Thursday 25 March 2010

I think I need my eyes tested!!

I can't remember what it's called, but it's flowering nicely!




OH and I went up the hill for a quick walk after lunch. I took my inhalers and managed it quite well (it IS steep), though I did stop a couple of times on the way up to, ahem, look at the view! I looked across to my neighbour's land, to see if any of his broodmares had foaled yet. I couldn't see them - one is a grey, so they normally show up, but I thought I saw a dark bay mare down in the field, and rolling. I thought colic . . . or malpresented foal. Anyway, we climbed up to the top, gazed across at Garn Goch, and the precipitous slopes of Black Mountain beyond it, and I took some photos of wild flowers putting out their leaves and proving spring really IS here now, and squinted across the valley again. Yup, definitely one of his dark bay mares, and STILL rolling. We walked faster down the hill and I set off up the valley in the car, to see if Jim knew she was in trouble. As I drew around the final bend and could see the field clearly, I was mortified to discover that the dark bay mare was . . . a dead tree, and its branches sticking up were the mare's 'legs' . . . ah well, better safe than sorry I suppose!

Above: Dog's Mercury, always one of the earliest wild flowers, and below, a good clump of Cow Parsley leaves.



I had a little stroll around the garden with my camera today and have taken some photos of the few things which are now in flower, but everything is starting to break through the soil and those spring bulbs I belatedly planted in January (!) are through and growing and some in flower.

Today I have been busy listing surplus books on Amazon and eBay, and have also put a piece of surplus furniture on eBay, a rather nice oak corner-cupboard on stand. I have some horsey things I want to list today or tomorrow too, so I shall be busy.

Our Middle Daughter arrives home today, a day late (long story), so I have a BIG leg of hogget in the oven and need to do all the accompanying bits to go with it. She's home for three weeks, which will be lovely, though she will be working flat out on her dissertation, so we probably won't be going out anywhere.

Looking across to Black Mountain.

Wild Strawberry flowers - last month there were only two flowers on this plant.

In the garden: the blue Pulmonaria. I have a pink one too.

Palest yellow Cowslips.


Tete-a-tete, and below, LOTS of Aquilegia seedlings have sown themselves in the gravel. For some reason this picture keeps appearing elsewhere on the page . . .



I have managed to wreak havoc with my secateurs in the ditch around the back of the house. As I worked, I listened to birdsong, and the chug chug of a tractor dragging a reluctant roller up and down the track,and watched a Buzzard soaring high overhead, and thought about other days when spring is further along, and the sun is warm on your back and life seems worth living again.

9 comments:

  1. It looks like spring is finding you sooner than us. Although, I did find some crocus sprouting yesterday. What are the guidelines for selling on Amazon? I have a few books to pass on also.

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  2. So glad the troubled mare turned out to be a tree!! a far nicer conclusion and one that brought a smile to my face!!
    Spring is showing signs at long last and I loved your photographs!!
    Hope all your books and piece of furniture sell well for you.
    Enjoy the Hogget and trimmings, the thought is making me feel very hungry!
    Love Jane xxx

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  3. I'm so glad the "tree" wasn't a mare in serious trouble! I always feel like I've had a wonderful visit in Wales with your pics...thank you! I know you're excited about having your daughter coming to visit...at least, she'll be home even if she's working on her dissertation. Too bad I'm not in Wales or closer than Oregon, I'd love to buy a nice corner cupboard! :-)

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  4. GQ - selling on Amazon is fairly straight forward. I look up the book I have to offer, compare prices and condition with others, decide my asking price, and then click on the sell button, which takes you through a very easy listing, and voila . . . You have to check your mail box every day though, as you only have two days once it's sold, to get it posted.

    Aromatic - I was relieved too. If it HAD been the mare, and Jim was out, it would have been difficult . . . The roast hogget was sublime . . .

    SH - glad you enjoyed the visit. Wales is a beautiful place - North Wales different again as much more mountainous and wild. We do have the Brecon beacons, with Pen-y-Fan and the range of the Carmarthen Fans (F = V in Welsh, pronunciation-wise). Sometimes we can catch a glimpse of Pen-y-Fan from the top of our hill, if it's a clear day.

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  5. Good to hear that it wasn`t the mare LOL.
    Lovely to see the wild flowers showing at last.
    Enjoy having your daughter at home.xx

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  6. I too am mystified by your first photo: ah, comfrey I thought, but on a closer look I decided it couldn't be, so I am intrigued and would love to know what it is, if you ever identify it. Selling books on Amazon - which I have only discovered in the last 3 weeks, is so much easier than I could have imagined; though it doesn't help one's credit balance of you have to drive a 6-mile round trip to get a book posted on time. Best of luck with your sales.

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  7. Spring is definitely here but not as far advanced as it is where you are. I'm interested to know what your mystery plants are as well, hope that someone recognizes them or that you remember! Hope your stuff sells quickly.

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  8. I see I shall have to look up the "Mystery Plant" in one of my books. The blessed Jackdaws keep nicking the name tags!

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  9. I think your first photo is what we used to call Ground Ivy. Maybe?

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