Spring Greens (and Pinks)

Can you remember the post I made in January, about my word for the year? The word *Fresh*? I think about that word a lot, I carry it with me and hold it out in front of me from time to time to remind myself of my Personal Pledge.
Fresh flowers :: check. Fresh fruit :: check. Fresh projects :: check. Fresh Home :: hmmm getting there slowly. Fresh Me :: not exactly. It's taken me till now, April, to begin the tentative baby steps towards making a Fresh Me. Not easy you know. Sounds easy doesn't it :: yeah, eat better, get more fresh air and exercise, feel revitalsied, energetic, healthy!! But reality is, it's hard work making oneself feel Fresh. One has to feel motivated to do so.

Ok, shall I get to the point now, cor i could win a Gold Medal for rambling....the point is this :: last week, when I could no longer fasten my jeans up I decided that was IT. I was fed up with it (it being the condition of my body). I eat well in general, you know, healthy, homecooked meals, good ingredients, plenty of fruit and veg, a  little too much baking perhaps, but on the whole, pretty good I'd say. It's the exercise thing that I couldn't seem to get to grips with.  My daily walks along the canal to and from school were just not enough to generate that feeling I was after. That feeling of exhileration that comes when one raises the heartbeat, works the muscles, sweats a little.
So last week I enrolled myself. Yes I did! And I began to attend some Classes at my local gym. My first class was Aerobic Attack! Hard, fast, loud, a shock. Second class was lunch time Pilates. Soft, slow, gentle, a revelation. Can't say I'm exactly feeling Fresh yet, but I am nevertheless very hopeful for good things to come. I've made a start, and that has made me feel very good.

One of the lovely unexpected things that has come out of my jaunts to the gym is that it entails a walk across the park to get there and back. And as the aerobic classes are held in the evening, it means I'm walking through the park at a time of day when I would normally be at home doing pre-bedtime routines with the Little People. So it feels kind of extra special somehow, almost as if I should not be there, as if I've suddenly been granted permission to enjoy some previously forbidden delight. It's the light that does it for me...the light at this time of day is absolutely precious. The light and the greenery.

I have long had a fascination with the changing seasons, the passage of time through the 365 days that make up a year. Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn and back to Winter again. Something about the rhythm of nature which I constantly find fascinating, reassuring and inspiring. And I love that through learning to take photographs most days, it's possible to capture something of this seasonal rhythm and preserve it a little.

These photos were all taken at around 6:45pm one day early last week. I was so aware of the green all around, of the freshness and newness of it all, almost as if I was witnessing the essence of Spring itself.

These horse chestnut leaves were still all limp and soft and droopy, having only just unfurled themselves....

....and I just love how shiny and new the leaves look, how that particular shade of green is so very Spring like. And how it matches my Boden coat too.

Walking up through the park into the little copse of woodland at the top of the hill, pausing to look back through the trees....

....enjoying the late day sun. Magical.

This little path above leads to the top of the park. Last year, as it was our first Spring in our new house and town, I had no idea that the row of trees to the left there were cherry trees. Not until  April when the pink frothy blossom burst forth with a flourish.
This year of course I knew full well, and I have been waiting, waiting, waiting.
Above photo was taken 19th April. Newly unfurled baby bronze leaves, but blossom buds still tightly shut.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, another week goes past and the blossom is slowly beginning to open.

And finally today look, with the sun shining, the blossom is in full frothy pink bloom.

Hooray for Spring!



Hooray for Fresh Greens and Pretty Pinks!

Enjoy your day, enjoy the Springtime colours all around. And if you can get out and about in the late part of today, enjoy the sunlight and shadows too.

I know I will
xxxx

 
 

Comments

[flowers philippines]

Wow! awesome. i love those blossom beginning to open. whenever i saw that. it refresh me so much. such a nice photos.. waiting for your next post..

-khatie-

[Dolores Sedore]

"Fresh Greens and Pretty Pinks" would make a beautiful quilt. Thanks for the great photos. I do like green.

[Leisa]

Just beautiful Lucy - those Cherry trees are just so gorgeous! What a special place to be able to go for walks.

[Teresa]

Look at all of that beautiful green, definitely fresh.

[Bree]

trees in a row! my favourite thing to take photos of!

