First Day of Spring?

Along the banks and verges, white has changed to gold and purple, as the virginal snowdrops die away, giving place to primroses and periwinkles, crocuses and daffodils. The wintry sunshine, that struggled to push its way through cloud and mist, has also gone, at least for now, and in its place is a blessed heat, tempered by gentle breezes. The birds' joyous song is joined by the humming of bees, as they bumble and buzz from one blossom to another; and even a couple of butterflies have come out to join the fun.

One doesn't like to get speak too soon, but might spring be here to stay?

What colour is your beak?

I read recently that you can tell the general health of a male blackbird by the colour of his beak - apparently, the stronger his immune system, the yellow-er it is in appearance.
I think the three male blackbirds who currently live in our garden must be very healthy indeed, as they all have beaks that verge on neon orange. Given that spring is just around the corner, and they are all spending a lot of energy defining boundary lines (which mostly seems to consist of singing very loudly, and fighting each other on the lawn and in amongst the bushes), it's probably just as well...

My father had a cold the other week, and as he stood there wheezing and sneezing, looking decidedly wan, I suggested he should go to bed, adding that if he were a blackbird his beak would probably be a rather pale, dirty yellow. He agreed. How useful it would be, when it comes to looking after our health, if we all had colour-changing beaks!

Flood guilt...

My mother and I are suffering from "flood guilt" this year. We scarcely dare discuss the weather. People who ring us up from far-off deluged counties ask in kindly tones, "Are we all right?" and "How are we coping with the floods?" and we hardly like to say that we haven't had any; well - any to speak of. The swooping bend out of the village gets quite puddlesome at times, and the fields down by the river have become part of the river, but compared to the South West, it's nothing. Even our railways are still intact.

According to the weather on Candlemas this year, winter should not be over for another month or more, but the proverb may not hold true this year - for yesterday the sun was warm! Admittedly, the air was still cold (and sitting outside without a hat has left me with a cold), but you can't have everything. And it wasn't raining! Actually, it felt a bit strange - blue sky, warm sun, no rain - was this some kind of alternate universe?
But who knows what the weather, in its wisdom (?!), will decide to do over the next few weeks. It could deluge us with snow storms yet...

the snowdrops and aconites catch some sun...

The Big Garden Birdwatch

Last weekend I took part in the British Big Garden Birdwatch. I'm not entirely sure why, because every year I go through the same agony: "What if the birds don't come?"
At any other time of the year, our garden is practically bursting at the seams with birds of all varieties, including, occasionally, really exciting ones such as the gold crest (of which I saw one this morning); but come the Big Birdwatch weekend, and hey, presto! they all vanish, and all I get to put down is two sparrows and a blue tit. I swear those birds can read RSPB leaflets. Maybe being put on the "endangered" list gives them bird street cred. or something...

Winter is icumen in...

Today I awoke to the first proper frost of the season. Bushes and branches were outlined with sparkling white crystals, the grass crunched under my feet, and the puddles and pond were covered in ice. The air was still, and up above in the pale blue sky, a waning crescent moon still hung. Hurriedly I filled up the bird feeders and put out a dish of water, and soon the birds began pouring in; mostly pigeons and collared doves at first, but the smaller ones weren't far behind...

Our Jesse tree came down on Christmas Eve, in readiness for the Christmas tree(s*) to go up. Because of this, I only have symbols going up to the 23rd of December, rather than the 24th. These were the symbols for the last week of Advent:

Our Jesse tree, 2013

19."Sculpey" brick wall (Nehemiah rebuilds the city wall)
20. Shell (John the Baptist - the second Elijah)
21. "Sculpey" mother and child (Elizabeth - barrenness made fruitful)
22. "Sculpey" white lily (Mary - human acceptance of God)
23. Felt Eeyore (Joseph - obedience to God)

That was our Jesse tree for 2013, and now 2014 is only three days away...

Happy New Year, Everyone!

*We have to have two trees, as my mother's and my decorations do not blend...

Merry Christmas!

"And Mary gave birth to her first-born, a son..."

'Tis the season...

...to receive lots and lots of parcels! Our postman arrived on our doorstep this morning, almost laden down with exciting-looking packages. As I opened the door he called out "Throw away your Christmas tree, you'll have to buy a bigger one!"

Speaking of trees, my Jesse tree is coming on well. I have made quite a few new ornaments this year; last time I didn't start until the 8th of December, so the whole thing felt rather a rush, but this year I started back in November, which gave me plenty of time. The strings of paper stars (for the promise to Abraham) give the whole thing a very festive feel, I think.

I have adjusted the symbols a little as well, and of course added in one extra, as Advent is a day longer. So far they stand thus:

1. Cartoon of God juggling planets (the creation)
2. Crab apple from a neighbour's garden (Adam and Eve)
3. Felt rainbow and paper ark (Noah and the flood)
4. Paper stars (the promise to Abraham)
5. Bundle of twigs (the offering of Isaac)
6. Gold-painted string ladder (Jacob's dream)

Rainbow and Noah's ark

7. Technicolour dream coat (Joseph the dream-interpreter)
8. "Stained-glass" burning bush (the calling of Moses)
9. Wooden lamb (the Passover)
10. "Sculpey" stone tablets (the Law)
11. "Sculpey" shofar (the fall of Jericho)
12. Cardboard crown (beginning of the kingdom)
13. Shepherd's crook (David - a shepherd for the people)
14. Stone altar (Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al)
15. "Sculpey" hot coal (the calling of Isaiah)
16. Glass tear drops (Jeremiah and the Exile)
17. "Sculpey" skull (Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones)
18. Picture of a lion (Daniel)

And now it's only one week until Christmas!