Last year I started taking a regular walk, 3 times a week after I had taken the grandchildren to school. It's not a very long walk, about 30 mins, but after the early morning madness with two high spirited children it helps to clear my head and set me up for the rest of the days' chores. It also gives me a bit of exercise.
The walk, which is not far from my house takes me down a little lane towards a farm. One thing I've noticed about being retired is that I have the time to notice things, the changing scenes of nature, the landscape.
At the start of January the weather was fairly mild and wet. The fields were muddy. Sometimes when I reach the farm I like to walk a bit further, but I wasn't wearing the right footwear on this day.
Later in the month the snow arrived, transforming the landscape.
In a few weeks time the bare branches of the trees and hedges will start to show signs of new life.
The snow has gone now I hope we've seen the last of it.
