January circular walks around Ilmington and (non) seasonal flowers
The weather has been very changeable in the first week of January - from mild to chilly. Sunshine to showers. Fortunately, we have avoided flooding in this neck of the woods, unlike our friends in the North. Although, I have on one or two days felt the need for gloves, we haven't yet had a PROPER winter in terms of temperatures and some of the flowers seem very confused.
The photographs following were all taken in the last few days (early January 2016) on my various circular walks around the village (3 to 5 miles in length). The snowdrops were blooming just a few yards away from the roses in the gardens on Campden Hill.
As usual the views from the 'high spots' such as Campden Hill, Pig Lane and Foxcote Hill are fantastic and you can actually see them more clearly on sunny days this time of year because of the lack of leaves on the trees and hedges. The grass is green, most days the sun is shining and I rarely meet anybody apart from a few sheep.
On Pig Lane it is very 'puddly' so sometimes the choice is water or deep mud. I usually go for water and give my boots a wash....
But of course, the sun is not always shining, sometimes it is atmospheric and misty.....
Ilmington is not so hidden this time of year
and somewhere else it is raining.................. 
On a good day you can see for miles and miles and miles....
