Another beautiful spring.

We've had so much sunshine this month and the hills are looking glorious. Primroses and polyanthus are doing particularly well in the garden and the pussy willows are laden with dusty pollen. The frogs have been busy in the pond and there's enough frog spawn to share with friends. It's a pity the days aren't even longer!

A long Indian Summer

The first day of December and many flowers are still blooming, for a second time this year. My pink oriental poppies keep coming into bud as do the rhododendrons and primulas. We've even had a second crop of raspberries! The winter sun is very welcome.

Contentment

What bliss! A sunny day with gentle breezes and tummies full of grass. If you could lie down all day and look at the Roaches you'd be happy too.

This photo was taken just 20 minutes walk away from the cottage.

Good year for apples

The colder winter and hot sunny spring seems to have helped with our harvest of apples this year. Cookers and eating apples are in abundance.

The church fete

It's always good to spend some time at our local church fete. This year there was dancing by the children from Blackshaw Moor First School and Morris dancing by members of U3A. Mr Don Robinson opened the fete with a lovely speech, reminding us of why so many people keep returning to Meerbrook.

Snowdrops or drops of snow?

Hasn't this been a beautiful year for snowdrops?

They seem to have lasted for weeks and remain undamaged by the rain and wind. In a bid to copy my neighbour's row of beauties, I have planted more in the green, between my small clumps to enable them to reach out to each other. Now I'm looking forward to next winter to see how they get on.

Nearly Christmas!!

This is the largest of the three turkeys and he keeps trying to escape for some reason. Has he looked at the calendar?