Shall I compare thee to a summers day
Thou art more lovely and more temperate
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
And Summer's lease hath all to short a date.
WS
January's lease is almost run and the catkins are beginning to colour and fill the pussy willow branches and the many hazel brakes are festooned with yellow streamers as I walk the dogs along the river banks this week.
The roadside hawthorn hedges still look purple and bristly and the dead riverbank vegetation is bleached from winters frosts, but here and there the reedmace and flag iris are pushing fresh green swords up into a brave new world, a new life.
Just think, all that latent embryonic energy slowly at first but with inexorable power forging into life with ever increasing force to burst into a fresh bright new season of leaf and flowers, yes spring is nearly here, but not yet!
Snowdrops out everywhere along the Elwy at St Asaph starting from the Pont Begard footpath bridge through to the A55. They were mostly washed out upstream from bridge in floods of November 2012.
A merganser has taken up residence on the stretch of river upstream from the back of Foxons and I saw it this morning diving in the pool near to where the elecricity pylons cross the Elwy over the Old Denbigh Rd
Its not disturbed by human activity on bank either as I got to within 50 feet of it and it just moved out to middle of river to feed.The Dippers are back to feeding this last couple of days around the stone road bridge in St Asaph as the river fines down and clears from the recent heavy rain. Three there today bobbing and curtseying on the stones, just amazing birds to watch walking under water against the strong flow of the Elwy of late.
After Colins post I went out early this morning and he is right, the Dawn Chorus has started albeit a bit sporadic, its definitely warm up time, a rehearsal for the main event to follow in next few months.
Spring is nearly here!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Spring! and young men's fancy turns to thoughts of love.
And old men think of what nice veg to plant this year?
Everyone has some outstanding little job or two to fix around the house that you keep putting off til 'the right time presents itself' me no exception. The extractor fan in our bathroom suddenly stopped working over Christmas, the light came on but no fan. Monday this week our neighbours asked to use our toilet facilities as they were having a complete new bathroom fitted and had the builders in so I was quickly prompted by my beloved to fix the fan, or I'll get someone in to fix it!
I turned power off removed pushfit cover and peered inside, something appeared to be jamming the fan blades on bottom. With a long thin screwdriver I managed to poke it out from between blades and discovered it was a dead Wren. It had crept into the four inch diameter pipe for a snug roost I presume, the pipe, 14" in length has a protective cowl on the exterior so it would be quite sheltered in there.
Wrens tend to roost in family groups in winter so when the fan was switched on early morning before it was light it was the poor unfortunate one tucked between the fan blades that died.
Theres a certain irony to the possible timing of the Wrens death as Boxing Day 26th December is Wren Day to Celtic Druids. The good news is the extractor fan now works fine, just as well as the builders haven't finished our neighbours bathroom and toilet yet.
There is as I type this post, a cock pheasant sat on the top of an apple tree in our back garden trying to feed from a squirrel proof bird feeder full of sunflower hearts, Cyn called me through to see it, a sort of sequel to 'A Partridge in a Pear Tree'. Very bizzare it looks perched up there.
It normally is content to come in every morning and pick up the spilled sunflower seeds in the grass under feeder that the messy goldfinches scatter but I think the ground feeding chaffinches turned up mob handed earlier and cleared up hence the pheasants frustrated attempts.
Hope you all did the RSPB garden bird survey this week,it does help as it's quite disturbing to see the terminal decline of so many species including once common birds like sparrows and starlings.
If we all do our bit for them with just simple things like providing fresh drinking and bathing water every day it all helps in their survival particularly through the winter. Providing nest boxes or even better, nest sites is a bonus, we can all help!
And old men think of what nice veg to plant this year?
Everyone has some outstanding little job or two to fix around the house that you keep putting off til 'the right time presents itself' me no exception. The extractor fan in our bathroom suddenly stopped working over Christmas, the light came on but no fan. Monday this week our neighbours asked to use our toilet facilities as they were having a complete new bathroom fitted and had the builders in so I was quickly prompted by my beloved to fix the fan, or I'll get someone in to fix it!
I turned power off removed pushfit cover and peered inside, something appeared to be jamming the fan blades on bottom. With a long thin screwdriver I managed to poke it out from between blades and discovered it was a dead Wren. It had crept into the four inch diameter pipe for a snug roost I presume, the pipe, 14" in length has a protective cowl on the exterior so it would be quite sheltered in there.
Wrens tend to roost in family groups in winter so when the fan was switched on early morning before it was light it was the poor unfortunate one tucked between the fan blades that died.
Theres a certain irony to the possible timing of the Wrens death as Boxing Day 26th December is Wren Day to Celtic Druids. The good news is the extractor fan now works fine, just as well as the builders haven't finished our neighbours bathroom and toilet yet.
There is as I type this post, a cock pheasant sat on the top of an apple tree in our back garden trying to feed from a squirrel proof bird feeder full of sunflower hearts, Cyn called me through to see it, a sort of sequel to 'A Partridge in a Pear Tree'. Very bizzare it looks perched up there.
