Silent Sunday – 26th February 2023

Frogs are back

Happy Winter Solstice

Finally, we have reached the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. At least things will start going the right direction now. Some serene images to celebrate. Happy Solstice to everyone and special thanks to our Lens Artists host for providing some great challenges throughout 2021 including this one.

Winter light though bramble leaves

Early morning fog

Wordless Wednesday

Mother Nature – The Artist

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #151: From Large to Small

Thank you to Patti for this interesting challenge. My colour choice is blue.

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  from large

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  to small

Goodbye 2017

So we find ourselves at the end of 2017. It has certainly been a mixed year in so many ways.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading. To those of you who took time to comment I really appreciate all your kind words, encouragement and interest.

And finally, I hope 2018 will bring much love and sunshine to all your lives.

crab apple in snow

Year End

In the final hours of 2016 it seems appropriate to look back and forward. On a personal level it has not been an easy year and I know that the same is true for many. For me there have been challenges I would have rather never faced, but there was no choice. It was sink or swim,  so we’re doing our best to swim. The words of Dory in the film Nemo come to mind – “just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

I know 2017 will bring more challenges. Some I already know, so I can be prepared, but there are the hidden ones that take us by surprise, that can knock us off balance. I just hope that I will find the grace and strength to meet all these challenges head on.

From a blogging perspective, I have enjoyed the experience of writing, commenting and engaging with the WordPress community. Thank you to all of you who take time to read and comment. It astonishes me that someone halfway across the world would be interested in reading what I have to say. It is humbling. In a world where it seems that we are becoming increasingly divided it is an important lesson. It shows me that we have more in common with each other than we think. Perhaps in 2017, we can spend a little more time finding similarities with each other, and in so doing learn to respect each other and the differences that will inevitability be there too.

There is no magic wand. But there is humanity and each of us in our small way can do a little to change things. It may be as simple as sharing a smile with a stranger. Little steps. Often we are not even aware of the suffering of those around us. But by sharing a smile perhaps we can bring a little light, a little bit of hope into that person’s day.

So here’s too a brighter and more hopeful 2017.

Happy New Year

Crab apple

Bramble

Cobnut catkins

Cobnut

Fern

Hogweed

Bramble Leaf

Moss on rotting post

It’s a mild, wet and windy New Year’s Day but we’ve had a couple of very frosty days on Sunday and Monday, with temperatures barely creeping above freezing even during the day. Great opportunity to get out and take some photographs. Thank you for reading my blog over the last 9 months. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and all things good for 2015.