Just off the road to South Dalton on Christmas Day

What a wonderful sunny day.
My initial plan was to stay at home and set the table, to include an absent friend, but I was invited to an evening meal and so, the table is set for when I get round to cooking. I really had a notion to paint a tree. Just a tree study and was going to call it....'my Christmas tree!!...'. Then I saw this view. I have managed to get most of the tree into the painting which has the added bonus of including St. Mary's, at South Dalton. I like the light in the picture with the winter colours beautifully understated.
24 x 18 inch, oil on canvas, POA.

Here is some prose....

Christmas Day

The prepared, candled table
Is set with Christmas Spode,
Mince pies on both plates,
Waiting.....

Outside the sun shines
And plans change
I make a large flask of coffee,
Grab a banana,
Then set off to find a tree to paint.

Soon in country lanes
I see two male pheasants trip,
Regimentally,
Breaking step,
Through dense wintered verges, and
Hearing distant sounds of death,
Keep their heads down
Before trenching away.

I stop near a suitable tree
And a shadowed,
Spiked,
Stubble field.
This will do I think,
In the distance,
Fitting on this day,
St. Mary's beacon spire
Points to heaven.

The painting soon progresses,
Overhead a movement,
A red kite slowly drifts by,
Circling,
It's bright, white, sunlit head
Looks down from patchy russet wings.
The sharp clean air
Steers it's flip flop, forked tail.

And then I remember a table set for two.
So, I stop, a lonely moment.

Then a 'ping' and I smile,
I reply with a picture of a picture, and
On this solitary day,
In an empty field,
Alone,
Thoughts wonderfully criss-cross.

Time for a mince pie and more coffee,
As overhead a buzzard mews.