Bluebells

 Spring was early this year! There is a little patch of woodland about a 10 minute drive from here. There is a part of it away from the 'official visitor paths' which we always try to visit because of the bluebells. Here is a short video I took of them. I love the birdsong on this!

The bluebells went back a long way...

 

 

 -no special effects tweaking here, the sun did it for me!

And Kevin caught me-

 

The bluebells always have such a gorgeous scent!

 
ps- is this font too small? 

**** *** **** *** **** ***

Love, tea & cake,  
Helena

Time for an update!

Can't believe Easter has been and gone! It's my favourite season, and I always like to mark it in some way. I think because ours this year was so low key meant it swam past really quickly.
Anyway, let's start with the cards I managed to make this year.....

I used this Celtic cross stamp again. I like it because it's filled with flowers and this means that although it's a 'formal' image, it has a softness about it.

I enjoyed colouring the crosses with ProMarkers. In some, I covered the cross with a glaze pen. In others I added sparkly glitter glue, the name of which momentarily escapes me.

** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** ***

On Easter Day, Luvbug took Mum to Church. She used to go to a 'community church' when she lived in Kent, but hasn't gone to a new one since moving last year. We think it would be good if she got into somewhere again, as she sometimes says that she's lonely and bored. Previously she has said she wouldn't go without me but I'm afraid I can't face going to church. I do all sorts for her but I have to draw the line there, given certain bad experiences I'm afraid the very idea turns my stomach. So Luvbug offered, saying that he was going and would she like to come too? Really it was all for her; he wouldn't have thought of going there otherwise. It was a 'Free Evangelical' church not far from us.

We expected it to be a hands in the air, guitars and drums, 'happy clappy' affair, which is what she went to in Kent (and a type that I was a member of some years ago!) but apparently it was quite formal. An organ playing, 4 hymns, Bible reading, small sermon. Hmm. I thought all Evangelicals were more lively than that-???

Mum did enjoy going, although Luvbug said she shed a tear at first. (Awww.) She said it would be ok to go again..... we'll have to see how this develops!

** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** ***
Whilst at church, I was back home cooking dinner. We had turkey and lots of trimmings. It was all scrummy! Then we packed a flask of tea and went for a walk in the woods at Highwoods Country Park.....

Here is Mum in the woods....or me, trying to get her to smile for a photo!!!

The bluebells are out...

And so is the blossom....

It was a lovely stroll, and we stopped by the lake and drank our tea :)

It has been warm here for three or four weeks now. On some days it has been hot, 81F was the highest, I think, with most days in the 70s F. Today was the first chilly day, with a smattering of a light shower. Perhaps the weather is about the break for the Royal wedding tomorrow!

** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** 

The hawthorn in our back garden is heavy with blossom, fuller than we've ever seen it before. These photo's don't really do it justice-

It's also called 'mayflower', so it's come early!

Our wee tree peony is ready to burst, too. Last year we only had one flower but this year it has a double blessing...

 However it's something in this laurel that we are most excited about....
just where I've drawn the red circle.... right next to the house!

-can you see her? A collared dove on her nest!!!

I say 'her' but it could easily be a 'him' as they share the nest duties. It's so cute if you're there when they change shifts!! Aww.... nearly time for hatching....

Yup, I love Easter, I love spring....

A Walk in the Woods....

Apparently, not too many years ago, this whole area was woodland. Houses, roads and shops later, only part of the wood remains. The remainder is now called Highwoods Country Park. Much reduced, but at least this means that it's protected now!

Part of the wood has been coppiced regularly since Tudor times and continues to be managed this way. There is a small log-cabin type visitor centre, serving tea and coffee, and selling little pocket-money things like pens and pencils, and rubbery bugs for scaring sisters with.
There is a lake, a hill covered in grass (it gets covered with picnickers in the summer!), a meadow, and marked walks and cycle routed through the trees. We recently found another bit, a wilder bit, fewer paths. We hadn't known it was there!

It's only a short drive to get there, and we're resolved to go there more often this year. Last week we took a walk there late in the evening, to hear the birdsong as they go to roost. Well, I expected the birds, but what I didn't expect was the scent- as soon as we stepped out of the car, the smell of bluebells and an evening air heavy with May Blossom hit us! It was gorgeous. And apart from one man walking his dog, we were undisturbed the whole hour or so we were there...

The photo's are dark as it was getting late....
it was almost dark by the time we came home again!

The bluebells are on their last legs, but still lovely...

I love the way walkways disappear round the trees....
this next photo is out of focus but I still wanted to keep it :)What the??? Oh dear... well, you can't blame him, it's only what Bears do in the woods...

I think these pink ones are Red Campion but I could be wrong! They look lovely, especially mixed in with the bluebells...There were some places we didn't walk through, out of respect for the flowers, and all the wildlife that must be enjoying them :)We saw lots of these wee fellas, some with babies. They were all over the open spaces and bounced into the hedgerows as we came along. I managed to catch one on film. I think he was playing chicken, or pretending to be invisible:
Lastly, a view over Colchester from the woods:

SCRUMPTIOUS TIMES!