A Week in Walks #1

When life feels overwhelming and impossible there are things I like to do to help me find a sense of calm to my day. For example, I demand hugs from the OH and cuddles from the dog. I watch my favourite movies that feel like very old friends. And I walk. I walk away my frazzled feelings in an attempt to remain focused, grounded and also to appreciate the things that sometimes I think we all take for granted.

With this in mind I’ve decided to start a new series on the blog featuring photos of my daily walks with Polly. It’s a pretty selfish series to be honest (you’re all cool with photos of Polly and the beautiful Calder Valley, right?) as I’ll not only be using it as a way to practice using my camera properly but more importantly I want to document my days spent outdoors with Polly, our nearly 2-year-old Golden Retriever. She’s a big inspiration in my life so feels only natural that I’d share more of our adventures on the blog, as well as my love of interiors, design, style and all things positive!

When you have work to crack on with each day, walking the dog can sometimes feel more like a chore rather than a pleasure; I’ve been guilty of thinking this on days when my to do list has been full on or the weather has been daunting. But every single time (even on the bad weather days) I’ve returned feeling happier, relaxed and grateful (unless she’s chasing squirrels or deer that is).

I’m no photographer but I love using my camera so I hope it will be an opportunity to capture the seasons as they roll by and also help me explore and appreciate the neighbourhood I live in. Here’s what caught my eye last week:

My favourite photo is of the group of friends sitting on the bridge and sharing a picnic. I love seeing the pops of red from their coats amidst the wintry landscape. It reminds me of happy weekend walks when you have the whole day ahead to just walk, eat picnic food and rest in the pub. Bliss.

Where have you been walking this week?