Dead time of year?

On a dank, dark day in the depths of Winter it can be hard to believe that there's any colour out there to see in Nature. I've recently been introduced to the beauty of tree bark which is easy to overlook. For any fellow newbie fans out there here's a rather lovely downloadable PDF file with of lots of different colours and textures which might help you identify a few. This is the work of Phil Barnett http://abcissa-websites.co.uk/download/bark.pdf and the fellow in the photo is my barking mad chum A who always adds a bit of sparkle to any get together!

Arilx

Sweeping Changes!

Honestly that woman has no idea how to sweep the carpet properly. I listen out for the knowing sound the brush makes and come hurtling down from my chosen place of rest [you can hear the tell tale thump as he lands on the floor upstairs and then throws himself down the stairs]. She has no idea just how much effort rousing oneself from one's slumbers entails, but I am a selfless soul and manage to arrive just in the nick of time to save her from herself.

Nestled in the crook of her arm I then guide her round showing her repeatedly how it should be done....sadly she's rather forgetful these days and seems to be unable to retain the finer points...'tis simple enough. One brush stroke, one cat stroke repeat until the task is complete.😼

Humphreyx

This is my daily morning routine now....the bleeding feline started "helping" me a couple of months ago....although he's constantly getting in the way he never fails to make me laugh even though I'm trying to get on!

Arilx

Frou Frou Friday

I have the TYM to thank for bringing this particular clip to my attention. It made me titter...hope you enjoy it!

Have a lovely weekend.

Arilx

Listen Up!

"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."

Epictetus

Saw this in Totnes last summer. Somebody kindly listened to me today whilst I let off steam. That simple gift of their time has allowed me to feel heaps better than I have done in days and more like my normal self. Must be better....am making a little plan for a mini adventure for the weekend!

Arilx

Shadows

As I sit here typing these few lines it's the most glorious day out here...bright sunshine and cerulean blue skies. The warmth coming through the window is greatly appreciated and I'm looking forwards to picking up the pace of my normal life once again when I return to work tomorrow. We took this shot just after we'd dropped TYM off recently and I like the way our elongated shadows have been captured.

"Keep your face always towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you."

Walt Whitman

Arilx

Hope

It can take a bit more dogged persistence and digging to find the joys of January, but the discovery of the little shoots on this bush gave me a rush. Mother Nature is quietly setting out her stall for the forthcoming season. There's always something happening out there!

Arilx

Breaking Out

I've noticed that I'm not the only blogger who's succumbed to this lurgy type thing which is currently doing the rounds. The upshot has been confinement to barracks and sitting it out, but thankfully I've started to feel a bit better this weekend, so with sunshine forecast and fresh air badly needed we made a quick dash out to one of the local country parks. Once the site of the brickworks it's now a haven for wildlife and a multipurpose area for all.

Weather permitting the local model club come down every Sunday morning to sail their yachts on the water. You can just see the white sails in the far background. However what had caught my eye were the black blobs on the trees. Cormorants...you'll just have to take my word for it that's what the fuzzy image is!

I came home feeling like some of the fug had lifted and although not yet fighting fit, definitely on the road to recovery.

Arilx