Most excitingly, the same can be said of Owl Wood. A couple of years ago there was just one tiny patch of scented violets, now they have spread far and wide, much to my delight. There are also drifts of primroses running up and along the banks, under the trees and spreading beautifully through Owl Wood.
White violets are pretty, but lack scent; there are masses of them on the verge outside Parsonage Cottage. It is the deep violet ones that have that wonderfully elusive scent, which gains strength when the flowers are brought indoors and gradually warm up to room temperature.
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| Letter from a Girl |
My granddaughter continues to write her daily letters. This is the one she wrote this morning, before heading off to school.
To Granny,
Friday is our last day of school because more than a hundred people have died of coronavirus. The only people who are allowed to go to school are children of key workers, Mum and Dad are key workers. *****'s going to Dad's school and I am going to Mum's. Children who have special needs can go to school too!
Love from ******
As ever, there is no peace in this house, as I was trying to take a snap of the letter, Sparky tried to snatch it away.
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| Letter from a Girl Photobombed. |
I walked Toby for an hour this morning,finishing up by the old watermill.
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| The old watermill click to enlarge. |
The Butterbur has grown surprisingly quickly; the flowers are now about nine or ten inches long, and look very different from those round, virus-like flowers of just a couple of days ago.
So that is life in my little corner of Lincolnshire. As always, lots going on which doesn't make it on to the blog, but that is true for all of us.
Stay fit, keep busy.
Elaine
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The butter bur reminds me of a hyacinth. I saw some of those peeking up at the park yesterday afternoon. We had a short walk about to get some air. Today we'll drive to a state park and walk along the river not far from where we used to live when we once lived in a house not a high-rise retirement community.
ReplyDeleteI told one daughter that I had sent a letter to her daughter to be picture pals. She laughed and said they had just written one to me. We're on the same wave length amazingly enough despite being miles apart.
Hello Marcia, Good to know that you are able to get out and about in the fresh air, so important for mind and body, even more so given the current crisis. There really does seem to be something in this telepathy thing, though I suppose some people would call it coincidence. I think you granddaughters are going to be thrilled with their letters.
DeleteI never see butterburs locally but there were lots along the canal banks near Rugby.
ReplyDeleteHello Sue, You will definitely know how big they grow then! I hope all is well with you and your family.
DeleteHow lovely to have a carpet of scented violets, and other wild flowers. I havent seen many wild flowers here. A handful of red anemones but none of the small violet flowers we suaually have by the gate.
ReplyDeleteOwl Wood must be at its best at this time of the year..
Hello Linda, I visited Miss Read the other day, her front lawn is full of violets, the lilac-coloured ones, it looked really pretty, a whole army of them, marching through the grass. Red anemones would also gladden my heart and delight the eye.
DeleteOwl Wood looks as though it is beginning to wake up - hazel leaves are unfurling, the Queen Anne's Lace is getting ready to shoot up and swamp all the spring delights, but not before the bluebells have flowered, I hope! Stay safe in your isolation, enjoy your books and knitting.
What a beautiful little flower, must look out for it. I feel the media only concentrate on the number of people who died and have the virus. How many people live in this country. The 1918 influenza pandemic killed over 17 million people through out the world it may be as high as 25–39 million in Britain, as many as 250,000 died. I doubt the virus will get to that level of mortality. If any thing worries me it's the morons who panic buy. Nice your little granddaughter writes to you like this a shame the current situation affects her so much
ReplyDeleteHello Billy, I understand what you are saying, but I think you have to take into account the dreadful effects of this virus, the severity of compromised breathing and the need for medical intervention, with no guarantee that it will help anyway, in addition to the rate of spread and danger to medical workers. I do agree with you about the panic buyers. Stay safe and well. (I am looking forward to reading your latest posts, but it may take me a while to catch up.)
DeleteI love scented flowers but haven't seen any violets around here although I used to have them in my garden. Owl Wood sounds beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean. Owl Wood is just a little patch of woodland, but it takes quite a lot of hard work to keep it safe and keep it looking 'natural', but all that hard work is repaid time and again with the beautiful flowers, the birds, the peace.
DeleteGood to see that our county flower (violet) is again spreading in our county.
ReplyDeleteHello! Our beautiful county flower is really enjoying a bumper year. There is one area of white violets which I can track from one paddock, spreading out onto the verge of a lane, then tarmac, but on the other side the white violets continue their march, a little army of them. It always makes me smile, and wonder. I hope all is well with you and that you are not feeling too isolated.
DeleteI had a garden full of them in Goudhurst. I miss them growing in all the cracks and crannies Granny! Love the missive, treasures to be hoarded for future generations of the family to find. A lovely snapshot of a bygone age on the brink of god knows what?
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Hello Linda, I have a lovely little collection of those sweet and special letters, with another one added most days. They are so special and will definitely find their way into my box of special family letters, to be passed down the line. I have send her some flower seeds, and have a few projects for her to work on with her mother. I think Toby is feeling it as badly as we are - he has been so used to her coming in and out of our house, talking to him, training him (he'll almost anything for a biscuit, but don't tell her that!) and generally keeping him on his toes. Even the cats seem to be in the doldrums. I hope you and your husband are feeling a lot better. Keep safe.
DeleteHow lovely to have the violets out already. We a little behind here but they will come in good time, they are rather wonderful when they do.
ReplyDeleteStaying fit and keeping busy is a good mantra to have.
Hello sustainablemum, then you have the added joy of anticipation! I hope that you and the family are finding ways to cope with all the changes. Somehow, I think you will! Best wishes.
DeleteI miss the violets in my parents' garden. They had the blue variety. And lily of the valley in my great grandparents' garden. And and and...
ReplyDeleteStay safe.
Hello Joanne, I keep looking out for the earliest signs of lily of the valley, I hope they reappear this year, it took me so many years to get them established - they were my mother's favourite flower. Memories and flowers, links to the past. Stay well.
DeleteLovely to see such pretty wild flowers. The children take on board more than we realise, so lovely to receive your daily letters. Take care xcx
ReplyDeleteHello Chrissie, They certainly do, which makes me very glad that we have established this line of communication. She loves it, some days her notes are serious, other days are sunshine, the great thing is that she 'talks' about things. I hope you and yours are well and safe.x
DeleteHello Laurie, They are. She continues to write about this and that. I sent her a packet of wild flower seeds with my last letter, so she has been exploring around her garden to find the best place to scatter them. Trying to keep her mind occupied and her hands busy. Best wishes to you.
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