Walking the New Year in . . .

I was lucky enough to visit Suffolk just after Christmas. Me and Mr B took ourselves off for a couple of days quiet mooching after all the hectic business of the festivities, lovely though that was.

Along the coast, just north of Aldeburgh, is the amazing and wonderful Scallop. An exciting sculpture by Maggi Hambling to celebrate Benjamin Britten.

Pierced through the steel is the phrase I hear those voices that will not be drowned which is taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes, itself based on a work by the Aldeburgh poet, George Crabbe.

Looking north along the beach from the Scallop. The shingle and the immediate inland area is really very flat, so you may imagine the impact of this sculpture as you approach. And even on a cold grey winters day I had to wait a while before I could photograph it without other visitors in my viewfinder!

We're fortunate to have lots of local footpaths and bridleways (most days find me dog walking somewhere) Here on the edge of whitehill coppice the wild weather has brought trees down. 

I found myself wondering if this oak will be left for wildlife to make use of, rather than tidied away. . . it made me feel a little sad to see such a big old tree down.

I must warn you, I'm about to have a bit of a grumble . . . this is the road that runs up from the back of our house, as you can see fairly rural, (and a great walk if I only have 30 minutes to exercise Rufus)

why is it then that there is rubbish on the verges? It must be thrown from cars, so, why not take it home? . . . numpties. (and, yes I do collect it up)

On a more cheerful note, (away from roads and cars) there is nothing to distract from our marvellous countryside, lichen glowing in a sudden burst of sunshine. I included my shadow just to illustrate that we do get sunshine!

Although it's still fairly wet and muddy at the bottom of the hill,

this clearly shows where rainfall has run and cut a groove, exposing some old brickwork underneath.

I love teasels, sketching and photographing them summer and winter. I remember being intrigued to discover their use in the textile industry (when I was a textile person) in raising the nap on wool.

Nowadays, I like that they attract bees and finches. I think these may be germinating seeds from other plants that have fallen into the flower head. I'll wait to see what emerges.