Wednesday 22 February 2017

Nature delights as she starts a New and Wonderful year.

Each day I wander down to the bottom of my garden to see the snowdrops.   From the muddy leaf covered ground once again they appear, peeping green shoots.  In no time  the clumps of white buds open their petals and show their pretty flowers.  I wonder if they know just how pleased we are to see them.  I picked a handful and placed them in the kitchen window, each time I wash the dishes I marvel at their clean white petals.   It is magical how they appeared  again on time, when we so needed to see some sign that spring is on the way.  Today I felt so happy to see all my bulbs growing, the first yellow daffodils flowering,  blue and white crocus starting to open.   I planted lots of new bulbs last Autumn and feel like a child waiting for them to flower.


 My fritillary are coming on well and I even noticed one has got off to a fast start showing a bud already.   I have been sitting drawing in front of the window so each  time I look up I can see the view across the shore to the Lakeland hills.  Our lovely view, always changing, always so inspiring whatever the season.  Rainbows and sunsets and blue sky,   as I need to remind myself of the promise of more  colour in these gloomy grey days of winter.



 
There is always a pot of gold  here, natures treasures to find.


Beautiful sunsets to end the day.


The blackbirds are pulling out moss from the lawn and flying off into the Ivy with  their beak full of moss and grass.  A nest is being build!  The birds are singing.


The primroses are coming too along with all my memories of childhood collecting them along the hedgerows.  Now I only pick them from my own garden and enjoy seeing them on my walks because sadly they are no longer as plentiful and common as when I was a child and they grew in huge clusters and nobody minded you picking a bunch or two.


This is one of my favourite views, I always stop and stand  and look down across the estuary leaning on the wooden gate.  This place is so special,  I have spent my life here and I am so lucky to have been born in such a beautiful environment.   Just as the snowdrops  grow like a miracle each new year,  I am hoping there will be another.

There is a sadness that it may be blighted by huge, well no giant metal pylons to carry electricity to the national grid from a proposed nuclear power station up the coast.  They have proposed to build the route around the estuary and across the village and along this side of the estuary. On New Year's Eve I made a banner  which I painted, " NO PYLONS  .  SAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL DUDDON ESTUARY.   NO PYLONS ".   We placed it on the shore between two fence posts .  It was a day when people came together to make their feelings heard and walked from two villages to  gather here.   I wrote a letter with my feelings,  along with many others, it would certainly have a great effect on our lives and on our well being if it is allowed to happen.


7 comments:

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Beautiful photos and post
Sorry for the sadness that comes with it. It feels surreal that anyone would want to build a nuclear plant anywhere on this planet. They need serious therapy, IMHO. I hope they don't spoil that beautiful place. There are better ways to create electricity.

Pondside said...

I can't imagine the view of that pristine estuary being marred by enormous pylons. Good for you for making your feelings known. I hope you and your like-minded neighbours are able to bring some common sense to the ones that think this is a good idea!

Debbie Nolan said...

Dear Milly I so pray that those pylons will not come and spoil your beautiful part of the world. You live in such a lovely spot that it would be hard to see this happen.
My snowdrops and crocus are blooming too - very early for us but our winter has been warmer and more open. Think spring just may be sooner than we think. It is always a pleasure to visit your part of the world. May you have a blessed week. Hugs!

Feathers said...

Wonderful to hear from you again--Happy New Year from across the big pond! Love hearing of your bulbs up and blooming/budding. I can only dream of mine yet. I hope for you all that the pylons will not be built around the estuary you enjoy so much. It is a lovely view, and would be such a shame for it to be spoiled We've had several warm breaks in our very cold winter since Christmas, but Old Man Winter has reared his ugly head again at present, and we again have snow on the ground, but he can't hold on much longer, I'm sure! Our yard is strewn with fallen branches from the trees, so there will be much dragging and hauling to do before mowing season will begin again. A large yard with lots of trees is a joy, but also a lot of work.

Melody said...

Oh no, no ~ I hope they don't put up huge, ugly pylons!! :(((
Happy to see your snow drops though ~ and to enjoy your beautiful view, unspoiled, as it should be! I have fingers crossed that my very first fritillary bulbs have survived winter, and will show themselves in time! ~ (our spring is a bit later in coming here...) Best wishes and happy day to you! Melody :)))

MILLY said...

Thank you all for your comments.
It is lovely to hear from you.
I cannot seem to be able to leave anyone else a comment via this blog! I have tried and do not seem to be able to solve the problem, it will not let me sign out of google account yet will not let me comment as google account. Anyone help?
Millyx

Acornmoon said...

Oh, I do hope this little bit of heaven is preserved. I grew up in industrial Lancashire amidst cotton mills and paper mills, I then moved to an area blighted by coal mines and steel works. We all need power to light our homes but dread the invasion of our precious green spaces. I know how much my parents appreciated visits to the unspoilt places such as Morecambe Bay and The Troughs of Bowland, it would seem a crime to destroy them .