Cracking up.....

The last day of 2010 - darker and drearier than ever! We took the dogs to Ferry Meadows, where mist hung over the still frozen lakes but the extreme lack of light made any outdoor photography difficult. However, I was quite taken by the graphic patterns made by the gradually melting ice, and thought that this made a suitable image for the turning of the year... a time of change.

To be honest, I don't really like New Year very much. It comes so soon after Christmas, and seems to be a totally arbitrary celebration, not related to any of the natural cycles. Although there are the very first stirrings of spring in the natural world, with increasing bird song in the mornings, it always seems a fairly static low point in the year. In our family we celebrate Chinese New Year, as this falls between the end of January and mid February, when snowdrops and aconites are flowering, and everything seems to be gearing up for the next season.

I'm also ambivalent about New Year resolutions. I like the idea of a new start, and am a great one for producing lists of things to do, but I'm afraid my New Year resolutions rarely seem to come to fruition. This year I probably won't be making any, to avoid future disappointment! Bit I do plan to keep up my photography, and will aim to complete a year of uninterrupted blips!

Anyway, despite any internal reservations we will be celebrating tonight with a houseful of young people, so that's why I'm posting this earlier than usual, to allow time for the preparations.

I wish all of you a very happy, peaceful and productive New Year!