Joys of Spring

My snakes heads are flowering in the wild flower meadow I'm trying to create!

I love those flowers but they won't grow here. Mind you, I love my pignut and my foxes-and-cubs as well.

Fritilleries sp. are splendid, Jeni. Lucky you.
Hope your cold vanishes soon.

Thanks! I'm a dreadful patient! Worse than any man. And that's saying something

bagitha - I don't know what pignut or foxes and cubs are.

The kitchen table's enjoying the tulips - but thought how nice it would have been to give them to super

super would have loved them! Don't you just wish we could do a virtual space shrink sometimes so that actual distances between us all were smaller and made visiting easier? That or bi-location skills.

Pignut is what its name suggests – a ground nut that pigs like to root up.
also edible to (by?) humans. Country children used to enjoy them. The plant has a lovely delicate umbelliferous flower of white lace. The Latin name is Conopodium majus. (No, I didn't just know that; I looked it up).

Another common name for fox and cubs is Orange Hawkweed (^Pilosella aurantiaca^).

Both these are much prettier than you might think from looking them up in books and they thrive in my garden

Butter love your poem
bagitha Your smile on entering my room, filled it with a thousand spring x

And yours was a thousand welcomes, soop! I've eaten all the cake now . Hope you don't mind your name morph!! x

bagitha soop is fabulous name. Very witty of you How did you know that I love tulips? When I was a little merry - [a long time ago] I recall walking arm in arm with my girlfriend and singing...'Tip toe through the tulips...' Happy memories.

To all my guests who attended the San Fransisco gathering - thanks for a swell party. We really should try to get together sometime and enjoy a wee celebration in real-time.

Nurse on her way to change the dressing. Hope she doesn't check my pulse...I'm still up on cloud nine and away with the fairies.

Back to catch up a little later. Be good

This morning I heard the cuckoo for the first time this year - I love that, always makes me feel good. It's a little bit earlier than last year but I expect that's due to the good weather that we've been having

I haven't heard one for years!

That's going to be a cu - cu - cu - cold cuckoo!

Springtime brought with it certain urges [for Rory the friendly feral cat].
Since his wifelet and two daughter kits have been spayed, he's been on long, possibly fruitless treks to find a willing female. In the wee small hours, as I was inching my way to the bathroom, the sensor light was triggered. It was Rory, absent for several days, now lean and exceedingly grumpy, hoping to find some leftovers from suppertime. Girl cats had made sure that all dishes were well licked. He wandered off into the night. Can't help feeling sorry for him. The nice man from the cat sanctuary told us that Rory would benefit and be happier when neutered. Poor boy! We shall need to capture him sometime soon. Trouble is, he's far too canny.

Talking of cats, a bit of good news came from my family, one of whose young cats completely disappeared about six weeks ago. They had given up hope and cancelled her pet insurance when a call was received from someone who had seen DiL's poster. The caller had been feeding the cat for a few days. Now she is reunited with her sister and still at home! GS (aged 6) was overjoyed. It had been preying on his mind for ages.

Annobel a happy conclusion for all concerned.
Now I really MUST drag myself away from this fun machine. I need to hobble...and prod dear Mr S with my crutch should he have any unfinished chores to attend to...
Back later.

Here in the Swiss Jura, our garden still had snow until a couple of weeks ago. But since then - it has truly sprung into life. Snowdrops are practically finished, but we have tulips, daffoldils, pulmonaria, scillas, wood anemones, and so many more. Our field around the house is full of wild crocuses, both white and purple. Must go and see if the Daphné is in flower up in the woods behind.

Sounds wonderful, granj.

Had a lovely walk through local woods today - swathes of wood anemones, celandines, wild garlic and just-coming-into-flower bluebells; kingcups in the marsh. Woodpeckers, chiffchaffs and courting bullfinches! Spring is sprung!

Isn't Spring lovely? Last weekend we even saw wood anemones on the tops of hills (the smaller Ochils NE of Stirling). Seems they don't just grow in woodland.

The smell of wild garlic is marvellous. We pick the leaves and toss them on just about anything. We also have two pairs of courting bullfinches in the garden. Mr ans Mrs oystercatcher are back on their rock. Lots of activity brewing. I believe we have what is called a wild orchid in the garden. Will photo it when up and out. About to add image of bagitha's delightful grandson in my photos. He really is a charmer...

Adore wild garlic. I make a pesto out of it which is great with pasta. Almost free food. Reminds me I must go woodland shopping again.

Saw our first hoopo yesterday - such a comic bird.

Here's to Spring!

butter what on earth is a hoopo?

I suspect the spelling is wrong - but I'll link a photo for you.

Just seen your fab. painting of bagitha's happy grandson. Now I wonder where he gets his twinkle from?

Here it is - the wacky Hoopoe!

[http://www.google.fr/search?q=hoopoe+bird+pictures&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ByR_T9H1Io6DhQej4PzFBw&ved=0CCIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=633]

As a tiny baby he looked very much as his mum had at the same age. Have just put up three photos, including the one soop did the painting from. Isn't she clever? Thank you again, soop. I love it.