Tuesday 19 February 2013

Snowdrops and sunshine

So you get a day in February with glorious sunshine, no cold wind to speak of and no time commitments. It seems only right to make the most of it and seek out a place for a walk among snowdrops.
For years I had heard of 'The Snowdrop Church' and I knew it is in one of the Meon Valley villages not too far away. After watching last night's weather forecast I did a little looking it up on the 'net. It is the church of Our Lady at Warnford and as the forecasters got it right today, we set out to see how much it earns the title.
As we followed the public footpath across the park towards the church we began to get glimpses of drifts of white and before long the site's reputation was confirmed.
I had read about the Snowdrop Walks held on Sunday afternoons during February. We were pleasantly surprised to find that even on this weekday, the church was open. There is a serenity about ancient rural churches that just begs to be lingered with, breathed in and absorbed.

Evidence of the dedication and contribution of the parishioners
The play of sunlight over a family resting place
The delicate iron tracery in an old flint wall
The walk back through the park and across the river
Such a wonderful way to spend a spring afternoon. And on returning home I noticed something tiny but, for me, very significant nestled amongst the grass and celandines under the apple tree in the front garden.
Our first crocus. Remember how I had said that this event might signify a more auspicious time to set out with new resolve than the first day of the year? I also said the idea of choosing a theme or a word was more appealing than specific resolutions. So I will - I choose the word Exercise. I want to include the obvious physical connotations but go beyond that to exertions of the mind as well and the acquisition of new skills for not only health but that sense of well-being. Where did I see 'Move the Body - Feed the Brain'? That's what I have in mind. And may be with today's walk, I have already made a start.





Tuesday 5 February 2013

A wintry walk in the forest

Yes the pretty snow has gone for the moment and the winter sun only came out as we rumbled over the last cattle grid and left the forest but much of winter here is about grey and sombre and overcast and muddy so that is what I captured on today's journey through the New Forest.

We had an errand to run in Lymington so I picked up my 'point and shoot' camera as I left the house in the hope that somewhere en route there might be a chance to take pictures. One of my little intentions for 2013 centres on photography and I figure the best way to improve is to do what photographers do and be prepared to take pictures whenever I can. Having a camera to hand keeps the photographer's eye in and there's no regretful thinking afterwards "If only I had a camera.." (There might be other regrets like "If only I had wellies I could have moved to better vantage points.." or "If only I had a hat, my hair would not have been whipping over the lens all the time..." but those are lessons for another day.)

When I first came to the UK from Australia I was under the impression that the term forest denoted woodland and dense plantings of trees. I was unprepared, on my early visits to the New Forest and the Forest of Bere to see open tracts of heathland with scarcely any vegetation taller than a gorse bush. I have since learned that the original term forest is derived from a word denoting land outside the boundaries of settlement - the uncultivated 'no man's land' and is not really a description of the vegetation at all. The fact that many forests did consist of dense woodland led to its use for such places I suppose. Please feel free to correct me on this or expand on it as I am fascinated by the  derivation and meaning of words.


The New Forest has a wide range of habitats and landscapes. Both its natural and human histories are intriguing. Today I confined myself to capturing the atmosphere of a tiny part of it.


Although, I couldn't resist another shot near Beaulieu. I'll call this one the postcard shot - what else could it be with a pony and a thatched cottage?

So nice to see too, on returning home that the sun was highlighting something enchanting right outside my own front door. I just had to pick a handful and bring them indoors.