It normally is content to come in every morning and pick up the spilled sunflower seeds in the grass under feeder that the messy goldfinches scatter but I think the ground feeding chaffinches turned up mob handed earlier and cleared up hence the pheasants frustrated attempts.
Hope you all did the RSPB garden bird survey this week,it does help as it's quite disturbing to see the terminal decline of so many species including once common birds like sparrows and starlings.
If we all do our bit for them with just simple things like providing fresh drinking and bathing water every day it all helps in their survival particularly through the winter. Providing nest boxes or even better, nest sites is a bonus, we can all help!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
OURS IS NOT TO REASON WHY
OURS IS JUST TO DO OR DIE!
Wales 17 Italy 8
Had a good seat in the Millenium Stadium on Saturday to see a lacklustre performance by the Welsh squad, 68,000 rugby fans did not get value for money in Cardiff on Saturday as Wales were just lacking in initiative, drive or ambition. Luckily for Wales, Italy were slightly worse!
If they play like that against Ireland they will get hammered, just as Scotland did.
Of the six games played, on present performance it looks like the Six nations crown will go to France or Ireland with England in close contention, looking on the bright side at least now we won't get the Wooden Spoon, Italy must have a shed full!
On a brighter note, sitting in the stadium waiting for the game to start we were watching the big screen as the camera's panned around on the rugby fans and there highlighted by the camera on screen sitting almost directly opposite us were our neighbours from across the rd, George and Glynnis, this is the George of the trombone fame who organises the Christmas carols brass band and singalong.They travelled down on a different train and stayed in a hotel in Cardiff, we saved quite a lot by staying in Cymbran at the Premier Inn for £29.00 a night as opposed to £100.00 a night in Cardiff, also we travelled into Cardiff for free with our bus passes on an excellent express bus service that only stops twice on the way in. Arriva do good deals on rail travel as well with £23.00 returns for over 55 club cards, pity the W.R.U. don't do the same sort of concessions for their loyal fans and also money back for crap performances!
OURS IS JUST TO DO OR DIE!
Wales 17 Italy 8
Had a good seat in the Millenium Stadium on Saturday to see a lacklustre performance by the Welsh squad, 68,000 rugby fans did not get value for money in Cardiff on Saturday as Wales were just lacking in initiative, drive or ambition. Luckily for Wales, Italy were slightly worse!
If they play like that against Ireland they will get hammered, just as Scotland did.
Of the six games played, on present performance it looks like the Six nations crown will go to France or Ireland with England in close contention, looking on the bright side at least now we won't get the Wooden Spoon, Italy must have a shed full!
On a brighter note, sitting in the stadium waiting for the game to start we were watching the big screen as the camera's panned around on the rugby fans and there highlighted by the camera on screen sitting almost directly opposite us were our neighbours from across the rd, George and Glynnis, this is the George of the trombone fame who organises the Christmas carols brass band and singalong.They travelled down on a different train and stayed in a hotel in Cardiff, we saved quite a lot by staying in Cymbran at the Premier Inn for £29.00 a night as opposed to £100.00 a night in Cardiff, also we travelled into Cardiff for free with our bus passes on an excellent express bus service that only stops twice on the way in. Arriva do good deals on rail travel as well with £23.00 returns for over 55 club cards, pity the W.R.U. don't do the same sort of concessions for their loyal fans and also money back for crap performances!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Just a quick reminder to our koi club members, tomorrow night is the first club meeting for this year, don't be late. Anybody need to borrow a dinghy to row to the Farmers, my neighbour has one! 
Re: Spring is nearly here!
NOW IS THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT
MADE GLORIOUS BY THIS SON OF YORK
Richard 111 W.S
Well, the score was predictable; Ireland 26 Wales 3
So the 6 Nations is predictably still a three horse race!
On a much much better note though
LIVERPOOL 5 ARSENAL 1
Apparently after the match in Lime St station waiting for a train, Arsene Venger threw his head in his hands in despair and missed; and fell over! (see it on Facebook)
Anybody else see it?
Birdspotting this week in garden has been confined to sitting in conservatory with binoculars as Cyn and I have now got miserable heavy colds contracted we reckon from train journey back from Cardiff on Sunday last.
Best by far was spotting a tiny female Goldcrest on Tuesday hopping in and out of conifer in garden also same day a male Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming on our old apple tree. We now have a pair again and also a pair of Nuthatches visiting our bird feeders along with a large number of Long Tailed Tits, at least 10 but they are difficult to count as they are constantly flitting about. They really are such dainty pretty little birds though.
MADE GLORIOUS BY THIS SON OF YORK
Richard 111 W.S
Well, the score was predictable; Ireland 26 Wales 3
So the 6 Nations is predictably still a three horse race!
On a much much better note though
LIVERPOOL 5 ARSENAL 1
Apparently after the match in Lime St station waiting for a train, Arsene Venger threw his head in his hands in despair and missed; and fell over! (see it on Facebook)
Anybody else see it?
Birdspotting this week in garden has been confined to sitting in conservatory with binoculars as Cyn and I have now got miserable heavy colds contracted we reckon from train journey back from Cardiff on Sunday last.
