Daisy Day? 18/03/2014

A dreary, windy day up here in Darkest Northumberland and time for a little brightness courtesy of this daisy growing in the field, taken a couple of days ago.



In the garden at the cottage there is a lovely old mahonia who's fragrant scent drifts across the lawn and path as I walk past in the morning and evening.

March 15th, 2014 15/03/2014

Our friend here has cause to look shocked, two days after he appeared, he vanished. The mystery of his sudden arrival or purpose may never be solved.

The banks of the burn itself are usually well populated by celandines and the first two plants flowered this week, it is always good to see the bright yellow glowing in the subdued morning light by the burn.

We still have snowdrops coming into flower.



Spring is well and truly upon us here in Northumberland, though still time for a good fall of snow, we have had none here this winter. Very disappointing......

We have a lot of speedwell growing wild on the banks above the burn up at the cottage and this is the first I found in bloom. In a week or two areas of the bank will be covered.

Edvard Munch Wos Ere! 10/03/2014

Driving up to the cottage last night I spotted this little character atop a fence post. In daylight this morning I was able to stop and take a closer look, and some pictures!

He, she? Is fired clay and firmly fixed to the post, obviously intended as a permanent feature overlooking the valley.



But who placed it there and why might never be known....

Winter's Past 11/03/2014

Spring is very nearly with us here in Northumberland but there is still plenty of evidence of the past autumn and winter.

Duck-duck and Sooty 11/03/2014

Duck-duck and Sooty were nowhere to be seen this morning when I arrived at the cottage, they roost on the top of the high poultry run at night and start grazing early in the morning.

It unknown for them not to be there waiting to be fed so after feeding everyone else I went for walk along the Burn and over to our neighbours farm but on the way back I found the fresh pile of feathers that had been Duck-duck. It is most likely that she was caught by a fox, there is still no sign of Sooty but I have to assume that she was also caught.

A very sad day, the pair of them, mother and daughter were great characters.



Duck-duck



Sooty

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness 14/03/2014

Boris has not let the sad events of the last few days interrupt her beauty maintainence regime but she prefers the privacy of her own private bathing facilities, i.e. the bucket rather than the "public" duck pond in the orchard!

Boris is always on hand in case she needs her back scrubbed, "God loves a trier".......

Coltsfoot 09/03/2014

The transition from winter to spring always fascinates me, waiting to see which plants and flowers appear or bloom first. This year the weather here in Northumberland has been quite wet, though certainly nothing as extreme as elsewhere in the country thankfully, and very mild with so significant frost at all.

Predictably, the first to appear were the snowdrops and crocus but in the background the wood sage and foxgloves are producing fresh rosettes. Daisies have suddenly burst into flower in the field and today I spotted coltsfoot in the orchard, a few weeks being pretty and delicate before the heavy leaves sprout for the summer.