Floods and Woods

The water had burst its banks and covered the land beside the pub.

'Tis the end of another year and, as usual I am filled with enthusiasm for new starts for the new year, which involves taking more exercise, eating more sensibly, and being more organised. So, as a kind of prelude, I am trying to re-instate this blog, kicking off with a 'Saturday Snapshot' post about an after-Christmas walk with the Man of the House, our Younger Daughter, and her Boyfriend.  

We went for lunch at a local pub, by the River Anker, which widens out into a kind of lake at this point - it's part of a wetlands nature reserve, known as Alvecote Pools, and I think the pools and lakes were caused by some kind of industrial activity, like mining or quarrying. We'd planned a nice walk, but found the area flooded, which surprised us, because although it's very low lying we didn't realise there had been that much rain recently. The grass verge was like a quagmire, and part of the road was under water, but everything looked spectacular in the winter sunshine, so I took a few photos.

The field on the other side of the road was also flooded, but the cattle seemed
unfazed  - there was still enough grass for them to graze.

Then we went off to Hopwas Wood, which was very muddy, but wasn't flooded! The wood dates back to the 11thC at least (it's mentioned in the Domesday Book). It is owned by Tarmac and the Ministry of Defence, and much of it is fenced off, but there are footpaths and bridleways open to the public.  

It was halfway through the afternoon, but the leaf-covered tracks were still frosty.

There is an Army shooting range, which I thought was no longer used, but apparently it is, and the wood is closed during those periods.

There are lots of birches and other deciduous trees,
but I like this view through some conifers looking out at the
surrounding countryside.

Actually, I move Saturday Snapshot back to https://thebooktrunkblog.wordpress.com/, but for the moment it's here, on my old, original blog, and I've linked it to Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda at   http://www.westmetromommyreads.com/, thought it's a long time since I joined in. You'll find the latest sign up, with links to other participants, at http://www.westmetromommyreads.com/2017/12/saturday-snapshot-december-30.html.