Time for month two – February. I have been waiting for over a week for a sunny day and today arrived with a blue sky. At least until I got out there and then the clouds returned.
Not much has changed around the castle grounds. Trees still bare. And no sign of life from the pollarded limes.
Date: February 17 2015
Weather: sunshine and cloud
Temperature: Cold (4°C)
Time: 10 – 11 am
I did spot something different on the way down to Dinham bridge; snowdrops on the lawn outside St John’s Chapel. And the catkins are shrinking and turning brown.
Walking over Dinham bridge I spotted a buzzard overhead, but I didn’t manage a photo as I was asked for directions by a couple of walkers. Back on to the Breadwalk and the path is muddy today, although there was an early frost. No sign of my swans yet, but the birds are singing loudly and the path is busy with dog-walkers and families on this Shrove Tuesday. A dead tree/branch has been swept downstream and is stuck on the Mill Weir.
Can you see the swans?
I caught up with ‘my’ swans at the Ludham bridge where the water level looks lower than this time last month. And where I lost the sun.
Not much is happening along Lower Broad Street. A few bulbs are popping up in the pots, the ‘cherries’ are shrinking and wrinkling and a beautiful kitty posed for a photo.
The Cardinal has decided to have a photo project going throughout 2015 – a blogging event, a monthly photo challenge. Find a location near your home, take somewhere between 5-20 photos and post them in a gallery in your blog. Continue to do this every month. The idea is to capture all the changes: the seasons, the weather, different times of the day, some night photography perhaps?
I’m hoping that next month we might see some more greenery. See you then!
TRAVEL WORDS 
Jude – the snowdrops are so pretty; a delicate reminder that spring WILL come! What is a pollarded lime? (Other than I can see it’s a severely shorn shrub or purposely shaped tree?) i’ll definietly want (please) a photo of that in its flourish month 😋
“Reducing the crown controls shade and makes trees more wind-resistant while stopping roots becoming too invasive. It also reduces the amount of leaves (an incentive for budget-conscious councils), and can increase the tree’s lifespan significantly.”
Thanks, Jude. I’m trying to think if we have trees that get pruned that severely. some fruit trees early in their life cycle perhaps.
I can feel the chill, brr!
Not too bad as there wasn’t a breeze, but the fingers do get a bit frozen!
I loved the walk through your neighbourhood and reading about what has changed over the month. I also liked your inclusion of the temperature etc. I’m looking forward to seeing more over the year. Great blog overall!
Thank you for your kind words Michelle. I have tried to include parts of the town that I know change, although not a lot of difference between Jan and Feb!
It’s such a pretty town to observe the seasons!
As Beetleypete says “Ludlow keeps on giving…”
Lovely images, Jude. Time to say goodbye to winter! Today was a truly beautiful, the first sunny day for many grey weeks. Maybe it has got something to do with high pressure Hanne from the North? 🙂
Greetings to you from London airport,
Dina x
We had sun until lunch-time then the cloud returned 😦
I am so fed up of grey skies!
Spectacular fog in Bonn today, all wrapped in grey. 😉
We’ve had some freezing fog recently too. Brrr… be glad when spring arrives 🙂
Such a lovely town Jude. I always loved to see the first snowdrops sprout. It really gives one hope of more clement weather coming soon. A really delightful picture gallery. You’re so good at it. 🙂 Loved your last photo. He’s very handsome.
He was a very vocal cat too! But such a lovely colour. Thanks for the lovely comment Sylvia 🙂
I’m going to enjoy seeing you move into spring as autumn unfolds here.
Spring is my favourite season, I’m hoping for some good changes in the landscape.
It was lovely here today (as Dina reports) and almost 10 degrees too!
Good old Ludlow came up with the goods as always Jude, great images!
Regards as always, Pete. x
Hi Pete, not much change from January, but it was nice to see the swans are still around. I wonder if I’ll see some young ones this year too.
Knotted willows are very mucha feature in the Dutch landscape and have been for hundreds of years. I assume the pollarded limes are willow trees and not lime trees?
No these are definitely lime trees Gerard – or linden trees (not the citrus trees)
“Castle Gardens – RESOLVED that pollarding of the lime trees be approved subject to the approval of the Tree Officer and that consideration be given to an annual programme of works. ” [Ludlow Council minutes 2008]
Love the sight of the snowdrops Jude. Although we have had a mild winter in Western Canada it will be wonderful to see some living plants! Thank you for sharing yours.
Do you get snowdrops over there Sue? Just something Joanne said. I assumed they were found everywhere, but maybe they are just in Europe.
I have seen them in Vancouver where the weather is milder but not here in Alberta.