52 Walks in 2010 - Walk 44 - A walk in the snow (19th December 2010)

Managed one more walk today. After yesterday's heavy snowfall we took our youngest two sledging then decided to take a detour home across the fields. Some of us walked ..... whilst someone had a ride!



The Church looked lovely with the snow covered trees in front.



The plants were heavily covered in snow and frost.

We stopped on the bridge where in the summer we play Pooh Sticks.

Everywhere looks so magical.

This was the main road through the village when we came out of the fields. Not a lot of traffic about today.

The brook was frozen.

Then it was a slight uphill climb .............

.......... before heading back towards home.

52 Walks in 2010 - Walk 43 - A Walk around Central Milton Keynes (23rd November 2010)

A few weeks ago, having not been to Milton Keynes for probably two years or more I paid two visits to the town in a week. The first time to do some Christmas shopping and the second time to take Lara to a birthday party at the Sno!zone. On my first visit I took my little compact camera and snapped a few photos of the Christmas display as I wandered around the shopping centre.

Middleton Hall at thecentre:mk has been transformed into a Christmas Storyland Adventure! Complete with Santa's Grotto, carousel and indoor Christmas Market with delicious hot food & drink and handmade gifts.

These snowmen were cute.

In the little chalets at the Christmas market were gorgeous hand made and hand decorated items. Like these tree decorations.

Whilst doing my shopping I was surprised to come across the Concrete Cows inside the centre.

The Concrete Cows in Milton Keynes are an iconic work of sculpture, created in 1978 by Canadian-born artist, Liz Leyh. The Cows are constructed from scrap skinned with fibre glass reinforced concrete. The cows were originally on display in a public park but have suffered many indignities. Sometimes they have simply been vandalised, while at other times they have been painted pink, become zebras, had pyjama bottoms added and have even been beheaded. The original cows are now in a safe place inside the shopping centre whilst replicas are now outside.

Having taken and photographed my 43rd walk this year I now think its time to throw in the towel and admit that I am not going to complete my challenge to take 52 walks in 2010. I got to 43 but with only three weeks of 2010 left there is no way I am going to complete the remaining nine walks. I am disappointed! I don't like to fail at anything but I have to be realistic. I have enjoyed the walks we have taken. We have been to places we perhaps wouldn't usually have gone and the photographs I have taken are a lovely record of those walks. Perhaps I will take the remaining nine walks soon, and if I do I'll post them here, but I'm afraid it's likely to be next year.