(no subject)
Apr. 6th, 2013 04:59 pm
It's been a long time coming, but today is actually something like a spring day, although it's rather late in the year for the crocuses to be in their full glory!
It's been a long time coming, but today is actually something like a spring day, although it's rather late in the year for the crocuses to be in their full glory!
Winter wonderland
Jan. 21st, 2013 04:50 pmAfter a week of feeble flurries, we finally got some worthwhile snow last night, coating every tree and fence.
(no subject)
Oct. 2nd, 2011 08:43 pm
They had a Steam Gathering at the Industrial Hamlet this weekend, as a grand finale before closing down for the winter, and I spent a couple of happy hours there yesterday morning, taking photos of shiny traction engines and steamrollers, watching a blacksmith forge a chain, and poking into the corners and workshops again.
(no subject)
Sep. 16th, 2011 01:10 pmTwo views of my local "lake" -- actually the dam for an eighteenth-century water-powered factory, whose buildings can be seen in the background. One was taken on Monday, when it was sunny but quite windy (not nearly as bad as it was higher up, I gather) and there was a good chop on the dam; the other was taken yesterday when the water was as smooth as I've ever seen it.
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I spent the week in Surrey, which was interesting -- very rural in a densely-populated way, with big old houses and narrow, twisty roads through the woods. The big old house where I was foregathering with other scientists had a little lily pond on the terrace, haunted by enormous dragonflies. It also had a couple of used twenty-foot rockets in the oak-panelled staircase, but I didn't get a really good shot of that.
And now I'm back home, tired, and planning to take next week off.
Hunting Gray Heron
May. 2nd, 2011 07:17 pm
Moments later, the heron took a couple of very slow, cautious steps, as if playing Grandmother's Footsteps, and then pounced out of view. When we saw him again, he had a beakful of wriggling fish, which he proceeded to gulp down.
Bluebells!
Apr. 22nd, 2011 07:56 pmWe went for a walk in the woods today. In places there were so many bluebells that their scent perfumes the air, and the green of the leaves was sharp-sweet in the sunlight.
Chatsworth
Apr. 12th, 2011 11:07 pmAfter the warm weather at the weekend, I was afraid that if we waited until after Easter to go looking at azaleas in the Chatsworth House gardens it would be too late, so we went today.
It turned out to be much too early for azaleas and rhododendrons, except for a few here and there, but there were daffodils of all shapes and sizes, and camellias in the greenhouses (including the 1970s Display House, the first two sections of which are now open), and green leaves, and plum blossom, and pheasants skulking in the undergrowth, and tulips and magnolias and intriguing wicker sculptures, and vistas that aren't really visible in the summer. It wasn't very warm, but it was mostly sunny, and we we had a very pleasant day.
Unfortunately the front of the house facing the Canal Pond is currently swathed in scaffolding and plastic sheeting, which rather spoils the classic view. Enterprisingly, they're offering the chance to climb up to a "viewing gallery" on the scaffolding for 4 quid, but we did not avail ourselves.
Also, for some reason there were large yellow rubber ducks at all the strategic points in the gardens -- perched on Flora's head, the roof of the Cascade House, and half way up the Wellington waterfall, floating in the Canal Pond ...
Flickr slide show.
It turned out to be much too early for azaleas and rhododendrons, except for a few here and there, but there were daffodils of all shapes and sizes, and camellias in the greenhouses (including the 1970s Display House, the first two sections of which are now open), and green leaves, and plum blossom, and pheasants skulking in the undergrowth, and tulips and magnolias and intriguing wicker sculptures, and vistas that aren't really visible in the summer. It wasn't very warm, but it was mostly sunny, and we we had a very pleasant day.
Unfortunately the front of the house facing the Canal Pond is currently swathed in scaffolding and plastic sheeting, which rather spoils the classic view. Enterprisingly, they're offering the chance to climb up to a "viewing gallery" on the scaffolding for 4 quid, but we did not avail ourselves.
Also, for some reason there were large yellow rubber ducks at all the strategic points in the gardens -- perched on Flora's head, the roof of the Cascade House, and half way up the Wellington waterfall, floating in the Canal Pond ...
Flickr slide show.
Spring bursting out all over
Mar. 31st, 2011 11:00 pm
It was windy today, which made photography challenging, but mild and sunny, despite the forecast claiming it was raining. The crocuses are about done, but there are lots of wood anemones and celandines, as well as the blossom and daffodils and occasional rhododendrons. And here and there, fresh green leaves unfurling.
Now the daffodils are really out
Mar. 24th, 2011 08:33 pm
The last couple of days have been warm and sunny, and all the daffodils seem to have opened at once. I was out and about yesterday, and in between errands I spent an hour in the Botanical Gardens, where there were daffodils of all shapes and sizes, including some in situations where I didn't need to kneel on the dirt to get to their level.
(no subject)
Mar. 19th, 2011 09:30 pm
We went back to Whirlow this afternoon. The daffodils are still not really out, except for a few here and there, but some of the rhododendrons are starting to flower. (In other news, daffodils are not the easiest flowers to photograph, what with their habit of looking down and their penchant for shady corners!)
If they can keep up the weeding on the rock garden, which has been quite extensively cleared and replanted, and maybe get rid of the dead maple by the pond, it should be quite pretty there in the summer. The pond badly needs dredging, though.
