Thanks to Dave for these stunning views from the White Bridge [left] and towards it [right].
Linn Park is a fabulous "green space". The Daffodils come out once the Snowdrops have shown themselves and then the Bluebells which this year have not been submerged by grass. Spring is here . . . the weather gets warmer and sunnier . . . and the ducks and drakes do what they do at this time of the year and hey presto Ducklings.
A long walk in a quiet park on a winters night, the cold air is brilliantly clear, the sky cloudless allowing the moon to flood the path ahead in a silvery light. Bright and clear, the moon shines through the trees of the wood casting deep and mysterious shadows, as the first frost of night starts to form and twinkle.
Softy, sadly, an autumn breeze stirs the leaves on the path that leads up to the house where an old friend once stayed.
When last I walked along this way tall pines grew all around. Underfoot the path, covered with a blanket of pine needles, was soft and giving and the fragrance of wood resin, filled the air.
A poem for the Summer . . .
We think it maybe W.B. Yeats, "An Image From A Past Life", but it came from a Facebook post.
Slowly, I Return
I lost myself in noise and speed, In chasing things I didn't need. But now I walk a softer lane -
One stitched with peace instead of pain.
Why are we travellers of this world always in such a rush, with minds that never have a moments rest, have we forgotten that there has to be stillness to hear a blossom fall: a moment of quietness to welcome a lone butterfly?
A Winter of Discontent . . . and a Love Story
Many of us, especially those of us of an age whose parents had spent several years fighting, often unsuccessfully, but once the great United States waded in, and the tide turned, are somewhat unhappy. In the second world war a lot of people got killed all around the world, and on both "sides". Then one learns that war is not only pointless, but painful.
I remember when rationing of sweets stopped. The joy of being able to walk into the local shoppe and buy as many gobstoppers as one wanted. In fact the shop owner forbade it on two grounds: one that my mother would be unamused, and secondly that he would soon run out of gobstoppers.
Subtle; early autumn can only be truly experienced in a garden or park, on a rough country path, by the side of a river or in a lonely wood. Out on the pavements of town and city, autumn is experienced merely as the cooling and shortening of the passing days. This season of mystery and changing colour, reduced to little more than an inconvenience of chilling winds, as yet another year moves towards its end.
Classic FM's byeline this summer is "More Music Summer"
Some of us listen non stop - but this summer it is often in conjunction with the rain coming down.
The spring has sprung the grass has ris I wonder where the birdies is ?
In the morning breeze
willows along the riverbank
start to drop their leaves
into the flowing water-
autumn is arriving…
Otagaki Rengetsu
Tr. John Stevens
Strolling along a lonely path on the banks of a local river, the early morning air is cool and fragrant. At this time on a summer’s morning when there is no one else around, the only sounds to be heard are those of singing birds, gently moving waters and the hushed rustle of leaves blown by a gentle breeze.
The colour of the blossoms
must be dyed in that sound –
a warbler’s call
lovelier than ever
in spring dawn
Saigyo
Tr. Burton Watson
Spring unfolds with layer after layer of growth and renewal. Birds flying north and south during their migration, hibernations coming to an end with wet noses sniffing out much needed food, new leaves break free from their protective shells, all part of a continuous medley of colour, excitement and renewal.
Come let’s walk together on this clear late winter’s afternoon. With frosty grass crunching under foot, let us walk up the hill towards the top wood. In the West the setting sun is turning the sky glorious shades of yellow and gold. Absorbed and delighted by the sight, we stand and look until the sky starts to darken towards nightfall.
What a pleasure it is to be out in an early autumn morning, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot and the feeling of cool pure mist on the face, seems to bring one into physical contact with the very essence of this season.
In the Cool of a Summer’s Morning
This grass covered path is quiet and still, come, let us walk together for a little while. In the pleasant coolness of a bright and sunny early morning let us stroll down this path beside a river, its slow moving waters broad and shinning. As we wander let our pace be in harmony with our surroundings so that we become part of, and blend in with, the landscape through which we are walking. Even our occasional chat will be as hushed as the morning air.
The spring has sprung the grass has ris, I wonder where the birdies is!
Strolling along on the wooded banks of the river, the early morning air is cool and fragrant. At this time of the morning there is no one around and the only sounds to be heard were those of singing birds, gently moving waters and the hushed rustle of leaves blown by a gentle breeze.
On a late Friday evening with the busy week behind me I relax in a comfy chair, in my hand a warming nightcap, by my side an old companion, a treasured volume of Hanshan, Cold Mountain, the hermit poet of China’s Tang Dynasty. Outside a winter wind blows and cold rain falls through bare branches but inside my home all is warm and quiet, the trials and frustrations of the past week drifting away into the stillness of my room.
The Silence of an Autumn Evening
How cool it is here with a crescent moon faintly hovering over the tall trees that line this path. Tonight a chilly autumn breeze wafts away the last heat of summer.
Freedom
On awakening this morning a feeling of calm swept through my body and mind. A free day stretched out lazily before me, a day without work or obligation, a time for leisure amid the bustling pace of modern living. After a light breakfast I go out to roam Linn Park unhindered by the invisible restraining tentacles, those artificial rules and norms, which tend to limit and constrain life.
