Wishing you a Happy New Year from Pendle hill

Frid. 31st Dec. 2010.

                         Looking out of our bedroom window this morning towards Pendle Hill it looked quite inviting with it's layer of mist, it looked so atmospheric so a quick dash to the summit to blow the cobwebs away and get in the last walk of 2010.

         Looking across to the hill in the mid-distance, that's where I live

                                       Striding to the summit

                  Temperature on the summit a relatively warm 3c

Looking towards Longridge Fell, Beacon Fell and on the right Parlick Hill in the Bowland fells

                                   Towards the misty coast

                           Looking N.E. to the Yorkshire Dales

                               Back to the village of Barley

                            Mist forming below Cracoe Pinnacle

                     Mist forming over Pendle on our way down

Not so Deep! but certainly Crisp and Even

Christmas Eve 2010
               We've been on our last walk before Christmas, not a long one but certainly worth the effort because of the pure crisp frosty air. Below are just a few shots of Stainforth Foss and Catrigg Force under wonderful frosty conditions.   But first I'm really suited with the Christmas Card my daughter and family sent us for Christmas, she's used one of my christmas card scenes that I photographed when we visited them earlier this month.

 

                   Stainforth Foss                                      

 Along the fell to Catrigg Force

Pen-y-ghent 

In a deep wooded gorge Catrgg Force 

The frozen Catrigg Force about 60 ft in height

Walking back to Stainforth with Ingleborough in the distance

    Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We've avoided the snow again

Wed. 22nd Dec 2010

                                There's been some terrible disruption because of the heavy snow in many parts of the country but thankfully we've had very little, no more than 2- 3 inches, yes it's been very cold down to -12c in our immediate area and down to -17c in other parts of  N.W. England. I haven't done much walking over the past couple of weeks just a few circulars of no more than 6 miles from our  house. Snow conditions photography-wise have been very ordinary so there's been very few photo's taken.

                    Looking S.E. to the snow clouds that past us by

             A few holly berries that still haven't been eaten by the birds

            A few wild orchid spikes all that remain from from last July

                Icicles hanging from Barden bridge over Pendle Water

  

 This is a good stretch on the River Calder to (I hope) watch Salmon spawn now that the river has been cleaned up and the weirs have been removed on the lower reaches but so far no signs of the Salmon

                          Redshank on the River Calder

Finally..... wild orchid spikes in my garden and the same orchids in july in their full glory

Chrstmas Card scenery from Shakespeare Country

Thursday 9th Dec. 2010
    Over the last 4 days we've been visiting our daughter and family in Alcester in Warwickshire in the heart of Shakespeare country .The weather has been very cold with frost both day and night, perfect for Alcester's.... 
St. Nicholas's street festival which is held every year in the town's main street.This year it has had an added bonus with the formation of freezing fog which gave the event a sparkling christmassy feel and left the surrounding countryside coated in hoar frost, everywhere you looked it was like a scene out of a Christmas Card, the whole countryside was absolute magic.

                                      St Nicholas's night

The sparkle is from the tiny ice crystals illuminated by the camera flash

     The full beauty of the freezing fog was revealed the following morning....

               A Couple of shots of Alcester from the Monarch's Way

                                         Along the river Alne

                The ice crystals show off the oak leaves in a new light

                                               Hog Weed

                                      Alcester Church

                                      Over the hill to Wixford

                                           Wixford

                   Just as beautiful on the way back to Alcester