Sunshine days.

A beautiful day for a walk. The sun was shining and although it was windy, Malcolm and I had a great walk around the Shipley Estate again. Winter has taken hold of the trees now and there seem to be fewer and fewer leaves clinging to them - particularly when it's as windy as it was this morning.

What few leaves remain seem to be attached to the Beech trees and in the sunshine are still shining golden and beautiful.Walking through the grounds of the old Hall (mentioned previously), you stumble upon the disused cemetery of the Miller-Mundy family.

Among the last 'inhabitants' of the graveyard was Squire Edward Miller-Mundy whose first wife had caused a scandal and sensation in Victorian England by running off with the then Earl of Shrewsbury. Edward's second wife left the estate after his death and later, had his remains removed from the grave in the family plot and moved them to North London. It is said that his ghost can still be seen around the estate but who believes these things......................................?Getting back to reality we return to the wonderful views around the estate and particularly the magnificent Beech trees which were swaying in the wind this morning.

Some of the felled and fallen trees look as if they have been on the ground for many years. Of the more rotten ones a few have some extremely beautiful fungi growing on them.The 'Bracket' type fungi are hard and woody to the touch. Even the fungi support algae and mosses which grow on the fungus as the fungus grows on the dead wood.Viewed from beneath this one looked like angel's wings in the dappled light beneath the trees.What a lovely day for walking. I was 'bounced' by an over-excited Spaniel, then I was slobbered on by a Bloodhound and finally I was licked to within an inch of my life by a mad Chocolate Labrador. While Malcolm got back looking as clean as when he left the house, I looked like I had barely survived an explosion! Something wrong there I think. Happy days!