private parts

the innermost secrets of the marsh violet laid bare. The marsh violet is not a common plant locally, but grows beside just one small, but clean stream. Patchy distribution like this always puzzles me, especially where the plant can be found every year but never seems to spread.

post script

Tara kindly pointed out that this image reminded her of Georgia O'Keefe, of whom I am afraid to admit we had never heard or seen (parochial, us folk in Cornwall? never!), this link is to her picture images on Google, they are well worth looking at.

things we are glad to see again 5

the peculiar flower of wood spurge, and the delicate flower of marsh violet

things we are glad to see again 4

pheasant eyes growing high in the meadows in Greenscombe woods (plus tiny mite of some sort).

Harriet's revenge

One kiss and it were done, Prince Charming himself (aka Spot) was toaded.

things we are glad to see again 3

and of course, bluebells. There is something difficult about photographing bluebells, and they never look quite right. Maybe we need an ultraviolet filter or something. Nevertheless, we shall go in search of the perfect bluebell picture.

things we are glad to see again 2

aubretia and forget-me-not together

things we are glad to see again

eleven days earlier than last year. It is always heart warming to see the swallows return from their holidays in South Africa. Our family of house martins have not arrived yet, but I am sure they are on their way. I wonder if martins always nest in the same place or whether their off spring come back to the same place.

on the barbican

which is why we went to Plymouth to visit the Barbican, from whence the Pilgrim fathers set out, to see the sharks (us that is not the PF's) at the National Aquarium, which is another fantastic day out.

a good day out

and a very enjoyable day it was too (link to their web page), especially for Charlie, 23 month old descendant of Spot's secretary, arriving as we did by steam train (Launceston Steam Railway, see link, and blog archive)


to be met by peacocks, who, of course, were soon eating out of his hand.

On a sunny day Cornwall is fun!

in the garden

forget-me-nots at the base of a Judas tree, appropriately enough for Easter, although the Judas tree rarely seems to flower in our climate.

and, of course, cherry blossom

blackthorn blossoming on Rowden lane, a long wide bridle path between Trecombe and Stoke Climsland.

hot air over Bodmin

hot air ballon over Caradon radio mast (above) and Sharp Tor (below), and crash (?) landing in field

on a more positive note

everything in the Orchard estate is pink now, including this beautiful, if slightly tardy camellia.Apparently the name is derived from Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit, who discovered them in the Philippines (although I doubt the inhabitants of those islands ignored them completely).

bad ear day

Harriet's top tip for the day, don't mess with Spot's frisbee. Bandaging by the boss. Predicted time for bandage remaining on head :- 2 minutes. Actual time 2 minutes 15 seconds.

postscript, 2130,
tip of ear is now missing. The question is, who has eaten it?

on the lane to Latchley 4

and then we got to Latchley!

on the lane to Latchley

meanwhile Spot has learned to walk on water. But posing has never been a problem.

on the lane to Latchley

It is a pity we are unable to record and post the sounds we hear on our walk. There are horses, sheep and cattle in this barn all making a noise plus several cockerels. Note escapees on right.

on the lane to Latchley

I thought for a moment that this was an osprey returning from the Middle East for the summer. It looked very pale for a buzzard, and unlike most buzzards did not fly off when it realised we were taking a close interest in it. However, on close inspection it lacks the white forehead of the osprey, and it must be a large fluffy, probably young, buzzard warming itself in the early morning sun.

underneath the nuthatch tree

this nuthatch was singing very tunefully today. His upper parts are a blue grey, but his underparts shown here are a fetching orange, and his beak is unmistakeable.

inter stellata space

dog's eye view inside the stellata shrub, contemplating the sky

and the blackthorn bush is on the verge of flowering.

no more hystaria

our wistaria is not out yet, but the magnolia stellata is blooming

more Spring things

everything is coming out at once this year, including the exuberant and fleshy marsh marigold (also called kingcups, or bachelor's buttons) (top) and an almost perfect, if quite early cuckoo (or may) flower.

village celandines

it has been a very sunny day and the celandines were all out on the verge leading into the village. The building on the left is the site of the old village pub (Half Moon cottages now). In the background is the war memorial, the bell tower of the old school, and on the right, in need of a lick of paint, our village social club.

by the gate, Orchard House

In early Spring there are no leaves on the trees and shrubs to obscure the view from the end of our land, so the church is framed by primroses and celandines in the foreground, and a purple splash of aubretia in the mid ground

harbingers of spring 2

meanwhile the puddles in the woods are a seething mass of tadpoles, and the water-boat men are once again demonstrating the properties of surface tension

harbingers of spring

barren strawberries, wood sorrel, stitchwort, and dog violets, all out together as Spring gathers force

red deadnettle

red dead-nettle is supposed to be very common, but perhaps due to changes in farming practices it is not that common locally. Like many common "weeds" it has a fascinating and complex flower, with an upper hooded lip, and a deeply notched lower lid with darker markings. In the old days (many many years ago) it was boiled and eaten as a pot herb, and used to make pig swill. It was also used to treat scrofula, the King's evil, a form of subcutaneous tuberculosis.

poor robin

this poor little robin came to grief today despite every effort to save it. It had been attacked either by a cat or by a hawk, or possibly another robin.

purple toothwort

and a last look at purple toothwort (aka Aunt Columbia), before it is swallowed up by the lush green leaves of wild garlic.

greenscombe

Greenscombe meadows, showing the beautiful late winter colours, just before Spring repaints everything, and for any Americans who may be visiting Latchley (it is a small world).