To the Woods ...

 It's been a mixed-up week here so I ended up in charge of dog-walking. It was nice weather, even warm in sheltered spots, so we pottered off up to the wood looking for signs of spring on the way (well, I was. I'm not so sure about the dog. He finds lamp posts and the poo bag bins more interesting than primroses or catkins)

There were also shoots of bluebells to be found, proving Spring is on the way, somewhere or other,















but I couldn't see any signs of tadpoles as it isn't  possible to get close to the pond any longer.

 I haven't been to the wood for a while, possibly not since the bluebells and anemones were flowering last Spring, so something struck me, that perhaps regular walkers don't notice.












 Usually in winter, with no bracken under the trees, I'd expect to be able to see clearly through the trunks, but brambles and small holly bushes seem to be taking over the woodland floor, and the area generally developing a 'wild', un-managed feel.

Hopefully these 'weeds' won't strangle the bluebells. Theyve always been spectacular, but last years seemed ragged, and photographs from a few years ago show a much clearer woodland floor. It was such a delight to have them flowering within walking distance, especially in the middle of a housing estate. It would be a shame to see them die out.


Something I should perhaps add is that after the second day of doing this walk I felt exhausted - so I've decided I need to get out and about more!

Woodland Spring

After a week of glorious sunshine, Spring is in the air in the Wood.

The first primroses are in flower.









Anemone leaves peeping through.

There's blossom on the sloe bushes and wild cherry trees

Even some green leaves starting to show on the hawthorn hedges

and frogspawn in the pond.

Spring comes to the dog walk

The suns returned, the world is warming up and flowers are opening.

sloes, cowslips and primroses at the edge of the playing fields

anemones and a single bluebell in the wood

conker trees and masses of bluebells still in waiting.