Friday, January 06, 2017

Five on Friday

We have enjoyed Christmas and welcomed in a New Year since the last Five on Friday. Christmas was very quiet for us as we did most of our visiting and having visitors at home in the weeks running up to the festive weekend.  I've never been a fan of New Year, I find it a sad time and a time of reflection and remembrance of people and times past.  I know both Christmas and New Year can be sad and lonely times for many people as well as fun filled, happy family days for others and I expect most people experience both during their lifetimes.  Christmas has now been packed away in its bag in the garage and the house is back to normal.  It always takes a while to get used to it even though it is so familiar.

We did get out and about on a few walks between Christmas and New Year and again at the beginning of this week.  If you read my last post you will know that we went on a bird hunt on Monday and managed to photograph both Redwings and Waxwings and I was thrilled with that.  The birds were found in Biddulph to the north of the city where we also visited Biddulph Grange, our nearest National Trust property, below are five photos I took during our walk.

 
1. The Entrance Hall where the Christmas tree was still on display and a fire had been made in the lovely fireplace.

2.  I love the two empty wooden benches, on the frosted grass.  In the early summer of last year we sat in deck chairs and ate an ice cream from the kiosk nearby.  Hard to imagine now how warm it was then.
3.  One of the tunnels in the garden, this one leads into the arboretum where all the tall redwood and monkey puzzle trees are.  It was so cold and frosty and yet the sun glowed through at the end of the tunnel.

4.  The Wellingtonia Walk -  when we first came to this area over twenty years ago we were as tall as the newly planted trees, just look at them now!

5.  Frozen cabbages - the hanging baskets in the kitchen garden had been planted with  lovely pale lavender coloured, decorative cabbage plants.  They looked so pretty covered in frost which was gently melting in the bright midday sun.

We are heading out for another walk this morning so I will catch up with everyone later today.

To find other bloggers joining in with Five on Friday use the link below.   

http://lovemademyhome.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/five-on-friday-linkup-number-5.html

43 comments:

  1. What a beautiful five. Love the frozen cabbage. There is something special about a historical house when it has a real fire blazing. Have a good weekend. B x

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    1. The cabbage is rather lovely isn't it?:)

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  2. I've been to Biddulph Grange with all its garden rooms. It looks really wintery in all the frost yet so elegant. Have a great weekend. x

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    1. Biddulph is a garden that looks wonderful whatever season, each one gives it a different look and texture:)

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  3. Lovely photos Rosie - especially love the stunning one with the frosty benches :) We visited the gardens there once but only had an hour as they were closing. I would so like to return one day as the gardens were so beautiful

    Still now waxwings or redwings round here! Went to check a road nearby yesterday which has zillions of berries but no luck :( Hope you enjoy your walk today.

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    1. Hope you get to see some waxwings and redwings soon. You definitely need longer to see everything. Mr Bateman's Geology Gallery is taking shape and replicas of the original fossils are being made to fit in the spaces - it will look wonderful:)

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  4. I love the frosty photos and the tree and fireplace looks lovely, too. Christmas has been packed away here as well. It is hard to remember how hot it was only a few weeks ago, it's so different going to the same places now.

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    1. Some places look stunning in winter don't they? The fire was welcome after a cold walk:)

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  5. I loved Biddulph Grange when I visited in the summer. Interesting to see it all frosty like that!

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    1. It does look wonderful in all weathers, gorgeous in snow too although it can be trecherous underfoot:)

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  6. What a beautiful spot to explore. I'm envious of the frost that you get in England. We don't often get it here, instead we just have the full-on snow. Frost is so pretty! That cabbage looks like a master's painting. Wouldn't it be grand to sit in front of that roaring fire with some cozy book or knitting.
    Wendy

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    1. A white, heavy frost makes even ordinary things look wonderful doesn't it? I though the cabbages were so pretty:)

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  7. Interesting, I always find myself in a bit of a funk at New Year's time as well. What beautiful photos! I feel as though I went along on your walk just looking at them. Especially love the photo of the fireplace as well as the one with all the trees.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the walk. I've always had that feeling about New Year even when young I never enjoyed all the jolity:)

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  8. My time has been spent with lots of doctor visits so I enjoyed your photos much more.

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    1. Hope you are feeling much better now, Janet. Glad you enjoyed the frosty walk:)

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  9. Beautiful photos, the hall all decorated for Christmas was a delight. I also enjoyed seeing the decorative cabbage, it looks amazing all covered in frost.

