A Long January Thaw

My friend Jo who blogs at Through the Keyhole in Yorkshire, England, posted about a walk she took today; she called the post, 'Grey and Dismal.' I could use the same heading here. This week, each melancholy day followed another with drizzling rain and fog. Nevertheless, like Jo, we set off for our daily walks around our property and felt better for them. Of course, we don't have the expanses of green grass you see in Jo's pictures, nor a Tudor-Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, to add interest to our hike. (Do you detect a note of envy? Check out Jo's post and you'll understand why.) Yet fields of stubble have their own beauty.

The top field shrouded in fog

The lower field with wind-damaged trees

The mild weather persuaded the fish to swim, albeit sluggishly, out of their hiding places in the pond. Maybe this one is heading for the crate of plants looking for food.

Koi fish seen through the protective net over the pond

Our walk generally takes us through the shade garden, along the Woodland Walk, behind the barn, down the edge of each field and along the road to our starting place. We usually make three laps. H.H. says it's about half a mile. Feels more like a mile to me.

Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky' seed heads.

Hakone Grass Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold

The Old Cedar Tree

Into the Woodland Walk

In the Woodland Walk the deer have decimated hellebores and heuchera. Only one hellebore has a few remaining leaves.

Deer-chewed hellebore

As we walk we discuss the work we need to do in the spring and changes we would like to make. We will clear up part of the Woodland Walk and add a stone structure -- a cairn. Watch this space ...

Rain drops on White Pine

When we near the barn, Billy peeps out. He probably wonders if we are bringing him food.

Buds on the rhododendron give a tiny hint of hope for spring.

I don't think I suffer from seasonal affective disorder but, like Jo, I'm happiest when the sun shines and there are flowers to enjoy. Thank goodness for the Amaryllis bulbs I forced. They continue to give me great pleasure this winter.

Amaryllis 'Clown' has eight beautiful blooms today.

That may have been our last walk for a while as the National Weather Service issued a warning for a northeaster in our area starting tomorrow with snow, sleet and high winds. Oh, boy. But it IS January and this was a long January thaw.

Pamela x