Wiltshire Downs

What's it like in your part of the world today? Here it's cold and grey and seems to have been for many, many days. I'm starting to crave the warmth of the sun. With rain forecast for the next few days it seems unlikely that I'll get my wish any time soon. So the closest thing I can get is looking at a few photos taken on a wonderful wander through the Wiltshire Downs last year.

Not the sunniest of days I'll grant you but it was really warm.

Just looking at these transports me back .... oh to be out wandering coatless through the countryside again.

Lets hope that some warm spring days make an appearance soon.

Mans Best Friend

If you have been kind enough to have been reading for a while you might remember that I have recently been walking my friend's dog. It's something that I'm still doing and loving. What a great excuse to get out in the countryside everyday.

I more or less take Naz along the same route everyday with a few minor variations, but what a beautiful walk it is.  I get to enjoy views of the beautiful English countryside

My faithful friend leads me along quiet country lanes.

We get to enjoy fields of beautiful wildflowers.

look how these fabulous views make Naz smile :)

More than anything i want my friend to make a full recovery soon, but I have to admit I will be more than a little sad when my dog walking skills are no longer required!

Getting Lost

There is something to be said about getting lost every once in a while. We all have routines in our lives ... paths, roads and routes that we take all the time to get to work, the shops, the kids to school etc. But its good to go out and get lost once in a while don't you think? Whether we live in the urban jungle or amongst fields and trees in the countryside there is always beauty to be found, sometimes it all takes is a quick a wander off your usual beaten track.

I have lived in my town for 9 months now, but haven't really explored my local area too much, I'm always hurrying off to get to somewhere else.  So the other day I decided to put on my boots and take a wander from my own front door.

I found meadows surrounded by trees......and even a bit of blue sky look :)

There are dangers to be associated with heading out of your comfort zone though, look at the size of this giant stinging nettle behind me .... walkers beware ;)

You also have to not be afraid of the weather.  We are experiencing the wettest summer I can remember so if you're worried about getting wet there isn't much hope that you'll be getting far!

If you're super lucky you might stumble across the green man, hanging out protecting the woodland..... can you see him?

I found beautiful lakes I didn't know were just round the corner from my flat

fabulous bugs

and mesmerising patterns in nature.

All this and I was only out for 40 minutes, I can't wait to get out again for a longer walk.   So go on, go out and get lost for a while, I dare you ........ 

Godrevy

I really am turning in to a bad blogger aren't I? I must make the time to get back here more often. I love posting but it's the same old thing  ... time just keeps disappearing and weeks have flown by before I know it. Can hardly believe that we are half way through the year already.

I'm enjoying a few days off work at the moment which is nice. Am off to see my family for a couple of days and when I get back I'm hoping that weather will be dry enough for me to get out for some walking. We've had what seems like nothing but rain these last few weeks. So to encourage the sunshine to make an appearance again I thought I'd post some pictures from a weekend away in Cornwall earlier this year.

Check out all the seals lying on the beach, not a particularly clear shot as I had to have my little camera on maximum zoom which makes images a bit shaky but worth posting nonetheless I thought.

Osmington Mills

You might remember a few posts ago I shared some pictures of Portland that I took on a weekend away a couple of months back.  That same weekend I also went on another walk round the coast and countryside near Osmington Mills.

If you look back at the Portland pictures you'll be able to see that the Saturday was for the most part grey and overcast ... well what a difference a day makes, check out the blue skies that kept me company on my Sunday walk.  I had felt a bit ill on the Saturday night and didn't get much sleep, I had pretty much resolved to just drive straight home on Sunday morning, but when I opened the curtains to find blue skies and sunshine I had to stay and walk some more :)

It's nice revisiting these photos now a few weeks have gone by, reminds me of what an amazing weekend I had .... and just what an amazing year I have had in general.  Of course I love being with family and friends but I'm getting more confident in my navigation skills and I love spending time out walking on my own, me, fresh air and whatever wonders mother nature decides that she will share with me.

Portland

Time for another out and about post. I took a trip down to the Dorset coast, actually it was the weekend before Easter so quite a few weeks ago now.  I stayed in a lovely little b&b and did plenty of walking.  Saturday saw me walking round Portland, just outside Weymouth.  It was an overcast day but I had an amazing time in the sea air none the less. 

A few photos from my walk

Blue and Green

We've been having a lot of rain here over the last couple of weeks, not that I mind, I love the rain infact.  It makes the world all lovely and fresh and clean again.  I haven't been out with my camera over the last couple of weeks though, other things have kept me occupied and distracted, so here instead for anyone out there that might be getting fed up of the grey skies are a few blue and green pictures that I took on a walk out in the local countryside a few weeks back.

Strolling by the Thames

Not to much to say, just some pictures of a walk I took by the side of the Thames when in London over easter

Castle Combe

We've had such a mild winter this year, and with some lovely blue sky days at the beginning of the month it really feels as though spring is coming in fast.  A couple of weekends ago, on one such glorious sunny day, I went walking round and about Castle Combe.

Such a picturesque village, and some of you might recognise it from the big screen.  Quite a few movies have been filmed using Castle Combe as location, most recently Warhorse.

My walk took me through the village and out in to the countryside were I found a field full of donkeys :)

There were lots of majestic looking trees to wonder at

but it wasn't just big that was beautiful on this day.  Look at the fabulous vibrant green of this moss lit up by the sun.

Any good walk works up an appetite, so some scrummy fish fingers sandwiches and a pint at this lovely pub and I was ready to head back to Castle Combe

Hey no one asked me for permission to use my likeness on the side of the church!! :)

Check out the blue sky .... not bad for March!!

This young lady had a pretty captivating stare ..... but eventually I did tear myself away and made it back home.

Here's hoping for lots of fine weather and fine walking to come this year