Saturday 30 December 2017

Frosty Sunrise

 Hello Lovelies,
on Thursday I could have gone walking with my walking group. I certainly needed the miles for my goal to walk 1000 miles this year. Last year I had completed the challenge by late November, but not this year. By mid November the 1000 miles looked a like it would slip through my fingers, but somehow I've managed to chip away at the final 100 miles or so and as I write this post I have just two miles left to walk... and one more day to do that in. Yay.

On Thursday, with Hubby and the boys at home, I couldn't really settle to leaving them all day to go out with my group. But I hoped to fit in a couple of local walks during the day. I woke just before 8am and looked out to see a beautiful frosty morning. Time for a speedy breakfast and then get out there. I dodged the frozen puddles and walked towards the sunrise. Everybody else at home was still in bed.


By the stables the steam from the muck-heap had a golden glow :0)


And the ice crystals glinted in the first shafts of sunlight.


My footsteps made a crunch on the frozen grass.


and a solitary bird sang in the spindly branches of the overgrown hedgerow.


The fields were white.


and so was the road.


A little further along the road I spotted two pheasants before they spotted me, that's a rare occurrence.


I just love the icy leaves.


and frozen puddles. No mud today. Hurray.


When I saw a little Robin along the footapth I recalled  that I had finally remembered to bring some bird seed with me. There you go Robin.


The sun was getting higher and the sky was cloudless, but the path was still in deep shadow.


Here the sunlight gave the landscape a golden glow.


And here I smiled at the tiny bird footprints in the ice.


Time to leave the rest of that birdseed.


Somebody else was enjoying their breakfast.




Moo to you too.


My favourite sort of sign


I take only photographs and leave only boot prints :0)


More ponies enjoying the hay


I love the light in this picture.


One chap came over to say hello. It's always nice to see such well looked after horses.


and there's plenty more fodder to last the winter.


Time to head up the icy lane




and into the village. The yarn shop window display made me smile.



By this time the sun was getting higher and melting the frost on the church roof.


I was home by 10am and happy to make breakfast for the family knowing I had already walked 4 miles. My Christmas mantel is looking lovely this year.



The snowy paintings mum has given me really add to the festive scene.


And the small bunch of scented narcissi I picked up in the supermarket are making me smile. 



such happy flowers.

Later in the day, after some housework,  I managed another walk. This time with hubby and eldest. I was happy to clock up the same amount of miles as I would have walked if I had gone out with the walking group, but fitted it around  family stuff too.



It was such a perfect winters day, I think this could be my favourite walking weather.

I hope you will pop back soon to see where I walked the final miles of 2017. Hopefully it will involve moorland and views. So exciting :0)

Jacquie x

18 comments:

  1. I love winter walking as well, so invigorating and I love seeing the countryside laid bare. It's always beautiful first thing in the morning isn't it. Well done on your 998 miles, enjoy the last two, I'll be cheering you on. CJ xx

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  2. I love the photo with the rose hip. the composition was fabulous. Morning is the best time for walking and taking photographs. I have been sitting on my arse knitting! it turned into the most beautiful shawl I have ever made. Walking planned for tomorrow.
    https://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/winter-rainbow-knitting-ta-dah.html

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  3. Such beautiful winter photos. Here in Australia we are sweating in the heat :-) Good on you for walking so much this year! Happy New Year.

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  4. *C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S*!* to make your 1000 miles! I'm very impressed! Thanks for sharing your photos.. seems I am cheating to get to see so much from the comfort of my easy chair!! Here's to your 1000 next year! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*
      *H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*

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  5. Love your photos! 1,000 miles WOW.

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  6. I love a frosty morning, these are beautiful photos :)
    I have missed walking very much this year (too busy renovating the house to get outdoors) but looking forward to having free time again in a couple of months! Congratulations on making the 1000 miles in the end! It's a beautiful day for a walk here, but I'm catching up on my blog and bit and then have more work to do!

    Happy New Year

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  7. Love your photos! You make everyday things sparkle! What a nice way to view life! Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!

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  8. Congratulations Jacquie! You are such an inspiration! Of course you have such a beautiful place to walk.... That would definitely help motivate me.:) I enjoy your blog so much and look forward to another year of beautiful pictures and reading about your days in the beautiful UK. May 2018 be full of peace, happiness, good health and prosperity for you and your family. Hugs from Florida

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  9. Such a beautiful walk, your photographs are just lovely. Perfect walking weather. Congratulations on your 1000 miles. X

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  10. Congrats! Well done! (I did good to get in 55 miles in December, sickness has hit hard this Christmas.) Wishing you all the best in the new year!

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  11. Happy New Year, Jacquie!
    It was such a pleasure to be taken on a brisk morning walk with you, even if I did feel rather chilly!
    I love your Christmas baubles on your chandelier lamp and the warmth of your sitting room.
    The early morning is the best time of day, isn't it?
    I love *being* up early but *getting* up is the hard part because I like my cosy bed too! How do you stay motivated to go out into all weathers, Jacquie?
    Thank you for sharing your lovely pictures all year and may you reach your goals for 2018 too! :-)

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  12. Congratulations on meeting your walking goal! I always enjoy seeing the paths that you walk. I also enjoy seeing your mother's paintings. Happy New Year to you!

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  13. Happy New Year! Thank you for you have shared and hope you will continue to share next year. Many blessings!

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  14. I'm sure your achieved your target in the last day. Congratulations on achieving such a milestone for 2 years now! Wishing you all the best in 2018. Sarah x

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  15. Oh my goodness is it beautiful in your neck of the woods. You're so lucky to be able to go walking in such beauty. (Where I live it's "fake country" as I call it. There are homes a few acres apart and we're surrounded by nothing but trees, but there's a highway near the house that commuters and a lot of big rigs use. Even the road in front of our house the big rigs use all the time, so walking down that road isn't exactly peaceful and quiet. Those two roads ruin everything).

    I can't even choose a favorite photo that you took on your walk. They're all so pretty.

    I also love the painting of the snowy scene among all the Christmas decorations. Do you know who the artist is? It's a really pretty picture.

    Kristin

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  16. happy 2018.Thanks for sharing your walk,photos are just soooo Beautiful,good to see the animals are well looked after.Breathtaking scenery.Love the Yarn Shop Window too.Huggles xx

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  17. Love the painting your mum did soooo pretty.x

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  18. What a delightful post full of beautiful things and I love your frosty walk so much, perfect walking weather. I also love the snowy painting your mum did, how lovely is that! Happy 2018 and I look forward to reading your blog through the year ahead. xxx

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