Wednesday 11 April 2012

Happy things

Today the world is beautiful.  Alternating great heavy grey and purple rainclouds with grand white sailing ships of clouds, dazzling sun and sapphire skies.

A wonderful flash of forked lightning  shot through the storm clouds early this morning.

The cherry blossom is out and all the spring flowers.




The garden in front of our house faces north and is enclosed by a hedge, so it is cool and damp.  It grows like a little woodland dell, a mossy path and stones clothed in moss, a small pond and flowers sprinkled everywhere, some we have planted and some that brought themselves.  






All varieties of mint flourish there, and the primroses look at home.  Returning from just a few days away I felt such joy to see the violets in flower – lots and lots of them.  






I guess they must have been there all along, because we didn’t put them there, but when we arrived here the front garden had been covered with multi-coloured concrete crazy paving, so anything living just had to bid its time underneath.

The other thing waiting for me on my return was this:




Wonder of wonders! I wish you could feel the softness of these socks, the latest of Alice’s ongoing sock creation.  






They are made from alpaca wool spun by a women’s co-operative in Latin America, silky and smooth.

While we were away at the conference, we walked early one evening into the town of Minehead (our accommodation was on the outskirts) to eat at a restaurant.  We left around eight because the Badger had a professional appointment to keep, and strolled back through the dusk that was coming down to darkness.  The street had some trees planted along the edge of the road, and high in the branches of one of them, a nightingale was singing, the first real live one I ever heard!  Just the most glorious song.  I could see him – it really was a nightingale! We listened for a while then sadly had to go on – but when we got back to the conference centre, there in one of the trees another nightingale was singing – and the next two nights he was there again; such joy, a really rapturous sound.







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365 366 Day 102 – Wednesday April 11th       





3D glasses for viewing 3D movies.  I prefer the 2D ones, so won't need these any more.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

You're making me envious. I'm sitting here in London and I'm afraid the Nightingale never did sing in Berkeley Square. As for those stripy socks... [pauses for major covetous moment]!

Pilgrim said...

Our last house had a wooded area in the back that was full of violets in the spring. So beautiful. Humble, but not retiring. :-)

BLD in MT said...

The plant life looks really quite magical in your photos. So green!

I must learn to knit socks. I must!

I saw one 3d movie to see what all the fuss was about, but I don't know it didn't wow me I guess. Certainly not enough to pay the surcharge for 3d movies again.

Bean said...

The best part of traveling is the moment we return home :)

Bean

maria said...

Welcome back! So good to read your words again my friend.

Your garden looks green and colorful...how lovely to have it - isn't it?

Did you have a good time?

Peace be with you,

Maria

Pen Wilcock said...

Cripes! Google blogger has instituted fiendish operational changes in my absence and it took me about twenty minutes for figure out how to publish your comments. Why is life like this? As for Facebook timeline, don't get me started . . .

Anyway thanks, friends for your good thoughts :0)
Philip - yes, Alice always has a patient queue in our family, watching jealously to see who will be getting the next pair of socks. We don't push or bit or anything, but we wait in hope.
Beth - I tried and tried to learn to knot sock, but could never manage the first row past the casting-on - the three needles blew my mind!
Pilgrim, that description of violets is exactly right!
Hi Maria, hi Bean - yes, we had a good time but I never like being away from home for long, just because I love my home and family; it's where I want to be.
God bless your day friends - as the Navaho (I think) say: "You whose day it is - make it beautiful."
xxx

Jules said...

gorgeous pictures! things here in the USA are starting to bloom and its just wonderful!

Pen Wilcock said...

Hooray! Spring in coming! :0D