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At the foot of a tree which is part of an old pathway with intertwined oak trees whose branches hold each other up

I have a little collection of feathers from these walks – have to be careful tucking them in a pocket or holding them gently for the rest of the way

My Mum talked to me about finding feathers, about signs, symbols. About noticing and treasuring and thinking what they represent

Buzzard I reckon – it has photographed a bit darker than it is. I hear them most days before I look up and see them wheeling overhead.

The petals are just starting to drift down in flurries silently and gently

there is a scent like honey

It stops us in our tracks daily to gaze and rest our eyes on beauty

Unfurling into Spring on the equinox – leaning towards the sun

Mostly around about here I see the darker purple violet and then, unexpectedly a couple of patches of pure white under the trees

Then these – quietly there with delicate petals suffused with violet

An overwhelm of too many images I can’t seem to select from! So, where to start to unravel my thoughts

Lets go back to neutrals – those I wanted to notice before the beauty of Spring blossom distracts my attention

Textures, shapes, tones, patterns – the way the eye notices these more when the colours are more muted. There is restfulness on my eyes and in my brain when I look at neutrals.

Against the pale blue sky I see starlings on a line. I have always loved these birds, their chatter, their characterful interplay, and especially those iridescent colours within what – at first glance – looks like oily black which then sparkles with a myriad of colours. That I like – the initial colour that reveals so many more on a closer look

I like the lines, the marks on a line too. I often think of stitches that resonate with something I see

Twining stems and wrapped stems – another thought of stitch, wrapping, weaving

This time the weather. Hail, so strong the sound of wind preceding the ice roars and we shelter under the trees in the garden as the hailstones forceful power strikes

Standing against the trunk of an apple tree at the bottom of the garden – a tree that fruits with small bright red apples – the kind where the flesh of the apple is tinged with the redness of the skin. It isn’t a large tree and is a little too hidden by a beech and a poplar. I leaned against the trunk and felt it warm and strong on my back. I nestled further in and found a sense that this tree seemed to hold me and as I leant into it I was rocked as it swayed in the wind – gently rocking. The rocking was a balm to a day when my heart was hurting for many reasons and I felt so deeply that connection.

I was planning a post about neutral colours but then, this morning, I found a treasure to share

It felt like a map from walking across a leaf

I realised that, whilst walking, I was rhythmically running my fingertips over this smooth surface whilst holding it carefully. For today this felt like an important connection to note down.

Looks heart shaped in line and colour turned this way…

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The past few days the sight of bees on the heather has filled me with joy. It is only a few steps of walking – out into the garden.

The sound first, then catching sight of them. We wait with anticipation each year as Spring emerges and this is one of the key moments we look forward to. Research tells us they are most attracted to violet, purple, blue colours. A mix of bees appear and the heather is there waiting for them…

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From the footpath looking down to the stream I saw this…

It is muddy underfoot today after the rains, the stream has a strong lyrical sound and light bounces from the bubbles as it moves fast. What a place to sit and think this could be.

Moss – wrapping branches, wrapping stones, painting tree limbs – tiny cushion-like mounds, little shards and fingers akin to green icicles, some darkly slippery on the path – all punctuating the landscape with colour

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this past week signs of early springtime as imbolc marked the gentle shift in season – and it is the yellows that have held my attention

a field with an emerging haze of soft yellow which changes the view of the landscape, lightening the vista

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crocus – butter gold as I pass the window, closing their petals about 3 in the afternoon when the temperature begins to drop

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primroses which took me by surprise before the snow – I wondered how they could survive the chill, the petals turned translucent but warmed back to strength with the thaw

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the catkins on hazel have been out for a while through the winter, but are catching my eye against the blue sky and in harmony and connection with the others I am noticing

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New energy glowing and rising..

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Yesterday just as the light was starting to change, not quite twilight, a barn owl drifted across the bottom of the garden, wings spread wide. We stood transfixed, barely breathing…

And this morning a blanket of snow …

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magical hats

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footprints

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tracks

.. and the colour of apples in the frozen pond, and in the snow under the trees..

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The greens – blue green, yellow green, blends of green wherever my eye rests – a complicated colour for some reason for me to respond to – some sense that I can’t quite put my finger that elicits ambivalent feelings – so I need to think more about that.

Meanwhile though, the first snowdrops are emerging, these shoots delight as they push forth with promise and certainty. The flowers, heads bent on what appear to be such fragile stems, yet so strong and resilient through cold, rain, wind, snow.

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Beautiful lichen, growing slowly and strong in colour

So thankful for our clear healthy air 

Walking this morning the rain fell, the wind gusted into our lungs and gave me tingling energy