L is for...........................

Laburnum

Of all the trees, my favourite is the good old English Oak but a very close second is the Laburnum.  Acid yellow flowers brings sunshine to the dullest day in spring.  The flowers on the trees only last a very short while, but they are so bright.  I have been lucky to live in two houses with a Laburnum tree.  This house that we have lived in for twenty four years, and one when I was very little that my grandparents owned in Chingford London.  

A member of the pea family this tree is poisonous.  A few years back the tree didn't look well, but whatever it was the ladybirds (ladybugs) loved it.  Every time we walked passed the trees ladybirds just fell out to the ground and staggering along drunk!  And often when all around is quiet the tree hums to the tune of bees gathering the nectar.  

The Laburnum Fairy

Bees! Bees! come to the trees

Where the Lime has hung her treasures;

Come, come, hover and hum;

Come and enjoy your pleasures!

The feast is ready, the guests are hidden;

Like pearls shine the drops of sweetness there,

And the scent of the Lime-flowers fills the air,

But soon the blossoms pretty and pale

Will all be gone; and the leaf-like sail

Will bear the little round fruits away;

So bees! bees! come while you may!

                                                                  Cicely Mary Baker

Linking with Alphabet blogging 

N is for..........

NATURE

Some nature from around my garden.
We don't have a very tidy garden, am working on that, but then I don't want a very tidy garden with formal beds!  

Apologies very photo heavy

Cowslip

Forget-me-knot

Wild Garlic

Welsh Leek

Herb Robert

Scentless Mayweed

Bee

Nettle family

Fern

Bush Fuschia

Dandilion Clock

Dandilion

Periwinkle

Laburnum in bud

Blue, While and Pink Bells

Valarian

very tiny bird with a very loud voice!

Blogging with  Alphabet Blogging

Just a chat.............

Its very foggy this morning, I walked round the garden to see if I could find a cobweb with it diamonds glittering.  The only time cobwebs can really be seen are on days like this with the dew hanging from its threads.  I find them fascinating.

The Primroses are in full blooms, they look so pretty in their bright yellow petals.

Do you remember this

There are four buds

I also revamped rewrote which is what I should have done in the first place my last post.  I have to admit I was in a bit of a hurry that day.  I should have taken my time and done it properly the next day!

Go here there is a beautiful give-away

Storm Clouds, Steam, and Flowers

The clouds over my house on Friday evening, we had a thunderstorm, it didn't last long, we have actually seen and heard better ones, but this one was directly over our house at one point.  

Saturday morning, we awoke after the storm to a sunny morning, but with black clouds in the distance.  Right to where we were going!  We went the the West Somerset Steam Fayre at Norton Fitzwarren.  

We drove to Bishop Lydyeard Station and had a free train ride to the Norton Fitzwarren siding for the steam fayre.     

This train was actually going to Minehead!

We saw tiny steam

Mini traction engines

Proper size traction engines, think my favourite of all the 'steam'.  Think I prefer these to engines - don't know why.........

The 'road gang' display

They had an armoured vehicle display too including this famous ambulance......

This ambulance appeared in the film Ice Cold in Alex with John Mills and Sylvia Symms

We saw the Starlight Pullman Car.  The name because it has windows along the top of the roof.

There was a craft tent too. But I was actually very disappointed.  Forty percent of the stalls were hand made cards, and forty percent were jewellery, made from glass beads, bracelets and necklaces.  The other twenty percent were other things like the barge painter, and the giant cookie counter.  

Whilst we were there, there was a very heavy downpour where everyone scurried to the nearest tent, we ended up in the model boat tent!

Now my flowers 

Before the rain

and after the rain!

This is my garden!

I just couldn't resist to photoshop these pictures.  

When I put bread on the bird-table for the garden birds, this pigeon sit in the middle and chucks it onto the ground and the Seagulls flock in.  

I had the camera ready today!

Now class............

Class dismissed..................

And the days get shorter................

Anniversary Rose

Its the longest day today.  It is also our 33rd Wedding Anniversary.  Thirty Three years ago at midday at Southend Registrar Office with close friends and relatives Alex and I got married.  When we go to the local Farmers Market later we will pop into a card shop and go and buy cards for each other, how organised is that?

Do you remember this lovely yellow display it looks so sad now.

But now the the Elderflowers are in full bloom.  Does anyone have a tried and tested simple Elderflower Cordial recipe?  

Everything is so late this year.

This Blackbird with long worm in its beak has searched out breakfast for his three children

I risked being attacked by the parent birds and the razor sharp leaves of the Yucca and thorns on Bramble to take a picture of the nest, I'llleave them alone now, but I will look out for the fledglings next I don't want them to be abandoned now.

Click on this picture and I have pointed them out

I have been creating too!

The Roses in My Garden!

White Roses

Red Roses

We have three of these Red Standard Roses

This Red Rose, in the paint box the colour is Vermilion!

I actually know the name of this Rose. It is called Silver Jubilee. Our friends David and Jane bought us this Rose for our Silver Wedding Anniversary six years ago, it is late flowering this year it normally flowers the week of our anniversary!