February 29th.

I'm never sure which aspect of a morning run I like best; is it the solitude, the repetitive motion, the cold air against my face, the smell of the morning air, the view across the water, the birds, the trees, the yachts in the marina, the big sky, the morning mist, or the knowledge that if I achieve nothing else in the day, at least I can say I went out for a run. In truth, I suppose it can be any or all of those things; it's always different, there are always new things to see, to smell, to experience, but sometimes it feels as though I'm seeing the world for the first time; each blade of grass in sharp relief, each breaking bud creaking with life, each bird song piercing my heart, each rippling wave a whispering calm. That's how it was this morning, a new day, a new world, a new me...

No picture from this morning, but a serene and beautiful view of the sun setting over Hythe, Hampshire, this afternoon.

Photographic Memory.

Wrapped up warm and out with my camera this morning, I wanted to capture the essence of the day; the first daffodils, the hazy blue sky, the cold still air, the silvery sea, the winter sunlight.

I snapped away at all of it, but nothing hit the spot until I saw the flowers in the churchyard. Unwanted, cast aside and dumped in the hollow of an old tree stump, a handful of hyacinths lay frosted, frozen and perfectly preserved; exquisitely beautiful in the cold winter sunshine, ironic in their location and testament to the circle of life itself.

The curious thing is that when I look at the picture I see such vitality and vibrancy; my head fills with the memory of the pungent, sweet, peppery perfume, I can smell the warm beauty of those hyacinths, my eyes close, a smile spreads across my face and my heart begins to sing....

The picture shows the handful of blue hyacinths in St John's Churchyard, Hythe, Hampshire.

Click on the link below to see more photos of my wintry day.

http://susanvale.tumblr.com/post/17449035360/a-cold-wintry-day-in-hythe-hampshire-to-find

(See my blog dated 5th December 2011 to read more about the tree stump in St John's Churchyard).

Ringwood, Hampshire.

It's been a week of stunningly beautiful days here in Hampshire; clear and sunny, ice-blue skies, with a bitterly cold east-north-easterly cutting across Southampton Water. Wonderful weather for me and perfect for taking pictures, so I took myself off for a midweek, mid-afternoon jaunt to the market town of Ringwood, some 20 miles west of Hythe, across the New Forest. I wandered along the high street, through the old market place, along by Monmouth House and the old cottage, down to the bridge over the river Avon, then round by the church, through the churchyard, and back again. It was lovely. Ringwood is such a pretty place, and at that time of day, in that light, at this time of year - well, it was pure pleasure.

The picture shows the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Ringwood, Hampshire, lit by the late afternoon sun and set against the blue winter sky.

To see more of my Ringwood photos, click on the link to my tumblr blog:-

http://susanvale.tumblr.com/post/16977082556/ringwood-hampshire

To read more about Ringwood, click on the links below:-

http://www.ringwood.gov.uk/Leisure_and_Tourism/History/page1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringwood