A walk round the lake..

On my first day off this week, although I had lots of outstanding things I needed to catch up on, we decided to go for a walk first, to blow the cobwebs away, so we headed over to Decoy park, where the woods hunched greyly over the wind ruffled water, and the birds were pleased to see us..

The Coots formed a small posse to take the bread, and the black headed gulls lurked in the background, I noticed they`re getting their black hoods again

We set off on the path around the lake, the air filled with birdsong, and the odd robin flitted across our path. The chestnut palings pierced the water like a row of teeth, and the reeds rustled dryly in the breeze.

Amongst the leaf litter, beneath the trees were patches of snowdrops, like tiny white candles..

and in the hedgerows, golden catkins danced

shaking their golden tails in the wind..

It was lovely and peaceful, with everyone at work and the children at school. We came to this little babbling brook which gurgled between the ferny banks, Pete scattered crumbs on the bridge

and in an instance a little robin flew down ready for his breakfast.

We walked on, noting the rather splendid wooden seat..

and the gnarled tree dancing by itself..

till we reached the sweeping Beech walk, where last years leaves lit up the gloom of the wood

at the base of a tree was a fairys bathing pool, mossy lined and hung with leafy towels for drying

The little waterfall at the head of the path gushed noisely over the smooth boulders, we`ve had a lot of rain recently, so the rivers and streams up on the moors are swollen, and pouring their icy waters down all the waterways..

The path leading to the higher wood was thick with mud, and scattered with leaf confetti..I noted some of the trees chose mossy green coats to keep warm..

I love Ivy, its one of my favourite plants, so I was pleased to see this lovely red pointy one..

and further along, another reddish one with more rounded leaves, I think they look so pretty growing around the trunks of tree..

other adornments the trees picked for their winter wear were a nice frilly fungi coat

and a rather grand bracket fungi like a small stage

The path wound downhill till we arrived at the Magazine pond edged by dense twiggy shrubs and overhung by skeletal trees, the water reflected the grey overcast sky..

but even so....there were signs of Spring...a honeysuckle breaking into small leaf..

and sharp buds on a nearby tree...

and of course there was a patch of gorse in flower...isnt there always..it was a lovely walk, a good start to my days off.