Crown Imperial

We have just one of these, come up unexpected in a border, and all the more lovely for being a surprise.

Feral pigeon

Went for a walk along the river in town today, and found these guys just hanging out on the riverbank near the park.

Grandmother's music box

This is one of my most cherished possessions - my grandmother's music box. It was a cheap little thing, and it's shabby now, but if you wind it up it still plays its tune when you open the lid. She used to keep it by her bed, and when I was small it was a special treat to be allowed to open it and hear the music. When she died it was the one thing of hers I especially wanted. It brings back very dear memories of a very special person.

It sits by my bed now, holding (for no particular reason) my children's little lost milk teeth, and my daughter loves to wind it up and hear the music, just like I did when I was small.

Sunflower seedlings

Every year my DH sows a load of sunflower seeds, and plants them out all around the borders of the vegetable patch where I can see them from the study window as I work. The blooms are gorgeous, then in the autumn the greenfinches and goldfinches enjoy the seeds, meaning double enjoyment for me - first the beauty of the flowers and then the beauty of the finches.

Honey bee

A glorious day out there today, and the Grape Hyacinths in the garden are covered in bees collecting pollen.

Easter chicks

DD made an Easter garden for school, and these two chicks sat in it, relaxing at their leisure on a striped towel under a cocktail umbrella. A nice life if you can get it... :-)

House guest

We're guinea pig-sitting two squeakers for a friend. Needless to say, both children are utterly besotted with them. The cat also finds them interesting...

One bright thing in a gray world...

It's cold and dreary and gray and damp out there, and it was making me feel low. Chocolate was obviously the only answer.

There's an owl in my playtent...

What once was my living room is now a campsite for soft toys. Apparently I will suffer dire consequences if I touch anything before the kids get back from school...

House Sparrow

I've been coveting a longer lens for some time now; however such things are somewhat expensive, and not to be purchased without serious consideration. The other day I came across a very cheap secondhand 400mm lens, and bought it, figuring that it would give me a trial run to see how much I'd be likely to use a long lens, given the issues of weight and portability etc.

The lens isn't great, and it doesn't communicate with my camera quite the way it should, but it's fulfilling its purpose and I'm learning a lot. And today I managed to get a photo with it that I've been wanting for a while - a House Sparrow at one of our garden feeders.

We have two feeders, one at the bottom of the back garden and one in the veg garden outside the study window. The sparrows flock to the one that's most difficult to photograph, and rarely visit the study one. However, today there's a cock House Sparrow repeatedly visiting the study feeder, and I've finally got my photo (and given it was taken hand-held and through a not-exactly-clean window, it's not too bad!).

Hen blackbird

Not the best photo ever, but I liked her expression.

Travertine tiles

The floor of our new shower room is laid and grouted, and looks wonderful.

Hawthorn hedge

Fresh new leaves on the hawthorn hedge around the Junior School field (taken before the hail set in!).

Peach blossom

The first of the peach blossom. We've covered it in fleece in the hope that we can save it from the frosts that are promised over the next few days - fingers crossed that we succeed.

A's socks

A friend, A, saw me knitting socks recently, and asked me if I would knit her a pair. The brief was 'bright but tasteful'. I think these fit the bill :-)

Yarn is Regia Canyon Colour, shade 2809.

Funnyface

A very silly face in honour of Red Nose Day, courtesy of DD.

Black Forest muffins

Tomorrow being Red Nose Day, I've spent part of the morning baking muffins for the Infants School fundraising cake stall tomorrow. Chocolate and black cherry muffins - mmmm...

Sticky buds

The Horse Chestnut buds (known to us when we were kids as 'sticky buds', because they are indeed sticky to the touch) on the trees next to the village pond are starting to burst out into fresh green leaves.

Back door beauty

Now that the birds have stopped eating them, the polyanthus in the pots by the back door are a mass of glorious colour.

An apple a day

The new kitchen tablecloth. Bold, yes, but trust me that in situ it visually balances the tiles over the work surface and brightens the darker side of the room.

Well, I like it, anyway :-)

Sunny Sunday rugby

A warm and sunny morning at rugby today - so different from last Sunday.

One-eyed Taz

I don't know her history, but she's still very beautiful, despite being down one eye.

Clouds

An amazing sky at lunchtime today. I just wish my weather knowledge was good enough for me to know what it forecasts.

Blackthorn blossom

A beautifully sunny day, so I walked over to 'our' wood to soak up some sun and look at some birds.

Daffodils

The daffodils by the back gate are almost out.

Ladybird among the tulips

Gloriously sunny out there today :-)

Kings Parade window

Shop window in Cambridge city centre.

Stripy socks

My latest pair of socks, begun at Christmas and finished today (although in between I've also knitted a pair of 6-ply socks for DS and a pair of felted clogs for myself).

The yarn is Regia 4-ply I bought off e-bay. The ball band says it's Strato Color, shade 5738.

Lunar eclipse

A clear night and a total eclipse of the moon underway.

Celandine

More Spring flowers are poking their heads up through last year's leaves. Beautiful.

Weeping Willow

The Weeping Willows are greening up already - they obviously think that Spring is here already.