He is Risen II

He is Risen II
original linocut print
© Teresa Newham

Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went towards the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed . . .

the Gospel of John Chapter 20 vv 1 - 8

"We have the same duty to give witness to the fact that Christ is risen from the dead. Death has lost its hold over mankind. Death is not for us, the end of the story. It is the beginning of a new chapter. There is life after death; it is life with God. Our present life is to prepare for that."

Cardinal Basil Hume (from A Turning to God)

A walk round the corner - February, March, April

It's time to update the photo diary of our countryside walks, last posted on this blog back in January.  For a while I thought we might not get outside in February at all, what with the weather being so bad, but some sunshine did eventually arrive, and we duly made our way across the mud in the first field:

the first field - February
© Teresa Newham

The storms had removed the last of the old leaves from the trees but everything was still looking pretty bare - at least the sky was blue!

the old oak - February
© Teresa Newham

At the entrance to the second field the catkins had gone - the farmer had been out managing his hedges.  I imagine that left untrimmed they would look a right mess! We have discovered that this little track is called Mud Lane, and it was certainly living up to its name:

the second field - February
© Teresa Newham

The only sign of life in the hedgerows at this point was some gorse making a welcome splash of colour along the railway line:

flowering gorse - February
© Teresa Newham

By March things had dried out a bit, but at first glance everything seemed still disappointingly dormant:

the first field - March
© Teresa Newham

Some of the hedges near the old oak had sprung into life but the tree itself wasn't showing visible signs of life yet, at least, not from the ground . . . .

the old oak - March
© Teresa Newham

. . .  and not much to see in the second field either.  At least the track was dry, so we were able to go along it without getting our feet wet.  No more wellies!

the second field - March
© Teresa Newham

However life was stirring in the hedgerows, as this blossom shows!

hedgerow in bloom - March
© Teresa Newham

On our most recent walk everything looked much fresher and greener, especially along the railway line:

the first field - April
© Teresa Newham

The old oak itself still looks leafless against the light, but the hedgerows are starting to fill out!

the old oak - April
© Teresa Newham

At the entrance to the second field, all the trees along Mud Lane and the edge of the field are coming into leaf:

the second field - April
© Teresa Newham

And to my delight there are bluebells growing in the hedgerows.  Spring is finally here!

bluebells in the hedgerow - April
© Teresa Newham