Back in the woods

It was another beautiful, sunny day, and before lunch I walked up the hill and ventured into the woods for the first time since about November. I do normally walk there in winter, especially when it's frosty, but this year it's been so impossibly wet, I would have had to paddle along the track. It's still very muddy and I didn't go far, but it was lovely to see intermittent sunlight through the trees, illuminating the wood anemones which are now dotted across the woodland floor - a few are in my extra, along with a black and white version of the pool. The bluebells are just starting to open too, and will be wonderful in a couple of weeks if the rain holds off (which sadly is not what's forecast).

Later, J and I enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine outside on the deck as we ate our chocolate brownies. I picked twiggy hazel for our Easter tree, with tiny buds just on the verge of unfurling into perfectly defined, neatly pleated little leaves. They are now standing in a vase, hung with J's needlefelt birds and painted eggs (which I'll get round to photographing in due course).