The arrival of snow gave me the perfect impetus to take my camera outside for the first time this year.  I'm so glad I did.  I've just bought Adobe Lightroom, so it's been fun playing with the software's capabilities, even though I have much to learn.

The deer seemed perfectly at ease in the extremes of weather and seemed to be conserving their energy.  Whilst I photographed them, my ten year old daughter, a budding artist, took our her sketchbook; I'm constantly in awe of the work she produces.

These two were particularly endearing... The birds appeared stunning against the white backdrop too.  The first little one was high in a tree in my back garden but the rest were in the park, exploring the frozen ice.

This summer we visited RSPB Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire.  It's an astonishing place where you can view thousands of nesting Gannets on the cliffs.

These images were taken on a cliff-top walk:

We were lucky enough to see this hare scooting along... On a separate occasion, close by our log cabin in Keldy Forest we saw many tiny toads crossing the road... A visit to Yorkshire wouldn't be complete without a trip to Castle Howard where Brideshead Revisited was filmed (twice).  It was a gloomy, rainy day, not exactly a photographer's dream, but we were impressed by the excellent guides who really brought the history of the place alive for us.

David surprised me by stopping at Jervaulx Abbey as we crossed the Yorkshire Dales from the Lake District, en route to the Moors. My daughter spotted this beautiful jewelled pheasant as we approached.  

 

The Abbey, founded in 1156 was once a great Cisterian monastery which was plundered and pillaged during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. It's an incredibly atmospheric place, we were virtually the only people there, wandering around the ruin, decorated by the many wild flowers that thrive.  There's a magical quality to this place; it is perfect for quiet contemplation.  

There's also a wonderful tea-shop just opposite where we ate a very delicious and moist orange cake.  And of course, lots of sheep.

 

We had a couple of days in the Lake District and enjoyed a stop by the side of Ullswater...

... followed by a walk to the Aira Force waterfall, where Wordsworth wrote his famous poem, 'I wandered lonely as a cloud...'

And beyond...

This year we holidayed in the North of England.  My ten year old daughter, inspired by a teacher at school, wanted to see the Magritte exhibition in Liverpool.  We only had one evening but were blessed with a beautiful sunset over the Albert Dock.

The statue of Billy Fury:
And of course, the Royal Liver building...