Sunny walk in Coombe Wood

A perfect morning for a walk - chilly but bright with blue skies and sunshine.

Since my last visit some of these flowers have shot up in height. They might be polyanthus.

They have creamy white petals and yellow star-like centres. 

Little blue flowers not much bigger than my thumbnail, with miniscule individual florets - still flowering.

Upright brown seeds. 

Slender branches swaying in the gentle breeze. 

Tiny blue flower perched on top of a rock.

A cluster of beautifully patterned dwarf irises.

Tiny threads of blossom opening. 

Beautiful blue sky. 

The dark area is spreading further down the Korean pine cone as it becomes more and more fragile. Eventually it will disintegrate on the tree releasing the seeds.

At the tip of each branch two or three little spheres sit - looking as if they have been frosted.

The callicarpa berries are very wrinkled now.

A little almost bare shrub is beginning to flower. This picture was taken looking straight down into the bud.

Low sunlight on a mossy oak trunk. 

Back to the witch hazel flowers again. The ones in the far right cluster have dropped their "ribbons" revealing how much the calyxes resemble bluebell shapes.

Tiny rose tinged seed pods, each with a spike on the top. This whole plant has been showered with pine needles which glint in the low sunshine.

Looking up at the pattern of pine against the sky. 

Many of the pine trees are very tall and lanky. The second one in from the left looks as if it's wearing a fluffy trunk warmer because of the small leafed ivy growing up it.

I'm sure these little pine needles would make a lovely pen and ink drawing.

Sunlight on the stepping-stones or maybe I should call them stepping-logs.

There are a lot more pale green flowers on the other witch hazel tree now. Apparently there are many varieties of witch hazel and they can have flowers in different shades of greens, through pale yellow, orange and red to deep red and even purple.

The large mushroom looks as if it has disintegrated or been trampled on.

A few of the fluted gills remain - reminding me of something from under the sea.

Under the biggest Spindle tree many of the thick waxy flowers now lay on the ground - their red and black berries having already dropped or been eaten by birds.

A surprising number still remain on the tree. 

Other berries close by.

Pampas grass rustling in the breeze. 

This is one of the last deciduous trees to have any leaves left on it now.

Sunlight illuminating silver birch branches. 

Barely visible tiny blue flowers with two little empty calyxes looking like open beaks (top right)

Perfect reflections. 

Thank you very much for joining me. 

I hope to add an art-update tomorrow. 

Sunny walk (Coombe Wood)

Yesterday the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It felt a lot more like spring than late December.

The pond rippled gently in the breeze.

 Tiny orange flowers on magenta stems peeped out between miniature holly-like leaves.

 Brown seed pods

The scent from the pink flowers is a bit like lilac and is much stronger now they're more open.

Leaves are becoming skeletons quite fast under the magnolia tree. 

A robin was singing its little heart out.  

Clusters of bright berries - surely they can't hang on for much longer.  

Soft white grasses like a cloud billowing in the breeze. 

More seeds.

Sunshine through the trees. 

Shadow photo. Strangely, I found out later that my cousin was taking similar photos at Kew yesterday a little later in the day.

Looking closer at the witch hazel flowers, I noticed for the first time that each calyx (I think that's the right word for the outer casing) curls back to reveal a glossy purple interior.

Buds.

Towards the top of the bare tree which not long ago had enormous leaves on it, groups of buds are silhouetted against the sky. There are no buds on the lower branches so unfortunately I couldn't get a better look at them.

Exploded puff ball mushroom with rain drops inside.

I can see where the idea for mushrooms and toadstools being homes for tiny beings (fairies, pixies etc.) came about. Here's the beginning of a neat little window.

These open seed husks look as if they held golden glowing lights inside them.

Blue sky. 

More empty husks.

Colour.

Back to the pond to meet my family . . .  

. . . my two daughters, their spouses, three grandchildren, one nephew and his wife and their son. Eleven of us had arrange to meet for a walk together. 

Three of the children played with sticks. The two youngest tried to reach the highest point of the roof of the little shelter. 

Tree climbing - four pairs of legs dangling over a branch.

 OK - that's probably high enough.

We walked and chatted then went to the Coach House cafe for cake, ice cream and drinks. Who would have thought that we'd be comfortable sitting out in the courtyard at the end of December? A thoroughly enjoyable morning. 

Thank you very much for joining me.