Snowdrops at St Ethernan's

Grey Granite and rufus went to Rathen in expectation of finding snowdrops. We chose a cold frosty morning when the grass in the kirkyard was greyish with hoar frost and there was ice on the puddles in the lane over Gallows Hill.



The morning sunshine was just starting to melt the frost in the kirkyard when we embarked on our snowdrop hunt. We found small clusters of snowdrops under the ivy clad trees in the NE corner. The Victorians often planted snowdrops, a symbol of purity on graves. It seemed appropriate that we found them growing in the furthest, most forgotten corner of the kirkyard which always feels redolent of a more peaceful era.



Ivy, along with the snowdrops, provides food for insects tempted out by winter sunshine.

The snowdrops were growing in bare patches of earth and had been besmirched  by mud spatters during yesterday evening's heavy rain.