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Mama, gardener, teacher, photographer, faffer with paint and colour

Thursday 6 December 2012

Copper and ice.



Orange canopy above, leaf fall below, eyes half closed in pale sunlight, autumn was on fire.



Our footsteps and paws pace out the trees along our walks.Beech, hazel, sycamore, oak, ash.....the colours change from lime green to yellow, red and copper. As they are walked back into the earth they all become brown, lose their shape and colour until they ARE the mud.



I need to remember to look at familiar views with fresh eyes, lift my head up and stare.This is where I am lucky to live. 
This colour will be short lived until the next rain or wind. 


Young pup Rosie runs ahead scampering in the leaves, old Jessie dog relies on her nose more these days, eyes and ears starting to play tricks on her.This path was recently covered in hardcore and looked awful, luckily a bed of beech leaves have now disguised it.


These beech trees are solid sentinels, they have such still  awesome power when you walk through them. They root you. I wanted to bring my parents here before the leaves came down.Too late! That night the wind and rain came and stayed around for a while

At home during one of the prolonged days of wind and rain another massive limb of our favourite beech tree came down.



It must have made an awesome crash.Somehow, for the second time, it politely left the fence below intact, jacknifing over it.


This is the extent of the fall, the beginnings of the cutting and clearing by Ashley.
One of my jobs has been to clear and stack the smaller bits of the wood, it is my favourite job I have ever done I think! 



I get toasty and warm doing it, it is good exercise and it is quiet and beautiful and I even have silent companions! ( Ashley too sometimes)





A sudden turn from autumn towards winter. Heavy frosts. Pink mornings. Blue skies.White ground.





Not long until Winter Solstice and Winter has arrived breathless and late!

Stay cosyxxx









12 comments:

  1. Wow! What a beautiful area you live in! Lovely photos~

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  2. Thanks Gail! Yes I think it is a very special place:)

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  3. What lovely photos. Very jealous of your tree from a fuel perspective. We haven't had any leaves up here for weeks!

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    1. Thanks Em! Yes we are very lucky hydro and wood for the main house but our heating system runs off theirs so we get the benefit for free! Very spoilt in many ways...

      I will send Lizzy a kiss from you.

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  4. Absolutely stunning xxxx

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    1. Thanks lovely Linda.What a lovely prolonged autumn.Bucketing it down as I type now ! xx

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  5. How lovely! Beech trees are one of my favorites. They aren't native here so you only see them as a street or park tree. They really are fabulous!
    You asked about which animals I listen and watch for in the woods...mostly deer but ocaisionally bear and the ever so stealth cougar. I've seen many bears but only 1 cougar. They are what I have to be very aware of but I find these large animals only want to keep to themselves and do not want a dog encounter with all of that pesky barking.
    Thanks for stopping by. Lovely photos of the winter over there.

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    1. Yes they are incredible trees and it blows my mind that they are from a beech nut when you see their size! Wow to see bears and a cougar too.Cougar's look so beautiful.I am holding out to see a wild otter before I die, lots of spraint and a slide into the river in the snow once but not a peek as yet.Love your photos and stories x Thanks for the feedback.Finally turned off the verification thing and now getting lots more comments!!

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  6. Beautiful views thanks for sharing them x Noni

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    1. Thanks Noni Just following your example and putting myself out there! Hope you are good xx much love xx

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