Friday 10 February 2012

White Fields and Footprints


In the cold grey morning, a thin, slushy layer of snow lay over the fields.

Rabbits left sets of footprints, each resembling the tortured face in Munch`s painting The Scream .


Bird prints scattered over field and garden.........


....where a fox had trotted over to the fence and wriggled underneath.


Oak branches topped with snow.


Out in the lane, a "snow stilt" had fallen from the hollow of a Forest pony`s hoof.


A scattering of snow lay on hawthorn twigs, on bracken....




........and on flowering gorse.



A bleak, cold heath........



....where a group of ponies walked, so carefully, towards a gorse thicket and the chance of young shoots for breakfast.





The young grey mare will be five years old this spring. She was born on the Forest and still lives with her mother and a familiar family group.


She is the half sister of our own Grey One........




...who was breakfasting in more comfort beyond the field hedge.


Jay, his friend, followed me around, still chewing his morning hay, while I photographed footprints in the snow.


Woody was alert and watching in the still, white fields.


In the garden, camelias festooned with snow had browned and frozen in the cold morning.
Later, the thaw began. Water dripped off trees and rooftops all afternoon, but there is still frozen snow on the fields tonight, under a bright winter moon.


9 comments:

ChrisJ said...

Beautiful description of winter scenery. I like the foot-prints too.

Rowan said...

We haven't had more snow but we haven't had a thaw either. I feel so sorry for all wild creatures who have to struggle through these conditions. Let's hope there's some nice warm sunshine in store for them soon. Great photos by the way.

Kath said...

lovelt words to accompany gorgeous photos. Both summed up perfectly the hush, the slight creaking sound of boots on snow and the chomping sound of the ponies feeding.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Shame about the camellias but those horses look quite healthy and your pics are superb.

Bovey Belle said...

It's nice to know that your ponies are so well fed and cared for, and I know the lost souls outside the gate aren't completely abandoned either.

I'm relieved we've no snow, but it feels cold enough in the house without it!

Jenny said...

Lovely snowy scenes reminded me how hard it is keeping ponies, or any livestock in this weather. All that breaking ice, and hauling hay with frozen hands!

Mary said...

Thank you for visiting my little old blog and becoming a Follower. I love your country photos from the New Forest. I was only there once when as teen - but I recall how lovely it was. I'm originally from Devon so we share a love of the south of England I'm sure!

Mary - A Breath of Fresh Air

Pierre BOYER said...

Nice winter walk...

Pierre

Pam said...

Beautifully written. But it looks very chilly. No snow up here in Edinburgh - it's been mild and intermittently sunny.