more spring

this minute little flower is ivy leaved speedwell, as never seen before, plus ant fly giving the boss an inquiring look

larking about

well we were larking about, and this sky lark flew past; not easy to see at the best of times and then they fly off making a dreadful noise, up in the sky giving us rocks. It could be a pippit I suppose, but the little white line on the wings suggests lark.

love

and here is miss venterdon 2006 herself. H, eat your heart out.

maternal advice

this is mum giving me the benefit of her years of accumulated wisdom. This was about how to train humans properly, how they need three walks a day, and where the biscuit tin is.

charades

one word, sounds like moo, eats grass?

No, you clots, it's SPOTTTT!!!!

Jimmy H is back by the way

speedwell and paw

field speedwell and hind leg of dog, I like the lovely light grey black of my left hind paw which sets off the sky blue of the speedwell rather well.
Vanity thy name is mutt face. Harriet?

heroic postures

here's a good one of me looking rather noble, on a very pleasant April afternoon only marred by Uncle Max going off on one of his adventures because the burglar alarm went off. He ran off. Unfortunately, because he only has 4 neurones, he gets completely lost if he goes more than 50 yards from home. Fortunately he is very friendly, and everyone knows he's one of the Orchard House gang, and he has his convict tag around his neck.

would anenomes

in a wood I would be

in ashes and flame

an anenome

by nature and by name

a poem by Spot the one I did earlier

Harriet's enemone

a little group of wood anenomes and Harriet's tail framing the lovely Inny.

Beals Mill

It is getting quite Spring like now. There were wood anenomes and speedwells out this morning and a little bit of golden saxifrage, and this giant red orchid (early red BT, foul smelling flower box attracting ringers from a wide area).

a new log

mum is considering starting her own log, but first she has to catch it

bad hair days

before, mum looking

suitably rug-ged , and afterwards, looking like a pig's ear whilst eating one. She is not keen on this even though she gets so hot she can't even think about running

butterbur

and the butterbur is well into flower but quite late this year.

Inny daffodils

Spring has been very slow in coming this year. These are some small native Cornish daffodils, growing right where the Inny runs into the Tamar (the river in the background) near where we saw the multiple snowdrops (see February)

ganging up

Frodo and Lily are giving Uncle Max a good biffing prior to going on a very long walk. Uncle Max is showing his fangs which is why all collies are called wolf (watch Babe if you don't believe me)

not wagging but drowning

I went for a proper swim in the Tamar today. There's a poem I know that describes the situation I found myself in. Lily, who is a very good swimmer came to see if I needed any help. As if!

mother love

mum receiving some affection. I should point out that the only things edible in this picture are the gardening gloves on the table. Boss's hole in one ball is apparently inedible although he has never allowed us to test this out. Have thought about eating bird table.

call me vain

I have had this photo taken to show the very fetching grey sheen I am developing as I mature. I am looking rather handsome if I may say so.

lurcher lout

Harriet has been at the beer again, I'm shocked.

spot's return

goodbye Morocco, hello world. Fiona and John came to stay for a week and we were very sorry to see them go only for old grumpy to come back. Now there's no more jumping up, running about barking or refusing to get into cars. I will persuade boss to get out and start snapping, so to speak, away.

I'm back !!!!!

love Spot

holidays

this dog is so laid back it hasn't moved for three years!! and now it's got a thrush.

see you soon

holidays

and they didn't take me.

holidays

Hip hip hooray, it's our holiday, Fiona and John have sent Mum and Dad to Agadir and are coming to stay in my house. That means lots of treats and walks and birthdays and NO discipline for weeks and weeks and weeks. They treat us like puppies.

