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03/01/2023

A moment in time

 After, what seems like weeks of dreary wet or bitterly cold days, yesterday was a gem with glorious gently warm sunshine and just a hint of a sharp breeze.

Himself and I (and Moss of course) took the chance and threw together a hasty picnic, donned boots and coats and headed off to a wooded valley surrounded by wild moorland hills between us and Hebden Bridge.

The air was bitingly fresh and the views sharp and clear. We followed a narrow bracken lined path around the edge of a boggy hill down to the valley bottom. There we crossed a chuckling stream which Moss desperately wanted to throw herself into.

We were staggered by the colours - after so many days of driech grey and sepia shades, the bracken in the sun beneath a clear blue sky was almost overwhelming. There was a brief respite from the breeze at the river's edge then as we climbed back out of the valley, we found it again. It was sneaky and could slip between scarves and up sleeves. However we soon warmed up as we plodded upwards to the ridge.
At the highest point we stopped for lunch by sheltering in a grouse butt (shooting box) with our faces in the sun. Sharing sandwiches and mugs of tea, I offered Moss a dog snack which produced a series of goofy faces...
Our path took us off the edge and down through old farmlands and into older woodlands. The beauty of walking, is not just the act of movement, the joy of discovery it is also gives me the opportunity to think. I've been dwelling on my 'Word of the Year'. Last year was 'Care' and I kept that as a guide line, a bench mark a goal and on the whole it worked and I am gently pleased at the guidance to gave me.
I had toyed with the word 'Confelicity' (taking pleasure in another's happiness) which, when I thought about it - I already do, so that was a bit of a cop out. This walk found what I wanted ... my word for this year is actually a Japanese phrase - Ichigo Ichie which directly translates into - one time one meeting. The principle behind Ichigo ichie is to encourage you to appreciate the magic of every moment as it will never reoccur the exact same way ever again. Time is fleeting and each moment should be cherished as they may never be experienced again even with the same people at the same place.
Our walk was the first serious one of 2023 and apart from the staggeringly beautiful day after all the dreary grey we've had recently, this walk was amazing and just filled my eyes and my heart. 

And gave me my word for this year - I certainly want to make the most of every moment and this was the perfect start!

Do you have a word for the year to guide you, inspire you?
Do you do new year's resolutions?
Did you manage to get out on the bank holiday and breathe in some new air?

๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿงก❤️๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿค๐Ÿ–ค๐ŸคŽ

22 comments:

  1. Being in the moment..and appreciating every one. Sounds good.
    That was a good walk..and stunning colours when you have a break in the greyness!

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    1. It was good, and I am certainly noticing and appreciating those moments more :)

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  2. I think I will use your Confelicity, something I need to do more of.

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    1. I love that word - it just rolls off the tongue :D

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  3. Kate, what a beautiful walk & thanks for sharing it with us. As for words for the year, I do usually have one, but this year's has escaped me & I'll try hard to find one I'll stick to. Last year's was Courage & I did abide by it occasionally. I definitely don't do N.Y. resolutions though. Happy New Year, take care & hugs.

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    1. Thank you Susan :) have you decided on a word yet? I remember you choosing Courage for last year, well done with letting it guide you x

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  4. What lovely countryside for a walk and picnic. Thank you for "taking" me along...

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    1. Thank you Gracie glad you came along too :D

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  5. Well what a lovely walk, thank you for sharing with us...now I'm away to the shower to think of word inspiration...I wonder what I will come up with! x

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    1. ...and? were you inspired?!

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    2. I think I'm going to settle on 'enjoy'...especially the little things...x

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  6. After a succession of those dreary wet days there's something so exhilarating about seeing sunshine, isn't there? Your walk looked wonderful! I spent Bank Holiday Monday in the pub, I'm such a townie! xxx

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    1. Oh it was! (need more of those and soon!) And there is nothing wrong with being a townie haha! (besides I am envious of all your amazing chazzer shops)

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  7. Yes, that day was wonderful; such lovely sunshine and colours. Your walk, as usual, was great. Now it's back to the damp stuff but, at least, it's not too cold! x

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    1. Thank you - it was lovely to be out in that glorious blue sky (albeit a little fresh) can't wait til the weather improves and we get a few more of those sort of days!

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  8. I like the principle behind your word for this year and it's so very true. There have been moments in my life, very special but often very fleeting, which even a camera couldn't have captured, but worth savouring at the time.
    Your walk looks lovely - you certainly got better weather than the constant rain over here - and the colours of the bracken are stunning. I love the photos of Moss, especially the one by the river, and looking at her face in the other three I think she should have her own blog :-)

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    1. You have captured the reason behind my choice of Ichigo ichie - 'moments in my life, very special but often very fleeting' - just perfect ๐Ÿ˜Š

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  10. What a beautiful day you had for your walk and those gorgeous hues make it appear almost autumnal. The bright sunshine in amongst the damp, dreary days allows it to feel all the more special. X

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    1. It was a precious gem of a day - it just shone out between those grey days

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  11. Love Mosses faces and the photo of her by the brook is lovely too. We had a nice walk around the countryside near Chipping on that day. Have to make the most of the sunshine, hey.

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    1. Moss does pull some silly faces - think it might be time to share some of them here! Glad you got out for a walk - definitely have to make the most of the sunshine!

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