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In reply to Uncle Jezza's thread, let's have a bit of positivity, eh?
As the weather is actually ok for a change, I've been out in the garden. I have never had the remotest interest in gardening until the first lockdown, when I developed an interest out of sheer boredom and muttered the immortal words "right... I'm going to tidy this up a bit". You can guess the rest. As Zoe Williams once observed in the Guardian, as blokes we are pathologically incapable of getting 'slightly' into something. It's all or nothing.
So I've just come in after clearing the beds of weeds and tidying stuff up. The daffodil and tulip bulbs I planted in lockdown 1 are all poking though and there are fresh buds all over the rose bushes I planted last summer.
Its perked me up no end! 😀
Let's have some positivity then , you lot.....
What've you got that has made you smile?
You twee **** 😉
Daffs been up and out for a while now, same with snowdrops, bluebells have now started poking up
You twee **** 😉
I know! 😃
Quite a few people, not least my kids, are mystified by this recent transformation
I saw daffs and snowdrops out on my ride yesterday. I thought it was just cos I'm in the balmy south?
Having said that, they were at the top of Little Haldon which is a good 800ft up so either way, a good effort from the little yellow and white fellas.
Snowdrops have appeared here in Northumberland.
No daffs yet.
Nah, I was tottering on ice on my morning ride...
its definitely lighter in the evenings
Yellow card for Matt!
Snowdrops round here too (Durham coast) 😁 We had a bounce round to Lidl for something French for breakfast and we're just in from a walk out to pay the bills so we're on for a Shit Triathlon!*
* ride + walk + shower/bath
Yellow card for Matt!
nice shade of yellow though (keeping it positive)
it matched your eyes Matt
Snowdrops out in The Tweed Valley.
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Found a few snowdrops on the walk up win hill from hope today. Lovely day apart from the wind!
Well we're in a powercut due to the winds.
It's also pissing it down.
Could be summer.....
We have one lone plucky yellow crocus flowering while his mates are still thinking about it.
16 years ago we buried our (adopted us) black cat at a spot in the garden which has since sprouted a tall, spreading hazelnut tree, which I noticed is today full of bright green catkins.
Of late a handsomely-wonky, semi-feral, jet black and creamy white cat has also (sort of) adopted us. He seems to leave the birds alone (preferring rats) and so our trees and bird-feeders are alive with feathered friends from the woods, gardens and hills.
After a year, Black & White is not so timid and he now comes through the window, sometimes rolls on the bed, purring and headbutting me. He even sleeps there for an hour or so.
I made a poem to him a few weeks back as he lay stretched out under the full-moon coming through the window:
You are The Moon
You are The Milk
You are The Night.
He purred, shifted and then left swiftly via the window leaving me boaking in the wake of his silent rat-meaty fart.
Not had a chance to clear last years dead plants from my garden yet might get round to it in a few weeks. If it's not raining.
Well was 19c around here Spain and the almond trees are blossoming 🙂
Frosty mornings thou but glorious afternoons.
First ride for me in 3 months today, it was cold and my legs hurt but I got out, the wind had dropped and the sun tried to come out, made me feel a lot better, it's the start of the days getting better.
We’re West Lancashire. The daffodils are well on their way. Not flowered yet, but not too far off, prob two weeks away.
The crocus, bluebells and snowdrops are up and will likely flower this week I reckon.
All the above timeline guesstimates depend on what tonight’s forecast storm brings though.
And really seem to have noticed the lighter nights suddenly. We’ve booked a week in Mull for the end of March, arriving the weekend the clocks go forward. Can’t wait for then, checked the sunrise times and its reckoning 8pm from the Sunday night. That’s the time things really change for me, rides after work no longer have to be night rides, and it is so much easier to be motivated and do ‘stuff’
Well was 19c around here Spain and the almond trees are blossoming 🙂
You've taken this positive vibe thing too far now!
East Sussex. I cut the lawn today. Felt very very wrong but was getting totally out of control. Looks awesome now!
Tomorrow is the last day of the longest month of the year.
The only way is up, someone once sang.
Thought of binners with a trowel, a kneeler ( dont pretend you don't know what that is) gardening gloves and secateurs made me smile..
Very middle England.
No daffs yet.
