Sunday, May 12, 2013

52 Weeks of Happy - Week Nineteen

Four simple things that have made me smile this week...........

1.  Greylag geese with their goslings by the lakeside at Trentham Gardens, they were so protective of their little ones.  I assume it is dad standing protectively whilst mum hovers over her little ones attentively, it could, of course, be the other way round.  Either way it was a delightful scene.

2.  Spring Flowers in the Italian Gardens and along the terrace at Trentham Gardens - I'm not usually particularly enamoured with orange flowers leaning more towards pinks, blues and lavenders or pure white flowers but somehow these tulips were so bright and cheerful in the sunlight I thought they looked stunning.

3.  A White Peacock at Wingfield Manor - as we stood waiting at the farm gate for our guides (see my last post) I heard a cry and said to Paul - 'that sounds like a peacock!'  When we got into the ruins there it was, I hadn't expected it to be white though.


4.  Hedgerow Blossom. I think this is Blackthorn or perhaps May blossom - of the saying 'Ne'er cast a clout 'till May is out' - well the blossom is out but after a sunny weekend last week, once again it is cold and wet, the heating  has been turned up and the jumpers are back on.  The gardens need the rain but I could do without it!  Still these photos remind me of how happy we were to be out and about walking in warm sunshine last weekend.

Link to  Little Birdie  where  '52 weeks of Happy' started. Each week you find just four things that have made you happy to share. 

30 comments:

  1. Lovely choices. Apparently, blackthorn flowers appear before leaves but hawthorn (or Mayblossom) flowers and leaves appear together.

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    1. Ah, yes - you are right! I always confuse the two:)

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  2. Those tulips looks stunning but how grand is the white peacock - very regal! Jane x

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    1. He strutted around our group as we were standing listening to the guide, very sure of himself and his beauty:)

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  3. What lovely photographs. The Tulips are very cheery but I love the Blossom picture. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. I never used to be fond of orange flowers but nowadays I think the more colour the better! The tulips look so vibrant and uplifting. I love the white peacock - imagine finding that on your bird table!!! x

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    1. Orange flowers seem to be 'in' again don't they? They were very cheering all together:)

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  5. I, too, prefer pinks, blues, lilacs etc in the garden - though those tulips are gorgeous. I think in a large, formal garden setting like that, you can get away with more colour. We once visited a garden in Shropshire where two long borders opposite each other had been planted like a rainbow - it was quite stunning, must have taken a lot of work. Amazing peacock - I've never seen a white one. Abby x

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    1. Yes, I think that in a larger garden even colours that you don't expect to see together seem to work well, the borders in the garden you saw sound wonderful:)

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  6. Lovely choices. I thought the white peacock was particularly dramatic. Jx

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    1. It was most unusual, I hoped it might display its feathers for us but it didn't:)

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  7. Love your four happy things - especially as it features so many animals. Been ducking (no pun intended) in and out of the rain all weekend here too! Just as I thought that we were heading towards Summer!
    June

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    1. It seems never to have stopped raining here! Glad you enjoyed the photos:)

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  8. I love the goslings - keeping geese I always love to see the young. The blossom is lovely. And the white peacock is interesting; I imagine his display of feathers is quite beautiful.

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    1. I was hoping that the peacock might give us a display but it wasn't to be - I bet it would have look wonderful:)

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  9. The sight of geese always makes me smile..

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    1. Me too - it's just something about their shape - so appealing:)

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  10. Lovely photos, especially the geese.
    Yes autumn has returned or maybe last weekend was the summer for this year...I hope not!
    xxx

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    1. Thanks, Lyn - I hope that wasn't summer the weekend before last I was hoping this year's summer might be different to the last two:)

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  11. Ive grown partial to orange flowers of late - love all your photos xxxx

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    1. Thanks, Diane - I've recently been drawn to orange flowers, are we seeking warmth in colour as we don't have it in the weather? I wonder:)

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  12. lovely photos and it's nice to see some goslings. I haven't seen chicks of any description yet this year, apart from the on the webcam at derby cathedral as the peregrines are hatching!

    I love the white peacock, I've seen one or two around, at Blackbrook Zoo and Blaze Farm I think. It's great to see so much blossom around now isn't it?! It all appeared so suddenly this year!

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    1. I've been to Blackbrook a few times but must have missed the white peacock! I must look at the webcam for Derby Cathedral - I watched last year but haven't looked this year as yet. The goslings were so sweet:)

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  13. I agree with you about the colour orange especially when we don't really associate it with flowers during this season, but those tulips do look beautiful in that setting. There are some in a little garden in the centre of town and they cheer the place up. You are also right about the old saying - weather is so changeable I could have done with several jumpers etc. when on a walking tour around Derby yesterday!

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    1. I think we need colour to cheer us up after the cold weather thus far this year and now it is still with us it seems even more gloomy after our little taster of spring the weekend before last:)

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  14. I've never seen a white peacock before, it looks just as impressive as the one's we are used to seeing. x

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    1. I looked up images of white peacocks on Google to see if I could find one with its tail feathers displayed - I did and it looked so beautiful, even more beautiful than the normal ones:)

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  15. Thank you Rosie for reminding us that it is spring! Amazing peacock shot.

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    1. Thanks! I wish it had displayed its tail feathers for us but it didn't whilst we were there. Spring is lurking somewhere I'm sure!:)

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