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    1. The kitchen garden was out of the sun until later in the day so kept its crispy frosty look longer than the rest of the garden:)

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  10. Great photos Rosie. I especially like the light at the end of the tunnel! x

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    1. Ha, yes, it is nice to find the light at the end of the tunnel isn't it?:)

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  11. Even though it was frosty there was sunshine when you visited Biddulph Grange - that's always uplifting. The ornamental cabbage covered in frost is pretty. I hope you had another good walk today. Now that all the tidying and chores to do with Christmas and New Year socialising has been done this week I'm ready to venture out myself. I hope the weather, which has been cold and drizzly, improves over the weekend. Have a good one Rosie.

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    1. Oh, I hope you can get out and about a bit Linda before the snow which has been forecast comes later next week, we just seem to get into a routine with walking and then the weather stops us again:)

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  12. Simone above typed just what I wanted to type to you, Rosie :) Thanks so much for posting! xx

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    1. Ah, yes, it is good to see the light at the end of the tunnel:)

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  13. A lady in Pennsylvania had her 106th birthday yesterday. Her advice for a long life? Take a walk every morning - rain or shine. Guess you have a long life ahead of you. Good for you!

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    1. Oh, my I wish I was so dedicated. We are fair weather walkers I'm afraid, the one thing I don't like walking in is wind, how wonderful for that lady to reach 106 years old:)

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  14. A beautiful five, Rosie. Frost can be so pretty and you've captured it well. The fire in Biddulph Grange looks very cozy and welcoming after a walk. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Yes, the fire was lovely and welcoming, the staff had just lit in when we arrived and I took the photo but it was blazing when we came back from our walk, and a visitor or two were sitting there:)

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  15. Happy New Year dear Rosie and thank you for visiting me!
    Biddulph Grange looks like a wonderful old country house - what an amazing fireplace.
    A cousin of mine is married to a Biddulph and I know the family came out to NZ from England!
    The Wellingtonia walk looks wonderful - I'm sure you enjoyed your time there even though it was so cold.
    Shane x

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    1. It is an unusual name and I guess it may have originated around here. The Wellingtonia Walk os wonderful isn't it?:)

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  16. Beautiful pictures, Rosie, thank you. I used to love New Year but now I think it's for young people. I haven't enjoyed it for years. The Best Beloved and I always stay in by ourselves and watch the Hootenanny on the tv with a bottle of fizz and some posh snacks. This year we went into the garden at midnight and lit some sparklers while we watched other people's fireworks going off all around us, I enjoyed that and it gave me a lift. It was a good start to the year. x

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    1. That sounds lovely Mrs T. Sparklers would be just right. There were quite a few fireworks around us too. Glad you had a good start to the year:)

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  17. Oh my, that fireplace is gorgeous! I would love to go for a walk right now but it's so cold out I can't stand it! It is 6 degrees Fahrenheit which translates to -14 C. brrrr The gardens are so pretty. Enjoy!

    Cindy Bee

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    1. Gosh that does sound very cold, no wonder you don't want to be out an about in it:)

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  18. What interesting things to see on your walk. Good for you for getting out in the cold weather. That fireplace really is grand. That Wellingtonia Walk looks impressive. Thanks for you comment on my five.

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    1. Thanks for visiting. Glad you enjoyed the walk. The Wellingtonia Walk is wonderful isn't it?:)

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  19. Beautiful photos Rosie. The tunnel looks so inviting & mysterious! Wishing you lovely January days!

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    1. Thank you riitta, there is an even longer tunnel but we didn't go in that one as we thought it may be slippy and damp inside. Happy days to you too:)

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  20. LOVE Bidduph Grange! Your photos are wonderful!

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    1. Hello, thank you for visiting. Your Friday Five snow photos are lovely,I'm sorry that I can't leave a comment for you because of google plus:)

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  21. I see from your other readers' comments that I'm not the first to spot the light at the end of the tunnel! I share your feelings about new year and especially how bar it looks when the Christmas decorations come down. Good to get out and about for some fresh air, exercise and a change of scenery. Great photos too. Marie x

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    1. I hope we'll all see more of that light this year, Marie. I have kept out my red jug full of red flowers in the house just to add some cheer now the house looks so bare:)

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