January is often called a bleak month, along with February. And while it is true that it lacks the fresh green and new flowers of spring or the abundance of colour we see in autumn, there is still a lot to enjoy when one is outdoors with open eyes and an open mind.
The Sunday after our walk in the enchanted forest (Jan. 16), O.K. and I left the car in the garage and started off directly from the cottage front door. Familiar paths took us across the fields and through vineyards and orchards, and of course it was way too early for any blossoms to show. But the play of light and shadow made once again for some beautiful sights, and the 2 1/2 hours of walking in the fresh air did us good.
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| Droplets glistening like diamonds on every tiny bud |
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| Looking towards the Black Forest |
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| The village is behind that ridge |
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| Looks like sunset, but it really was only about 2:30 pm |
The week went by as usual, work was busy without being stressful, and the weather was a mix of everything from wall-to-wall sunshine (on Wednesday) and sprinkles of snow (on Thursday).
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| The moon as seen from my kitchen window Thursday night |
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| Can't decide which one I like better, so I am showing you both pictures. |
Our original plan had been for O.K. to drive to my place on Friday night, but there were so many traffic issues reported for the motorways he has to take that we decided against it. Driving the next morning was much more relaxed, and he arrived here in time for lunch.
For Saturday evening, we had a virtual wine tasting booked - my birthday present for my sister, and our fourth or fifth such event since the beginning of the pandemic. We enjoyed the evening, watching the sommelière and her companion, the manager of the winery, live on my TV. The four wines were delicious, as was the cheese I had bought to match them and the crunchy bread my sister brought, along with a bunch of pink tulips who have been adding a touch of spring to my living room since.
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| My Mum and I |
So, January isn't all that bleak, is it!
Where are you? I’m in Strasbourg. I often mountain bike in the Ortenberg/Ohlsbach/Durbach area.
ReplyDeleteWe should meet for a coffee one day.
Helen, that sounds good! We can see Strasbourg minster from the hill above the village, and in the other direction Ortenberg and Ohlsbach are quite near. It is not where I live, but my partner's home, and I often spend the weekend there. Let's stay in touch; you can find my email address in my blogger profile.
Delete"January" is like so many things, Meike. It's what one makes of it. You always make the most of everything with never a moan or complaint. That, in turn, rubs off on all your Blogfriends and, I'm sure, everyone else you know.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that I am mostly content and happy (some would say careless and egoistic), and really have not many reasons for moaning or complaining. There are a few pet irks, one of which I plan to post about soon, though.
DeleteYou really do have some inspiring places to walk. I think its the open views you have. Big country.
ReplyDeleteLiving in town, and not far from the center, I am always happy to have big open skies over my head and unobstructed views. As my town is not big, I can easily walk to its edge and be out in the open, but the landscape is even more beautiful in O.K.'s area, as my blog continues to show.
DeleteLOve the idea of the wine tasting - nice idea for a present.
ReplyDeleteI thought so, too - we've had two such tastings before with my sister, so when it came up in the winery's newsletter and the date was less than 2 weeks after my sister's birthday, it was a no-brainer.
Delete*Who was Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings?*
ReplyDeleteThe Conversation.
January is what you make it as Graham said: it faces backwards and forwards, like Janus, the god of thresholds, doors, gates, transitions.
Cursing Janus is not a good idea though he makes walking hard on wet windy days.
Big country like your own is ideal at this time of year as Tasker said, and so is wine tasting as Weaver observed.
Your afternoon skies are like early sunset. Why be melancholy? The days are getting longer.
The last photos could be paintings by William Turner.
Juliet told Romeo not to swear his love by the moon, because the moon is always waxing and waning.
Jack
The days are indeed getting longer, and I do notice that there is already a bit over half an hour more daylight before sunset now than what it was in December.
DeleteWet windy days are not my favourites for walking, and so it does happen very rarely that I don't leave the house at all.
Yesterday, my only "walk" - if you could call it that - were the 10-15 minutes to my parents after work, with a bit of grey daylight left, and back (in the dark). Still better than nothing, or as the song goes, mas que nada.
I agree with Graham. You always sound like a positive person who makes the most of the situation (and weather) that she is has instead of moaning and waiting for fun. You make fun happen and it sounds like you enjoy life! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's pretty much a question of responsibility. When you're a child, your parents are responsible for making your life good, but even then, you can provide your own fun and don't need to wait for others to put it in front of you. As an adult, if I don't make my life good, who will? Of course I know that we can not control all our circumstances and it's not always our own fault if life is difficult, but very often I find that people's problems are homemade.
DeleteYour beautiful walks in the countryside are enough to make even a January day special!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of your wine tasting.
And, as with so many good things in life, those walks cost nothing :-)
DeleteThis online wine tasting thing has really taken off here during the pandemic, more and more places have been offering it. I don't know how much is has helped them keeping their business going during lockdowns, but it certainly made people order wine they might not have tried otherwise.
We are our own worst enemies when it comes down to life, our own petty foibles. Recently become aware that I get anxious about where I can park a car when I want to do something. There is absolutely no logical explanation for this, especially as I have never not found somewhere for it. So I am full of the very practical way OK found to road traffic by delaying his journey, so much better than being held up for ages in traffic. You had a lovely walk and the wine tasting sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteWe all have such irrational stuff going on in our lives, I believe. As you say, we can be our own worst enemies - but we can also be best friends with ourselves :-)
DeleteThe wine tasting was fun! We love the sommelière; she is not only knowledgeable about wine but manages to bring across her passion and knowledge in a fun way. I'd definitely love to attend a party with her, or a girls' night!