The countryside is currently drab and dormant and much given over to mud, so most of the pleasure in a winter walk comes from the promise of what awaits on returning home. Coming back home after a chilly walk in the murk and mist is a delight; closing the door on the cold; peeling off layers of damp, muddy clothes and changing into warm, comfy and cosy things; cupping your chilled, weather reddened hands around a mug of hot tea and snuggling down by the fire is blissful.
But there is still beauty and colour to be found out there, even in the depths of Winter:
- The beech leaves holding fast to the trees and bright with the colour of a polished copper kettle;
- the red ember glow of the holly berries still held deep in the dark, prickly heart of hedges;
- the vibrant green skirts of moss that the trees wear in wet, wintry weather;
- and the sky, a constant shifting canvas of colour, most spectacular at dawn, but beautiful too when the watery sunshine pierces pearly cloud and outlines the skeletal forms of the bare branched trees.
This scant scattering of colour is not quite enough though, so I am eagerly anticipating signs of spring starting to show, and hope to find the first snowdrops soon as a sign that the greening of the woodlands is coming.
In Little Cotton Rabbit news there is not yet much to tell from here, but there are exciting goings on happening at Lucy Locket Land. Lucy had the brilliant idea to create some special kits throughout this year which mix my animal patterns with her own wonderfully imaginative and creative additions.
In January she had the mice dressed as Arfur the Handymouse and Martha the Mousekeeper and these kits proved to be so popular that they are currently sold out. Februarys kits will be the pigs, so it will be exciting to see what they'll be doing and I can't wait to see what other creative fun Lucy comes up with for the other animals over the rest of the year. Here's a link to her instagram where she's posting teasers for future kits, and a link to her shop where the kits are sold.
Images copyright Lucy Locket Land and used with permission.
little cotton rabbits 
Oh my goodness! I wish I had known earlier about the collaboration between you and Lucy Locket Land. Handyman and Mousekeeper perfectly describe me and hubby! What a fantastic idea! Combining your creativity with Lucy Lockets is going to be such fun. I shall look out for the coming kits.
Gorgeous photos! I spotted some clumps of snowdrops and some really beautiful aconites on a walk last week. I got really excited! So looking forward to spring and now the days are getting longer, I feel full of hope!
Love the colour of the shawl or whatever is on your lap in the photo. Perfect for winter cheer. Take care, Julie and thanks for the post.
The moss on the trees looks like little fairy castles!
I love the Lucy Locket collaboration! Wish we could get them in the states…
Hi Julie,
Such beautiful pics I know what you mean about getting home and for me a cup of coffee and a cat on the lap while I knit. That one thing great about donating my knits to a cat shelter they don’t care if it’s got a bit of fur🤣
It’s great to see signs of spring.
Thank you for sharing a bit about your life and beautiful pics. I hope there is peace in your life and joy in your heart💕🥰
You can!! 😊
We venture out on short walks and always look forward to getting back home in the warm.
There are signs of spring but you have to search hard in some areas. I saw some catkins yesterday and some of my daffodils are confused and starting to flower. I have a solitary crocus in flower too.
We just have to get through February which is often very cold. I don’t mind sunny cold days but the endless grey cold days are depressing.
You have taken some lovely photos as usual.
Such beautiful photos Julie! xx
Actually I love the colors in your photos. 🙂
Beautiful photos as always Julie … I have some snowdrops in bloom in the garden, spring is on the way!! 🙂
I know what you mean about the joy of coming home after a winter walk. Lovely to see those silver birch trees, I am rather obsessed with them at the moment. They support up to 300 species of insects apparently. I’ve managed to squeeze two into the garden 🙂 The mice are fantastic, I shall go and look at the Instagram account. CJ xx
Thank you for the wonderful walk in your woods, Julie. Everyone of your pictures could be a painting!!! You capture such beauty everywhere!!!!
I look forward to more opening of the earth’s promises from you too. Your blog fills my spirit with hope. Many warm wishes, Maire