Rescue mission!

As I may have said on my blog before, I don`t like creepy-crawlies, and especially not spiders. This is the time of year when there seem a lot of webs on the shrubs and bushes in the garden. I appreciate the beauty of them, especially when the dew is on them first thing in the morning and they shine in the sunlight, but I don`t like the creatures that make them.

There is one particularly large one across the outside (thankfully the outside, and not the inside!!) of the window near my dining table. Whist I was having my lunch today I became aware of something large flapping near the window. At first i thought it was a leaf blown into the web, then I realised it was a butterfly.

After watching it for a while, I saw that it wasn`t managing to get out of the web, and the spider hadn`t appeared. I couldn`t bear to see it struggling there any longer, so knew I had to go on rescue mission! Not that I`m particularly fond of being near butterflies either but I couldn`t bear seeing it suffer, so out I went with a small piece of stick and managed to get it out of the web and onto the stick... but then, I couldn`t get it off the stick. It still seemed to be stuck by some of the stickiness from the web, although it was vigorously flapping its wings, so with the aid of a second twig I eventually managed to get it off onto the grass.

As it sat(?) laid(?) there on the grass I saw how beautiful it was, so came and got my camera to take these photos to share with you all. What kind of butterfly is it, I don`t know..... but perhaps someone does.

Spring is in the Air

Looking out of my kitchen window whilst washing up this lunch time, I spotted a sight which cheered me up today.












Opposite the window there is a hydrangea bush which had been cut down last autumn because it had got too woody and unruly.
Looking at the bare wood stems, I suddenly spotted a tiny green leaf.







On going out to look closer, I discoverd that a lot of the branches were sprouting green buds and one had even got a few tiny leaves on.
What a marvel nature is.
It really cheered my spirits today.

Busting with Life

I love watching things grow. I find it miraculous how a tiny seed, a corm, or a seemingly lifeless bulb, when planted in the soil, watered and cared for, will come to life. Nothing we can do can actually make it grow. We can help it and tend it, but it has to do it itself, and it does.

I`m sure I don`t need to tell you what this is. It`s been growing up in leaps and bounds since I planted it two or three weeks ago, and now I can just see the first signs of the flowers beginning to burst out and appear.

At this stage it`s difficult to tell what colour they will be, so I wait for nature to unfold its secret a bit further.

Peace & Tranquility

I found great peace and tranquility on a walk this afternoon. Will share more photos from it later this week, but here`s what I thought was a beautiful scene.

A Wonderful sight

I must share with you today a wonderful sight I came across this afternoon. It really lifted my spirits to come across such a marvellous thing purely by chance. I was out for a drive, trying out my new "toy", and the sun was just beginning to go down. As I drove down a country lane I stopped to admire the setting sun, and then in the distance I saw this.


At first they were just dots in the distance, but as they got closer, it became a real spectacle.


There were hundreds and hundreds of birds - geese I think - and the sound of them was tremendous, all honking away as they flew. Skein after skein of them filled the sky, pattern after pattern they formed above me as they flew onwards to the setting sun.


And the sky turned more and more orange as the sun set.



It was totally awe inspiring.


(If you click on the pictures, you`ll see the birds a bit clearer)

Daring the Waves

I had a good walk the other afternoon, and spotted these small birds, they seemed to be playing the same game as children often do - dodging the waves. As I stood and watched them, they would stand near the edge of the groyne until they saw a wave coming then they`d run back to try and avoid getting splashed, as soon as it had splashed up back they ran to the edge! It was quite amusing watching them.

I`ve really appreciated this week being able to come and go as I please, to do things on the spur of the moment, without a lot of preparation, just doing as the mood takes. But that will all end today.

Beauty in the Ordinary

Another picture from my walk at the weekend.

I don`t know why it is, but I alway find the pattern and way the clay soil forms such shapes and patterns when it`s dried out and cracks like this such a thing of beauty. I find myself almost mesmerised to just stand and look at it, oblivious to time and everything else around me.

