Anyway...........when I went up the road for the Following A Tree post last weekend, at a moment when it wasn't raining, I took this photo of the view over the village.. The Barley or Wheat is growing well.
Saturday 27 April 2024
Last Saturday in April
Friday 26 April 2024
Pied Wagtail
I recently mentioned the Kestrels unusual behaviour of perching on the gravestones in the burial ground over the road - rather than where they are normally seen - higher on a telegraph pole or a wire.
Looking out of the patio doors the other day I noticed a 'something' on the neighbours roof. I zoomed in with the camera and found it was a Pied Wagtail and that's unusual too as they are usually seen on the ground walking and wagging their tails.
Thursday 25 April 2024
A Very Small Strawberry Patch
I had no intention of growing Strawberries because Brother in Law Andrew has a big strawberry patch that seems to produce loads every year without him doing much to them, and being a type 2 diabetic he shouldn't eat too many - that's what I tell him before I go and raid the patch several times every summer!
But my sister brought me a little gift for my birthday of 3 of her strawberry runners, which needed repotting and I thought three wouldn't do much so bought three more plants from a boot sale.
So now I have the smallest ever strawberry bed!
Will I get enough for a bowl of Strawberries, that is the question.
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Following A Tree
The April photos of how the Oak trees along the Quiet Lane change through the year. It's odd to see that despite these two Oaks being just a few feet apart and both the same size one of the trees is slightly ahead of the other in leafing up.
Tuesday 23 April 2024
St Georges Day
The Irish celebrate like crazy on St Patrick's Day but us English have virtually forgotten about St George's Day. It's not surprising really as there is nothing much known about him or even if he ever actually existed. Yet somehow he has become the Patron Saint of many countries and organisations. Including Scouting - and I had photos of St Georges Day Parade on yesterdays post.
The picture below comes from my book 'A Calendar of Saints' by James Bentley. It's a painting by Raffaello Sanzio (1483 -1520) and is in the Louvre.
For centuries the day was celebrated with feasting and jousting and mumming plays on the theme of St George and the Dragon . The traditions carry on in a few places.
Where the dragon story comes from is another mystery...........
This is something written by John Aubrey in the 1680's ( an English writer and philosopher)
Monday 22 April 2024
Photo Sorting
Saturday 20 April 2024
Saturday Again
There was some wild weather this week - high winds, torrential rain storms, ordinary rain and hail. We did have sun on a couple of days but not enough for my liking. I keep peering over the fleece fence at the French Climbing Bean plants - all OK so far.
My 5th book of Reading The Seasons was a fail. It's a diary written through the spring of 2020, with the best spring weather for years and the virus moved through the country. It's by 3 different nature writers in different parts of the country including one in West Suffolk.
I started it and it was quite readable but I really didn't want to be reading about the coronavirus and its effects on everyone - it seems a long time ago now and I just didn't want to be taken back to that time again.
Flowers in the house this week are my own - a few late tulips from the garden and some bits of Spirea and Perriwinkle.
Friday 19 April 2024
Groundsel
The plant known as Groundsel can be spotted almost anywhere, in many countries around the world mostly on cultivated ground or like this patch below on the road edge.
It's one of those plants that everyone knows but I thought I could find out more to fill a blog post!
Thursday 18 April 2024
Leek Plants Found At Last But...........
Wednesday 17 April 2024
Cards and a Vase
Another boot sale and a £1 spend.
Just 3 cards to add to the birthday-card box including two for men which are not so easily found.
Then I spent £1 more on a vase of the height and shape I've been looking for and another £1 for two more birthday cards ready for Grandchildren - the eldest two will both be nine in 2025.
Saturday's car-boot sale was HUGE - they even had a sign out saying "Sellers Pitches Full Up" when I arrived just before 7.30 am..
Sunday was the first boot-sale closer to home now that the site had dried out enough. I went, walked all round and came home with nothing. After the torrential rain storms on Monday they'll probably be waterlogged again and too soggy to open this coming Sunday.
I keep hoping for real treasure - not sure what that will be- but haven't found it yet!
Thank you to everyone for Happy Birthday wishes yesterday. Creeping ever closer to 70!
Tuesday 16 April 2024
The House Where I Was Born
69 years ago today I was born in this house belonging to my Grandma and Grandad, in Stowmarket in Mid Suffolk..
My Mum was staying with her Mum and Dad for my birth. My dad had been killed in a motorbike accident a few months earlier and the house they had bought to renovate wasn't yet in any condition for a new-born baby.
After that I don't know how or where we lived, but our house was finished for me and Mum, even though there was no bathroom and only an outside toilet for a few years- which I can just about remember - thank goodness the bathroom was built after a while.
Monday 15 April 2024
St Andrew's Church, Winston
Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I found a church that was unlocked. Winston is a tiny village - (population 160) a mile or so from Debenham. The church is tucked away down a lane and mainly dates from the C14.
The porch dates from the early C15 and is fancy red brick with the niches for the saints.
It's a small very simple church and the first things I noticed were the flowers on all the windowsills, left there since Easter Sunday and looking lovely.
Saturday 13 April 2024
Week Ending Saturday 13th
Two clay pots were found at the boot sale last Saturday and they were my only spend (£1) on a day when there were more people selling than anytime this season so far. Just nothing much needed. I picked up three Beswick Birds like my Blue Tit and Wren, one was a robin but he had a chipped beak, one was supposed to be a grey wagtail but didn't really look like one and had a chipped tail and the third was a much larger pheasant but he'd been badly damaged and repaired even more badly so all three were left behind and I never wanted a Beswick Bird collection anyway!
I could have bought more toys for grandchildren, a ton of craft stuff, a box of Christmas crackers and loads of Christmas cards but don't need any of them. Boot sales now seem to be more about the things I don't buy! Oh, and someone had the full set of the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady Months of the Year plates - I'd not seen any since I got my set two years ago.
I potted my two recent purchases - a trailing ivy and a bright green sedum into the clay pots and added them to the plant stand. It's was 2021 when I found it at a boot sale and now looking as if it will soon need a new coat of paint. Ever since it blew over I've had it in this spot where it is tied to the trellis.
It looks better in real life than any photograph I've tried to take.
My tomato seedlings in the greenhouse have been potted on again as the warmish weather over last weekend meant they had a growth spurt. I know BiL wanted a couple of my plants to grow something different from those he gets from a friend. Couldn't remember if he wanted the giant Big Mama or the tiny Sungrape so I potted up all 6 of each.
Friday 12 April 2024
WI In April
Firstly Thank you for comments on yesterdays post.
My birthday month at WI so a birthday 'posy' which was really a lovely bunch of roses in a gorgeous colour.
Our speaker at WI this week was a lady telling us all about The Bevin Boys and especially about her father.
Thursday 11 April 2024
Turnpikes and Toll houses
Wednesday 10 April 2024
READING THE SEASONS - The 4th Book for Spring + A.N.Other
This was my 4th book with Spring in the title and it was spotting the cover of the book and buying it from the library For Sale shelf that gave me the idea for Reading The Seasons.
Tuesday 9 April 2024
Goldfinch
One day towards the end of March I could hear a Goldfinch somewhere in the Sycamore tree............. they have a very twittery song - a mixture of different sounds............... and stood searching for it for several minutes because I've rarely seen any in the garden here. Later it was on the birdfeeder and I grabbed the camera and got a couple of not very good photos.
When the family were visiting a couple of weeks ago Son (the only one of our 3 children to take after me and Colin in having any interest in birds) spotted two in the garden and there's been one singing almost every time I've been outside since. Hopefully they are nesting somewhere around.
Thomas Hardy 1840-1928