29th March - oh, I love the spring!

Every day there is a new treat to be found in the wood, along the river bank and in the fields ... and I see so many of them now that I walk the puppy at least twice a day ... much more of this and I'll be so fit, I'll be dangerous!

Today butterflies began to appear to enjoy the fine spring weather ... I've seen brimstones already, but now the first yellow tips are out and about!  The underside of their wings is as delicate and pretty as the top!  Down by the river, beside the wood, they were dancing in the lambs' tails and catkins by the waterside! 

Blossom magic ... 24th March, summertime begins!

How often it seems that when we reach those magical dates ... the spring equinox and then the beginning of British Summertime ... the weather lets us down and it feels like winter again!  Not this year!

Over the last few days of warm sunshine and chilly nights, the blossom has come out, the spring flowers are beginning to make a real show and everything is warming up beautifully!  Even the sky is that delicate shade of blue that only seems to appear in early spring.  I suppose it's appropriate that such scenes should be captured most effectively in "seed" stitch ...it's certainly all about growing seeds out there in the garden and the wood!



Seed stitch sunshine!



19th March ... frosty, then warm!

Dawn rose on a frosty spring morning, but soon the sun began to warm up ... and in the most proctected corner of the wood the hawthorn bushes are beginning to come into leaf, and even bud!  Once the coming of spring starts is seems to move with incredible speed, especially with a few days of sunshine to help things along!

Middle of the Month, 17th - back to rain!!

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day!

or as we used to say in the playground...

"Rain, rain, go away,

Come back on Mother's washing day..."

... which showed a fine disregard for the hardworking Mums of us all ... sorry to you all, especially as tomorrow is Mothers' Day!  Now, of course, here in the East of England in particular, we need the rain rather desperately ... the hose pipe ban will be in force again this summer!  In Triangle Wood this morning I was reminded of our playtime song when I saw the spiders' webs festooned with tiny droplets of water ... 

... and then again there was "Incy Wincy spider" who "went up the water spout..."  Oh, dear, I think it's having a puppy in the house, I'm cracking up!!

14th March ... periwinkle!

The wood was sparkling this morning!  Like little sunbursts of mauve, the periwinkle flowers have suddenly appeared, studding and starring the woodland floor with their pretty, open faces.  Their leaves are bright green against the leaf little and tiny insects and spiders, birds and animals are exploring the new growth looking for shelter, food and mates!

In ancient times, periwinkle was believed to be a plant which assured safe passage from this world to the next ... unfortunates on the way to the scaffold would be given a circlet of periwinkle by their loved-ones, to see them across the divide, while more pleasantly, village maidens would gather posies of the flower and take them to bed, hoping to get a glimpse of their lovers-to-be via the intercession of the spirit world.

Certainly to see their sweet, spring-like brightness amid the dull dross of the winter's debris is a magical insight into the world of Faerie as the spring begins to take shape ...


Magical - lesser Periwinkle



7th March ... wet and warm, good growing weather!

How disgraceful, a week since my last entry ... no excuse other than I have been rather too fascinated watching the emergence of spring to do much writing about it!  The hawthorn hedge has the tiny beginnings of buds and the first daffodils and narcissus are in flower.  What a magical time it is ....



The spring flowers are pushing up past the winter's stalwarts!



As soon as the sun comes out, there are early bumble bees looking for a first taste of nectar and pollen to fortify themselves for the establishment of new nests ... the really HUGE ones are young queens.  I found one lady busily looking for a home at the base of a fence pole.  When she finds the right hole,she will make it her own and start a small colony - no more than 60 - 90 workers for her year's sovereignty...

Welcome, Your Majesty!



1st March ... lovely day!

Well, I always feel that spring has arrived with March even if the weather is not good ... but today it is glorious!  Having a new puppy means that you wake up early ... and it was really interesting to watch the mist, first of all rising from the river, then falling back and then rising again as the sun began to draw it up.  Finally it dispersed as the sun warmed it through and burned it off ... I don't think I have ever watched that sequence before.




OK... so it's the wrong time of the year... but it sums up the river!!!