April

Oh dear I missed April completely. Finn has been taking up my time and a myriad of family problems unfortunately, but that's life I suppose. Here's a photographic montage of the missed month - it's my favourite time of year - so beautiful to see the Spring colours with leaves and plants unfurling in the woods and the blue sea sparkling in the first warm sunshine. 
Finn is settling in well, he's a little wayward and has eaten all the wild garlic in the garden and scared off the birds which is a shame. It's a year since Bill died and Finn has made me feel better about everything, as well as being a great walking companion.

autumn leaves

A lovely weekend of walking, it was freezing but sunny and now My Jack Russell is an old man he has to wear his coat to keep him warm. He hates it!

enchanted woodland

The atmosphere in this woodland was weird. Not scarily weird but beautifully weird - mostly to do with the unusual twisted tree shapes. I don't think I've seen anything like them before.

Nature's decoration

I meant to post this at Christmas as it looked just like this tree had been decorated amongst the bare woodland.

Highlight

We celebrated the new year by going on a night-time walk in the woods - with some friends and 4 dogs! I thought it would be scary but it was one of the highlights of my year. We heard a lot of rustling in the undergrowth and some hooting owls but didn't actually see any wildlife - I think they were all watching us. Can't wait to do it again.
© nicky linzey 2012 
For illustration friday

Rare

A beautiful walk, a beer with friends and a rare find - what could be better. I came across this plant on a walk last week and had never seen it before - I usually record anything unusual. I rushed home, looked it up and was so excited to see that it should only grow in one secret place in the Cotswolds, I thought I had discovered a second secret place! Unfortunately in my haste I misread it and it's not rare after all - a white helliborine - member of the orchid family.

Spent

I went walking at the weekend and spent a lot of time watching the trees. I had the feeling they were watching me too.
© 2010 nicky linzey for illustration friday

Beneath

I love to stand beneath the trees and gaze at the sky.
© 2010 nicky linzey for illustration friday.

Roasting Chestnuts

While walking on Sunday we came across loads of gigantic chestnuts, obviously brought down by the wild weather, so we had to have a fire that night to roast them. Unfortunately the prongs on my toasting fork had broken so Gra rigged up a makeshift brazier from an empty beer can. (We certainly know how to live in our house!) They were yummy, sweet and fat, a great accompanyment to 'come dine with me'.

Evening walk

Making the most of the light evenings - their numbers are limited . . .

Inspiration

Visited Goodwood Sculpture Park yesterday, a fascinating collection of giant sculptures set amidst beautiful green woodland. It was an inspiration. These are my favourite pieces.

Stop and Stare 9

I love this time of year, it is my favourite and I don't want it to end. The woods are just alive with plants, flowers, shoots, colour. I had to stop and stare at all this beauty; buttercups, bluebells and wild garlic, in fact this should be called stop, stare and smell.

Pale

I love seeing the pale bark on silver birch trees in the dark woods. The work of Gustav Klimt inspires me and although he's known for erotic and decorative work such as The Kiss, his landscapes are beautiful too.

© 2009 nicky linzey for Illustration Friday

Autumn woods

There was something about the colours, shapes and sunlight in this view that simply took my breath away.

Nature Table 3

------------------------- © Nicky Linzey 2007

It's a weird thing - since the age of six (which is a long time ago now) I have been regularly finding these Jay's feathers on my walks in the woods. I think they're beautiful. I don't look for them but just before I find one, a thought enters my mind which is 'I'll see a Jay's feather in a minute,' and I walk a little further and there it is, on the pathway. They've all been found in different places and I've never even seen a Jay! I looked up the symbolism on the Eurasian Jay and found that it can mean good luck. I'm hoping I find many more.

Intense blue

Gray, my jack russell and I went for a walk the other night up to the woods to see my favourite sight at this time of year. Although it's not just a sight - it's a smell of the most lovely perfume - a sound of beautiful birdsong and a feeling of intense pleasure at experiencing all these things.