Two Types of Spring

A week ago we went to walk in the snow on nearby hills again.  This time we went to a beautiful area called "The Shelf" locally.  We found huge frozen drifts, high walls of snow on roadsides cleared by snowploughs, and beautiful ice sculptures shaped by the bitter the winds we've been experiencing over the last few weeks.  Although much of the lying snow has now disappeared these giant piles of ice will need lots of sunshine to melt completely, and that's not in the immediate forecast for us.  The surrounding hills are still showing a patchwork of brown, green and white today.

This weekend however we found time to search out signs of Spring in the Vale.  After my work shift we bought chips and set off down the lanes to find a pretty place to eat them.  There have been sad reports on the local news of hundreds of farm animals - sheep and lambs, cattle and even horses being lost during the blizzards, buried in snow drifts and starving in fields farmers could not reach at the height of the snowstorms.  And I can only shudder to think of the wildlife that has died.  But Saturday seemed to be the real first day of Spring with the sun feeling almost warm where there was shelter from the wind.

And what could be more spring-like than catkins, celandines, fields full of lambs and busy rookeries?  So at last we are looking forward to warmer weather and an end to those bitter easterly winds. 

A few of my faithful followers have mentioned that little white car cropping up in my photos recently.  Yes, it is a Morris Minor of 1960s vintage - a recent acquisition and my son's new pride and joy.  Goes with his mid-20th century style image don't you think?