Spring has Sprung
Wandering alone in the early hours of a spring morning the air is fresh and cool.
A Winter Walk
The cold air is brilliantly clear, the sky cloudless allows the moon to flood the path ahead in a silvery light. Bright and clear, the moon shines through the trees of the wood casting deep and mysterious shadows as the first frost of night starts to form and twinkle.
Haven – An Autumn Night.
Evening, cool and clear, the autumn night sky is full of stars, a river of light crossing the evening heavens, a bridge that extends to all points of the night’s horizon.
No conversation at all, birdsong and gently rustling leaves create a welcoming haven on a lazy summer evening.
On a late summer’s afternoon on the banks of the river Cart a light breeze springs up to cool the heat of the day. Soon the sun will set and settle behind the trees, the clear blue of the sky will start to darken, and this whole river vista will be transformed.
Dawn, the first of the sun’s rays come raking across the fields and woods of the park transforming well known paths into a mosaic of light and shade. Droplets of dew shine crystal clear on the fresh green buds of the trees, as the sun continues to inch ever higher into the sky. What a way to start a new day, a cascade of sound, colour and warmth, in this haven which is Linn Park: what could equal this?
What a treasure this time spent walking alone along the river bank. The cool stillness and the stark beauty of this early crisp winter’s morning, drives all cares away. The crunching of leaves underfoot is a million miles away from the noise, concerns and trials of the busy and contradictory world of people.
I look forward to autumn mornings, misty mornings that softens shapes and mutes sounds, mornings that have a sense of mystery about them, times when even the familiar can look other worldly and magical. Autumn, this enigmatic season is like no other.
An appreciation
Indescribably exquisite, no artist could ever fully capture the true splendour of a cherry tree in full blossom. Throughout all of the great art galleries of the world nothing compares to the sheer evanescent beauty, of this tree in bloom.
Strolling along the earthen paths on the banks of the River Cart, the early morning air is cool and fragrant.
A mild and damp winter, muddy earthen paths and wet dead grass abounds, our park has become sombre and forlorn, even the people walking here seem to have a glum air about them. But then a new dawn breaks spreading rich bright shadows across field and river; the first frost of the season has arrived.
Autumn:
a last glorious flourish
Slowly, with the coming of cooler winds, autumn’s change subtly creeps above the horizon of the turning seasons, and the world of nature starts to slow down and alter. The hectic burgeoning of spring and the long days of summer are being replaced with the bounty that is the harvest of autumn. And in the Linn Park, as the morning sun illuminates the park’s hillside and the top wood, the brilliant hues of autumn’s colours celebrate nature’s last glorious flourish, as the old prepares to make way for the eventual coming of the new.
Abundant clouds
flowers reaching full bloom,
fragrant green leaves
a gentle cool breeze.
Rengetsu
Free and easy wandering, there is such a relaxed feeling about this time of the year when the pace of life runs a little slower. During the gentler weeks of summer it seems easier, more natural, to find pleasure in the simpler things of life; an intimate sigh on the merest hint of a summer’s breeze. Body relaxed, mind content, life’s cares forgotten for a while wandering the rustic banks of the White Cart.
At last the cold quiet days of winter have slipped away and the new growth of spring is starting to burgeon all around. Sauntering along the wide path that leads from the park’s main gate, the air is filled with the fragrance of spring and the sound of bird song. What welcome could be lovelier than that of the bright yellow flowers of the lesser celandine, nestling at the base of tall trees…
Life is often strange
The end of Autumn is when Christmas approaches, and one thinks of Winter, and what to write about Linn Park.
This time the writing of the Winter article has proved somewhat different; simply put, life was disrupted when one of us had his third major heart attack. Nothing strange in that, having had two previous ones. But it is the impact - not only on the patient, but more importantly on close friends and partners.
Wings in White Clouds
It's Autumn
Like a string of sparkling diamonds, drops of dew cling to filaments of a spider’s web, the dawn’s new sun colours the trees with its crystal light and white clouds leisurely travel across a clear blue sky; this is the wealth that lies in the path of a drifting visitor here.
Where have all the people gone?
Where have all the people gone?
For a couple of hours light rain had fallen over the park and most people had abandoned their walk and headed home. Now quiet and almost empty, today the park reveals a different face,an alternative beauty that does not rely upon the sun shining high in the blue of a summer’s sky.
Sometimes, in the early morning you just have to pause to listen to the singing blackbird. His song beautiful and clear, a contemplation for all of life, a natural loveliness that leaves upon the mind fleeting intuitions of the presence of a deeper serenity.
A Late Winter’s Day
On a clear late winter’s day with early frost on the grass crunching under foot, we walk up the hill towards the top wood. In the West the setting sun is turning the sky glorious shades of yellow and gold. Absorbed, enchanted; we stand and look until the sky starts to darken, before walking on along the quiet evening footpaths of the park.
Autumn in Linn Park
In the morning breeze trees along the river bank start to drop their leaves into the flowing water – autumn is arriving. The river Cart enfolds the autumn colours the evening sun brightens the reds of the trees.
