Sometimes it's better to travel than to arrive - and sometimes it's better not to travel at all, but to walk around on your home ground and watch the slow (and sometimes not so slow) changes as they take place right under your nose.
You can proceed as slowly as you like; as slow as the little snail making its steady way up the wet tree trunk after the overnight rain.
Or as slowly as the little chalk stream trickling gently beneath the dripping leaves. But some changes seem to occur more rapidly....
And every year this addled coconut, which I'm pleased to call my brain, is caught off-guard and unprepared for the abruptness of the transformation, though in truth I've always been better at dreaming than remembering and thinking things through.
Yes, we're talking about the sudden green that overtakes the woods and fields every Spring. It seems that 365 days is just the right amount of time for the human mind to forget things; so it's always a surprise when the nights draw out and the flowers start to bloom in the woodlands.
The little snails take all this in their stride - if you can have such a thing as a stride with only one rudimentary foot - while I have to take photographs to convince myself that Spring is proceeding, even though the weather seems to be firmly stuck in March.
It's just as well that there's a clear path for me to follow!
The horse chestnut trees are bearing their cheery "candles" of blossom. I'd never realised quite how intricate and colourful the blooms were till I looked closely at this photograph.
Cow parsley and buttercups have also sprung into being on the meadows. But, I can tell you because I've seen the rest of these pictures, "you ain't seen nothing yet"!
If you know the village where I live, you'll realise that I'm following a devious, convoluted path around the parish today, not direct and purposeful like the upwardly-mobile snails.
This patch of green grass is only notable because I sat on a log here absorbing the scene and a brief sunny interlude. That often happens - if I stare at something for a while it slowly takes shape as a possible photograph. And hitherto unseen birds pop out from the bushes too, in this case a pair of Whitethroat seemed to be nesting nearby.
And on the way back I passed through another meadow - now that's what I call buttercups.
Take care.
WOW. And WOW again. Capital letter shouting seems perfectly appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
It is true that the verdant lushness of green spring seems to suddenly appear overnight, but sadly, just as quickly the harshness of summer takes over and parched grasses and trees shedding their leaves to conserve water becomes the norm. Everywhere is already very dry here. We have not had rain in almost a month.
ReplyDeleteohh i love this kind of nature pix taken at home,,very beautiful
ReplyDeleteHi John - these photos are beautiful ... and hasn't it been wonderful this year to see Spring very slowly move forward - I've realised the sudden greening is probably because of more light ... especially this year without the heat, except when the sun gets through. You do live in a wonderful English countryside area - so wonderful to see ... and good luck to that snail as it finds its way to where-ever it's going ... thanks so much - enjoy your travels on feet or somehow else! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI loved ALL of this post John. The horse chestnut blossoms are so amazingly beautiful.........I miss them here so much, and in fact just was dusting and found my conker in a dish and gave it a homesick squeeze, silly as it sounds!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing that English spring into view this morning.
I've never seen (or noticed perhaps) horse chestnut blossoms. And that last field of buttercups is amazing! Thanks for these lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty around you and I enjoy your guiding descriptions for us as we move along with you! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteA truly beautiful walk there, John. That field of buttercups is the perfect spring moment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat it was to read this post this morning! So lovely.
ReplyDeleteI like surprises like this!
ReplyDeleteI agree that spring does what it's supposed to do though we think it's stuck. Happened here. All of a sudden I realized "those trees have leaves!" It helps that the temperatures that had been stuck in the cool zone are now in the warm zone one week later! The yellow in fields around here are dandelions - same effect though!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen so many buttercups! What a gorgeous sight.
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely views. We are finally having weather fit to sit outside in. It has been a long time coming. Everything was moving right along...all my flowers are in bloom that are supposed to be in bloom...but has sure been chilly.
ReplyDeleteThe Horse Chestnut flowers....looks like ladies dressed for the ball...
Incredible buttercups John - celandine still out here. And the green ness - incredible.
ReplyDeleteThe chestnut blossoms are particularly photogenic.
ReplyDeleteButtercup beauties everywhere! Very pretty photos, thank you John.
ReplyDeleteSuch a glorious celebration of the new green and blooms of spring! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely morning in May! Chestnut blooms will be out any day here and I saw my first Buttercups today.
ReplyDeleteOh, so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteJohn, thank you for sharing another wonderful walk. It is lovely to see signs of spring on this rather dismal autumn day.
ReplyDeleteThe buttercup field is stunning. I love this time of year but you are right it is usually a lot warmer and drier when the cow parsley appears:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely photo poetry, John! I felt like that I was reading Wordsworth in a prose style. I like the season of sudden budding of leaves soon growing into foliage of fresh verdure with sunlight flickering through. I wonder which would be faster, the snail’s stride or slow but constantly growing nature.
ReplyDeleteYoko
A delight viewing your Spring images John! I had noticed in my neck of the woods the fields and hedgerows are bedecked with Buttercups! Such a wonderful and uplifting sight!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your day!
le printemps toujours un enchantement !
ReplyDeleteAll so beautiful. Are some of those pictures of your home? It is a miracle time of year when every day brings something new.
ReplyDeleteThey are all taken within a mile of my house on the public footpaths around my village.
DeleteWonderful images! Often, we don't see the beauty that surrounds us. So lovely.
ReplyDeleteAll are so beautiful to see.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
How lucky you are to have this wonderful walk so close by John, beautiful in every season I'm sure. The light in spring is quite magical as it falls on the new growth.. thank you for taking us along 🌾🌱🌸
ReplyDeleteSpring is bursting in your neck of the woods. The Buttercups are just amazing. Keep dreaming.
ReplyDeleteI like this spring path.
ReplyDeleteJust seeing what I have been/am missing...that sure is some field of buttercups!
ReplyDeleteIt is always better to take a rambling route than a direct route. Sometimes even if in a hurry it can be the better way.