Unfortunately I will not be able to blog for a bit, but there we are.

ps this is where I went for my first serious attempt at drowning, between Luckett and Latchley. I'll be back on 20/3/06, so don't miss it. LOVE Spot and H

Duchy College litter

which is more than can be said for the young people who go to Duchy college. This is the little lane that runs between the Post office and the college. It is full of litter, dropped as the last crisp goes into the gob, thus establishing a neat distribution curve, along the lane, of time against size of packet. They even bother to stuff the cans in the hedgerows, presumably it is easier to see them at eye level to check they are still there. What is wrong with human young? Agricultural students? Rubbish, I say.

lurchertime

Harriet has taken to drinking at lunchtime. At least she takes the can home.

spot and a mate

enough about flowers, here is a photo of a really attractive item. I heard the boss talking about me having an orchidectomy. Should I be worried? I like orchids and it's close to my next birthday tomorrow.

celandines

the celandines are coming, this one bathing in the warm sunshine by the side of our garage, so Spring is on its way.

long days

this buzzard posed very cooperatively with the tower of StoKe Climsland church in the background. We creep up on them in the terranosaurus and snap them through the glass, hence the blue tinge.

bird flew

this buzzard fancied Harriet; for supper. Mum went and dug up the fox skin. It was a bit tastier today although now she has a bad case of halitosis.

why

in a quiet wood, not far from the Tamar, miles from anywhere. Why do people do this? What sort of barbarous species are you? Destroy the planet to save £20.

Devon

We don't do Devon much, Cornwall is enough for most lurchers, but the moor looks very pretty with a little snow on it, and the village of Sydenham Damerel in the foreground on the other side of the valley. And the radio mast which sends instructions to everyone in Devon according to the boss. Very cold this morning.

Harriet in full camouflage

I liked the walk today. Mum found a fox pelt which she chewed then buried; disgusting. Am I bothered?

am I buzzered?

why is the boss walking around asking "am I buzzered", what does this mean? Who does he think he is (no disrepect of course)?

buzzards

top predator, always sitting on top of the telegraph pole.

happy galanthophiles

serendipity, or so it would seem. Today the Times has a strange little article all about our favourite February flower, the snowdrop, otherwise known as Galanthus (the boss has confessed he thought they were narcissi until I told him). Obviously there are lots of different varieties occurring naturally, hence presumably the beautiful variations along the valley. I am not a galanthophile, but a floraphile. And NO to badger culls, the place is barren enough as it is what with herbicides and pesticides and fertilisers and fences and mires and muck spreaders.

snowdrops, Rising Sun and life in general

and here they are as seen, the Inny is the river on the left, and just through the trees you can glimpse the Tamar. After two hours walking (running in my case) we all went off to the Rising Sun near Altarnun. The Rising Sun is a good pub, and Kiwi Jim is a good bloke. Try it! Sunday lunch is wonderful. I know because we got to a taste of the beef.

snowdrops, Inny foot

as you can see the flowers are on individual stems

galanthophiles this way, beautiful snowdrops

Dad found this complex snowdrop down by the mouth of the Inny. Is it too early to be a summer snow flake? Anyway it flowers in single heads. What is this flower? He did NOT pick it.

proper walks

at long last the snowdrops are out and we have been taken on a proper walk. I went for my first serious swim today in order to retrieve this stick.

Friday

Friday is a very special day because I will be sharing my birthday with someone very special. She is a very kind and special friend and when can I go and live with her?? Help me Fiona I need presents.

portrait of a gentleman

the boss says that as there are no narcissi out, one will have to do. I don't understand him sometimes.

more fire in heaven

what do all these fiery sunsets mean? More mud in the house. Dark days, half way through the dreary gap between Christmas and Spring, no flowers, one snowdrop maybe. Nature is holding her breath.

Stoke Climsland

our village, sitting below Kit Hill, from Roy and Pat's House. Duchy College to the left and our house, I think I can see me. Poor Roy is not very well, say a prayer for him.

not very lady like

I think this pic speaks for itself. Harriet, taking after mum, has been pretending to have an injured paw (top front one in this pic) so that she gets more attention, as you can see she is all paws and legs and no fun at all.

last year's snowdrops

last year's snowdrops will just have to do.

sibling love

I thought you would like to see a little bit of sisterly love. It has been raining incessantly to day, and we haven't taken many pictures recently. We looked for snowdrops today but none were to be seen. Roll on Spring.

at the Cheesewring

Uncle and Aunt pay us a visit. Well, I noticed that the boss was all fingers and thumbs during the New Year. He didn't manage one useful photo. Instead he is trying to pass this photo off from 2004 before we were EVEN BORN (when life was very peaceful, he says). Nevertheless most of the people to whom I am very important are in this photo. So I like it. Tomorrow is my birthday by the way.