Misty Downland Hop

Well, we're in South Shropshire at a slightly unusual time of the year for us: following on from our early Autumn visit of last year, we find ourselves here in the dead of Winter. Pictured above is the Lightning Tree in the field across the lane from here, and it really is that misty out there, as well as cold. However, the weather people seem to be in agreement that the temperature is going to get unseasonably warm over the next couple of days, which will be welcome indeed. We're down here for an arts' festival, but tomorrow we're heading just over the county border into my mother's family's county of Herefordshire to meet for lunch with a second cousin of mine, who I've never met before, but whose house I visited many times throughout my childhood, during holidays visiting and staying with family. It will good to catch up, as at my time of life, one's family dwindles rather than expands...