Across the Lime Brook

I arrived home last night from London at close to 11pm. This morning required an early start too, but I've been taking my time for the rest of the day. The sun has peeped through the clouds occasionally and it drew me out to get some air and exercise on a walk in the valley behind the house. I wanted to try my new lens down beside where the Lime Brook flows. I can hear the stream from the garden as it tumbles quickly down the valley of The Horns.

I took many pictures, which were mostly disappointing. A highlight was a view under the bank of the brook showing where the spring surfaces to form a small cave, as it slowly erodes back into the hillside. Another was a wonderful image of unusual snowdrops which I found had apparently self seeded on an old trackway.

Whilst I scrambled down beside the stream amongst the oaks, hazels and ash trees, I noticed a pile of feathers in the undergrowth, and wondered if a bird had been eaten by another. As I left the cover of the trees, a buzzard suddenly started climbing and circling just above me, and I assumed my approach had set it up. I did get a couple of shots of it but it was difficult shooting into the bright sky.

My blip has to be this view of our home in the distance, from the far bank of the valley formed by the Lime Brook. My window can be seen just below the gable of the last white house. I don't often see this reversed view, especially in winter. On an old map I saw that the bank behind our hose was called Powers Hill, a name which no-one else seems to know. In the lower foreground you can see a modern replacement footbridge, which crosses the brook, just below where the old Way forded the stream, when it was the old route along the valley, before the new Turnpike was opened in the 1820s.

I am so glad to be 'home' here after a few days in the city. Although I did enjoy my trip, I prefer 'being' here!

ps
I will back blip the last two days later when I have the energy.