Best by far was spotting a tiny female Goldcrest on Tuesday hopping in and out of conifer in garden also same day a male Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming on our old apple tree. We now have a pair again and also a pair of Nuthatches visiting our bird feeders along with a large number of Long Tailed Tits, at least 10 but they are difficult to count as they are constantly flitting about. They really are such dainty pretty little birds though.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
'If seven maids with seven mops swept it for half a year,
Do you think' said the Walrus, 'that they could sweep it clear'
I doubt it' said the Carpenter and he shed a bitter tear
L.C.
Preparing to clean my filter this morning I found the first frog of the season swimming around in the Nexus. I can only assume that they overwinter in the bottom drain and move up when weather warms although you couldn't call today warm by any means hovering around 5 or 6 degrees C. It was sunny first thing so I decided to flush the filter out and no sooner had I opened filter shed door and tied it back than a Wren dived in to clear the spiders and other creepy crawlies out. I left it to it for an hour and slid out the way for a warming brew. Still busy when I got back but it had moved into my greenhouse opposite for a forage in there so I could carry on with filter cleaning, after that I was battening down the hatches for tomorrow's predicted big blow.
don't you just love this winter so far, roll on spring!
Do you think' said the Walrus, 'that they could sweep it clear'
I doubt it' said the Carpenter and he shed a bitter tear
L.C.
Preparing to clean my filter this morning I found the first frog of the season swimming around in the Nexus. I can only assume that they overwinter in the bottom drain and move up when weather warms although you couldn't call today warm by any means hovering around 5 or 6 degrees C. It was sunny first thing so I decided to flush the filter out and no sooner had I opened filter shed door and tied it back than a Wren dived in to clear the spiders and other creepy crawlies out. I left it to it for an hour and slid out the way for a warming brew. Still busy when I got back but it had moved into my greenhouse opposite for a forage in there so I could carry on with filter cleaning, after that I was battening down the hatches for tomorrow's predicted big blow.
don't you just love this winter so far, roll on spring!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Spring is sprung the grass is rizz
I wonders where de boidies is?
Some say de boid is on de wing
But dats absoid de wing is on de boid
Jimmie 'Snozzle' Durante
My koi pond is crystal clear and the koi have never looked so good or colourful as they slowly cruised around the pond in yesterday's sunshine.
The cold weather keeps their movements to a minimum so you can observe and appreciate the fishes colour and patterns better and in my case no waterlillies to hide under.Frog in Nexus disappeared same day and has not returned so no frogspawn yet apparent!
Also, I discovered yesterday that there were still masses of snowdrops between the Pont Begard footbridge and the stone road bridge that carries A525 over river Elwy in St Asaph. They hadn't been washed out but covered over while still dormant in tons and tons of wood chippings when the trees were felled and cleared last year along that stretch. Last weeks floods washed most of the chippings away re-exposing the snowdrops, brilliant they look too and with a Missel thrush singing its lungs out in the stiff breeze at the very top of the big alders at the back of the cattle market, dare I say it!
Another sign of spring is what looks like some sort of wild plum, Bullace possibly, or a damson tree coming into flower today near the river in St Asaph, its definitely not blackthorn which often flowers in February so I'm curious about its origin.
I wonders where de boidies is?
Some say de boid is on de wing
But dats absoid de wing is on de boid
Jimmie 'Snozzle' Durante
My koi pond is crystal clear and the koi have never looked so good or colourful as they slowly cruised around the pond in yesterday's sunshine.
The cold weather keeps their movements to a minimum so you can observe and appreciate the fishes colour and patterns better and in my case no waterlillies to hide under.Frog in Nexus disappeared same day and has not returned so no frogspawn yet apparent!
Also, I discovered yesterday that there were still masses of snowdrops between the Pont Begard footbridge and the stone road bridge that carries A525 over river Elwy in St Asaph. They hadn't been washed out but covered over while still dormant in tons and tons of wood chippings when the trees were felled and cleared last year along that stretch. Last weeks floods washed most of the chippings away re-exposing the snowdrops, brilliant they look too and with a Missel thrush singing its lungs out in the stiff breeze at the very top of the big alders at the back of the cattle market, dare I say it!
Another sign of spring is what looks like some sort of wild plum, Bullace possibly, or a damson tree coming into flower today near the river in St Asaph, its definitely not blackthorn which often flowers in February so I'm curious about its origin.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Thomas Gray's Elegy first published 15th Feb 1751
One of my brother Ken's favourite poems, Ken passed away peacefully yesterday aged 90 so this is my humble epitaph to him.
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Thomas Gray's Elegy first published 15th Feb 1751
One of my brother Ken's favourite poems, Ken passed away peacefully yesterday aged 90 so this is my humble epitaph to him.
-
roselanekoi
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Hi Phil,
Very sorry to hear about your brother,
Condolences,
Colin
Very sorry to hear about your brother,
Condolences,
Colin
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Thank you Colin, those kind words are much appreciated.
Phil
Phil