last walk in 2011

Apparently 2011 was the warmest year for over 100 years here in UK. My initial reaction was to laugh, remembering the last summer (that wasn't).

But of course, they are talking about the average temperature over the whole of the year. Most of autumn was warmer then normally and until now the winter has not really arrived yet, December was very mild, with lots of rain.
On the last day of 2011, after a week of too much visiting and sitting around, we felt we needed a good walk to blow the cobwebs away, as they say. Our usual walk in the forest would had been too wet and muddy, so it was back to Stourhead, with their well maintained paths.

As you can see from some of the pictures, nature is little confused by the warm weather.

Snowdrops already?

But our winter visitors, Canada Geese, are here as usual.

This pair of swans have a permanent home here.