I Feel A Smile Coming On...

Another piece from my friend Steve - he walks his dogs every morning, and regularly sends a 'Nature Report' - not just to us, but also to many of his friends who are unable to go outside right now, and appreciate the beauties of spring.  Thanks, Steve

"We rise quite early each day and stagger downstairs to meet the day. The big problem with the lighter mornings is that we are missing the dawn chorus. So things have changed, a couple of morning each week we miss the tea and the sleep and leave a little earlier so to be able to catch that magnificent call of the wild. It certainly has been a changeable couple of weeks - hailstones one day, rain, high winds and then that wonderful gentle and soft balmy morning that shows it is spring.

The ivy has some huge clusters of blue-black berries and the honeysuckle is sending up new shoots so as to get a head start on the other creepers like the bramble. 

The elder is showing new growth and the English bluebells have green shoots above the ground. These are almost single flowers as opposed to the Spanish which seem to have taken over in this area. The grass in the fields is looking quite lush and has enjoyed the rain and sun.

She is back …the roe doe. We have seen her twice in the last couple of weeks gently grazing on the new rich grass and just wandering about in the dappled sunlight amongst the trees. The Squirrel is charging about up and down the trees. 

Mr Mole is also very busy on the path - he leaves evidence of where he has been with small mounds of finely sieved soil. All sorts of birds can be seen with twigs and various grasses in their beaks obviously nest making. What a wonderful time of year!

Upon returning home we see some magnolias just bursting into flower, in a week or so they will be absolutely fantastic. Yes... one of our peach trees is also in flower, I have uncovered it and just hope the leaf curl does not attack. We have received a delivery of geraniums and they look quite good, with the night light on perhaps they will grow and grow. There are a couple of camellias, pure white in colour in full bloom, showing off all their underskirts, a joy to behold… and I feel a smile coming on!"

Don't you just love the idea of the camellias displaying their fine white petticoats? I've had a tiny bit of gardening success too - when my friend Jenny looked after my orchids whilst I was in Norfolk last summer, you may recall that one had a 'baby' offshoot. Well this week it has had its first flower!  I put the signpost from my Christmas Cake in the pot in January - it seems quite appropriate, now we are about to move. 

I agree with Steve - springtime does give us something to smile about