The night of falling stars obscured by clouds at San Pelayo

San Pelayo Ash with full moon

That's my baby!

The best ash tree in the world and a good friend during 3 weeks, looking good in all lights!

Good ideas grow on trees

A bit smultzy but who cares?

Trees and waterfall

An early winter morning

A bare oak reaches to feel
The flawless morning sky,
Cobalt, tinged with steel.
Trunk bending in solid grace,
Its coiled branches turning,
Bursting into fine black lace.
With one less winter night,
The oak awaits the sun
To set its buds alight.

I spent last New Year 2010 in a rambling chateau in Normandy at a friend's 60th birthday celebration. Staying for nearly a week we all helped cook for thirty and playing games, letting off 12 lanterns into the night sky at the stroke of twelve on New Years Eve. As we set off to camp on the coast a few days later the air grew colder and the wind brought snow in its breath. This year of course we had the excitement of the snow arriving much earlier and the ground turned to vast sheets of ice.