how sweet!

I've realised one of the most common phrases I use when by myself in the kitchen is 'how sweet!'  Now, this isn't because I'm cooking up sugary desserts (sorry), but rather because it's the best place to view the garden and the bird feeders. 

The coal tits flit to and fro from the seed feeder; the blackbird attempts to hang off the fat ball feeder - 'how sweet!' I say.

The great tits explore every nook and cranny of the garden with characteristic curiosity. A blue tit sits and preens itself quietly - 'how sweet!' I say.


Watching them have a splashy bath always provokes a comment.  Recently we've been having a male blackcap in the garden.  This morning he took a bath.  'How sweet!' I said.

The other day one of the goldfinches simply perched in one of the nearest bushes and trilled its little heart out.

'How sweet!'

on camera

Just one of our hedgehogs!

in the garden by night...

...An hour ago...

I slide out of the back door and ease my way along the garden path and halt. It's dusk, and the light is fading rapidly. I know what I'm hoping for, I've seen it three days ago. I'm desperate to know if it's still there. So I stand, and I wait. It feels eerie, standing there in the dark, listening to every dark rustle - every flutter of a moth. And I wait. An occasional almost-sound - but it could be a mouse. Or a nighttime insect batting against the leaves. I stay, waiting. Hoping.

As my eyes begin to struggle, my hearing becomes sharper. I hear every flutter, every swish, every breath. Charlie in his hutch behind me - the only noise I can actually identify. Then - a shake. I mean, an actual shake. Like an animal when it shakes. And I could swear, it's up behind the pond, the place which holds the most interest for me. But was I imagining the direction? Were my senses off, and it was the rabbit behind me? Charlie can shake. But...that is the opposite direction.

I wait. And there, by the steps, emerging from behind the pond grasses, comes the hedgehog. I am clenched with delight. The first sighting, which I intended to write here and still haven't managed it - is thoroughly confirmed. Three days ago I was peeling potatoes and glanced out the window and - I'm going mad, is that a hedgehog? At 3.30pm?! Later I go and look at the hedgehog house, worrying it may not be in a fit state to receive guests, so I open the lid slightly. And close it, quietly and hurriedly, on glimpsing a little ball of spines.

This evening I was feeling a little glum and thinking I may not see it again, or that I'd disturbed it - and then worrying it had been ill since I saw it during the day. But then...at 9pm...I went outside. And I waited. The beautiful little creature found its way to the food I'd been laying out (and has been disappearing, I might add, every night) and proceeded to spend at least 20 minutes munching happily. I just stand there and watch, the joy of the moment keeping me on my feet - I stood in a way that was the least tiring and before I realised it, I'd been standing there for 50 minutes.

Intriguingly, as I watched, squinting in the darkness, another odd sound was emanating from the bed beside the path. It was a scraping, crunching sort of sound. Definitely not a moth. I never saw this second creature, but it seemed evident that there was one, down in the dark. (Last week I was pondering that the garden was a little overgrown lately - now I'm thrilled with the fact.) There was even a third noise, from another part of the garden, which intrigued me. There were noises around the pond, and one of the grasses suddenly jerked. One day I will sit out in a deck chair and listen.

The hedgehog finished up (must put out larger helping!) and moved into the flower bed - but before it did, it wandered a little in my direction and then - shook itself vigorously. It was the very same sound, and I couldn't help grinning the third time I heard it, from under the bushes.

As darkness was setting in good and proper, I bid a retreat when I saw the hedgehog go back towards the hedgehog house behind the pond area (so overgrown itself that it would be difficult for anything to drown in it, thank goodness). I heard more rustling and wondered if it was trotting down the pebbly bit to have a drink - quite possibly. Too dark for any photography, but nothing could beat the real thing, anyway.

When I first saw the hedgehog (assuming it is the same one), I had been feeling stressed and just back from the doctor. Was praying for help but seemed to get no clarification, so went to sort potatoes. And looked out of the window. And I could hardly believe my eyes. Our garden is fenced in, and has lots of drops and steps. I'd always thought a hedgehog would never get in. There was a moment of indecision about even using the hedgehog house in this garden when my brother and sister-in-law gave it to us a couple of years ago. I am so glad we did.

You know what the cure for stressed out fed-up-ness is? A moment of pure delight. A tiny part of me - which made the rest of me blush - thought: I was miserable, so God sent a hedgehog. Which will sound very silly, but there are stranger things that happen in this world.

Whenever and however this hedgehog encounter started, I am very grateful for it, and long may we have our hedgehog friend!

a moment of colour

natural therapy

Well, what happened to last week? I was here, I simply didn't write anything: quite busy with various things, and when I had a bit of free time my brain had turned mush-like, which is not conducive to writing. Possibly it would have got into gear if I'd written a sentence or two, but never mind.

