Harriet, lurcher of this parish, died today

 

 

 

And so, finally, after 21 years and 7 months of lurcher ownership, things finally came to an end. Harriet was put to sleep peacefully today, the first day of Spring 1/03/2021 on the same blanket she was born on. I am very proud to have been the owner of such lovely good natured dogs. They had a good life, and I hope this blog remains as a testimony to a good dogs lives well lived.

Sadly Spot passed away today, after a short illness. He was one week away from his 14th birthday. He was much loved and had a long and happy life, much of which is recorded in these many pages. He was full of life until the very end. He will be sorely missed.

Goodbye, old chap. See you soon.

Not bad for 84

12 years old today (06/06/2017)

I won again!

Kit Hill dawn

 

Morning glory with Spot and Harriet

last of the winter sun

rooks watch the sun go down

images from a far away land

last of the summer walks

the Tamar at Calstock viaduct on a warm October afternoon

two rarities

At last summer has arrived with some warm sunshine. The meadows are full of wild flowers. This is a heath fritillary (female) feeding on cornish bladderseed, two rarities in one.

cornish bladderseed

did you knock?

Swallows roosting in our porch. They have had one unsuccessful attempt to breed already. Something (probably local sparrows) raided the nest and chucked the eggs out. They will probably try again.

may is out

you can start casting clouts, the May is out. (There is some dispute about the origin of this old saying, but I like to think it refers to the hawthorn coming into flower, whatever the time of year, and it is a bit late this year). So out with my clouts.

at last, a green hairstreak butterfly

I have been looking for this little green butterfly (the green hairstreak) for the last five years, and at last today in Greenscombe woods, I spotted this one and was able to photograph it. Hooray! And there were a lot of heath fritillaries about

and lots of heath spotted, marsh and lesser butterfly orchids, and a crab spider waiting for an unsuspecting pollinator.

froghopper

the black and red frog hopper looks like a mis-shapened ladybird but is one of the spittle bug family (see link British bugs ). They are supposed to be common but thgis is the first red and black one we have seen.

out for a stroll

fox crossing

near the zebra?

Calstock in bloom

enormous wisteria climbing over end of incline railway at Calstock (see this link Calstock information)

beautiful Spring, Pempwell, Cornwall 2016

the white sparrow

just one more for old times sake, the amazing sight of  an albino (or leucistic) sparrow in the garden of Spot's new(ish) abode

farewell to Orchard House

well, after 22 years, and with some sadness, we have left Orchard House. One Harriet has been replaced by another, and the garden is now full of laughter and chatter rather than random barking. Meg (who appears in Spot's blog from time to time) is very happy to be in Spot's house but can't work out where he has gone. In fact we have moved just across the road to Farrier's Lodge, our lovely new home, so every dog is confused. With the move away from Orchard House, Spot (who will be 10 in June) and I feel it is time to bring this blog to a close. It has been on line now for more than 9 years, and we have covered the ebb and flow of the seasons and of canine lives with great affection for this wonderful place in which we live. Once again the tide of yellow is upon us with daffodils, celandines and primroses smiling in the sun, the harbingers of Spring, and for once I shall leave their image to your imaginations.

love to everyone

Spot, and his secretary.

Spring snowdrops

Spring is coming! Interesting complex snowdrop near Latchley today.

Minions

colourful scenes on Bodmin moor today

watch tower

we seem to have acquired our own buzzard, the beech tree gives him/her/it a magnificent view across the field of rabbits.