Seeker

This may look more like a door than a hole in the wall, but as far as I am concerned it is "The Hole in the Wall" .  It is one of the pedestrian entrances to Knole Park , a large medieval deer park where the public are free to roam, run or ride. Growing up nearby I know every entrance well, but this is my favourite. The road just outside this door is deeply shaded with a high wooded bank on one side and the Kentish ragstone park boundary wall on the other. At this point, from the outside it is impossible to see what lies on the other side of the wall. I think that is why I like it. I like that feeling of walking from dark into light. The view opens up as you push through the door and see the landscape that is in all seasons beautiful, even on a dull day last October when I took these photos. This sweet chestnut is the first thing that grabs the attention after entering the park here. It is one of the ancient trees that survived the 1987 gale, when Knole lost 70%...

This morning I saw the sunrise. I have seen it before, but not very often during these last exceptionally wet weeks of winter. What a welcome sight, what a lovely sign of hope after so much rain and storm, a brief shining before the clouds gather and the downpours begin again on our sodden land. I especially noticed it today because of the old saying that if the sun shines on 2nd February so that an animal can see its shadow there will be at least 6 more weeks of winter. If Candlemas be fair and bright, come winter, have another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,   Go, winter, and come not again. Well, it looks as if we're going to have a mixture here today, some 'fair and bright' and some 'clouds and rain' so who knows what weather is coming in the next 6 weeks. February 2nd is the day the church celebrates 'The Presentation of Christ in the Temple', also called 'Candlemas' i.e. the feast of candles. The old tradition began w...