There's loads of dafts in Northumberland and the surrounding shires. I should know. I'm one of them (well Northumberland neighbour anyway 😄)
Oh. My mistake. You said "daffs"...
I'm too set in my ways to declare Spring until March the 1st, but it's pretty mild at the moment, well apart from all the storms which are mostly missing us.
Saturday was supposed to pour down, but didn't and it was probably a bit warm for jackets by the time we finished our ride. It was 9c on the way to school this morning and nice and light which was lovely.
Best news though is that according to my Solar Luna Widget today, is the day, sunset is at 5pm. Now I rarely actually leave work at 5 and the weather will have more effect that the position of the Earth in the Solar System on how light it is at home time, but today is a good day.
Never mind the plants, most of the local trails have been incredibly dry for January so I've been out 3 times in the last week and not had to wash the bike. In January, on my local trails, in January!
Trail were perfect yesterday, that lovely tacky texture that still has some give, loads of grip and hasn't got dusty yet.
Admittedly I was running and not cycling on them, but the point still remains.
Got a good show of snowdrops and I think I've sorted the damp problem in the Annex and disconnected the scumbags from our septic tank. Just need to finish the bit of work I'm late with and we'll be winning!
Never mind the plants, most of the local trails have been incredibly dry for January so I’ve been out 3 times in the last week and not had to wash the bike. In January, on my local trails, in January!
Sorry for the incoming negativity..
The lack of rain will almost certainly mean it's going to tip down for weeks soon. Unless it snows. Ooh look, my positivity is back. 😀
Well was 19c around here Spain and the almond trees are blossoming 🙂
You’ve taken this positive vibe thing too far now!
Yep ,needs a pic 🙂
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That may not the be blooming ones,I think I’d ridden by when I thought I should’ve took a pic 🙂
Sorry for the incoming negativity..
The lack of rain will almost certainly mean it’s going to tip down for weeks soon. Unless it snows. Ooh look, my positivity is back. 😀
Well aren't you just a ray of ****in sunshine 😀
Long weekend in the Lakes certainly lifted the spirits, no bikes just walking about a bit...
The blue tits are exploring our nest boxes - the neighbours and we have about 7 individual boxes and a sparrow terrace. Last year we had three great or blue tits across them, fingers crossed for more this year.
The local foxes/squirrels etc are all getting a bit randy, a sure sign the weather is perking up...
disconnected the scumbags from our septic tank.
Is this the subject of another thread? Sound like a classic neighbour angst story in there - the kind we read and are oh so glad we have no skin in the game! 🙁
The local foxes/squirrels etc are all getting a bit randy
Yeah, it sounded like there were multiple murders happening on our night ride last week, and all in the direction we were riding. That wasn't the reason that I followed everyone else down the steep, slippery unofficial stuff, instead of going down the drier official route as planned. Oh no, it wasn't because I would have been on my own in the dark with banshees screaming in every direction...
Long weekend in the Lakes certainly lifted the spirits, no bikes just walking about a bit…
Two brilliant photos there, thanks for that.
Last weekend, we stayed with friends for the first time in two years. And it was lovely: we rode our bikes to the beach, ate curry, drank too much and talked cobblers. Just like we used to.
@tthew, no, not in another thread, got to keep it on the low low for now but there may be a cathartic outpouring once resolution has finalised
Would be a good un though!
A blue tit was eyeing up the 5 star nursery at the weekend on our beech tree.
Other birds were singing their hearts out, also there was a mini dawn chorus the other morning.
Snow drop should be blooming by the weekend.
Love the Herdwick photo up there - my favourite sheep.
Snowdrops all out in SE Wales and the daffs in our garden are nearly here. Many trees and shrubs are budding in the woods. The roses they planted by the new Costa are covered in new baby leaves.
It's daylight when I head out for my ride to work now, which is nice. It's still pretty dark when I get home in the evening but commuting in daylight both ways is getting close.
We still have a lot of snow and it is -10C outside, but it is one of those mornings where the light is perfect, the snow is just ever so lightly falling and there is no wind.
Things look beautiful instead of bleak and frozen.
binners - honestly its amazing that you've taken up gardening.
But, can we all be aware to not tidy our gardens too much, as there are 'overwintering pollinators' hiding in the leaves and debris. Also garden birds love rummaging through the mess.
These insects, birds, butterflies and moths are all just waiting for the warm weather arrive.