nooks

And burrows.

Aspen and willow,

Stark, dark: sinister

Whispering sharp wind

Billows.

Lichen hillocks.

Holly and blackthorns

Creak under laden leaves

Dripping icy nature’s tea.

Flirty flurries settle on warm cheeks

And tiny beaks.

Woodland Wildlife seeks solace

From fizzing blizzards.

Winter finds

Winter lakeside:

Grey pools binding

With silver speckled rinds;

Threads and reeds surfing

Across leafy waves,

Warmed by gentle waves.

Winter is hanging on, but I like its inky beauty and sparkling surprises.

First frost breathes…

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First frost breathes through crystalline teeth,

 Steeping brightly hued blooms into a moon dipped

Weeping sleep.

I look down the garden now at the damp brown rotting garden and remember the warm days filled with summer fresh scents; butterflies and bees everywhere. Then came the first frost, it was such a shock but turned the garden into a magical place, frozen and beautiful. I am so grateful for nature. As the garden lies sleeping,  I enjoy every day as a different day. I can see the birds hopping about and the gentle mellow yellow sunshine through watery leaves. 

First Light

At first light,
Floating thoughts sink into
An inky stillness.

Tiny tapping on the windowsill
Greets us and the skies gently brighten.

‘Bee-ilicious’ colours or favourite ice-cream flavours;
Fine feathering  and  watercoloured waves
Awaken dreamy seas and clouds tinged with flames.

Dancing Kitten Tails

Even though bitter winds can make me cringe:
Tears fall like salty streams.
Dancing kitten tails, ginger tinged,
Soft and kissed by sunshine beams.

I love this time of year when the sunshine peeps through the charcoal trees, lighting up the beautiful Hazel catkins and dancing on the trees. Sometimes taking a photograph can be challenging when it’s cold and windy and I have to sweep away the tears!

Winter’s crystals

Winter crystals like
Shimmering tinsel;
Fizzing sherbet on dark
Lush leaves.
Silver stars on a golden sceptre:
Towering crispy seeds.

I took these photos in my garden this morning because when I looked out of the window on a crystal dusted winterland, I couldn’t resist rushing out to capture the moment. The winter in England has been so mild this year, it’s so very special to have a frosty morning. Enjoy. 🙂

Frosty moments

Frost temporarily preserves
The landscape in fine sugar dust:
A lustful feast.

Crusted tufts of wind whipped grasses
And rusted busts of proud seedpods,

Languish in a spangled frozen sea.
On rough textured tracks, puddles
Like mystical misted mirrors,
Creak and crack as sunshine
Seeps through apricot pillows
And weeping trees.

The dogs and I thoroughly enjoyed our frosty world of spangled surprises, apricot skies and mystical mirrors which creaked as we walked through our local countryside in rural Bedfordshire. Captured in every breath and every step this temporarily preserved moment was truly magical. Enjoy.

Snow fall

Snow falls over
The ridge silently: like
Pure dove down;
Fluttering,
Glowing like butter
When slivers of sunlight
Ease through umber trees.

The night became silent on Saturday as snow fell magically for the first time. We woke like excited children to watch snowflakes melting on our cottage bedroom window. Unfortunately the morning warmed up and our dreamland melted, so we decided to walk up our local ‘Greensands ridge’, where we knew snow would still be in the furrows and settled in the copses.

Winter glow

There is no snow
To give a gentle glow
Upon the tangled hedgerow,
However a yield of
Old man’s beard
Frames the far off fields
With tufts of wintry seeds,
Which drift and twinkle
In the breeze.

We’ve had such a mild Xmas and New year here in the UK and I’ve craved that childhood wonder of walking in crunchy snow as snowflakes melt on my lips and glisten like tiny jewels on the hedgerows.
We were lucky to be  introduced to this incredible ancient and magical area by our friends in Cople, who took us for an amazing walk along the old Icknield way and up to the Pegston hills and Deacon hill, which are a nature reserve and part of the Chilterns area of outstanding natural beauty. We will return many times to walk our dogs, enjoy the scenery change as spring brings it’s colour to the chalk hills.