Summer is Almost Over! 24/03/2014

I have already seen lots of lovely pictures of primroses in flower around the country, though ours on the banks above the burn still have a week or two to go.



very sharp frost overnight has certainly made the primroses and other plants think twice. This foxglove was just starting to thaw in the shade under a fallen tree trunk beside the burn.

The cold air first thing this morning was a price well worth paying for the glorious, bright sunshine as the day went on. Sadly, the forecast for the next few days is not so good, with overcast skies strong winds and light rain on the way.....

Barren Strawberry - Potentilla sterilis 20/03/2014

Yesterday in the sunshine, the tiny Barren Strawberrys made their first appearance of the year, on the bank above the burn at the cottage. Tiny, delicate little things, always good to see in the shady areas but peeping out at the sun.

This morning was cold, dull and threatening to rain (it is now!) and the little strawberry flowers remained closed.

Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage - Chrysosplenium oppositifolium
We have swathes of this on the damp banksides of our burn but I always have a real problem getting decent photographs of the flowers. There seems to be something about the yellow pigment which the human eye is particularly sensitive to, or that the digital sensor is not! It has taken me ages to get a picture which adequately shows the yellow flower.

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