This photo shows an oak tree standing in an open field. If you look at it carefully, you can see that there's a fattening at the tips of the twigs, and a touch of brown at the edges of the tree.
These are the emerging buds for this year's leaves.
It can be more obvious when you see it happening in a woodland - this sudden fattening and browning that comes before the unfurling of new green leaves. That unfurling itself may be quite some time away - oaks in particular can be very late leafing. However, in the brown buds is the promise for the year ahead, and I always find that cheering to see.
It's still very cold where I live (this tree is further north than I am.) It doesn't really feel like spring yet, but the snowdrops are up, and the promise of spring is certainly there to be seen.
With thanks to Keith Errington for letting me use his tree photo.
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