Friday 26 February 2010

A trip to Occombe.

Hello again, its a while since I`ve been here, winter hibernation maybe, I hope you and your families are all keeping well, and looking forward to Spring as I am. As we woke to lovely sunshine for once, we decided to go to Occombe farm, it has a lovely organic farm shop, tea room and walks.

After delicious coffee and fruit scones, we braved the sharp northerly wind which cut across the fields.

The sky was the prettiest forget me not blue, and in the hedgerow the ash was knotty with buds.

Fortunately theres some well made paths, as the ground was very wet after yesterdays rain, and thick with red mud. We stopped to admire the geese which were pottering around their little pond, they seemed to have an interesting pond-mate...

A nice shiny prehistoric creature, probably left over from an exhibition last year

Across from the pond is this lovely unusual seat carved and twisted and covered in a twining leafy pattern, ideal for resting on a hot summers day.

Down the bottom of the field is a grand hen house, and all the occupants were out and trotting about, with the cock, cock-a-doodle-doing every so often. Behind, the lovely Devon hills roll, with slashes of red fields breaking up the dun colours of winter.

In the centre of the grass is a rather nice sculpture, theres always something interesting to see

We followed the winding path down to the entrance to the wood, the wind tugging at our hair, enjoying the skeletal beauty of the trees, and the yellow catkins dancing in the hedges.

In the wood someone has used their imagination and commissioned some paintings of the views which adds to the delight of walking around

They are beautifully done, and show the area as it would appear in another season.

We followed the boardwalk through the wood with birdsong all around, the trees held their bare smooth branches to the windy sky, some cloaked in shiny green ivy, and this rather magnificent oak....

had a ferny handkerchief in his top pocket

We stopped at the bird hide, where theres always nuts and seeds on hangers for the birds, only to discover this rather naughty squirrel dangling from one of them, obviously enjoying the nuts too, when he jumped down blue tits and great tits flew in like bright jewels amongst the beige twiggy bushes, and also this rather nice Nuthatch

We walked on, the sun shining warmly on our faces..

Past little streams that gurgled icily beneath the mossy clad tree trunks

Down little winding paths dappled by the morning sun

where some of the trees were made of silver...

and others wore green mantles...

and the odd one sported fancy crimson fungi.. the wind moaned and sighed amongst the tree tops, lifting the leaves of the ivies..

and some trees danced to the tune...

Just before we left the wood, we came across this rather nice stream..

where the residents were having a early morning paddle, it was an enchanted place to be, so lovely and peaceful...

and when we walked through the gate into the open again, I was delighted to see in the hedge, the first Pussy willows breaking out silver along the branches.

3 comments:

Ramblings From Spain said...

What a lovely walk, I felt like I took it with you.. it made me yearn for Devon, and for England...! xx

Timi said...

Welcome back!!! I missed your posts and pictures and now it's good to "walk with you" again :o)!!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Amazingly wonderful walk - I've missed you so much - glad you are back.