A Summer’s Morning
Early in the morning on a bright summer’s day, is the best time to wander in the park. With few people about all is quiet, the air is fresh and still, morning dew sparkles and glitters in bright early sun each drop shining beauty into the start of this new day. Soon dogs will be barking, ponies will canter up green slopes, people will talk, laugh and shout but for now, all is peaceful here.
Tranquility
From morning,
perfectly tranquil,
far removed from
the world’s turmoil –
I am one with the spring mist…
Rengetsu
A Winter Meadow
Standing in the meadow below the top wood, wrapped up warmly against a cold winter shower,
enjoying a sense of complete freedom and solitude. On this bleak, but beautiful day…
On the tips
of withered reeds
just a patch
of sunlight remains
in the falling winter rain.
Otagaki Rengetsu
…we send this moment to you.
Walking the Quiet Paths Together
There is a quiet sense of serenity to an early autumn morning; the shades of brown, copper, gold and yellow that mantle the trees are vibrant and dazzling.
Come let us walk together for a little while. In the pleasant coolness of a bright, sunny early summer’s morning let us stroll along this path beside the river, its slow moving waters broad and shinning.
In spring sleep, dawn arrives unnoticed.
Suddenly, all around, I hear birds in song.
Meng Hao-jan
A Delightful Afternoon Walk
Turning seasons - Winter; it is such a privilege to walk in a place such as this. Here in the park every day is different, the mood of the paths, woods and river ever shifting always changing. Even on this cold, late winter’s afternoon, the Linn is a joy. Strolling along the quiet pathways in cosy winter clothes with body warm and mind relaxed, could anyone ask for more; who would want to change any of this?
An Autumn Morning
I look forward to autumn mornings, misty mornings that soften shapes and mute sounds, mornings that have a sense of mystery about them, times when even the familiar can look other worldly and magical. Autumn, this enigmatic season is like no other.
Summer is here
Up and out in an early summer’s morning. Already flowers are opening to welcome the sun, photosynthesis notches up a gear and another summer’s day starts. There is a hush about such a morning, not silence, but rather it is like the noises of the world are attenuated, muted, the new day tempting us to take things a little easier, inviting us to go with the natural flow of things as the warmth of the sun increases. These are the days when trees grow in height and girth, seeds form and become plump; the whole world of nature blooms and revels in the strengthening of the sun’s rays.
At this time in the morning before the world of human beings awake, the glow from the coming sunrise is already starting to lighten the sky, starting to fade the brightness of the night’s moon. In the quiet of the early morning the air is filled with the exuberance of bird song, which only enriches the fragrance of a new day - spring.
A Winter's Walk
Outside of the window late autumn leaves still lie on the ground, but with winter’s cold now starting to bight they shine with frost in the early morning sunlight. Skies clear the air unbelievably crisp and pure, the atmosphere incredibly still; there is hardly a sound to be heard and no movement to be seen. Turning seasons, yesterday a late autumn’s evening today, an early winter’s dawn.
This bright, cold, day is ideal for walking the quiet paths of Linn Park. Crisp leaves crunch under one’s boots, the only sound to be heard in the time before the world awakens, sounds that hardly disturb the stillness of this early winter’s morning. Who would wish to disturb such stillness?
Aspects of Autumn
Turning seasons, summer goes unnoticed, the days slowly shorten and little by little the gentle summer breeze becomes cooler, summer’s warmth giving way to the coming of autumn.
There is a quiet sense of peacefulness to an early autumn morning walk in the Linn Park. The many shades of brown, copper, gold and yellow that mantle the trees are vibrant and dazzling. The sound of the waters of the river Cart add to the sense of quietness that surrounds one as you wander along and allow the chattering demands of the coming day to simply drift away, for a little while.
A Summer Birthday
Well first of all a birthday to talk about . . . .
We are all getting older but:
- Is this the first day of the rest of your life, or
- Are you a day nearer to dying ?
Really the question is whether are you a positive or a negative person. We are all positive people, and [try to] see the best in people.
A Late Spring Walk - May 2013
The Linn Park is rich in woodland that has been left to mature naturally.
There is nothing quite like walking through a wood. Just being surrounded by large and matures trees, the air filled with bird song, the tranquillity of the wood which counters the overwhelming sense of busy-ness that most of us experience in our daily lives. And then two squirrels chase each other around the large trunk of an old pine. Whose mood would not be uplifted by watching their antics, it is as if they were putting on a show just for you.
Some Winter Photographs
In 2010 when this site was first conceived, a regular park walker provided a gallery ... it wasn't until 2013, that the web site became a reality - things do take some time, but we eventually arrived ! Thanks to the Roberts !
From a regular walker in Linn Park for over twenty years ....
A Quotation ....
It is the same with all things. What starts out being sincere usually ends up being deceitful. What was simple in the beginning acquired monstrous proportions in the end.
Chuang Tzu
(3rd century BC)
A saying ....
"How do you get someone to trust you? You talk to them. How do you get them to keep trusting you? You keep talking to them. What happens if you stop talking to them? They stop trusting you, mainly because they assume you've got nothing good to say any more."