Sunday 10 February 2019

A brief glimpse of Spring

Upon waking up last Sunday morning we were met by two strange phenomena. The first, being of the visual variety, was the most obvious, as it was immediately apparent upon drawing our curtains. The grey clouds had taken a day off, leaving us with a brilliant blue sky and a sunny disposition.

The second was a lightness of feeling which initially wasn't easy to put one's finger on. Then it dawned on us. For the first time in two months it was a Sunday without any obligations, free to spend whichever way we fancied.

Putting the two together, we felt truly blessed that the sun had chosen this very day to grace us with her presence.


According to the weather forecast, this cloudless, sunny day would be a one-off. In fact, the weathermen said it would only last until mid-afternoon. So, we wasted no time in filling a thermos with strong hot coffee, packing a picnic and heading off for a bracing walk and some much needed fresh air.

I wore my beloved princess coat, accessorized with a green beret and scarf. My hands were kept warm by my fake astrakhan muff which cleverly doubles as a handbag!



Our favourite nature reserve, Het Broek, where you have followed in my footsteps many times before, was our destination of choice.

The sun was surprisingly strong and it was good to walk and bask in its relative warmth.


The lakes and ponds were glazed with a fine layer of ice, too thin even to hold the weight of the  resident waterfowl, who could be heard screeching and bickering across the main lake as usual.


Soon we came to the bird hide, a ramshackle wooden hut looking out over the lake.

It was looking deceptively calm, as most of the birds seemed to be hiding among the reeds bordering the small islands in the far distance.

Only a young swan, still partly clad in its downy plumage, was venturing out on its own.


The warmth of the sun after the heavy rains of the last couple of days gave rise to a thin white mist emanating from the sodden earth, creating an ethereal, de-focused world.


The tangled bushes, which simultaneously carried last season's growth and Spring's new beginning, and the majesty of the high, windswept trees, made my daily worries recede, so that I was only living in the moment and savouring every breath.

I was looking forward to a visit to my favourite part of the reserve, a paradisaical corner the sight of which always fills me with tranquility and a unfathomable feeling of déjà vu

But the path leading to this slice of heaven was closed off and the bridge crossing the brook had been removed.



A notice on the gate said the path was permanently closed to protect the family of beavers who had taken up residence here. It is true that we did notice some beaver activity the last time we were here. Obviously, this sounds like a solid enough reason, but I was still feeling quite bereft at the thought of never seeing my favourite place again. Silly me, I'm getting all teary-eyed while typing this.


Taking another path instead wasn't nearly as satisfying, but there were still enough sights, sounds and scents to enchant us and even trick us into thinking it was an early Spring day.


On a path sheltered by a bank of reeds, I tilted my face towards the sun, which was colouring its paleness with a blush on my cheeks while warming up my winter-heavy limbs.


It was warm enough to show you what I was wearing underneath my coat: a black frock patterned with a firework display of flowers in white, orange and green. I wore an ochre belt at my waist and a green cardigan on top, echoing the green of my opaques.

My boots are the ancient pair I'm always wearing for walks of this ilk, and which were still carrying traces of the muddy clay we trampled in on Christmas day.


Onward we walked, through a landscape which had time to heal its peat-digging past and become a haven of fauna and flora. 



If it weren't for the occasional encounter with fellow walkers, the quiet would have been quite deafening in comparison with our daily life's hustle and bustle.

For this particular girl, however, the quietness was like medicine after the frenetic rush of the last couple of weeks.



After eating our picnic sitting gingerly on a damp bench, it was time to return to our car.

It was getting busier now that it was past lunch time, and we no longer had the place mostly to ourselves.


And, true to the weathermen's word, the sun started playing hide and seek with the clouds, until the blue sky we'd waken up to was blanketed once more.

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday and Mica's Weekday Wear Linkup!

40 comments:

  1. it sounds like a gorgeous walk!!
    sweet princess coat with that fur trimms and the dress´pattern is very art deco!
    thankfully the beavers have a brook to protect their home - i´m sure that lots of people would ignore the blocking if the bridge were still there.... (as they do here with the rocks where the falcons have their nests - grmph!)
    i have such a muff-handbag too - but without the chain and more round in shape. do not use it very often because i always have very warm hands :-D
    hugsies! xxxxxx

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    1. Thank you, Bahnwärterin :-) You're right about that, I'm sure a lot of people would simply ignore the signs and proceed regardless. xxx

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  2. This really makes me yearn for spring and the possibility to get back outside walking.

    We are expecting another big snow and ice storm on Tuesday this week. I'm not looking forward to it.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Walking is so good for the soul! I hope your snow and ice storm wasn't too severe ... Fingers crossed, we escaped the worst of it so far. xxx

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  3. No getting outdoors for us-just had a storm with another on the way this evening. I'll have to enjoy your walk instead ;)

    That coat is such a beautiful piece.

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  4. There is nothing like getting back to a little nature after a hectic time in the "real" world. I'm so sorry to hear you've lost your special spot, my dear - I hope a new one reveals itself to you soon!

    Love your amazing frock - this is one of my favourites! It's so grey and cold and stormy here this weekend - I can almost feel that wonderful sun!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! I should wear that frock more, I guess. xxx

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  5. Thank you for sooo wonderful pictures. I love you have a muff! I am looking forward to spring.
    A very huge hug Tina

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  6. Ah Ann in the fishers sac are mini mini shrimps. They put it for example in papaya salad.

