Retreat

Some time spent in the little patch of England that we care for. Too often this is accompanied by to-do lists. Today there was a chance for a few moments to soak up the tranquility: almost no wind; a robin singing; a buzzard wheeling; feral cats eyeing us suspiciously; low autumn sun; humming in the hedgerow; a late butterfly; the world slowing down for an instant

Trees conjure an atmosphere and provoke reflection. From right to left these are a hazel (we battle wits with the squirrels for the nuts); in the background, a walnut; a damson; in the distance an ancient, stag-head oak - beloved of the woodpeckers for the wonderful resonance of the dead wood; and the edge of a Baker's Delicious apple - an early variety, now with its unpicked fruit on the ground

Breathe