Oh what joy to bask in the welcomed return of the sun!  Which I have to remind myself of whilst under today's seige of yet another grey and wet day..Two days of unrelenting rain and overcast skies does not cheer the spirit so....I turn my thoughts to the fact that the fresh green of nature that I enjoy so much is only becasue of frequent days such as today!  And that only last Sunday I was blessed with two full days of glorious sunshine where people even wore T-shirts! So here's to last Sunday's blessings!

It started as I left church and saw this wonderful sight!  I had my camera because I was still excited and inspired from my previous day's journey into London to the Hockney exhibition and a photo walk-about! ( see previous blog).  An elderly friend saw me taking this shot and invited me to come see her garden...so I went along..

Her heather greeted us, looking magnificent in the play of light!

And the colour range was cheerful and suited the day's mood..

But I was truly struck by the beauty that I met in her back garden...much to her child like delight! 

We both looked on, beaming as if we'd just discovered a beautiful secret....In truth we had!

Not everything was in full bloom...after all we'd not long had snow and it was still February!

Further down the garden more colours erupted from the ground...

In a triumphant defiance heralding the hope of spring 

Not only flowers look delightful in sunshine..

Leaves are not just functional..they have their own beauty...

We just need to look with the heart..

My dear friend loves her tree..she planted it..I've forgotten how many years ago she said that was..she was much younger then..now she needs two walking sticks to stroll down the garden path to visit it.  It has very small buds which is hard to capture with a 23mm lens! 

She remembers when she was able to care for it herself..now she needs help..with everything she adds.  I remind her there are plenty of things she still does independently..like drive, go shopping, holidays to meet up with other friends etc.

We were soon distracted by the colours low to ground again...

And a fine patch of carpet it was too..A bit tricky to capture with a fixed LCD screen but a good workm..woman, does not blame her tools! Besides, I love my camera and would not want to say it limits me in anyway! 

New life pushing up towards the light...'hope eternal springs'....

So we'd strolled around the whole garden looking high and low and now it was time for me to go..one last look back as I head towads the kitchen door...

That had whetted my appetite for more photography so I headed for my local fields and woodland..

It's 'my' back yard..I have no garden but this is on my doorstep...3 minutes across the road so I cannot complain! 

It's a calm place, offering the best of outdoors in a few acres...

With a small stream flowing through it..

Appreciated and loved by all creatures.. two and four legged...here on the edge of London.

We unwind in its windings as our cares flow downstream..

Inspiring creative thoughts..for poetry, painting, photography and play..

Separating the woods from the fields..the experience of the two are very different!

So now I had to decide..more woodlands or fields?

The fields beckoned...so I cross the wooden bridge

After all, the fields also have trees...just less dense..

And they are also so pretty..

It was easy to stay and record the changing light..

As it moved over trees and land.

Lots of benches dotted throughout for quiet reflection and enjoyment of the views...

David Hockney has his 'totem' this is one of mine...

So many different offerings to enjoy...

The light on the leaves and the warmth of the day reminded me briefly of autumn

Whilst low to ground..

Soon the light was fading...and I had to admit 'all good things must come to an end'..