Spring has sprung in these parts – with the garden awakening…
…blossom on trees…
…ferns unfurling…
…daffodils in flower…
…chicks on the canal…
…bluebells in the woods…
…and lambs in the fields.
It’s a wonderful time of year, with signs of new life all around us.
We’re a bit tardy with our Out & about post for February.
It began with snow (again!!) – it’s as if winter keeps reminding us that it’s still here at the start of each month.
February isn’t always the best month for walking, but there’s no choice with Fudge looking expectantly at you.
Once we’re outdoors, it’s fine – fresh air & exercise – time to chat or think… and there’s always something to see.
With no leaves on the trees you tend to notice things like bark, moss & lichen.
These old pack horse routes criss-cross our local area – slightly above the valley floor which was once flooded & marshy.
We also come across many of these disused barns and farmhouses – some of them have beautiful views.
It’s easy to imagine them restored – many even retain wonderful original features like stone steps, beams and mullioned windows.
Towards the end of the month we got the first signs that spring was approaching…
… with buds on the trees…
… daffodils and bluebells emerging…
… and planters around the town filled with crocuses & other early flowerers.
It’s nearly time to dig out those shorts & t-shirts!
December started with a cold snap… and January began in the same way.
Lots of snow, frost & ice about again.
Here, a barge has to break through icy water in Rochdale Canal.
We often come across these old baths while wandering around the local fields. How about this for al fresco living? It was about -3ºC on the day we saw these – tempted to take a dip anyone?
And what about this twin-tub arrangement?
We spent a week away in the Lake District in the middle of the month. Unfortunately, we got 7 solid days of mist & rain.
The area still manages to be beautiful even in the worst of weathers though.
We stayed in Elterwater and spent our time walking in the surrounding hills… and then drying off in front of fires in our cottage … or the Britannia, the local village pub.
Fudge was always waiting for his next walk… of which there were many!
We did break it up with a day’s shopping, spending a couple of hours in Windermere. We picked up a few things including these immaculate 1970s headphones and some Holmegaard glass candle holders.
We also stocked up on nice things to eat and drink at Booths. It’s a small chain of food stores in the North of England – and a firm favourite of ours.
Last week we spent a day taking photos in Manchester – we’ll be doing a blog in the near future about vintage shopping in the city – we’ll keep you posted!
We’ve got some lovely winter scenes to share with you this month.
December saw the first of the winter frost…
…followed closely by the first winter snowfall.
Fudge loves it when it snows!
He’s not the only one – we find going for walks in scenery like this quite magical!
On clear days the low winter sun gives a beautiful light…
…amazing skies…
…and some memorable sunsets…
We took these next photos at the annual Christmas Market in Manchester city centre.
So many tempting things on offer…
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas… best wishes for 2009!
November saw the last of the autumn leaves…
…and their stunning show of colour.
Seed heads are also at their best at this time of year.
There are still some wonderful mushrooms to be found.
This crimson red variety was hard to miss against the bright green grass.
We often walk in the hills & fields that surround our house.
We share them with the local livestock – sheep, goats, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese…
The mile upon mile of hand-built dry stone walls keep the animals from straying too far- so it’s bad news when a hole appears!
Here a quick, temporary fix is made using an old wooden ladder.
Farmers are masters of ‘make do and mend’…
..here an ingenious use of an old tyre as a gate hinge – it’s obviously done the job for many years as the layer of green lichen attests!
Whilst there’s plenty of open land in the hills & fields, the valley bottom’s much more crowded – buildings, railway, roads, canal and river all jostle for space.
November’s been all sunshine & showers…
…there’s been no shortage of puddles…
…it seems to change by the hour, but it does lead to wonderful sights like these.
The recent cold, blustery weather are signs that winter’s around the corner… and we’ll be back next month with December views.
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