Click here for high-resolution version.
The weather was strange today. During the night, two inches of rain had fallen. Today the sky was heavy, and the wind was still. All day, there was the sound of rushing water from the stream below the house. At sunset, a break in the clouds near the horizon meant that, though the abbey itself was in shadow, the opposite ridge could still see the sun. Green is breaking out all over, but the trees are not yet in full leaf.
Your timing for this photo was perfect. Almost looks like a combination of spring and fall foliage. Seems I recall my mother telling me they were allowed to go barefoot the 1st of May, or when the leaves were “fully grown.”