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  7. Love the green beret and scarf - so bright and cheery!

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  8. Such lovely scenery and such beautiful writing, Ann! I really enjoy reading your posts. Love your outfit with the gorgeous touches of green. I always think of you when I wear green! ;) It's definitely become one of my favourite colours after seeing your lovely green outfits and accessories! Hope you had a great weekend. XXX

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    1. Oh, thank you so much Sasha, and that's so sweet of you to think of me whenever you're wearing green! xxx

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  9. You write so evocatively about your walk that I feel I was with you in person! Gorgeous photos too. Sorry that your favourite place was cordoned off, but how lovely to have beavers! I love your outfit, and really really want a muff handbag! XXX PS thanks for leaving me a comment:)

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    1. Thank you so much, Linda! I guess that muff was a lucky find. And you're right, it's amazing to have beavers! xxx

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  10. These are beautiful photos from your walk. I love the print of your dress and how you styled it. The green beret is a nice touch.

    Maureen | www.littlemisscasual.com

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  11. How lovely you had sunshine at last! Love your outfit and the muff is gorgeous!

    The photos from the park are beautiful; I can feel the warmth from the sun and you look so happy! It's a shame your favourite part of the park is blocked off but it's quite exciting to think of the beavers building their
    dams; I've never seen a beaver outside of a zoo or safari park...

    I hope you've had more sunshine!
    xxxxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! It was such a lovely day. And we've had more sunny days in the meantime. I've never seen a beaver in its natural environment either. When we were there last year, we did see some of their dam building work ... xxx

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  12. It sounds like a wonderfully relaxing start to the day and your outfit looks so cosy! it's a shame you couldn't go your usual way, but nice that you could enjoy the sunshine for a bit! :)

    Hope that you are having a lovely start to your week :) Thanks for joining the #weekdaywearlinkup!

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica, it was a very relaxing day, I love being out and about surrounded by nature. xxx

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  13. Beautifully written, and wonderful photographs. It's that time of year whe we're teased with a little sunshine but it doesn't stay for long! The muff/bag is adorable Xx

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    1. Thank you so much! I do hope you got a bit more sunshine in the meantime! xxx

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  14. Such evocative writing Ann, winter heavy limbs, I really identify with that!
    I felt sad for you that you will no longer be able to visit your magic place. No one else will either though, so at least the magic will remain.
    Beautiful photograpy, as ever ☺ xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! You're right though, in this way I'm sure the magic will remain. I'm glad you can relate to the winter heavy limbs. Bring on Spring! xxx

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  15. Looks like a lovely day for a walk. Hi to Jos xx
    I love the print on your dress and the tights are a perfect match with your cardi.
    What a shame about your special place though. We know things have to change but it’s still upsetting when it does sometimes xxx

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    1. Thank you my friend, and Jos says hi back! I was a bit upset, but in the end the beavers need that place more than we do! xxx

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  16. You look fabulous (and warm!) in your coat and lovely green accessories!. Your dress is stunning too and I love the firework floral print!. But my favourite piece is the muff-bag, woww, it's amazing and so cute!.
    Sorry that you can't visit your favourite place because of wild life protection, sometimes it's hard to let some beloved landscapes to animals. Wish you find same magical feeling in another beautiful corner as soon as possible!. I always enjoy having a look at the amazing landscapes you're used to walk on, nature is a neverending source of wonder!
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much Monica! I'm sure there will be more beautiful corners to explore. And there's magic in every landscape if one's willing to see it, I suppose! xxx

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  17. A wonderfully written piece, dear Ann! Nothing beats feeling that warm sunshine on one's skin after a near eternity of harsh wintery weather.
    Your coat is gorgeous and perfect with the green accents. Jos looks very smart, as always! xxx
    PS How are the knees? Jon had some steriod injections in his before we went away and he's pain free for the first time in years!

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    1. Thank you Vix. The lack of sunshine was really getting me down. The knees are up and down like the weather, but thankfully they haven't been too bad. Will keep the steroid injections in mind. Pleased to hear that Jon is now pain free! xxx

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  18. Lazy Sundays are the best - especially when the weather's good too.

    I love the firework flower pattern. It's like a 30s pattern blown up large. Is the dress 70s? (I was wondering if it was that 70s-does-30s influence.)

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    1. I love lazy Sundays! I'm supposing the dress is 70s, and that it's indeed that 70s-does-30s influence! xxx

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  19. How wonderful that you enjoyed an outdoor picnic and a relatively free and sunny Sunday. Leisure is so important to our state of mind. I love the way you look with your head and neck wrapped in that delicate spearmint green color. And that princess coat takes my breath away!
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Oh, thank you Elle. I thrifted that coat last Winter, and have worn it a lot since. It's stylish and warm, what more can a girl want eh? xxx

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  20. Wasn’t it nice to see some blue skies. I’ve been out without a coat on a few times. The grey has returned along with the wind and rain but it was nice while it lasted.
    I’ve had a weekend recently when I did exactly as I pleased, it was so nice and something we should all do regularly!
    It’s not at all silly to feel sad at losing a favourite spot, I’m ridiculously attached to places and even plants and trees! Perhaps this closure will mean you’ll find a new beauty spot to visit?
    xx

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    1. I'm glad you understand about losing a favourite spot, Hazel. I too can get ridiculously attached to some things. xxx

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