Friday 15 January 2010

Thaw


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Over the land freckled with snow half-thawed
The speculating rooks at their nests cawed
And saw from elm-tops, delicate as flowers of grass,
What we below could not see. Winter pass.
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Edward Thomas
The thick crust of ice on a water trough is melting. The pipes are thawing too, so I no longer have to push wheelbarrow loads of water containers across frozen fields.

The field of long grass is melting first. Water slips under the gate and follows age-old channels down the slope. A pond forms and spreads over sheet ice, before it too melts and drains away through ditch and lane to the bottom of our hill.


Lawn grass shows again, between patches of melting snow where bird footprints mark the hungry searches of blackbirds and thrushes as they try to pierce the hard earth in search of food.


A splash of bright, frost-wilted spinach is all that remains of last years harvest.


Under the liquid amber tree, the leaf carpet reappears.

And at last....... a sign of spring. First shoots of snowdrops pierce the carpet of leaves beside a garden hedge.

While hazel catkins stand as harbingers of spring against a grey, cold sky.

4 comments:

ChrisJ said...

Snow drops and catkins! Those are the kinds of things I miss the most about England...like primroses and wild daffodils.

Bovey Belle said...

Everything here is green again and we are back to our usual Welsh rain! I never thought I would be so glad to see it . . . I have a few bulbs coming through too - and a few bags bought at bargain prices I have yet to plant. Must get on with it today!

Dartford Warbler said...

ChrisJ - I look forward to taking photos of snowdrops for you! I hope that you have been enjoying much warmer weather than we have.

BB - Yes - I too have rejoiced in greenness and the West Wind bringing rain!

Morning's Minion said...

I marvel at so much green surviving under the cover of snow. The snowdrops peeking through the leaves make a lovely picture.