We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary last week. Had a meal out and went out to an RSPB nature reserve on Andy's day off, which was very nice. So many butterflies! Am rather fond of butterflies.

Had splintering-oh-good-grief-horrible headache last night. Did not go to church this morning but planning on going this evening for the communion service. Had an hour this afternoon sitting in the sunshine in the garden (with hat and sunblock!) which was lovely and relaxing...speaking of butterflies, there was a Painted Lady lounging on the buddhleia next to me, absolutely beautiful. Have not seen one since the throng that came through a few weeks back (see here). Also noted the honey bees accompanying it - glad of that due to the plight of the honey bee. Bumbles everywhere, as always in our buzz-friendly garden!!

The goldfinches occasionally on feeder while I was out there - the female is very unsure and flies off the minute she sees me, but he is beginning to tolerate me. Impressed I was close enough to tell them apart! (There is another 'set' of goldfinches in the neighbourhood - had the two fledglings sitting cheeping on the washing line last weekend - very cute!) Mr Blackbird has reappeared - seemed to disappear while we were on holiday, but discovered him sheltering in the forsythia from the rain yesterday. Threw him some raisins. On discovering 'normal service' has resumed, he's been dropping in all day today with his plaintive look. Even more plaintive as he is mid-moult and rather raggedy!

Still struggling with neck and head problems, but nature was very therapeutic for me this afternoon. Charlie in uber-relaxed state, happy to receive some attention.

Craft group tomorrow morning...have made a poster for them in style of scrapbook page, hope they like it...

purple

in bloom this week

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Breathe in spring...

spring Sunday

According to my Dairy Diary (which my mum gets from the milkman each year!), spring officially starts on Friday (20th). But it's already here in our garden:




Thought I would share some of the photos I took in the garden during the week:


Chionodoxa flowering happily

Crocus peeping out the side of the strawberry pot (which I've never used for strawberries!)
First aubretia of the year to open out its little petals

and of course, the golden daffodil glowing in the sunshine

Am going to the evening service today as we had a church quiz last night and I don't cope well with an evening event followed by an event next morning. Spent most of yesterday afternoon agonising over whether to go or not. Was rather low yesterday (thanks for the encouraging comments on my last post, guys - much appreciated) and very tired, but in the end I did go. Was the right thing to do - despite physical exhaustion, I needed somewhere to go and be instead of being left at home feeling as I was.

Our team actually won. I'm not great at general knowledge and completely phased out during the sports section (miraculously, I did know one) and concentrated on the dingbats we'd been given. (Did get rather over-excited during the movie quotes, however!) Andy is very good at retaining facts and accessing them quickly. I learn things well but if I don't use the knowledge enough, it slips away.

Talking of facts, I'll try and post the answers to true or false? tomorrow or Tuesday. In the meantime, you can still join in!

In this stretch of Lent before Easter, I hope to post some more serious thoughts I've been having at this time. I should get a wriggle on; it's less than a month away...

Have a blessed Sunday.

"...the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness." ~ Psalm 18:28

Today: 4/10, medium

the springtime effect

There's something about opening your eyes in the morning and knowing from the colour of your world that the sun is out. It was a wet and windy night, so the sunlight feels even more precious. It lights me up on the inside, not just the outside. I find it soothes my weariness and any anxieties, causing a certain relaxation to flood through me; even as I go about my day working on this and that, I feel a kind of release.

The snowdrops are going over now. February is over and March has arrived! I made it through winter and here comes spring! The daffodils are budding in the front garden, brimming with promise, and the crocuses stretch gleefully towards the sun (like me!)

I was rather pleased with the crocus picture I posted on Monday; apart from the watermark and compressing the file size what you see is what was taken, the same with the images in this post - no later changes or tweaking to the images. I love the sight of these tiny flowers peppering the dull ground with the vibrant colour of hope; they awaken the tiny flowers of hope in my heart's garden, inspiring me to thankfulness and expectation of joy.

Mmm mmm (said appreciatively). Oh yes, spring is beginning and however I physically feel, my heart always rises to meet it...

Today: 4/10, medium

nature's tears

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My personal favourite is the last one.

Today: 4/10, medium

birds, and other things

You'd think I could come up with a more inventive title, couldn't you...

