Simple Beauty

It’s getting colder now and there’s a promise of frost tonight, the first this winter. A clear blue sky and a northwesterly wind always produces wonderfully bright clean light and even though the countryside looks bare and is closing down for the winter, there’s simple beauty everywhere. On old stonewalls, amongst slowly withering Toadflax, the sun lights up vibrant green holly with berries, some still to ripen; they’ll be ready in time for the Redwings and Fieldfares that usually arrive late in these more temperate western parts.

Above, in mostly bare trees, nests that I missed in the spring stand out. Only a few leaves hang on and it’s the turn of greys and browns to paint the beauty of the trees. There’s simple colour everywhere; the deep rusts and bright yellows of the last autumn leaves, to the magic grey barks of beach and birch. I can’t decide which is more beautiful, the infinite shades of summer greens or the intricate geometry of winter branches.

Shaded by the bank of a small steam, a lonely Red Campion, a last remnant of summer’s glory hangs on, but like everything else will soon succumb to winter.