It’s hard to believe it today, as the rain pours down, but we’ve had some really hot, sunny days over the summer. The weather seems to have suited both flowers and their friends the insects. It’s been heartening to see so many over the past couple of months, both in gardens, and on wild flowers. … More Flowers and Friends
I love walking in the countryside, and I usually try to fit in at least one ramble of a reasonable distance each week. This can be more difficult in summer than winter, partly because I spend more time at work, partly because there are a lot of cows about, and they can be very feisty … More The Cheviot and Simonside
We have some very wet weather heading towards us from the south, so we decided to hit the north today, and visit the gardens at Floors Castle, Kelso, in the Scottish Borders. We had only occasional glimpses of the sun, but it stayed dry, so I call that a result. I love the gardens at … More Flowers at Floors
It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here. No particular reason, just life getting in the way. Anyway, I’ve resolved to Do Better, and I’m starting with some of the photographs I’ve taken this spring. It’s been a mixed season, with some sunshine, quite a lot of rain, and even some hail and sleet. … More Spring Landscapes
According to the proverb, it is March that is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but this year it could apply equally well to February. The first of February brought the first serious snow of the winter, yet by the end of the month, we we having a … More February Landscape: in like a lion…
February has arrived, and with it the first snow of the winter. We’ve missed it so far, so I guess we were due a few flakes. At the moment, it’s enough to look pretty, without causing too many problems. Let’s hope it stays that way.
January has brought with it the first really cold, frosty days of the winter. Sometimes this has meant sunshine, but we’ve also had grey leaden skies. There has been a lot of luminous afternoon light, and a couple of stunning sunrises. It is definitely staying lighter for longer in the evenings now, and despite the … More January Landscape: Frost
For me, December has been a month of short days, beautiful low afternoon light, and spectacular sunsets. I find the days of late autumn can be quite gloomy and oppressive, especially here in the north of England, where it starts to go dark in early afternoon on overcast days. This year, however, we’ve been lucky … More December Landscape: Winter Light
The weather has finally turned cold and bright, and the sky put on a spectacular display both this morning and this evening. We have a weather warning for snow and ice at the weekend, so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
A couple of weeks ago, we bought a new book of local walks, Walking the Old Tracks of the Cheviots, published by Coquetdale Community Archaeology. It’s slightly unusual, in that all of the walks take in historic or archaeological sites. We’ve been keen to try some of the routes, but frustratingly the weather has been wet … More A walk from Alnham
