Sunday 9th March 2008

 

There has been much hype about the ‘Storm of the Winter’ being on its way. It is due to hit tomorrow – Monday 10th March. This morning it was sunny and I went out around Marlfield Lane / Gills Lane. There is a Birch tree down already but I think it must have been felled by the last serious gales we had – in January. Those gales blew out next door’s loft window and destroyed part of their car-port.



The clouds were building up and it although it looks pretty it does look as if the front is about to hit.

7th March 2008

 

I should have known better than to imply this morning that the garden was boring at the moment. Once the stratus clouds lifted and the sun came out I explored and found all sorts of interesting things including the first Tulip of the year.


The Hyacinths are well out already.


And in the tubs the Primulas and Primroses have been out throughout the winter but the birds now seem to have stopped picking at them so they are looking much better.


Under the hedge the Cowslips are coming out. I love them.


In the middle pond a male frog of a fair size is waiting for the females to appear. When picked up to check he was a male and not a female (though with its slim body there wasn’t much doubt) he croaked pleasantly at me. A couple of years ago we had about a dozen of them really croaking loudly and it was a tremendous sound.


Although I have seen frogs previously this year this is the first one that has appeared ‘naturally’ – i.e. without being disturbed while weeding or cleaning out ponds.

Wednesday 27th February 2008

 


This wonderful cherry of an unknown variety – a Winter Cherry or an Early-flowering Cherry which looks very like our St Lucie Cherry – is just down Pensby Road from us. Both last year and this it has been absolutely covered in blossom.

Cloudspotting

 

It really is a quiet time of year in the garden. The weather has been horrioble for a week or so and I haven't even been out in the back other than to pick up the blown over plant pots.


So I am whiling away my time reading and one of the books that I have on the go is "The Cloudspotters Guide" by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. A most enjoyable read, it will be entered in my book review blog when I've finished it.


Over the years I have photographed many hundreds of clouds but at the moment all I can see are low and even, dirty grey, stratus. So I thought I'd cheat and show a few from more interesting days...