25th January ... signs of new life.

After a few days of really miserable weather - cold, wet and dull - the wood looked brighter this morning ... and the hazel coppices were dancing with little lambs' tails!  Still yellowy-green, it is too early for the pollen to be showing, although there was one hungry bumble bee who had awoken early and looked as though he needed something more than was on offer from the travellers' joy!

22nd January ... this wind wasn't forecast!

Woke up this morning to hear a high wind howling around the eaves of the cottage.  I am sure "they" didn't tell us this was on the way!!!  Down at the wood the tree tops are tossing and the knotted tangles of last year's honeysuckle swaying crazily ... it makes you feel a little seasick!

... But, it's Sunday so home for a good lunch, feet up in front of the fire and some stitching this afternoon!!



There's no place like home ...



19th January ... after the rain, the sun.

Well, it certainly rained last night, and this morning the leaf litter is soggy and squelchy underfoot.  But now the sun is coming out and is surprisingly warm ... there are tiny snowdrops pushing up through the brown litter and even a few crocuses - though goodness knows how they have found their way into the wood.

I noticed that there were a few early crocuses in my garden, too!  I think the very mild weather so far this year has fooled them into believing we may have an early spring ... the recent cold snap must have been a bit of a shock!  Strangely, there do not seem to be any leaves, just the sweetly mauve flowers!

In the wood they had better watch out or the squirrels will make a early breakfast of them!

17th January - the sun melts the frost!

As I walked through the wood today I could not help thinking about the summer to come ... I shall be having an exhibition in July and already my thoughts are on subject matter.  Roses will be playing a big part and I was amazed to see that even now, in some protected corners, there are a few rose hips to be found.  They wont last long if the current frosty weather continues, but the warmth of the sun this morning has melted the icy surfaces and the ruddy red fruit is showing through ... tempting the hungry birds, no doubt!

13th January - Friday - lucky for some!!

Last night we had a sharp frost ... one of the few this year so far!  This morning the sun came up red and orange and bright over the dark line of the woodland's horizon.  Everything sparkled!  There was some REAL birdsong, too, not just the sleepy twitters of a winter morning and the squabbling of hungry rivals, but some true, melodic warbles.  How lovely!!  The tiny Jenny wren was making herself known, too: such a loud voice for such a little lady!

Spring, must surely be not too far away on the morning like this ...



11th January - footsteps in the leaves ...

Well, I am afraid it's been a week or more since I have been down to the wood ... as some of you will know from my facebok page, I have suffered a loss ... my beautiful cat, scourge of small wildlife beasties has passed away... and life is the poorer for it.

Today the woodland is quiet, with a breeze tossing the tops of the trees and hardly stirring the leaf mould underfoot.  Like everywhere else, I feel the lack of that little presence I had come to rely upon for company and diversion in so many ways.  But life goes on and there are ALREADY stirrings of new life and (dare I say it) spring in the woodland plants and shrubs.  Tiny, tiny budlets are appearing in the crevices of twigs and branches - hardly green and yet tantalizingly gold, yellow and pink.

As if to prove that all ill fortune finds a positive somewhere, the rabbits are out in force.  Raggy's rabbit hunting skills in the village were legendary and I can only misquote an epitaph given by the poet Robert Bloomfield to a favourite dog ... "Rabbits rejoice, here buried lies your foe".  RIP.

3rd January - technology defeated! Woodland life continues ...

I am pleased to say that the hiccough with the blog has been overcome... I know now not to ask too much of it!  Meantime, down in the woods, of course, everything jogs along in the same old way!



"Hey, where did my home go?"

 It has been a really windy night, there's lots of fallen branches and some very disgruntled residents ...

Still trying to sign in...

Experimenting with technology ... which doesn't seem to want to work ... here's hoping...

Yay... and summer will come!

Tales from Triangle Wood: 2nd January ... a party!

Tales from Triangle Wood: 2nd January ... a party!: Well, there's a lot of gossip going on down in the wood today! It is a lovely sunny morning, and all the birds are out and about... anyone ...

2nd January ... a party!

Well, there's a lot of gossip going on down in the wood today!  It is a lovely sunny morning, and all the birds are out and about... anyone would think it's a new year or something ...  here are a few of main participants in the chatter... it's a real rouges' gallery of winter birds...

Banter with the blue tit...

Gossip with the gold crest ...

Blarney from the blackbird....

Good news from the gold finch ...

Waffle from the wren!!!

Happy Holidays!!!