Celandines and Steam Trains

There have been a few springy days this week, in between the rain.  The sun has been out and its been lovely, the sea is then like a magnet, it doens't take me long to find an excuse to go there.  Today after all the wind a lot of cuttle fish have been blown on to the beach.

The flowers are all beginning to come out little by little, we have snowdrops out and in some places I have seen daffodils actually open.  But my favourite thing which says that spring  is actually here is the celandine.  I was walking along by the station and saw my first celandines on the bank.

  They make me thing of being a child in a little country town and making dens in wild places. 

In my garden I have a kind of honeysuckle bush that always amazes me.  It is about fourteen years old and is in a pot which is really too small for it. It orignally belonged to my mum and then came to live with me when she died.  It gets too dry in summer and too cold in winter but each spring it begins to shoot and it is already full of little sprouting leaves. 
I like daydreaming of what I am going to grow this year, definitely sweet peas.  I always grow these usually in pots, but I am planning to put  a few in my little veg garden this year. Courgettes too, these were a new venture for us last year and were lovely. 

Yesterday I started chopping the buddleia down, it should be done in February but last year I forgot, so it is rather large and bushy now.  I am also hoping to buy a bramley apple tree very soon, they have to be planted before March is over.  I do miss my apple trees from my old house and look very enviously at other peoples apple trees, so I think it is my time to have another one!

Contented Kittys Birthday

Today is my birthday and what a lovely day I have had.  I woke up to tea and birthday cake in bed and lots of lovely presents - all my favourites, chocolates, magazine and books.

Then a trip by motorbike.  Now some ladies would hate the thought of a journey by motorbike, especially in the rain and cold, but too me it is heaven.  I love being a pillion passenger, sometimes you get a bit stiff and tired and cold, but there is something so special.  When we set off it was raining and it got steadily harder.  We went through the countryside to Lulworth and had a look at the sea and a very welcome coffee and tea cake, ( we had the cafe nearly to ourselves and didn't have to fight coach loads of old ladies for the teacakes, as we once had to in the Lake District).

Now the sun had come out and it was beautiful, we wondered where to go and decided to have a look at Ringstead Bay.  It was lovely, absolutely deserted and the sun shone and it was warm.  We sat there for a long time just taking in the peace and quiet, and only saw two people and one dog in our whole time there.

Then home in the sun for a welcome cup of tea and ham sandwiches, a night of relaxing, and a lovely home made pizza and as you can see not a lot of birthday cake left!