countryside · general stuff · in the woods · spring · wildlife

In the bluebell woods

 

Hello again, hope you’re well. Sorry that I’ve not been around much lately. The children have had a lot of time off school recently because of an odd arrangement of the Easter holidays and although they went back on Monday I’ve spent most of this week deep in pattern writing mode. It’s going well but they’re not quite ready so I’ll post more about them when they’re finished.

Spending a week mostly at the computer has left me feeling a bit cabin-feverish so earlier today I packed myself a little picnic and took myself off for a walk in the woods. It was the perfect antidote to staring at a screen and I thought you might like to accompany me.ย I had walked there 2 weeks ago when the bluebells were just breaking bud but today they were really at their best, I just wish I could have shared the wonderful scent with you because the whole wood was perfumed …

This little oak apple (oak gall) fascinates me. It’s caused by a gall wasp laying an egg in the developing leaf bud and so changing how it develops. I’ll be paying it a visit throughout the year to see how it grows. It’s already changed a fair bit since I first saw it 2 weeks ago …

Well that’s it from me for today. I got home just in time as it’s raining heavily now so I’m going to go put my PJs on and snuggle with some knitting until dinner. Thanks for dropping by, I hope to be around here a little more once these patterns are finished and if you’ve emailed me recently and are still waiting for a reply I’m sorry, I hope to catch up with emails next week.

countryside · general stuff · spring

Happy Easter

Just popping in quickly to wish you all a very happy Easter weekend.

It really feels like the start of spring here with blooms and blossoms popping up everywhere. It feels good to be heading back to the long bright days of summer and thoughts are turning to what to grow in my little vegetable garden this year.

There’s lots of knitting going on too but nothing yet ready to show. I know it’s taking ages for me to get this next pattern out, there have been lots of distractions recently with more paperwork and meetings to do with Toby but it is being worked on and I will keep the blog here up to date with any news. Thanks for being patient with me ๐Ÿ™‚

Enjoy your Easter weekend x

countryside · general stuff · wildlife · winter

frosty morning

There are a hundred things that I really should be getting on with today, I’ve really not got into the swing of things yet this year and am behind with all of my plans and aims. But this morning was a perfect winter morning and much too beautiful to stay inside. So I bundled up in my hat, gloves, scarf, thickest coat, cosy socks and trusty walking boots and set off for a walk.

The countryside is so beautiful after a full frost but it really was cold, the temperature was showing as -4 as I set off (which is pretty cold for these parts). I just walked a few miles, wandering down lanes, across fields, along bridleways and footpaths, past beautiful houses and around the churchyard, but there was much to see. Lots of frosty leaves and berries and a surprising amount of wildlife – robins, jays and blackbirds; a fallow deer (which was too quick for my camera); rabbits and squirrels and a couple of ponies. Here’s what a I recorded from my walk, a little snapshot of a frosty winter day in a Hertfordshire village, when the ‘earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone’*.

* From ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ Christina Rossetti

Now I’m home again and warming up with a cup of tea and a toasted cheese scone and although I’ll not be able to tick many things off my to do list today I do feel much restored by my quiet walk with it’s small delights. Tomorrow I will begin to get organised, see you soon x