Saturday, 1 January 2011

RAMBLE THROUGH HERTFORDSHIRE

Vicki Rocco is hosting The Eye Candy Blogfest on her blog: Rambles and Randomness. All you have to do is post a picture of something beautiful; words, of any sort, are optional. I love living in Hertfordshire so I have celebrated the beauty of this county by posting photographs of my favourite haunts, at different times of the year.

 
Spring in The Ashridge Estate, owned by the National Trust.


Summer near the chalk downs.


Autumn in Cassiobury Park, Watford.


Winter in Verulamium Park, St Albans. This is where I normally feed the ducks.

I hope you have enjoyed touring this beautiful place which, protected by The Green Belt, from London's outward sprawl, is a place with many unspoilt, natural beauties.

31 comments:

  1. Lovely photos! You live in a beautiful place - hope your 2011 is full of joy! :)

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  2. i am enjoying the reds in the field...
    :)
    jeremy [iZombie]

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  3. Great pics, and nice that the ducks and skaters can share the pond >:)

    Cold As Heaven

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  4. Wow...those are gorgeous! Did I see that first one somewhere else today? I just want to plunk myself down in the middle of those flowers and have a picnic / take a nap. ahhhhh.

    thanks for joining the fun! I'm loving the pics everyone has posted!

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  5. Hi Jemi
    Thank you. I think it is a beautiful county. The fact that London is so close is a major advantage too.

    Hi iZombie
    A splattering of colour is never a bad thing ;)

    Hi CAH
    The ducks were forced to the island in the centre, and the river that runs through the park. They didn't know what to make of the ice or the humans who invaded their space.

    Hi Vicki
    I love the woodland, no matter what season it is. I wouldn't be surprised if Ashridge made it into more picture selections than mine: it is a very beautiful spot. :)

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  6. Stunning pictures - especially the first; it looks a bit fairy tale-ish.

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  7. Oh, I want to walk in those woods! Wow, gorgeous pictures. Thank you and happy 2011!

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  8. Enjoyed them all but Autumn and Winter told stories.

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  9. Hi Melissa
    Walking in Ashridge is like entering a fairy tale.

    Hi Tricia
    Thank you. You are welcome. I wish you every success in 2011. :)

    Hi Mary
    I loved the autumnal Cassiobury Park too - it has to be a great picture to beat every flaming-leafy scene.

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  10. Great pictures! I love the beautiful flowers-- beautiful colors!! Happy New Year!

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  11. love your pictures. i could be there in a minute if i didn't hate flying so much.

    nice to stop by. i write fantasy as well. nothing better than making up a world, is there?

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  12. That first pic is a-mazing! It puts me in mind of my novel, Faerie Fate. You wouldn't believe how many meadow, forest, nature pics I immersed myself in to get in the mood for writing about faeries!

    Great pics! Happy New Year!

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  13. Love these pics! Happy New Year...:)

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  14. What a stunning place to live! I can see why you love it so much....


    Happy New Year, Elaine

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  15. Oh Elaine! these are gorgeous!

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  16. i LOVE these pictures, particularly #3..autumn in the park! thanks for sharing these! christy

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  17. Hi,

    Hard to beat old blighty for fab countryside & park images - absolutely gorgeous in Hertfordshire! ;)

    Happy New Year
    best
    F

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  18. Wow, those photos are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing, and I wish you a happy new year

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  19. I love your pics! Thanks for sharing! Happy 2011!

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  20. Hi Danette
    The quality of the colour is the key: they are so vivid and inspiring.

    Hi Michelle
    If you master the fear that is keeping you grounded I recommend the villages and parks of Hertfordshire.
    Fantasy is so much fun to write. I love getting out into the real world to inspire my fictional worlds ;)

    Hi Mara
    Images are so important to the creative process, I'm not surprised you immerse yourself in them. I have a wall full of images to keep me inspired.

    Hi Jamie
    Thanks :) I had to use the seasons to help me narrow down the choice to four.

    Hi Michael
    I do love the organised beauty of Hertfordshire. I love wilderness too: the absence of boundaries.

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  21. Hi Jolene and Bru
    Thank you both. I feel very lucky living here - there are extremes on my doorstep and London down the road ;)

    Hi Summer
    :)
    It is a very green place to live. It is why I love autumn so much: I love it when green rebels and turns orange ;)

    Hi Erica and Christy
    The easy shot to find was the park trees all orange. I remember the night look like it was irradiated: beautiful but kind-of eerie too.

    Hi Francine
    England is a green and pleasant land and people have fought for the right to walk on most of it.

    Hi Julie and Anna
    Thank you. There were so many beautiful pictures I could have used too. The villages near here are so chocolate-box ;)

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  22. I love the colors in these photos! Especially in the second photo in the field of flowers...sooo pretty. :) Thanks for the comment on my blog. Happy New Year!

    ~TRA

    http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

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  23. I love the first one especially. So pretty but kind of has an interesting mood to it too. :)

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  24. What a beautiful place you live in!

    And I love the quote "writing is the challange to make the visible audible" - so very true.

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  25. TRA
    Finding the summer picture was the hardest; I, almost, had to resort to using my own ;)

    Hi Amy
    Thank you. I think so too. The woods at Ashridge are magical all-year-around.

    Hi Rayna
    Thank you. I'm thinking India has it's own special beauty too. For those photos, I went looking for the beauty. Don't you find there is always a flip-side to everywhere and everything?
    Making the reader see the beauty but feel the subtle undercurrent is the fun in writing.

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  26. Wow! That autumn one is sooo beautiful! I love it!

    :D

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  27. wow! gorgeous in all seasons! :)

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  28. So beautiful! I would love to visit those places someday.
    CD

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  29. Hi Mia
    Thank you. I love the autumnal colours captured in the sky. The cedar tree gets more spectacular as it gets more fragile. Holding on to the last one.

    Hi Victoria
    Thank you :) This is the beautiful side of Hertfordshire.

    Hi Clarissa
    Thank you. I recommend them. :) The countryside and the village architecture here is amazing.

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