A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

birch bark

gleaming

white

in the sun

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A yearv around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

A year around Holme Styes

Listening to our Ancestors

The rain showers are hailstones. Lots of animal remains - I know little of what happens up here.

The larches in the valley have their first flush of delicate green.

Curlew.

I've found the remains of a mountain hare, unmistakeable white and grey fur.

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

Tapestry for the River Porter

Listening to our Ancestors

The pretty River Porter on a cloudless March afternoon

Listening to our Ancestors

Larch trees in flower by the River Porter

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

1 March, things are awakening, the snowdrops have opened and the buds on the shrubs in the garden are sprouting tiny leaves. The rhubarb is bursting through the cold wet soil. Its time to go looking for frogspawn and mad March Hares.

The best rhubarb comes from the Rhubarb Triangle near Wakefield West Yorkshire.

Listening to our Ancestors

solace

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

Traditionally the date when birds begin to choose their mates and start nest building. I haven't noticed birds collecting nesting material.

Listening to our Ancestors

Finally the snowdrops are beginning to open, the soft south west wind is encouraging springs awakening, days are lenghtening, warmer times beckon.

Listening to our Ancestors

Listning to our Ancestors

The Celtic Feast of Spring's awakening. The snowdrop should be in flower but they are three weeks late this year. The buds on the trees are beginning to fatten and catkins are in bloom. In flower in the garden, mahonia, honeysuckle and viburnam, to eat in the garden, leeks and chervil.

Listening to our Ancestors

Listening to our Ancestors

Nine inches of snow blue sky and sunshine, wonderful, life stopped for little while then returned to normal as we learned walk and use public transport.

Listening to Our Ancestors

A new project for a new year. The plan is to explore working out of doors and to research the age old festivals and rituals that marked the events of the farming year. It started off with Plough Monday, the return to work after the Yule festival. Traditionally this was when the ploughing began. Here the ground is still very wet though the birds are singing again and the days are getting brighter.