spring is good for the soul

I went on another walk through Regent's Park today in the semi-sunshine. The park's gardeners must have the best time. Some of the gardens are so ridiculously pretty it's hard to believe they're real. The English definitely know what they're doing when it comes to flowers. 

new zealand new year's

A small island off the East coast of the Coromandel.

 

Sea swimming. BBQs. Guitar singing. Eggs in the hole.

Cabin sleeping. Solar showers. Sting ray spotting. Blue hydrangeas. Oyster Catcher dodging. Fishing.

Rock pooling. Crossword puzzling. Serenading the end of 2012 as the sun was setting.

christmas in new zealand

We actually did manage to escape the UK winter this year, for 3.5 weeks in fact (I have no right to complain do I?). We went home to NZ for Christmas and my brother-in-law's wedding. 3.5 weeks spent hanging with our favourite people and surrounded by so much love (and sunshine!), it doesn't get much better than that does it?

I took these photos of Pohutukawa trees on a walk around Mt Maunganui the first day we arrived back in NZ. At Christmas time the Pohutukawa tree's bright red flowers burst open, which is why it is known as New Zealand's Christmas tree.

Bunny!

Sheep (and baby Pohutukawa)!

hello!

Queen Mary's Gardens in Regent's Park (taken on my phone)

Hi! It's been so long! How are you?

Things have been a bit tough for me lately. The UK winter lasted FOREVER and it really affected my mood this year. There are some hard things in my life at the moment, but now that Spring has finally sprung it makes it much easier to remember that there are many many good things too.

The sun shone all weekend and it was just what I needed. We walked to Regent's Park on Saturday morning, where the flowers and blossom trees in the Queen Mary's Gardens are bursting into life. Seeing all that colour after the bareness of Winter was so good for my soul.