A busy Easter

 

Aren't these beautiful flowers?  Tam gave me them as a birthday present as they all clubbed together and gave me money and I have yet to order the raised bed containers I want for the garden for veg.  Gabby brought along a lovely M&S iced Lemon Drizzle cake, and lovely scented hand wash, and they both gave me wine.  Danny and his girlfriend and her little girl will be here next weekend, overnight.  He may have to make up the spare bed first - E's little girl likes to spread out in the bed and they end up on the floor!  I have the mattress but the bed should be arriving tomorrow . . .

Yesterday was the Bank Holiday Monday Fleamarket at Malvern showground.  The weather was not kind, it rained on and off during the day, sometimes quite heavily, and had rained overnight too I think as the ground was very wet and the sellers had their cars parked on the tarmac and stalls inside in squares.  There was a LOT of rubbish.  That said, I found some nice little bits to bring home.  Sheep bell anyone?

I didn't sleep well the night before - or rather, I did sleep well but not long enough.  I woke at 3.15 (always the witching hour) and was still awake when I got up at 4.30.  Keith wasn't far behind me, but is so slow first thing that we weren't any further ahead when it came to leaving time at 6 a.m.  It became obvious when he stood up that his blood pressure was very low again - it affects his neck (makes it painful) he couldn't even shuffle, let alone walk.  It was probably as bad as it was this morning when it was 71/48 . . . (Back to the GP this week again).  Reluctantly, he decided to stay here.  Just as well as he wouldn't have done very well going round in the mud and long grass on the showground, with his mobility scooter.  When it came on to rain properly, the stalls in the undercover sheds got overwhelmed with people escaping the weather, and no room for folk on mobility scooters.  I didn't linger - I got there 5 past 8, and left 2 hours later.  As I drove homewards, there was a low "cloud rainbow" on the horizon towards Stretton Grandison, ethereal and looking like a fading bruise.  As I drew nearer it got sharper and more colourful and gradually burst into full colour.  I was so early leaving I decided to go bother a church on the way home, and tried to find Staunton on Wye church (St Mary's) but turned too soon, and ended up at Norton Canon, which was worth visiting.  I will do a post on it soon.

These are, I believe, Oxlips.  There were Cowslips on the way to the church, but these by the pathway to the church were twice the size, beefy, and had lots of flowers in a bunch at the top of the stem.  I also saw a Hobby, skimming along a foot above the road, before it swooped up and over a hedge.  I've not seen one for many years though we did have them flying in and out of our copse in the paddock, above the stream.  That was in the days when we still had Redstarts nesting there too.

A beautiful old oak tree split in two, in a field overlooked by the church.

I hope you all had a good Easter too, whatever you were doing.