Edinburgh

The photograph above is Edinburgh Castle. I took it a couple of weeks ago when we were there visiting youngest son. Yes, our youngest has flown the nest and moved 400 miles north to the Scottish capital.

He graduated last year and had found work locally until he found a "proper" job. Knowing how difficult it is for graduates to find work these days, he cast his net wide and applied for jobs all over the country. I think this was the furthest away that he went for and this was the one he got offered.

It is a good job in a lovely place but it is taking me some time to adjust to him being so far from home - and permanently now. While at university they come home for holidays and the occasional weekend but now he has really left home.

Once he had found a flatshare we took all his belongings up to him, the length of the journey bringing home to me how far away he is. We will visit, but the expense and time means it won't be that often. Thank goodness for Skype.

Edinburgh is a lovely place and he is beginning to settle in and explore the city. We liked it too, compact and walkable with coast and mountains really close. I shall look forward to as many visits as we can to see him.

Hopefully it won't be too long before I am back in this bookshop cafe, taking in the views and catching up with his news.

snowdrops

It was three years ago I posted about the snowdrops at Welford Park. They were just as impressive this year looking like drifts of snow between the trees.

Snowdrops have been growing here for over 500 years on the site of an old monastery.

There were other spring flowers to admire,

aconites

daphne,

hamamelis or yellow witch hazel

and pussy willow

but the stars of the show were the many thousands of snowdrops.

If you live locally and want to see the snowdrops, Welford Park, Nr Newbury, Berkshire is open Wednesday to Sunday until 1st March 2015

bright

Yesterday was dull quiet and grey, today it is completely the opposite, bright sun in a clear blue sky. What a difference the light makes. When compared to yesterdays photographs on almost the same walk, these feel so much brighter and seem to have more energy.

The increasing daylight is making me feel brighter too. I often feel I should hibernate in the winter only surfacing on days such as this!

quiet

With rain forecast for later in the day I walked early this morning.

It is half-term here so much less traffic on the roads than usual and with little wind, the morning felt vey quiet and slow.

Some of the sheep appeared to be sleeping.

Peaceful stillness.

a little snow

Thankfully we don't get much snow here. I agree it can be very pretty but I don't like the disruption it causes. Last year we didn't see any at all so this time although there was only a little, I took some photographs.

There was only around an inch or so, barely covering the garden,

enough to catch on twigs

and leaves.

By the time I went for a walk around lunch-time it was melting fast.

The ground was still frosty though,

I expect the sheep were glad of their warm woolly coats.