Cottage Sitting Blues!

I am house sitting for my mother for a few days, Scotland beckons.....

The computer here wasn't working but several hours with a large hammer seems to have done the trick!  I had planned to use my old laptop but it stubbonly refused to connect to the wireless and of course, I hadn't brought an ethernet cable with me.

As I have spent most of the day here,

Today's subject is, flowers!

Yes, I know not very exciting but after battling with recalcitrant computers all night, it's all I can manage...

There once was a little pinky....

It looked all tattered and torn  (but the nice doctor put it all back together again!)

Now that will keep The Children's Mother quiet for a while, or at least the next ten days!  The Doctor asked if the children would be able to help their Mother with a few chores.  That raised a wry smile on her face.......


While we were at the RVI in Newcastle I took a couple of pictures, one of a new wing of the hospital and one of the old university building.  The contrasts in style are considerable.

This afternoon, up at the cottage I took this shot of the plum blossom.  The rain and light have combines to make the petals almost transparent.

More Spring Flowers

Back up at the cottage again,tis time I moved a few yards away from the burn to see what I could find.

More Wood Violets, they are just about finished for this year so it was nice to find this bloom in good condition.

This clump of Primroses have found themselves a cosy little place to live underneath a fallen branch where they are protected from the grazing donkeys and the dogs running by.

Lesser Stitchwort

The Children's Mother takes her hand to hospital in the morning, so perhaps some nice action shots......!

Apple's Blossom

I took this picture yesterday but didn't get it posted as I had to take The Children's Mother to hospital last night to have an injured finger examined.

Ten minutes medical attention including x-rays involved a four hour stint at the hospital!  Ours is a brand new rural hospital not a busy inner city A&E on a friday night!  Wouldn't it be good if our new government sorted the NHS out once and for all?  We have an appointment at a hospital in Newcastle tomorrow morning to have the damage repaired.  My offer to get my ratchet loppers out didn't go down too well....

This is one of the productive apple trees we have in the garden here at home.  It's looking good for a good crop.

Electricity Poles

At the cottage, the cherry tree is laden with blossom, as are the other stone fruit.  The latter better that I have ever seen.

If we can escape the late frosts the birds should have a bumper crop of cherries this year!  The signs are good for the plums and green gauges too.  I hope so as the few we had last year were delicious...

I hope someone at our local electricity company know how this rat's nest of cabling works, it looks like the sort of electrics I could produce.......

From The Riverbank

Late this afternoon after a particularly uneventful day, I went up to the cottage to see my mother and the animals.

Jobs done, I took the dogs for a walk up the field and down to the burn.  For the first time I stopped to look at some of the plants growing beside the stream, I had noticed one or two in the past but I thought I would have a better look.

In the order of discovery.

Wood Anemone

I had never realised we had these growing on our land and was really pleased to find them though I was surprised to find them on the wet bank of the burn.

Opposite-Leaved Golden Saxifrage

We have quite a few of these here though The Children's Mother who identified it for me says that they are not too common.

Celandine

A common plant round here but we don't seem to have that many at the cottage, these ones had closed up at this time of evening but when open are a vivid yellow.

Forget Me Not

When I was very young these were very common in our garden  at home.  These are probably wild but could have been from cultivated seed dropped by birds.

Iris

These Iris will have certainly been washed down the burn from the lakes at the nearby Victorian/Edwardian country mansion, Slaley Hall, during a storm.  I have no idea which they are but I will try and keep an eye on them, I have never seen them flower but I will keep an eye on them.  Perhaps I will transplant one to dryer ground and see if I can get some flowers.

Primrose

I am not sure how these gorgeous Primroses got here, they could be wild but am not at all certain.  I will have to put the expert on the case.....

All these pictures were taken with the little Samsung.

Everyday....

A am constantly fascinated by the way things I see every day of my life differ day to day.  I is always the effect of the light which makes the difference, often dramatic or curious.

I pass this old slurry tank most days.  I used another shot a few weeks ago but this one is completely different and it is purely the light.  The right side is the sky and the left is the reflection in blue paint!  This is a straight shot but the deep blue has disappeared.

Bywell Home Farm was looking wonderful in the evening sun, the field of Rape has, all of a sudden come into bloom.  The evening light really lifted the picture.