Joys of Spring

We have a hedgehog and s/he is delightful. Hasn't come out of hibernation yet and I don't know which wood pile s/he's in so can't disturb any of them! It loves eating peanut nibs that the hens leave. I'm hoping it's a she and will have babies. <hope emoticon>

I want hedgehogs! I have a lovely organic garden which breeds the most enormous giant slugs and snails! I a sure they would be happy here.
But do I get any!
NO

Forgive me for being picky, jess, but the latest weather-station-near-you recorded temp is 5º. That doesn't strike me as speically 'mild'. I'm glad you have sunshine though. Just wish we did too . Our temp is closer to 1ºC. Definitely not mild, especially with wind.

well it will be Feb next week and if the weather stays like it is then it will be an early one. I keep peering into my garden pond wondering if the froglets I reared last year will return and lay eggs of their own. I have one little mini iris open today. It is a lovely mild morning with a bit of sunshine.
I also noticed that my holly bush, planted 7 years ago, has a berry, just the one, for the first time.

First snowdrops opening in my garden today. It's only one indicator. It was a few days later last year and on the same date the year before that.

There was a fresh, thin, fall of snow on the hills overnight again.

Late yesterday afternoon, just before dusk, I heard, and then saw a large skein of geese in typical V formation flying north! . It's a bit early, isn't it?
Does this mean Spring really is on it's way.......?

DH spotted a hedgehog this week. Snuffling around under the bird feeders.
Few little crocuses out here, but otherwise the cold snap seems to have at last put the natural world into a dormant state for the last couple of weeks.

Beautiful.

The following was penned by Morgan Downie. I opened an address book yesterday, and discovered that I had cut the poem out of a newspaper. I think that you may like it. It is elegant and eloquent.

colour the water landscape

abundant grey
rain impending
sheeted blue
across the hills

blue where it touches
the sea, charcoal
the line of the horizon
the waves uneasy, gunmetal

green the drenched fields
trees irised with moisture
upturned soil ochres the ground
the distant hills, heavy lidded, indigo

here the white water falling
free from the stain of peat
each drop a jewel
as if granite itself
could weep quartz

Look! We have .

Just so, super - I can see it all in my mind's eye.

My stupid apricot is now showing leaf, I can even even see some pink flower buds through my binoculars!

super not so quiet if browsing geraldines's site

A quiet day -
a nip in the air.
A quiet sea -
a chill in the deep.
A quiet sky -
wrapped in soft cloud.
A quiet land -
lit by pale sunlight.
A quiet cat -
asleep on his mat.

Yes Baggy it is - very - but a glorious sunny day with blue sky

Must be chilly inland. We even have frost in the "warm" west!

The frost has its compensations - the tiny rosettes on an alpine sedum were delicately edged with rime yesterday - almost a filigree effect.

Last night's and tonight's frosts might make some of those little buds and shoots have second thoughts

That's what I call a very chilled and cool flower, jingl

My campanula has sex got flowers on it as well.

Just found a border type lavatera with a delicate little pink flower on it!

Go to sleep baby. It's too soon!

Just walked back down to our house frome the village and espied 'our' 2 swans swimming gently alongside the beach - making the most of the sun no doubt

jingl - they're usually quite nervous, so he's clearly having a chilled-out and cool time in the sunshine!

OH gorgeous jingl. they have lovely red patches as well as green dont they

We've got a lovely big green woodpecker sunning himself on our walnut tree at the moment. He's not pecking. Just sitting there with his back to the sun.