Friday 31 December 2010

31st December

' Can You Imagine?
For example,what the trees do
not only in the lightening storms
or the watery dark of a summer's night
or under the white nets of winter
but now, and now,and now-whenever
we're not looking.Surely you can't imagine
they don't dance,from the root up,wishing
to travel a little,not cramped so much as wanting
a better view,or more sun,or just as avidly
more shade-surely you can't imagine they just
 stand there loving
 every minute of it, the birds or the emptiness,the dark rings
of the years slowly and without a sound
thickening,and nothing different unless the wind,
and then only in it's own mood,comes
to visit,surely you can't imagine
patience,and happiness,like that.'

Mary Oliver


As the year draws to a close there are some things that I want to say . It has been an extremely tough year and  the unconditional support of those around me has shown me how much I am valued and loved (especially when the chips are down).

My mum encouraged me to start this blog and it has provided me with a hundred reasons to get out and about and really explore my local countryside.Milo has been my incentive to walk and walk and walk.... and those around me who I love dearly the reason to come back.

 My interest (now an obsession admittedly) with fungi and mushrooms started in September when I was on a usual walk in the woods with Milo;  because my head was bent in thought I was looking at the ground intently rather than the trees. I began to notice and really see for the first time the fungi that surrounded me and my interest was awakened. I can recall texting my mum at regular intervals to update her on how many species I had seen. I was furious with myself that I didn't have my camera. Needless to say I was back the following evening with my camera and mum in tow and the rest is history. I am delighted too that Frankie ( 9) is a nature bod and she surprised me last week when she spotted some fungi poking through the snow saying 'ooh mum,look Dead Man's Fingers'.That was a very special moment.
 Mum thankfully shares my interest and shows incredible patience if she is with me when I am scrabbling about in the mud and leaf litter on my belly to get a few shots. I am hoping this year for a wet summer so that I can begin my quest again with a little experience behind me.

As for New Years Eve, I am thankful that I have a cold providing  me with  the perfect excuse to turn off my mobile and sink into oblivion around 10.30pm.

I shall leave you with one final quote 

'I can scarcely wait for tomorrow
when a new life begins for me,
as it does each day,
as it does each day.

 The Round  Stanley Kunitz

Sunday 26 December 2010

25th December

What a gorgeous day-mum and I were up and out early and reaped the benefits of early morning sunshine and mists! The photos are in chronological order of our walk ( one of my personal favourites which we do when we have a little more time ) which took us across the fields and then down by the canals.











by the end of the walk he had a very fetching frosty beard !

spectacular icicles everywhere


ever present in the exact same spot!



I love the shadows cast by the trees and the (almost) unspoilt snow.Plenty of animal tracks and some which took a little thought to work out how they appeared to start and then stop after only a few yards.When we looked closely you could see very faintly the imprint of wings where  birds have landed and then taken off again. Too delicate unfortunately for my camera to pick up. 



 Managed to avoid the TV all day which was an added bonus...

Sunday 19 December 2010

more of the white stuff

a beautiful day to follow yesterday's blizzards.It took more than an hour to walk to the beginning of one of our more well travelled routes by which time the sun was already quite low.Hence a couple of these pictures appear to have been altered to sepia-they haven't been-promise!










Saturday 18 December 2010

the sound of silence

I'm not sure that taking my camera out in a blizzard was the cleverest thing.....however the snow has it's own magical quality when there is no one around and it is so very quiet...


it seems that today  we have at last had our fair share of the snow-I am resisting making a comment about the twits out there driving in it






it goes without saying that Milo loves the stuff

Wednesday 15 December 2010

old habits die hard...

with the positively tropical temperature today of 2 degrees I was pleased to see  that the snow and ice of recent weeks has not killed off all the fungi. 


am driving myself potty trying to identify all the bracket fungi-will trawl the internet and return...





I want this to be Antrodia albida,but I'm really not sure...

Turkeytail

Wednesday 8 December 2010

'Of all the trees that grow so fair...'

'Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater is none beneath the sun,
Than Oak,and Ash and Thorn.'

Rudyard Kipling



just squeezing another post in before the weather inevitably turns


where would I be without the good old oak - having said that, there are only so many winter landscapes I can take photos of before people become really bored ...


I do believe those are oak leaves beneath the ice : )

a lone berry defying the odds

fence post (just in case it's not obvious)