Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Welcome to March and White Rabbits

Did you remember to say 'white rabbits' this morning? As children we always used to try and remember to say 'white rabbits' which had to be the first words you spoke as you woke up on the morning of 1st March.   Some people also say 'white rabbits' or 'rabbits, rabbits, rabbits' on the first of any month throughout the year. Another saying is 'pinch, punch it's the first of the month' although I don't remember that one from my childhood, I've only come across it as an adult.


Anyway, whichever tradition you follow it's time to say 'Hello' to March and  share with you a few photos from yesterday's walk around the lake at Trentham. 


We didn't spot any white rabbits or any other rabbit but we did spot the black swans.

and these rather lovely carvings of rams, there were two but I only took a photo of one of them as there were people around the other one.

It was cold and there were still signs of winter around the lakeside

so I went into the garden centre to seek out some Spring flowers.




It is also time to think about sowing seeds and deciding what flowers we would like to grow in the garden as well as vegetables for the raised beds and salad stuff for the greenhouse.


As a final farewell to February and because it was also Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day we had pancakes for tea.

18 comments:

  1. Happy March Rosie! Isn't it great to be going into spring? The garden centre looks so full of colour. - I am sure that I would have had to buy some plants to take home. The black swans are so striking and the Ram is a lovely statement piece! I had pancakes for 'afters' last night with lemon and sugar but I see you had yours a l'orange! x

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    1. Yes, we had orange juice on our pancakes. Tthe rams are great aren't they? I daren't put crocus in our garden. One year we planted some lovely white, blue and yellow ones but they were all dug up and eaten by the pesky squirrels:)

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  2. We never had this saying here. We just comment whether or not March will come in like a lion or a lamb. This year it is in like a lamb :) So it will go out like a lion. You saw some beautiful spring flowers! I keep checking to see if my snow drops are out, but nothing yet (unless they're under the leaves). Happy March 1!
    Wendy

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    1. Yes, of course, I'd forgotten the lion or lamb one, we used to say that too. Came in like a lamb here too so I guess we have the lion to come:)

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  3. We used to say a pinch and a punch for the first of the month and then pinch and punch our siblings. I have no idea why or where that came from... It was a delight to see the black swans. This is the first year in many that we are not planning the garden and have bare windowsills not covered with seed trays.

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    1. I somehow managed to escape the pinch and punch as a child. The black swans are lovely aren't they? We have tomato seedlings in the conservatory at the moment. We just found the cat sleeping on the chitting potatoes!:)

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  4. Happy March, I said White Rabbit's this morning ! lovely set of photos, I like the Black swans.
    Amanda xx

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    1. Happy March to you too, Amanda. I always look for the black swans amongst all the white ones:)

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  5. We say 'hares and rabbits' - I'm not sure where that came from! I'd like to think the rabbit/hare connection is to do with Eostre, who had a hare as her symbol, but I'm not sure. It's a nice thought though...
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. I've not heard hares and rabbits before but March is so relevant to Hares isn't it? We always knew about the mad march hares, I love hares, one of my favourite wild animals:)

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  6. What a great post. I forgot all about the white rabbits and the pinching and punching but I did have some pancakes. Love the ram. 😊

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    1. Thanks, I do love pancakes, we only have them once a year I don't know why:)

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  7. I never remember to say White Rabbits until half way through the morning of the first of the month! I do love the Ram sculpture and always great to see Black Swans. A lovely selection of plants in the plant centre - we've been discussing here today what seeds to buy this year. Pancake looks scrumptious - we had some with lemon and sultanas :)

    I must thank you again for introducing me to another great new author. I noticed you had read a lot of Elly Griffiths books so bought the first Dr Ruth Galloway novel for my Kindle. I just loved it - couldn't put it down! In fact I actually sneaked a crafty hour's reading this afternoon as I just had to reach the end! Have already bought the second in the series to read soon :)

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    1. I'm so glad you are reading the Elly Griffiths books, I love the character of Ruth Galloway. Yes, do read the books in chronological order as the characters and their relationships change and grow through them. I have the latest one on order from the library, can't wait to get my hands on it:)

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  8. I'd never heard either saying before, have to remember for next year. The flowers are so gorgeous. My sister in Oklahoma says her Iris's are blooming and I can't get them to grow here---I love them.

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    1. I love those little iris and the crocus but we can't grow them here as the bulbs get dug up and eaten by squirrels, we planted some a few years ago and they were all taken:)

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  9. I'm afraid 'pinch, punch, first of the month...no return' was a feature of my school days. Jx

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    1. Ooh - I've never heard the 'no return' bit, that's interesting. We did have all sorts of sayings and skipping rhymes at school though, especially junior school:)

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