Whilst looking, and thinking, about the way the pieces were all different yet all belonging to one another, I spotted this brave plant which had pushed its way up through one of the cracks and was growing so fresh and green on the greyness of the rubbery springy feeling surface.

Inspiration of life surviving in a dry and difficult place.

Peace and Quiet

I found peace and quietness here yesterday, as I stood gazing at the large open space before me and all around me. Although it was only a relatively few yards from the car park where there were lots of people, dogs, children and noise, no one had ventured to walk this far and I had it totally to myself. The only sound being that of the gulls overhead and the call of other birds.
As I stood there, the tide turned and began to slowly flow up the creek in front of me meandering its way around filling the dried out bed with refreshing water.

In a way, there was nothing there, yet there was Everything there, bringing a feeling of calm and contentment and peace.

"Watch the moths come out"

"Watch the moths come out"... that phrase seems to often be said when people who are a bit tight with money open their purse or wallet. Yet, I`ve never seen any acutally come out.

I was working as normal with money today and put my hand into a cloth money bag to withdraw its contents from the previous day to count. I put the notes and various cheques and bits of paper from it on the desk, then I got a shock, along with all the items I`d taken out there was a large (about an inch long) brown moth sitting on the desk too. I must have got hold of it with the notes ughhhhhhhh ! How it got in there I don`t know, but panic.....what do I do?

I couldn`t bear the thought of leaving it to its own devices in the office, neither could I squash it - it was too big for that. I looked at it, hoping against hope that it wouldn`t start to fly round. I looked for what seemed ages but was probably only seconds, racking my brains of the best thing to do. If I moved would it disturb it and make it flutter? I hoped not as I gingerly got up from my seat and made for the door, not wanting to take my eyes off it incase it disappeared.

Managing to call one of the lads to come to my rescue, he came and got a cloth to get it with, but as he neared it, it then flew off the desk and towards me fluttered round me, I twirled round to avoid it and lost sight of it. Luckily the lad spotted that it had settled on my back. aghhhhh! Keep still, it won`t hurt you, he said, then he then managed to swat it to the floor, when he manfully put his foot on it, and finished it off.

Why do such small creatures have such an effect on us. We`re a hundred times their size, but yet they have this effect.

(Apologies to all butterfly and moth fans, but it was the only thing to do)

A Wonder of Nature

Can you identify what these are?

All Out?

I couldn`t resist taking a picture of this baby duckling, who succeeded after many attempts to climb up onto the log of wood in the lake, and looked so pleased with himself (or herself!) that they`s succeeded.

Walking round the beautiful millennium garden and wildfowl place at Pensthorpe yesterday, I started wondering.... how do they know that everyone is out when they close in the evening? There are, after all, acres of ground and paths, as well as hides to watch the birds from. Do they just rely on people watching the time and leaving, or is there someone who goes all the way round to check. But yet, if someone goes down one path to check, a visitor could be going the other way and so not been found, as there`s not a one-way system in the place.

It`s a scary thought in a way, that you could be locked in there for the night !

Nature`s Patchwork

Come for a walk with me today....



Enjoy the beautiful scenes of nature`s patchwork of colours, all blending so beautifully together.




And the added delight to the eye that a lake of water provides to the scene.

I`m here

The sun`s still shining.
I had a good journey to my holiday destination yesterday, only went round one roundabout twice!, and that was only because half the sign board was broken off, so rather than risk taking the wrong exit, I went round again to see all the other boards to make sure it was the one I wanted. I did the journey in 6 hours, including a couple of breaks for refreshments, so that`s an hour quicker than previously.

Today I`ve had a beautiful walk in a park, listened to birds singing, enjoyed the sight of the fresh green of the grass and tree and the blossom on them. Lovely.

(My internet connection is a bit weak here, so hope this post publishes ok)

They`re growing!

Having posted a picture of some seedlings starting to grow the other week, here`s an update of how well they`re doing. The one at the back is a sweet-pea, so I await to see what colour it will turn out to be, and the one in the foreground I think is a sunflower.

I shall though, soon have to transplant them into their own pots or they`ll outgrow where they are.

My windowsill, as you can see below, is now my seed nursery!