more marsh marigolds

a much better picture of this brilliant yellow flower. This is a large specimen with many stamens. For folklore see earlier page

mayflowers are back

in the week that we have been away the first of the mayflowers or cuckoo flowers have appeared. This pretty little flower has many common names including cuckoo flower, milkmaid and Our Lady's smock. Its first full flowering is commonly regarded as an accurate predictor of the arrival of the cuckoo itself. Richard Mabey, in Flora Britannica, suggests smock may have been slang for "a bit of skirt" and was suggestive of what went on in Spring meadows. Locally there is a variant complex double flowered variety (see previous page for more pictures and discussion, and link for a Spring song). Apart from its association with ancient patterns of human fertility, it was also believed in some places that anyone who picked the plant would be bitten by an adder, or that your house would be struck by lightning if you brought it indoors (are these metaphors for pregnancy?).

Rezare

the small village of Rezare, overlooking the Inny valley, just before a hail storm.

demolition works 2

More progress down at Beals Mill (see previous page)I am going to suggest to our parish council that it is renamed No Mill.

on the road to nowhere

early this morning a fit young female badger tried to cross a quiet country road. Cars and wildlife do not mix; drive slowly at night.

violet rant

the dog violets have been out for several weeks but it is time for their annual photo. We are all off on our holidays for a week, so, although Spot is staying behind to guard the kennels he will not have the time to post any new pages for the next week.

He also wants to know why Microsoft have made Vista (Home Premium) so incredibly difficult to use; are they the worst most unthoughtful anti consumerist company on the planet? Answers on a postcard, please. Could we connect a projector to our laptop? It would have been easier to travel to Mars. If I buy a new car I expect it to work (that means move when I want it to), not to sit there asking me if I am appropriately networked to the rest of the automobile industry, or to tell me to contact my local garage dealer. Apologies to all the ladies of the Kelly Bray WI for a much circumscribed illustrated talk on the wonders of our local area.