Tree Time

Looked out of our kitchen window this morning to see one of our neighbour's five Russian Blue cats executing a most inelegant manoeuvre on top of our shed.

Not satisfied with cleaning the van yesterday, today it was inside of house that got the treatment - I even mopped the hall! Definitely something wrong here - otherwise known as displacement activity from Dublin and Hong Kong preparation.

Our cherry in the back garden is blooming.

Inspired by the lovely day, we took ourselves up to Westonbirt - we were not the only camper van there.

Stayed up at the top of the site in the sunshine and took the time to look more closely at some of their big trees.  This lime has an amazing tangle of branches - we speculated that they are a result of earlier coppicing. 

 A sequoia reaching for the sky.

The light caught this tree to show it off to full advantage.

Lichen on an old and gnarled sweet chestnut.

We couldn't go into the old arboretum, which is the most formal part of Westonbirt. Bella didn't mind as she found lots of sticks to chew anyway.

This sculpture is called "Westonbirt Wishes Bronze". The plaque beneath it read,"In the summer of 2003, sculptor, John Newling created a work of art that would capture the wishes of visitors to the arboretum. People passing by this area were invited to write their wishes - happy and sad, funny and serious - on ribbons that were then wrapped onto a branch of a nearby tree. The wishes grew to form a large ball that was later cut free and cast in bronze. Here it is, the shape of over 4000 wishes."

Bark on a London Plane Tree.

Newly opened sticky buds on a Common Horse Chestnut.

The afternoon was perfect.

This tree has been left standing for now - looked great against the blue sky.

Work being done on another entry road to the site - probably in connection with the Summer season of open air concerts and other events like the Festival of Tree.

The entrance to the lovely timber-framed Great Oak Hall.

The setting sun lit up these trees.

We turned north out of Westonbirt and went for something to eat at Calcot Manor - a spa hotel west of Tetbury. Then home through the last light of day, giving a purple-pink tinge to the horizon.

This day a year ago, Su was enjoying the Spring weather and flowers along Perfect View.