Thoughts on Thursday

Just  a few, simple things that have made me smile this week

  A surprise visitor to the garden

 Monsieur Reynard or Mr Fox visited our garden this week, not unusual in one sense as we know that foxes visit the garden - they leave behind the evidence- but we rarely see them.  This one visited around lunch time in the bright light (well grey, drizzly light) of the day.  He sat for ages on the grass behind the greenhouse and I was able to rush upstairs (well rush as much as I can nowadays with my knees) and grab my camera and photograph him from the landing window.  He sat for ages scratching, and then began  stretching his legs. front then back,  before he wandered off to the top of the garden where there is a way in and out through a small gap in the holly hedge behind the shed.

 A Rainy Walk at Ilam
On Wednesday morning we set out to walk at Ilam it was quite rainy when we arrived and we sat in the car in the car park for a while before we decided to risk a walk.  I'm so glad we did as the rain stopped shortly after we set off and only started again as we neared the end of the walk.  We had the place almost to ourselves just a couple of school parties who were way ahead of us and a few people staying at the Youth Hostel who stopped to chat on their way along the riverside.

We went inside the church too.  I know I've taken you here in several posts and told the tale of St Bertram whose tomb is in the chapel built especially to house it.  The font is Saxon as is the cross, one of two to be found in the churchyard.  The pictures around the walls of the nave depict the history of the village of Ilam through the centuries.

Back in the Garden
Things are livening up a bit, the winds and rain over the last few days have flooded the area around the pond again, but around the garden and in the raised beds the signs of spring are there.  The little tete a tete are raising their heads and the muscari and puschkinia are in flower.  The rosemary has little blue flowers and the rhubarb and wild garlic are looking lush and green.

  Easter Decorations 

Just a few bits and pieces out for Easter.  I've yet to find a suitable twig for hanging decorated eggs on. It has also been very hard this year to find any chocolate eggs without palm oil but the ones in the bowl from MandS seem to be free of it.   I don't know about the cute chocolate bunny, it was given me by my neighbours for looking after their cat for a couple of days whilst they opened up their caravan in Wales for the season.  We are making our own hot cross buns, in fact they are being made as I type by the bread maker of the house and the smell of mixed spice is wafting in my direction.  I will make some Easter buns or fairy cakes on Saturday. 

Hope you all have a lovely, peaceful Easter weekend.