A beautiful afternoon.

It was just too good to be indoors this afternoon so we hopped in the car and drove a few miles to Oldbury-on-Severn to walk toward the river. The sun was brilliant and the lichen on all the trees and bushes was golden.

I was surprised at how many sloes there were everywhere.............

............. and still masses of haws and even a few blackberries. Plenty of food for hungry birds.

That's Wales in the distance, the Forest of Dean away to the right and the river Severn across the middle of my photo. More of the river was visible to the left of this view, but I couldn't take a picture as the sun would have been shining right into the camera. Also to the left is the yacht club and we were walking along the private road built for members cars and trailers which go to and fro. It is so quiet and peaceful - good to get away from busy roads and habitation for a short time.

There is a blot on this idyllic landscape - the power station - but it is a necessary evil I suppose and looks almost attractive on a misty morning rising out of the mist.

I just had to come down these steps and find out what was at the bottom.

I found this narrow pathway winding between the field boundary hedge and the bank on which the present road is made. I wonder how old it is. It was so dark and shady I thought this picture may not come out clearly enough, but I keep my camera on the auto setting and it has rather overcompensated and I have lost the sense of mystery . Where it looks so light at the top of the picture there was thick dark vegetation.

I looked over the gate at the bottom of those steps and there was this beautiful lady enjoying the lush grass. She is so sleek and looks in lovely condition.

This is St. Arilda's church perched on it's little hill. I went inside some years ago on a very windy day and it felt like Wuthering Heights up there. It seemed as if the church hadn't changed for a couple of hundred years.

A glorious tangled mass of dead stems and seedheads lining the path - I love them.

When we got back to the car I noticed this amazing tree stump. It looks as if things have been planted in the hollows at the top and it appears to be still rooted where it grew.

Back home for a cuppa.