Waking yesterday, everything was under a thin layer of snow. I picked up my camera and decided to go for a walk up the lane. It was that proper stillness you get after snow, no wind or breeze, and all sound slightly deadened.
I was struck by the number of tracks in the snow, leaving a history of who had been past in the hours before. A person with their dog, a cat had trotted under that hedgerow.
In the woods, some rabbits had crossed by earlier...
...round the base of this tree...
..and through into next door's field. They are usually long gone before humans turn up.
Along the path a little, some birds had got together and formed one big bird print - aha! trying to put me off the trail!
Further up the hill I could see where one or two foxes had passed. One had had a successful kill, the tell-tale drops of fresh blood (a shrew sized amount perhaps) on the snow.
Another observation was looking across to woodland, normally a dense mass of browns and blacks - now each tree was framed against white where snow lay on the ground behind it. The monochrome palette of patchwork and landscape makes it all very sketchable.
Snow, magical snow! sadly ours has all gone, but it was a miracle we had any at all. Lovely photos - especially the last one depicting the tree skeletons.
Posted by: Pebbledash | February 06, 2009 at 04:56 PM
As I was browsing my way through your beautiful snowy pictures, I kept thinking about how much they were like beautiful etchings, the usual colors of the landscape gone, but the lovely composition, and the graphic strength showing through.
Hoping that your footprints were also made in that snow!
Cheers.
Posted by: frances | February 07, 2009 at 02:41 AM
Those photos remind me of the magical kingdom in The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe.Beautiful !
Posted by: sally anne | February 07, 2009 at 06:25 PM
Love your photos. We had snow only on Sunday and Monday. It had all gone by Monday night. The high school remained open on Monday although the kids came home 2 hours early. How on earth does the UK go into such a spin when it snows? I can't believe other countries don't experience similar problems! x
Posted by: janjan | February 08, 2009 at 03:38 PM
This is so cute, thank you for the story with pictures :) That last picture does look like patchwork, but like it would be hard to sketch. Good luck with that, if you decide to take it on!
Posted by: A Circle of Quiet | February 09, 2009 at 02:14 AM
Isn't it lovely how the snow has revealed the secret world of the animals and birds around you.
Posted by: Gigibird | February 09, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Magical in the woods isn't it? It has to be the perfect place to 'hear' that silence. Love the pics of animal tracks x
Posted by: Pipany | February 10, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Oh, I enjoyed seeing those tracks :)
Posted by: Felicia | February 10, 2009 at 06:52 PM
what a beautiful post. i love your track photos- and of course, that last patchwork-style vista of greys and whites. very inspiring! xx
Posted by: melissa | February 13, 2009 at 06:25 PM