Walking

Today I thought it was time I went out walking again so I had a quick look out of the window.  Not bad, but only just above freezing.

An hour later....

Now 4 degrees warmer but looking less inviting.  Nevertheless I braved the elements and walked to the far end of the town, all along the sea front, to meet up with the group.  I thought about 20 minutes would do it.  How wrong can I be.

Forty minutes later, with the skin flayed from my face by hailstones driven in on the the north east wind, I arrived at the meeting place, sodden, frozen, and worn out.  They had gone.  Sigh.  Fair weather friends. (Thank goodness)

I did an about turn and set off back home, though at least the wind this time was something of an assistance.  I dropped in at the local volunteer centre supposedly to offer my services but really to thaw out for a moment or two.

Now I find I have to go back on Thursday morning for an interview.  Interview!  I thought those days were over.  I'd better do some homework though I'm not sure what sort.

Winter colour

Winter is not all grey.

Birch, willow and a couple of evergreens.

The red catkins and cones on an alder.

Ash seeds dangling over the water.

I don't know what this riverside shrub is but I liked the shape the branches make against the backgound of the water.

A spherical bunch of mistletoe suspended over the river.

An evergreen bush overhanging from a garden. Quite a few of the red berries had already gone, to the birds I presume.

Fruits of a plane tree. There seem to be a lot of them this year.

I love these last berries. They seem to be oozing from their coverings or cases. There's something almost voluptuous about them. If anyone knows what they are, I'd love to know.

Walk down the lanes

We've been lucky to have bright if cold weather recently, ideal for going for a wander in the countryside.

The trees without their leaves look totally different of course but lovely in a different way.

This cottage, sheltered by the trees and the brow of the hill, looked very cozy.

Although I noticed the holly trees were almost stripped bare of their berries, other red fruits had been left. Obviously not so tasty!

These are the fruits of Rhus typhina, or Staghorn Sumac, which I always think of as a cultivated plant, but it was here in a hedgerow. There must have been a tree nearby and these were the suckers from it.

Surprisingly there were loads of conkers lying around and left to rot. I say surprisingly because if there had been any children around, they would have been instantly gathered for playing conkers as soon as they fell.

I can so well remember the search for good sources of conkers while my sons were at primary school. We used to spend hours trying to find a tree which hadn't been stripped. Great fun!