[Kerry (seventy tree)]

So very prettyful. I wish blossom would stay around a bit longer than it does though (and wasn't so vulnerable to the wind)!
Have a nice day
Kerry.

[Karen]

The pictures are beautiful. I love watching the leaves unfurling and our garden slowly coming to life again. The huge beech outside our bedroom window is last to leaf but then goes mad to catch up with every other tree. Yours is such a lovely walk I doubt I'd make it to the exercise class!Karenx

[valerie]

I love spring and autumn they are my favourite times of year i love all the changing colours and lights

[jeane]

lol.. you have put on weight, anyway, exercising is good for health. congrats, spring smiles at you. i bet your garden will blossom soon also.

[Val from Down Under]

Hi Lucy, love love love your blog. Your photos are awesome as well. Actually, most of your photos take my breath away - especially the ones outside. And the cherry blossom, oohhh how absolutely wonderful! And the green hills! I can see myself sitting way on the top with my eyes closed, just breathing it all in (sigh) ....

[Claudia]

Where I live we're going the other way - into autumn. I'm so excited to feel the morning chill on my face again, after five long hot months, and to see the naked tree branches stretching towards the sky again, freed from their burden of dried, yellowing leaves. Plus, it means you get to see all the parrots and gallahs that normally hide behind the leaves! Enjoy your Spring evenings, Lucy. :D

[lulu]

what a lovely place..I love the pink flowery trees, so beautiful..
have a lovely day..

[Lorraine]

Aren't cherry trees lovely - I feel we are very lucky to have two at the front of our property - they are always so pretty and I've posted some pictures of them on my blog as well. The petals are just starting to drop here though now as we had rain yesterday. It looks like confetti all over the ground.

I too started both aerobics and pilates a few years ago now. I had to stop due to study committments, but I found I hated the aerobics, but loved the pilates. The only problem was I wanted to eat cake when I got home!

[Anne]

How beautiful - love your pictures - they are as pretty as your crochet!

[Aqeela]

Your photos of the Cherry blossom are beautiful, i love the way youve captured them at three different times, showing us how they have evolved. More of that please!

Aqeela xx

[Rebecca]

Ah, Spring is such a wonderful time of the year - a far better time for making resolutions than the start of the calendar year in my opinion! With everything bursting into bloom I think it's so much easier to feel motivated, renewed and energized. Good luck with the excercise - it's something I really must do more of too and what better time of year to get out and about! Hmm, I really don't have any excuses not too.... :)
x

[vanessa]

What a gorgeous walk, and I hope you're feeling much better? It certainly sounds like it.
I've been feeling those greens over the last month, they sort of get into your blood don't they? That must be the meaning of the phrase, 'spring fever'!
It sounds like you're having a spring clean of your body, which, thinking about, I could probably do with too! Shame my recently diagnosed severe Anaemia has me practically fainting when I just walk up the high street. The day I get my energy and my blood count back is the day I'm going to start spring cleaning my flabby body!
Your crochet cushion from your last post is fabulous by-the-way!
Lots of love , Vanessa xxx

[Bertie Meadows]

Hello Lucy, I have missed reading your lovely posts. Your always FRESH misses. Cherry blossoms are one of my absolute favorites so so pretty. I'm getting fresh too, training for a 10k, we should get fresh together.
Bertie x

[AnnaPaula]

No sunlight "chez moi" but still rain and clouds..I hope tomorrow good weather will arrive here too ( northern Italy )!!
Enjoy your sunny day..
AnnaPaula

[Vicki]

so funny, even before I read it, I spotted your Boden coat :-)

[Rachel]

So beautiful! You must just love those walks in the evenings. We're not "there" yet; in fact, we still had snow on the weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Spring will soon arrive in my corner of the world!

[Nina - Tabiboo]

Gorgeous pictures Lucy, blossom is one of my favourite! The Walk through the park looks so peaceful.

I know the feeling of that pesky top button on the jeans - hope you get to your goal and probably far sooner then me, though I guess I do actually need to try!

Enjoy the rest of your day,

Nina x

[The Antidote]

That must make going to the gym a bit easier x

[The Coffee Lady]

oh those trees! that's a walk that you definitely won't want to a avoid!

[Rachel]

Lovely photos Lucy!I love to see blossom blowing in the breeze and love the smell of spring!
rachel x