Uploading photos takes a bit longer these days. The computer moans 'how big?' and twiddles its thumbs irritably for a while despite there still being gallons of disc space. Blogger creaks and moans too, but comes through in the end (unlike Facebook, which promptly throws up and kicks you out entirely until resizing has taken place. Was that imagery a bit extreme?) One could, if one was in the mood, resize everything and then upload to blogger, but one is not, I'm afraid to say, in the mood. Anyway, not much happening garden-wise, but the snowdrops are sneaking through and will soon be blooming:


Bird wise we have some regulars - a pair of blue tits, a pair of great tits (they are hilarious), a pair of robins (that's a first - we didn't even have one regular until the last few months, which is probably why the dunnocks have mysteriously vamoosed). Also my friend the blackbird:


There is a female blackbird but she is much shyer. The robin, too, is rather on the shy side, despite its reputation:


We've had occasional visits from a pair of coal tits and, delightfully, a goldcrest has also visited. The smallest British bird, for the benefit of those unfamiliar with it - with, unsurprisingly, a teeny weeny golden crest on its teeny weeny head which merges with its teeny weeny round body.

Enough of the teeny weenies, I think, and back to some rather lovely-hued ivy on the edge of our front steps:


Church this morning - on being an inclusive community. May, at some point, post my own thoughts on the matter. If I get my head in gear. And we all know what an effort that takes. Still, I'll let it brew for a while - you may get your 'cup of tea' eventually.

Today: 5/10, medium

in the garden

We have so many garden spiders at the moment. Out front, while doing some deadheading, I counted 7 without even moving my head. I'm quite happy to have spiders in the garden, although there are, as you know, times when I accidentally walk into a web, which is not very pleasant. Was saved from this recently when I opened the back door - I paused to see how heavy the rain was - and in that pause noticed the huge face-height web which had formed overnight across the doorway.

So, yes, I was doing some deadheading, and re-staking cosmos. The cosmos have really taken off now, splaying about cheerfully, with my needing to rein them in frequently. A week or so back some stems partially broke off in the wind and rain, so I cut them back and then rescued the best looking flowers to display inside:

They looked so lovely and vibrant.

I had to compost them the day before yesterday; they still looked good but were spilling pollen everywhere, which wasn't so good. The bees are loving the late source of nectar outside however. Our front garden looks very colourful despite it being October - in fact I think it looks particularly good at this time of year. The cosmos in vibrant shades of pink and burgundy, frothy pink and white achillea swaying amid golden rudbeckias, and the deep pink of the sedum in between. The potentilla is having a second flush of flowers. All this on a very small scale of course, but I'm pleased with the effect.

The birds are beginning to be more active in the back garden now, visiting the topped up feeders.

Today: 5/10, high

the water garden

On Sunday afternoon we took a trip out to Longstock Park Water Garden, which is only open a few times a year. I didn't immediately get round to uploading the photos, but thought I would post them here:

It's only open a few times a year, and was quite crowded, so I had to be quite creative with my shots as I don't like lots of people in them unless I want them to be!

Today: 4-5/10, high

Yesterday: 4/10, high

Tuesday: 5/10, medium high

garden visitor

I was quite tired on Friday so I took a break in the afternoon and sat in the garden for a while. Charlie was in his run, but he wasn't my only company. A woodmouse also appeared. We have them occasionally - woe betide them if they come in the house - but they generally seem very bold. I usually dub them 'Woody' but this one had reddish fur so has been called 'Rusty' (by me - Andy doesn't do mice).

Anyway this one was just as bold and not at all bothered by me sitting there waving my camera at him. If he was startled at any point he simply popped right back out again.

This isn't the greatest picture, but it shows you his proximity:

Friday: 4/10, medium

Saturday: 5/10. medium-high

Today: 4-5/0, medium

in the pond

Today: 3-4/10, medium

Yesterday: 3-4/10, medium-high

everything's blooming

The philadelphus in our back garden is absolutely glorious this year. Huge masses of white blooms dangle over the flower bed and fill the air with a subtle sweet aroma.

I often pause on passing to take in a whiff - but have to be careful not to sniff up a bumble bee! Taking photos of bumblebees while buzzing around the philadelphus (which was blowing around in the breeze simultaneously) proved somewhat challenging with the camera I was using, but I caught this one having a rest on a geranium flower...

And this Red Admiral posed very nicely on the pieris. It had previously been basking in the sun on a tea-towel on the washing line, creating a perfect little silhouette when viewed from the other side. Alas, it didn't stay long enough for me to take a picture!

Meanwhile out front the achillea I sowed and planted last year is thriving...I've had to keep clipping it back so it doesn't smother the rudbeckia.

more in the garden

On trying to create a suitable picture for my anthology cover, I took a few more garden pics which I may as well share...

Woke up feeling all clenched up inside this morning. Tiredness can rob you of all kinds of energy - felt drained on all levels. I liken the clenched tightness to the effort it takes to keep your head above water when the levels have risen. Except the water, in this case, is fatigue. My mind makes a foolhardy attempt to overcome it and in doing so I end up feeling stressed for no reason. Never mind. Have a phone call from my Occupational Therapist this afternoon. I both dread and look forward to it. Hmm.

Energy rating: 4/10

Headache: medium