Fi Phillips

It's all a bit bleak out there at the moment. It seems to have rained every day in January so far where I live. Dog walks are short, pavement-bound and with my eyes downcast. I took this photo on one of the few dry mornings we've had recently. The towering branches of the oak trees, dotted with crows, painted a picture of black on white. I always enjoy watching the crows which mass in these trees at the end of the road where I live. What do you think? Depressing? Foreboding? Stark? Or do you find something inspirational and thoughtful in this image? What does it inspire you to write?

Today is World Storytelling Day, "a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling". The aim is to get as many people as possible around our globe telling and listening to stories, in all languages and forms. You can find the main site here  for details of the day, organised events around the world and how to take part. This year's theme is trees and I thought that the photograph below was appropriate. I saw this wonderful, old, gnarly tree when I was out for a walk with my family last summer. My seven year old son (six at the time) told me that it was the Old Tree of Asgard. We made up stories about it on the way home.