Saturday 4 December 2010

`In the Wood` by Eileen Mathias, and Scenes from the Edge of Snowy Woods



In the Wood

Cold winter`s in the wood,
I saw him pass
Crinkling up fallen leaves
Along the grass.

Bleak winter`s in the wood,
The birds have flown
Leaving the naked trees
Shivering alone.

King Winter`s in the wood,
I saw him go
Crowned with a coronet
Of crystal snow.

By Eileen Mathias



Out on the woodland edge, at the foot of Stonechat Hill, trees changed to silver and white, after a night of snow.




Old Jenny`s tree, with wilding apples rosy red against the snow.



Up the lane, where once the stage coach heading for the London Road would go.



A solitary pony stands stock-still .......


...beneath the hill where gorse and silver birches grow.


An ash tree with snow covered keys.......


....and a weeping silver birch leans towards the ground.


The pony with a bumpy nose is often on her own. Maybe kicked as a foal, she has a bony lump which shows in her profile. On this snowy morning she was pleased to wander over for some company. Her neck beneath her mane felt warm, but icicles hung from ears, hair and eyelashes after a long night in the bitter cold.



I walked up into the gorse. She followed me and found some shelter in the deep natural `stables` that the dense bushes provide, watching me down the hill as I headed out for home.





8 comments:

Kath said...

What wonderful scenes! I can remember my ponies having thick frost on their eyelashes! but then so did I, riding my moped to feed them LOL
Pop over to my Blog if you have time and let me know what you think my mystery birds are?

WOL said...

Lovely pictures. It's 49F(9C) here. I feel almost guilty. It is supposed to get down to 24F(-4C) tonight, though. Too dry for any precip at 31% humidity. Poor little mare on her own.

rachel said...

"a coronet of crystal snow" - beautiful!

I always feel rather sad and anxious about your horses; they lead such harsh lives, filled with privation and danger.....

Morning's Minion said...

These photos would make a beautiful collage arranged together and framed. It is always amazing to me how greatly a heavy clinging snow changes a familiar landscape.

BumbleVee said...

wow.... you guys sure do have a lot of snow...

Ferris Jay said...

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing them.

Jenny said...

The thing I like most about snow is the silence that comes with it. Your photos seem to capture the mood perfectly!

Kate on Clinton said...

Without the pop of red apple, I would have thought these were b&w photos. So beautiful, but I feel sad for the pony out in the cold all night alone - can't help it, that is the City mouse in me.