In the winter sunshine

WHEN the sun rises over a beautiful winter’s morning, without a cloud in the sky, the countryside near Villefranche du Périgord can be quite stunning.

Walking along the paths in the wood the sun was shining through the tops of the trees casting sharp shadows and warming the chill air.
Where its rays had yet to reach, a carpet of frost lay across the fields.
And as the bushes began to thaw you could here the droplets splashing through the leaves below.
In the trees to the right of me I spotted a deer disappearing into the ferns and undergrowth.
Then 30 seconds later two burst out of the trees and across the path in front of me, they were about 20 meters away.
My dog Holly caught sight of them and was off chasing after them through a small copse and up a hill on the other side.
Needless to say they were far too quick and as I called after Holly she came bounding back down the hillside.
Later in the day as evening approaches the sun will make wooded hillsides glow a deep red and pockets of broom bush stand out against the ferns.
To see a collection of photographs from walks in the woods, please click here.