Merry Blipmas, everyone!

It's been a very relaxed Christmas. For the first time in years there haven't been any guests. So, no pressure! The morning passed very lazily, then we decided to prep the veg for lunch and go for a walk to catch the sunlight/daylight. I pulled my walking boots on, and soon had reason to be grateful, for the path down to the stream and back up the other side, in the area broadly known as the Weyhouse, was exceptionally muddy. We passed another couple and a family, but no one else was around.

I shot this image from the far side of the stream, looking back towards the path down the hillside from our neighbourhood, with Stroud Cemetery and its burial chapel spire clearly visible. The burial chapel is no longer used for services. I think the Green Spaces team store their lawmowers and equipment there! Only in Class-ridden England, though, would one find a chapel building with two separate chapels: one side for Church of England, and the other for 'noncomformists' . The Old cemetery is further divided into areas for Church of England graves; noncomformists; and paupers, situated opposite the old workhouse! I am relieved to announce that burials in the extended part of the cemetery, known as the New Cemetery, can take place wherever there is a space! I like to walk there, especially in the Old Cemetery, for it is near my house, and very peaceful. The chattering classes are silent.

When we got to the waterfall at the far corner of the fields, we were surprised to see the area transformed into several watercourses, with water cascading down the hillside in several places, not just into the usual basin. Great chunks of Cotswold stone had cascaded down the hillside as well, indicating a recent landslide. The water was hurtling down, but despite my efforts, I could not capture the scale of the watercourses on my compact. So I did my best impression of the a certain Virgin appearing at the grotto at Lourdes, and when that failed to impress CleanSteve, I resorted to plain tomofoolery. It felt SO good!

Hope you've had a good day too, whether you've been celebrating or otherwise. Now, excuse me, it's almost time for Downton...

CleanSteve has blipped me being silly here